Making the Gospel of Jesus Christ Accessible: 125 Years of Translating Church Materials into Japanese

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One of the recurring themes in The Book of Mormon—a sacred text of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints—is the importance of access to God’s teachings. In its opening chapters, a family undertakes a difficult and dangerous journey to recover religious records that preserve their spiritual history and beliefs. The story emphasizes a simple but far‑reaching idea: when people have access to sacred teachings, faith can be nurtured, identity preserved, and future generations strengthened.

As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints commemorates 125 years since the first missionaries arrived in Japan, the anniversary invites reflection on the many individuals—missionaries, members, and translators—who have devoted time, skill, and quiet dedication to making religious teachings accessible in Japanese. From early hymn collections and locally printed pamphlets to comprehensive manuals and digital libraries now accessible on phones and websites, translated Church materials have helped individuals come to know and follow Jesus Christ and have become increasingly important in strengthening members and supporting the Church’s continued growth in Japan.

1901–1924: Translation Efforts when the Church was Small

In retrospect, it is interesting that the first Japanese translations of the Church’s 13 Articles of Faith and a summary of Joseph Smith’s personal account of the First Vision appeared in a 1902 book entitled Mormonism and Mormons (麼兒門教と麼兒門教徒). The author was Takahashi Goro, an early Japanese Christian intellectual, educator, and contributor to early translations of the Bible, but not a member of the Church. Undoubtably, these translations were extremely valuable to early missionaries.

Translations of the sacrament prayers and the words of the baptismal ordinance were completed in May and October 1902, respectively. Missionaries translated short doctrinal pamphlets and tracts explaining basic teachings such as prayer, faith in Jesus Christ, and the restoration. Typically printed locally and in small quantities, these pamphlets were often a person’s first written introduction to the Church. Few copies survive today, but their circulation is well documented in mission records and later Church histories.

Some of the earliest Church materials to be translated were hymns. Music offered a shared language of teaching and worship at a time when Church membership was small and formal instruction limited and was especially popular with children who attended Sunday School. In 1905, the Psalmody of the Japan Mission—a collection of 66 hymns compiled by Elder Horace S. Ensign and Elder Frederick A. Caine—was published to support congregational singing. Additional hymn collections followed, including a 1915 Japanese edition of The Songs of Zion containing 220 hymns.

A previous Newsroom article highlighted efforts related to the first Japanese translation of the Book of Mormon, which was published in 1909, and is available digitally.

During these same early years, significant doctrinal works were also translated for more in‑depth study. James E. Talmage’s Articles of Faith (1899)—a systematic explanation of Church doctrine—was first translated as early as 1915 by Elder Heber Grant Ivins and Takeshiro Takahashi (高橋武四郎). Such efforts signaled that translation was not only about outreach, but about equipping members for sustained understanding and teaching.

1924–1948: Holding the Line

While there was little translation work from 1924 to 1948 when the Japan Mission was closed, existing Japanese-language materials continued to circulate privately among a small number of members and former missionaries. These materials helped preserve doctrine, language, and practice, and provided a foundation for expanded efforts when the mission reopened after World War II.

1948–2000: Translation Supporting Rebuilding and Growth

Scriptures

Selected sections of the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price were translated into Japanese in the early postwar period for use in instructional and teaching materials. In 1957, Tatsui Sato’s (佐藤龍猪) retranslation of the Book of Mormon and his complete translations of Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price were published.

Over several years in the early 1990s, a team of professional translators and Japanese Church members worked on an update of these three scriptures.  Changes included more contemporary phrasing and natural Japanese syntax, and improved chapter headings and dating. Expanded study helps (footnotes, cross-references, headings, etc.) were also added. In many ways, these updates mirrored the updates made in 1981 to the Church’s English-language standard works. The Japanese “triple combination,” published in 1995, made the scriptures more readable for both Church members and non-Christian and non-church audiences.

In 2021, the Church announced another update to the Japanese-language triple combination (in digital formats) – this time mirroring the 2013 English language update. Most revisions were made to study helps, not the scripture text.

Note that for the Old Testament and New Testament, the Church uses the 2002 edition of the 1955 Colloquial Japanese Bible, published by the Japan Bible Society.

While not scripture, James E. Talmage’s Articles of Faith (1899) and Jesus the Christ (1915) are highly respected doctrinal treatises. Brother Sato’s retranslation of Articles of Faith was published in 1959. Unfortunately, digital versions are not available, and print copies are limited. He also translated Jesus the Christ, with an early version dating to 1962 and formal publication in 1976. While digital versions are not available, the print version can be ordered via the Church’s online store.

Communicating with the Public

For the nearly 7 million people who visited the Mormon Pavilion at the 1970 Osaka World Expo, the Church produced a wide range of Japanese‑language materials, including introductory brochures and exhibit panels. The film Man’s Search for Happiness, originally produced for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, was refilmed in Japan with a Japanese cast and reflecting Japanese cultural settings and narration. Designed for a general audience, these materials emphasized family, purpose, and faith in accessible Japanese and represented one of the Church’s earliest large‑scale public translation efforts in Japan.

