Can someone direct me to the basics... or better yet, show me the correct editing for the first part of the page so that I might be able to learn from it and edit the rest?

Here's the page I want to edit:
SMF User Help: Introduction (http://www.catholictruths.com/forum1/index.php?action=help)

And here's the code of the first section:

$txt['manual_index_you_have_arrived_part1'] = 'So you've arrived at this ';
$txt['manual_index_you_have_arrived_link_site0'] = 'Simple Machines Forum';
$txt['manual_index_you_have_arrived_part2'] = ' (SMF)! Perhaps you've been looking at the ';
$txt['manual_index_you_have_arrived_link_site0_board'] = 'board index';
$txt['manual_index_you_have_arrived_part3'] = ' or a screen telling you that you need to register before you can read it and you're wondering what to do next?';
$txt['manual_index_guest_permit_read_part1'] = 'Well, some forums permit guests to read and post, some permit guests to read only and some are restricted to registered members. We'd recommend ';
$txt['manual_index_guest_permit_read_link_registering'] = 'registering';
$txt['manual_index_guest_permit_read_part2'] = ' at any forum that you see yourself using regularly because many of the most useful features will only become available to you when you do so. Since SMF, however, is such a flexible system that few forums are likely to be identical, we will start by describing four key areas that we'd normally expect to be there for you:';
$txt['manual_index_main_menu'] = 'The Main Menu';

Thank you.

So what are you trying to do ?
Have you checked out THIS (http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp)?

Thanks, Ben. I'll check that out.

No, I've never even attempted to edit anyting or learn anything about php before.

... I guess it ain't going to be as simple as editing an html page, huh? :(

Well it can be, after all it's just a different type of coding ;)

I've found the Simple Machines Community Forum (http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php) to be a great place for SMF modification help.

Vasily