After five years in the making, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a new edition of the Holy Bible in Portuguese that is now available online (AsEscrituras.lds.org). Printed copies of the Portuguese Bible are being published for worldwide distribution beginning in March 2016. It is also available in the Gospel Library mobile application. Nearly 1.4 million members of the Church speak Portuguese as their native language.

The new edition of the Portuguese Bible is based on the 1914 version of the João Ferreira Annes de Almeida translation, which was chosen because of its high quality. The translation also addresses outdated grammar and vocabulary.

In a video, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, encouraged Portuguese-speaking members to study the new edition of the Bible, which is titled Bíblia Sagrada, Almeida 2015.

“The scriptures are the ultimate guide to learning the gospel — a key to understanding our Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ,” said President Eyring. “As you prayerully learn and teach from the scriptures, your testimonies will grow and you will receive greater direction in your daily lives.”

“The Holy Bible is a link to our brothers and sisters of other religions — a common ground of faith built upon the words of our Father, the writings of ancient prophets and the enduring teachings and Atonement of our Savior and Redeemer,” he said.

The Bible is one of the foundational volumes of scripture in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is used in conjunction with other scriptures, including the Book of Mormon.

“This new edition of the Bible will promote gospel scholarship and a deeper appreciation of this marvelous, fundamental scripture,” said Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“The revision of the scriptures will be a great blessing and will impact the lives of many people who speak Portuguese,” said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy, who is a native of São Paulo, Brazil. “We can know the Lord better through the scriptures in our own language.”

Sister Ana Gaertner De Agostini, a native Portuguese speaker and member of the Relief Society general board, was involved in preparing the Portuguese edition of the Bible. “To think that they will have the opportunity to understand the word of God in a much simpler, pristine way is tremendous,” said Sister De Agostini. “It is impossible to measure.”

The project included a team of General Authorities, Area Seventies, professional linguists and Church members who worked under the direction of the Church’s First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The new Portuguese edition of the Holy Bible will also include study aids such as cross-references, footnotes, a topical reference guide, Harmony of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and latter-day revelation), Bible chronology, selections from the Joseph Smith Translation and Bible maps and photos. 

About 100,000 copies of the Bible in Portuguese are being produced at the Church’s printing centers in Salt Lake City and Brazil. The new hardcover and softcover copies will first be available next spring, followed by the distribution of books with genuine and simulated leather covers. Audio recordings and Braille will be available later in 2016.  

In addition, a "quadruple combination" in Portuguese will be introduced in 2016, which contains the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. These four volumes of scripture that are bound together are regarded as the word of God by the Church.

The Church’s Portuguese triple combination of the scriptures, which includes the three volumes of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, also received a minor update correcting typographical errors, improving the typeface and implementing study aid and headings adjustments. For additional information, visit BibliaSagrada.lds.org.

Read more at LDS.org.