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As of 2021[update], the Book of Mormon has been translated into over 115 languages,[1] mostly but not exclusively by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and there are active projects to translate it into a number of other languages. Portions of the book, as opposed to complete translations, have also been conducted for another 20 languages. These tables show all the versions of the Book of Mormon that have been translated. Unless otherwise indicated, the translation was financed and the resulting text published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is by far the largest church in the Latter Day Saint movement. Not all translations are currently in print. As of 2021, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to publish at least portions of the Book of Mormon in 115 languages.[2] The Community of Christ, the second largest church in the Latter Day Saint movement, has also published its own translations of the work in various languages, though becoming increasingly less common to find. The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite) has published their own respective editions of the Book of Mormon in Italian, Spanish, and various small languages meant only for Locals, and published in the Respective Nations. The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) publishes the Book of Mormon in Spanish.[citation needed]
The following list provides details on officially translated versions of the Book of Mormon published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as translations in languages not published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
No. | Date | Language | Title | Primary locations of language | Notes | Image | Approx. no. of speakers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1830 | English | The Book of Mormon | Anglosphere, minorities elsewhere. | Translated by Joseph Smith. Most recent edition 2013. There are a number of English editions by multiple publishers. | 400,000,000 as a foreign language: 600–700,000,000 | |
2 | 1851 | Danish | Mormons Bog | Denmark (incl. Faroe Islands & Greenland) | [3] most recent edition 2005; originally translated by Peter O. Hansen | 5,500,000 | |
3 | 1852 | French | Le Livre de Mormon | France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and a number of African countries | [3] First in a Romance language; original translation credited to John Taylor and Curtis E. Bolton (assisted by Louis A. Bertrand and others) | 76,800,000 (as a foreign language: 274,000,000) | |
4 | 1852 | Welsh | Llyfr Mormon | Wales, minority in Argentina | Most recent edition 2000. The only translation in a Celtic language; originally translated by John S. Davis.[4] | 700,000+ | |
5 | 1852 | German | Das Buch Mormon | Germany, Austria, Switzerland with minorities elsewhere in Europe | [5] most recent edition 2003 | 90,000,000 | |
6 | 1852 | Italian | Il Libro di Mormon | Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, minorities elsewhere | [3] most recent edition 1995 | 69,000,000 | |
7 | 1855 | Hawaiian | Ka Buke a Moramona | Hawaiian Islands (minority in Continental United States) | [3] first non-European language translation; translated by Jonatana Napela and George Q. Cannon | 24,000 | |
8 | 1869 | Deseret Alphabet (English) | 𐐜 𐐒𐐳𐐿 𐐱𐑂 𐐣𐐫𐑉𐑋𐐲𐑌 | Utah Territory (defunct) | [6] No longer officially printed by any Church affiliation, Deseret enthusiasts and historians have revitalized Deseret editions of the Book of Mormon which can be purchased in print or read online.[7][8][9] Originally published in "part one" which covered a third of the Book of Mormon and a "family edition" which included the complete text.[10] | Unknown | |
9 | 1878 | Swedish | Mormons Bok | Sweden, Finland | [3] Most recent translation published 2008 | 10,000,000 | |
10 | 1886 | Spanish | El Libro de Mormón | Spain, Latin America, Equatorial Guinea, considerable minorities in United States, the Philippines, and Western Sahara | [3] selections published in 1875 by Daniel Webster Jones and Meliton G. Trejo; Trejo completed the full translation with James Z. Stewart, this was then revised Eduardo Balderas and Antoine R. Ivins; most recent edition 1992. | 480,000,000 | |
11 | 1889 | Māori | Ko Te Pukapuka a Moromona | New Zealand, expatriate minority in Australia | [3] | 149,000 | |
12 | 1890 | Dutch | Het Boek van Mormon | Netherlands, Flanders, French Flanders, Suriname | [3] | 22,000,000 | |
13 | 1903 | Samoan | O le Tusi a Mamona | Samoa, American Samoa (minority in NZ) | [3] Retranslated in 2011. | 510,000 | |
14 | 1904 | Tahitian | Te Buka a Moromona | Tahiti | [3] | 185,000 | |
15 | 1906 | Turkish | Mormon Kitabı'ndan Seçmeler (1906 ed.), Mormon Kitabı (2001 ed.) | 1906 Armenian script version (now largely defunct); formerly used in present-day Eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and the U.S.
