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From Returned Missionaries

George McCune's Tribute to Tatsui Sato

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A Tribute To

BROTHER TATSUI SATO

 Part IV

Retranslating the Book: of Mormon 

A need quickly arose for someone to interpret and translate materials for the Mission. Two potential translators were tested by a Mr. Shokai Kurosawa's son who had attended Cambridge University six years. One was Brother Sato. Each was asked to translate the hymn "O My Father." After the translations were submitted, Brother Sato was offered the position. He started by translating letters for President Clissold. By 1948. the family had moved to Tokyo. Tatsui completed the first draft of a translation of the Pearl of Great Price that year also. 

Elder Matthew Cowley then visited the newly reopened mission. While there, he laid his hands on deacon, Tatsui Sato, now 48, and ordained him an Elder with the Melchizedek Priesthood and in the same ordination set him apart as the official translator for the Japan Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The major task Elder Sato was given was to translate the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price into Japanese. 

An earlier 1909 published translation of the Book of Mormon existed. It had been prepared by several scholars from Japanese universities supervised by American LDS missionary Alma O. Taylor. Sketchy drafts of portions of the Doctrine and Covenants from the same scholars were also in the first Japan Mission archival documents. But much refinement was deemed necessary. 

While translating less momentous pieces of literature such as the Joseph Smith Story and other tracts, Tatsui embarked on an intensive three year study of the scriptures and doctrines of the LDS Church. Not until that time did he feel competent to delve into revising and expanding upon the sacred retranslation of the Book of Mormon. 

Translation was time consuming and tedious. Much thought, meditation and pondering confirmed by answer to prayers was necessary to select just the right phrase or just the right word to represent the Lord's words in the sacred Triple Combination. 

The Sacrament prayer translations of the early 1901-1924 Japan Mission were also reviewed and revised. It took three days to correct the prayers to where Brother Sato was satisfied. Other important Church literature was also translated. Along with the Sacramental prayers, the early translation of the 13 Articles of Faith was revised between 1949-1951. Talmage's Jesus the Christ was translated into Japanese for the first time. First and second drafts of the Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants translations were completed by 1951 and 1952 respectively. 

In all of these major projects, particularly the Book of Mormon, Brother Sato consulted with university scholars at Japan universities as Alma O. Taylor had done for the 1909 publication of the first Japanese Book of Mormon, Through this collaboration, as with the King James Version Bible translation, the most accurate translation possible was desired. 

Brother Sato also drew upon the inspiration of the LDS General Authorities. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith of the 12 Apostles visited the mission. in 1.955 at the time it. was split into the Northern Far East and Southern Far East Missions. Brother Sate took advantage of the opportunity to seek answers to certain meaning in the scriptures. 

One such question was regarding Jesus Christ receiving the Holy Ghost. Elder Smith explained to Tatsui that the Holy Ghost descended like a dove, not that the Holy Ghost was in the form of a dove. He also explained the meaning of eternal life. This greatly helped Brother Sato in choosing the correct phrases in his translations of the Triple Combination. 

The completed Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price together with the 13 Articles of Faith, was completed nine years after Brother Sato had started work translating for the Church in 1948. First editions came off the press in May 1957. 

A year after his momentous project was completed, his faithful wife Chiyo died at age 55 on October 8, 1958 of a heart attack while teaching dance at MIA. This was a hard experience for Tatsui but his new found faith gave him hope to carry on. 

Multitudinous Translation Other Projects 

Translation projects continued. Essentials in Church History was completed in 1959. The Kingdom of Cod was completed in 1962. A Rational Theology, You Can Speak Also, other hooks, and numerous lyrics, talks and articles were also translated. 

In. addition, Brother Sato became editor of the official Church magazine Seito no Michi for three years during the administration of President Paul C. Andrus from 1955-1962. During the 1950s, Brother Sato was also called to be Branch President of the Tokyo Branch. Later, as the LDS Church grew into five different branches in Tokyo, Brother Sato attended the Tokyo Central Branch located on an old pre-World War II home property at the present location of the Mori Hann Building on the famous Omote Sando Dori in Aoyama, Minato-ku. 

In his constant sage way, typical until the day he died, Brother Sato would sit back in his folding chair, close his eyes, and focus intently on the words of the instructor. 

Not only was Brother Sato called upon to translate, but also to interpret. He simultaneously interpreted for at least two apostles—Elder Gordon B. Hinckley on his first trip to the Orient and Japan May 29, 1960 before 300 participants of the Central Tokyo District in a public hall and also for Elder Mark E. Peterson.