Administration, Worship and Programs

Localized Japanese editions of the Church’s multi-volume Handbook of Instructions were available by the 1950s, and standardized translations of Handbook 1 and Handbook 2 were widely available by the 1970s.

Key instructional manuals and doctrinal statements were also translated during this period, including, for example, class manuals for children, youth and adults, Gospel Principles, and Teachings of Presidents of the Church. Translations of The Family: A Proclamation to the World (1995) and The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles (2000) were released concurrently with their English versions.

During this period, the Church also translated and published a wide range of Japanese‑language music resources, including a selection of 31 hymns from The Songs of Zion (1948), the Church hymnbook (1960, 1989), Hymns: Simplified Accompaniments (1975), and many songbooks for children, youth and recreation.

Into Hearts and Homes

The year 1957 was a milestone year for Japanese-language Church materials. In addition to translations of scriptures noted above, the monthly magazine Seito no Michi (The Way of the Saints) was launched. This monthly magazine consistently included translated messages from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, instruction, news from congregations throughout Japan, testimonies and experiences of Japanese Church members, and summaries of general conference addresses. In its early decades (late 1950s–1960s), easy-to-understand language and culturally attuned explanations were used, reflecting the Church’s transition from a missionary‑led organization to one increasingly guided by Japanese local members and leaders.

The1971 launch of the monthly Ensign magazine with its global editions (including Seito no Michi) significantly increased access for adults to Church materials originating in Salt Lake City. Especially noteworthy was the steady increase in translation and publication of general conference talks. Monthly issues of Seito no Michi continued uninterrupted from 1957 to 1999 when the Church combined non-English editions of Ensign (including Seito no Michi), with New Era (youth) and Friend (children) – which had only been available in English - into one magazine – Liahona, for publication in local languages across the globe.

Another important resource in member homes was the Family Home Evening Resource Book (1972), published in Japanese in 1983.

Digital Age: Fundamental Changes in Access

By the time the Church approached its centennial in Japan, Church materials were increasingly available in digital formats, including CD‑ROM collections, downloadable files, and official Church websites. Japanese‑language scriptures, manuals, magazines and talks became more accessible, especially for lesson preparation and personal study.

Yet digital access remained fragmented. Content was spread across platforms, updates were uneven, and advanced study tools were often optimized first for English.

The launch of the Gospel Library mobile application in 2012 marked a turning point. For Japanese‑speaking members, Gospel Library brought a unified, mobile‑first platform that combined scriptures, manuals, magazines, music, and media in one place. Offline access, synchronized updates, and study tools such as notes and bookmarks are now available.

When the Church launched the Come, Follow Me program in 2019, Japanese language materials were released in digital formats concurrently with the English versions.

In 2020, the Church replaced the administrative Handbook 1 and Handbook 2 with the “General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”  Japanese was one of the languages included in the initial rollout of the unified handbook and receives regular updates alongside other major languages.

For Church magazines, the year 2021 saw a switch from a consolidated adult-youth-children approach to full digital and print publication of three monthly global magazines: Liahona (adults), For the Strength of Youth (ages 11-18), and Friend (children ages 3-11). Full Japanese-language translations for these magazines are available in the Gospel Library. Notably, each monthly issue of Liahona includes a “Local Pages” section.

Another notable effort is that being done by the Church-affiliated Brigham Young University to translate key “BYU Speeches” and create video content in other languages. Since February 2023, more than 60 speeches given between 1955 and 2026 have been translated and posted in Japanese.  The most recent is from the February 10, 2026 devotional with President Dallin H. Oaks. 

A significant work in progress is translation of the new hymn collection Hymns—For Home and Church. Music, poetry, history and culture all combine to make translation of the lyrics especially challenging. A dedicated team of Church employees, contractors, and volunteers is working on this effort. A small number of hymns are already available, with many more to follow.

Especially noteworthy are efforts to translate materials related to the Church’s semi-annual general conferences. All talks are now streamed and broadcast live in over 80 languages (including Japanese), and video and text versions are available online soon thereafter. Moreover, the General Conference Collection in the Gospel Library includes Japanese translations of all talks from the year 2000 to the present.

Today, Japanese‑language resources are accessible via the Gospel Library website and through the Gospel Library mobile application. Moreover, the Church is actively posting Japanese-language content on multiple social media channels. Digital accessibility has not replaced decades of careful translation work; rather, it is multiplying its reach, allowing Japanese‑language materials to be readily shared, updated, and studied.

Looking Forward: Gratitude for the Continuing Work

As the Church marks 125 years in Japan, it is gratifying to see how much material has been translated into Japanese. On the other hand, much remains to be done. How grateful we are for translators! As the work of the Lord moves forward in Japan, let us reflect on Elder David A. Bednar’s October 2023 general conference talk, In the Path of Their Duty.

"The phrase ‘in the path of their duty’ describes the inspired translators and interpreters around the world who serve the Lord by helping friends and members to ‘hear the fulness of the gospel in [their] own tongue, and in [their] own language.’ Their voices, signed language, and translated documents convey eternal truths, yet few of us know their names or ever express appreciation. Through the gift of tongues with which they have been blessed, translators and interpreters serve diligently, selflessly, and, most often, anonymously to help people receive the spiritual gift of faith through reading and hearing the word of God."

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