2001 Roman script edition used in Turkey |
[3] Armenian script version was first Asian language translation, now out of print; selections in Roman script published in 1983; full text in Roman script published in 2001 | 75,700,000 | |
16 | 1909 | Japanese | モルモン書 (Morumon-sho) | Japan, minorities elsewhere | [3] most recent edition 2009. First in an east Asian language; originally translated by Alma O. Taylor. Originally entitled モルモン経 until c. 1992. | 125,000,000 | |
17 | 1933 | Czech | Kniha Mormonova | Czech Republic, former Czechoslovakia | [3] First in a Slavic language. | 10,700,000 (15,200,000 when taken with Slovak) | |
18 | 1936 | Braille (English) | [3] most recent edition 1994 | ||||
19 | 1937 | Armenian, Western | Մօրմոնի Գիրքէն | Middle East, U.S., and elsewhere | [11] 1937 complete edition currently out of print; new translation (selections only) published in 1983 | 1,400,000 | |
20 | 1939 | Portuguese | O Livro de Mórmon | Brazil, Portugal (also used in Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde) | [3] most recent edition 1995 | 223,000,000 | |
21 | 1946 | Tongan | Ko e Tohi ʻa Molomoná | Tonga (minority in NZ) | [3] | 169,000 | |
22 | 1950 | Norwegian | Mormons Bok | Norway | [3] | 5,200,000 | |
23 | 1954 | Finnish | Mormonin Kirja | Finland, Sweden, minority in Russia (Karelia) | [3] First in a Finno-Ugric language. | 5,400,000 | |
24 | 1965 | Chinese | 摩爾門經 | Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia | [3][12] Retranslated in 2007 and changed name from 摩門經 to 摩爾門經. | 1.2 billion (The spoken varieties of Chinese other than Mandarin are not closely related and are sometimes treated as separate languages.) | |
25 | 1965 | Rarotongan (Cook Islands Māori) | Te Puka a Momoni | Cook Islands | [3] | 15,000 | |
26 | 1967 | Korean | 몰몬경 | Korea (Minorities in PRC, Russia and elsewhere) | [3] Translated by Han In Sang. | 77,000,000 | |
27 | 1972 | Afrikaans | Die Boek van Mormon | South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe | [3] First African language edition | 10,000,000 | |
28 | 1976 | Thai | พระคัมภีร์ มอรมอน | Thailand | [3] New translation completed in 2010[13] | 44,000,000 | |
29 | 1977 | Indonesian | Kitab Mormon | Indonesia | [14] New translation completed in 2010[13] | 156,000,000 | |
30 | 1979 | Croatian | Mormonova Knjiga | Croatia | [3] | 5,600,000 (formerly lumped together with other languages as Serbo-Croat) | |
31 | 1980 | Fijian | Ai Vola i Momani | Fiji | [3] | 450,000 | |
32 | 1981 | Catalan | El Llibre del Mormó | Catalonia, Andorra, Roussillon | [3] | 4,000,000 | |
33 | 1981 | Icelandic | Mormónsbók | Iceland | [3] | 358,000 | |
34 | 1981 | Polish | Księga Mormona | Poland, minorities elsewhere | [3][15] | 50,000,000 | |
35 | 1981 | Russian | Книга Мормона | Russia, post-Soviet states, Eastern Europe | [3] New translation completed in 2011[16] Although some missionary work had been done prior to the Russian Revolution, missionaries were only allowed back into Russia in the 1990s. | 260,000,000 | |
36 | 1982 | Hindi | मॉर्मन धर्मशास्त्र | India | [3] | 322,000,000 | |
37 | 1982 | Vietnamese | Sách Mặc Môn | Vietnam | [3] | 96,000,000 | |
38 | 1983 | Q'eqchi' (Kekchi) | Lix Hu Laj Mormon | Belize, Guatemala | [3] First in a language native to the Americas. | 800,000 | |
39 | 1986 | Arabic | كتاب مورمون | North Africa, Middle East, with substantial minorities elsewhere. Highly pluricentric language with divergent dialects. | [3] | 310,000,000 | |
40 | 1986 | Aymara | Mormonan Kellkatapa | Peru, Bolivia | [3] | 1,677,100 | |
41 | 1987 | Greek | Το Βιβλίο του Μόρμον | Greece, Cyprus, minorities elsewhere | [3] | 13,400,000 | |
42 | 1991 | Hungarian | Mormon könyve | Hungary, Romania, northern Serbia, indigenous minorities elsewhere in Europe | [3] Selections published in 1979 | 13,000,000 | |
