The restoration was begun through Joseph Smith but was not completed. In order to complete, it must begin where it last ended. Joseph laid a foundation that has been compromised and must be respected. To respect the work done by the Lord through Joseph Smith, we first need to recover all that has been lost from that initial work.
The scriptures are the result of the best efforts of numerous volunteers to complete the labor of research and recovery to restore the Joseph Smith Revision of the Bible, the most accurate version of the Book of Mormon as Joseph intended it to read, and the most reliable account of the revelations given through Joseph. They differ in numerous ways, some of them quite significant, from existing versions of scripture.
The new leather bound version of the scriptures attempts to print sacred material in a quality that mirrors the value of the contents. The final specifications for the leather bound printing were provided to a large degree by a man who has decades of experience in handcrafted custom book-binding. He has restored many old volumes, including copies of the first edition of the Book of Mormon printed in EB Grandin’s shop.
Samples of the leather bound options will be available to inspect during the upcoming conference in Boise.
We hope to continue on with the Lord’s guidance, to allow Him to complete the restoration, and fulfill His covenants with the fathers. I intend to address that topic in the upcoming conference in Boise.