Mormon Scripture and the Bible

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Jesus Christ and His disciples often quoted or referred to Old Testament scripture when they spoke. And by the latter part of the first century the disciples were also calling New Testament books “scripture” as Peter did in II Peter 3:16. By the end of the second century the books we now call the New Testament were in wide use by Christians even before any church council voted to accept them as scripture. Since about that time, Chris­tians have referred to Old and New Testament books as “scripture.”

Mormons today claim to be Christians and claim to believe the Bible like other Chris­tians. LDS Apostle James Talmage declared, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts the Holy Bible as the foremost of her standard works, first among the books which have been proclaimed as her written guides in faith and doctrine” (Articles of Faith, p. 236). And LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie also wrote, “Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known informally by the nickname Mormons) believe the Bible. Indeed, so literally and completely do their beliefs and practices conform to the teachings of the Bible that it is not uncommon to hear informed persons say: ‘if all men believed the Bible, all would be Mormons.’ Bible doctrine is Mormon doctrine and Mormon doctrine is Bible doctrine. They are one and the same” (What the Mormons Think of Christ, p. 3). However, when Joseph Smith organized the Mormon Church on April 6, 1830, he claimed that all of the existing churches were universally apostate and that his church was “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth” (See History of the Church, vol. I, Intro. pp. 39-41 and Doctrine & Covenants 1:30).

By the time Smith organized the LDS Church he had already published the Book of Mormon and was calling it scripture. II Nephi 29 of the Book of Mormon says “many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible, A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible—Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?—Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written” (verses 3, 6, & 10). And in I Nephi 13, it also says that “the great and abominable church” had withheld and taken away many plain and precious parts from the book that is a record of the Jews and from the gospel and the covenants. Later in that chapter it says many of those things will be brought forth in a book for the Gentiles (The Book of Mormon). Thus, The Book of Mormon de­clared that the Bible was deficient and then said that The Book of Mormon would reveal much that had been lost from the Bible!

Because LDS believe the Bible is deficient they believe, “Shortly after the organization of the (LDS) Church the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to make a revision of the Bible by revelation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, footnote, p. 9). Smith also declared, “Upon my return from Amherst Conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures (Bible). From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled” (ibid, pp. 9-11).

In a revelation given to Smith on January 10, 1832, he and Sidney Rigdon were commanded to “continue the work of translation (of the Bible) until it is finished” (D. & C. 73:4). Smith claimed that he completed the translation in History of the Church, vol. I, pp. 324 and 368, and in Times and Seasons, vol. VI, p. 802. But Smith was also commanded by the Lord to “publish the new translation of my holy word unto the inhabitants of the earth” (D. & C. 124:89). He never did publish it even though he lived for many years after he completed it. Mormon leaders claim that Joseph Smith planned to revise his work on the Bible but didn’t get it done before he was killed. But why would he need to revise or change a translation that was given to him by revelation? Since 1979 the LDS Church has published a Bible with the 1611 King James text but which has some of Joseph Smith’s translation in the margins and appendix. But they have never accepted Smith’s translation as their official Bible. They still use the “corrupted” King James Version as their official Bible! Is that because there is not a single Greek or Hebrew manuscript of the Bible that support’s Smith’s “translation?” Since one of the official titles that Joseph Smith and every LDS President has had is “Translator,” why haven’t they translated a reliable Bible, if it is as bad as they claim?

LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie declared, “By the standard works of the Church is meant the following four volumes of scripture: The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. The Church uses the King James Version of the Bible, but acceptance of the Bible is coupled with a reservation that it is true only insofar as it is translated correctly (Eighth Article of Faith). The other three, having been revealed in modern times in English, are accepted without qualification” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 764). Notice that LDS accept the Bible “only insofar as it is translated correctly” while their other three books of scripture “are accepted without qualification.” Yet, all three LDS books which are “accepted without qualification” had changes made in them in 1981 and several times before that while the “corrupted” 1611 King James Bible remains their official version! Those actions contradict their claims!

There are many good books about the reliability of the Bible at Christian Bookstores. One good book is Thy Word is Truth, by Edward J. Young, published by Eerdman’s Pub­lishing Company in 1957. Our next article will discuss The Book of Mormon.