43 | 1995 | Braille (Spanish) | [3] | ||||
44 | 1995 | Ilokano | Ti Libro ni Mormon | Philippines | [3] | 10,000,000 | |
45 | 1997 | Ukrainian | Книга Мормона | Ukraine, also minorities elsewhere in former USSR | [17] | 35,000,000 | |
46 | 1998 | Cebuano | Ang Basahon ni Mormon | Philippines | [18] Selections published in 1992 | 42,100,000 | |
47 | 1998 | Pangasinan | Say Libro nen Mormon | Philippines (Pangasinan) | 1,200,000 | ||
48 | 1998 | Romanian | Cartea lui Mormon | Romania, Moldova | [19] | 26,000,000 | |
49 | 1998 | Tagalog | Ang Aklat ni Mormon | Philippines | [18] | 60,000,000 | |
50 | 1999 | Bulgarian | Книгата на Мормон | Bulgaria; minorities in Greece, Turkey and Ukraine | [20] selections published in 1980 | 9,000,000 | |
51 | 1999 | Albanian | Libri i Mormonit | Albania, Kosovo, minorities in Greece and Italy. | [20] | 5,400,000 | |
52 | 1999 | Fante | Mormon Nwoma No | Ghana | [21] | 1,900,000 | |
53 | 1999 | Haitian Creole | Liv Mòmon An | Haiti | [22] selections published in 1983 | 9,600,000 | |
54 | 1999 | Shona | Bhuku Ramormoni | Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana | Selections published in 1988 | 15,000,000 | |
55 | 2000 | Estonian | Mormoni Raamat | Estonia | [23] New translation published in 2011[24] | 1,100,000 | |
56 | 2000 | Hmong | Phau Ntawv Maumoos | Southeast Asia (China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand) | [25] selections published in 1983 | 3,700,000 | |
57 | 2000 | Malagasy | Ny Bokin'i Môrmôna | Madagascar | [26] selections published in 1983 | 25,000,000 | |
58 | 2000 | Swahili | Kitabu cha Mormoni | East sub-Saharan Africa | [26] | 90,000,000 | |
59 | 2000 | Amharic | መፅሐፈ ሞርሞን | North Central Ethiopia by the Amhara, Eritrea | [23][26][27] | 21,811,600 | |
60 | 2000 | Latvian | Mormona Grāmata | Latvia | [23][26] | 2,000,000 | |
61 | 2000 | Lithuanian | Mormono Knyga | Lithuania | [26] | 3,100,000 | |
62 | 2000 | Ibo (Igbo) | Akwụkwọ nke Momọn | Nigeria | [23][28] | 50,000,000 | |
63 | 2000 | Xhosa | Incwadi Kamormoni | South Africa | [23][26] | 19,200,000 | |
64 | 2000 | Telugu | మోర్మాన్ యొక్క గ్రంధము | India | Selections published in 1982 | 81,000,000 | |
65 | 2000 | Armenian, Eastern | Մորմոնի Գիրքը | Eastern Armenian is spoken in the Caucasus Mountains (particularly in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh as well as Georgia) and by the Armenian community in Iran. Due to migrations of speakers from Armenia and Iran to the Armenian Diaspora, the dialect is now very prominent in countries and regions where only Western Armenian was used. It was developed in the early 19th century and is based on the dialect of the Ararat district (of Eastern Armenia). | [23][29] | 4,300,000 | |
66 | 2000 | American Sign Language | United States, Canada | [23][30] on DVD; selections produced on VHS in 1995 | 500,000 | ||
67 | 2001 | Khmer (Cambodian) | ព្រះគម្ពីរមរមន | Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand | [31] Selections published in 1982 | 16,000,000 | |
68 | 2001 | Chinese (Simplified characters) | 摩尔门经 | China, Southeast Asia, minorities elsewhere | [12] Selections published in 1982 | ||
69 | 2001 | Mongolian | Мормоны Ном | Mongolia, minority in China and Siberia | [32] most recent edition 2008 | 5,200,000 | |
70 | 2001 | Kiribati (Gilbertese) | Ana Boki Moomon | Kiribati | [33] Selections published in 1988 | 120,000 | |
71 | 2002 | Slovene | Mormonova Knjiga | Slovenia, Italy | [13] | 2,500,000 | |
72 | 2002 | Neomelanesian (Tok Pisin) | Buk Momon | Papua New Guinea | [33] | 4,000,000 | |
73 | 2003 | Tswana | Buka ya ga Momone | Botswana | [28] | 5,000,000 | |
74 | 2003 | Zulu | Incwadi Kamormoni | South Africa, Zimbabwe | [28] selections published in 1987 | 12,000,000 | |
75 | 2003 | Marshallese | Bok in Mormon | Marshall Islands | [33] Selections published in 1984; originally translated by William Swain. | 55,000 | |
76 | 2004 | Bislama | Buk Blong Momon | Vanuatu | [33] Selections published in 1985 | 200,000 | |
77 | 2004 | Lingala | Buku ya Molomoni | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo | [28] selections published in 1998 | 70,000,000 | |
78 | 2004 | Yapese | Fare Babyor ku Mormon | Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | [33] | 5,130 | |
79 | 2005 | Twi | Mormon Woma no | Ghana | [28] | 9,000,000 | |
80 | 2005 | Tamil | மார்மன் புத்தகம் | Southern India, Sri Lanka | Selections published in 1982 | 74,000,000 | |
81 | 2005 | Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) | Ang Libro ni Mormon | Philippines | [34] selections published in 1994 | 9,300,000 | |
82 | 2007 | Urdu | مورمن کی کتاب | Pakistan, India, minorities elsewhere | Selections published in 1988 | 67,000,000 (Formerly lumped together with other languages as Hindustani) | |
83 | 2007 | Serbian | Мормонова Књига | Serbia | 8,000,000 (Formerly lumped together with other languages as Serbo-Croat) | ||
84 | 2007 | Yoruba | Ìwé Ti Mọ́mọ́nì | Nigeria, Benin, Togo | 48,000,000 | ||
85 | 2008 | Sinhala | මෝමන්වරුන්ගේ පොත | Sri Lanka | [35] Selections published in 1983 | 17,000,000 | |
86 | 2009 | Guaraní | Mormon Kuatiañe'ẽ | Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil | [36] selections published in 1982 | 4,850,000 | |
87 | 2011 | Quichua–Ecuador[37] | Mormónpaj Quilcashca | Ecuador | [38] Selections published in 1980 as Mormon Killkashkamanta | 1,209,000 | |
88 | 2012 | Lao | ພຣະຄຳພີ ມໍມອນ | Laos | [39] selections published in 1982 | 30,000,000 | |
89 | 2013 | Slovak | Kniha Mormonova | Slovakia | [40] | 5,510,000 (Formerly associated with the Czech language) | |
90 | 2013 | Malay | Kitab Mormon | Malaysia | [41][42] | 77,000,000 | |
91 | 2015 | Kosraean | Puk Luhn Mormon | Federated States of Micronesia | [2] | 9,000 | |
92 | 2015 | Chuukese | Ewe Puken Mormon | Federated States of Micronesia | [43] | 51,330 | |
93 | 2015 | Persian | كتاب مورمون | Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan | [44] | 110,000,000 (including Tajiki) | |
94 | 2017 | Nepali | मोर्मोंनको पुस्तक | Nepal | [45] | 25,000,000 | |
95 | 2018 | Georgian | მორმონის წიგნი | Georgia | [46] | 3,700,000 | |
96 | 2019 | Burmese | မော်မုန်ကျမ်း | Myanmar | [47] | 43,000,000 | |
97 | 2021 | Macedonian | Книгата на Мормон | North Macedonia; minorities in Albania, Greece & Serbia | [47] | Unknown | |
98 | 2023 | Kinyarwanda | Igitabo cya Morumoni | Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania | [48] | 12,000,000 | |
99 | 2023 | Pohnpeian | Pwuken Mormon | Federated States of Micronesia | [49] Selections published in 1987 | 29,000 | |
100 | 2024 | Tshilubà | Mukanda wa Molomo | Democratic Republic of the Congo | [50] Also known as Luba-Kasai, Western Luba, Ciluba/Tshilubà | 6,300,000 | |
101 | 2024 | Maltese | Il-Ktieb ta’ Mormon | Malta, minorities elsewhere | [51] | 600,000 | |
102 | 2024 | Swati | Incwadzi Yamormon | eSwatini, South Africa | [52] | 2,300,000 | |
103 | 2023 | Chewa | Buku la Mormoni | Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique | [53] | 14,000,000 |
Number | Date | Language | Title | Primary Location of Language | Notes[3][54] | Approx. no. of speakers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1978 | Kaqchikel | Ri Vuj Richin Ri Mormon | Guatemala (Central Highlands) | Initially released on audio tape due to low levels of literacy within this language.[55] | 450,000 |
2 | 1979 | Quechua—Peru | Mormonpa Qelqanmanta Aqllaska T'aqakuna | Peru | 1,500,000 | |
3 | 1979 | Quiché | Ri Wuj Re Ri Mormon | Guatemala (Central Highlands) | 2,330,000 | |
4 | 1980 | Navajo | Naaltsoos Mormon Wolyéhígíí | Southwestern United States | Full translation announced, 2017[56] | 169,000 |
5 | 1981 | Kuna | Mormón Kaiya Purba | Panama, Colombia | 61,000 | |
6 | 1981 | Niuean | Tohi a Moromona | Niue, Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Tonga, | 7,700 | |
7 | 1981 | Quechua—Bolivia | Mormompa Libronmanta | Bolivia | 1,616,000 | |
8 | 1983 | Efik | Eto Ŋwed Mormon | Nigeria | Full translation announced, 2017[56] | 2,400,000 |
9 | 1983 | Kisii (Gusii) | Ebuku Ya Mormoni | Kenya | 2,200,000 | |
10 | 1983 | Mam | Aj U'j Te Mormon | Guatemala, Mexico | 478,000 | |
11 | 1983 | Maya | U Libroil Mormon | Mexico, Belize, Guatemala | 792,000 | |
12 | 1985 | Bengali | মর্মন বইয়ের | Bangladesh, India (Substantial diaspora including in UK) | Full translation underway | 260,000,000 |
13 | 1987 | Papiamento | E Buki di Mormon | Netherlands Antilles, Aruba | 341,000 | |
14 | 1988 | Palauan | Babier Er a Mormon | Palau | 17,000 | |
15 | 1989 | Chamorro | I Lepblon Mormon | Guam, Northern Mariana Islands | 58,000 | |
16 | 1994 | Pampango (Kapampangan) | Libru Nang Mormon | Philippines (Central Luzon) | 1,900,000 | |
17 | 1994 | Tzotzil | Vun Yu'un Mormōn | Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz) | Initially released on audio tape due to low levels of literacy within this language.[57] | 405,00 |
18 | 1996 | Waray-Waray | Libro Ni Mormon | Philippines (Eastern Visayas, minorities elsewhere) | 2,600,000 | |
19 | 1997 | Bikolano | An Libro Ni Mormon | Philippines (Bicol Region) | 700,000 |
Number | Date | Language | Title | Primary Location of Language | Notes | Approx. no. of speakers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* | 2017 | Efik | Eto Ŋwed Mormon | Nigeria | [56] Sections originally published in 1983 | 2,400,000 |
* | 2017 | Navajo | Naaltsoos Mormon Wolyéhígíí | Southwestern United States | [56] Sections originally published in 1980 | 169,000 |
* | 2017 | Sesotho | Buka ea Mormone | South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe | [56] | 15,000,000 |
* | 2018 | Kazakh | Мормон кітабы | Kazakhstan; minorities in Western China, Mongolia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan | [58] | 21,000,000 |
* | 2023 | Bengali | মর্মন বইয়ের | Bangladesh, India (Substantial diaspora including in UK) | Selections published in 1985 | 260,000,000 |
Date | Language | Title | Primary Location of Language | Notes | Approx. no. of speakers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1869 | Deseret Alphabet (English) | 𐐜 𐐒𐐳𐐿 𐐱𐑂 𐐣𐐫𐑉𐑋𐐲𐑌 | Utah Territory (defunct) | [6] Currently out of print. | NA |
1906 | Turkish (Armenian Script) | Mormon Kitabı'ndan Seçmeler | 1906 Armenian script version (now largely defunct); formerly used in present-day Eastern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and the U.S. | [3] Armenian script version was first Asian language translation, now out of print | 75,700,000 |
1937 | Armenian, Western | Մօրմոնի Գիրքէն | Middle East, U.S., and elsewhere | [11] 1937 complete edition currently out of print; new translation (selections only) published in 1983 but ceased printing in 2018 [59] | 1,400,000 |
The Community of Christ once published in several languages, providing the scriptures in several of the languages above, but most are out of print, with seemingly plans to discontinue printing of scriptures.
Date | Language | Title | Primary Location of Language | Notes | Image | Approx. no. of speakers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Hebrew | דבנרי ימי הנפיטים | Israel (also Jewish Diaspora) | Independent Restoration Branch translation[60] | 9,000,000 | |
1985 | Esperanto | Elektitaj Ĉapitroj de la Libro de Mormon | Esperantujo | approved by the church, but not published by it[61][62] | 60,000 | |
c. 2004 | Klingon | mormon paq | Star Trek media franchise | a member of the Seventy said the translation was "fun".[63][64] Selections only. | unknown | |
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