Many people unfamiliar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) assume that the Book of Mormon replaces or supersedes the Bible, calling it the "Mormon Bible" or the "golden Bible." But in reality, Mormons accept and use the Holy Bible alongside the Book of Mormon as companion volumes of scripture.
LDS Eighth Article of Faith
The 8th Article of Faith, one of 13 statements outlining the basics of Latter-day Saint doctrine, reads, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."
LDS Scriptural Canon
Canonized scriptures in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.
The church publishes their entire canon, called the standard works, in a single bound volume known as a "quadruple combination" or "quad."
Mormon Use of the Bible
Latter-day Saints (also called Mormons) use the King James Version of the Bible, containing both the Old and New Testaments but not the Apocrypha.
The LDS church publishes the Bible with footnotes cross-referencing both Bible and Book of Mormon verses, plus an LDS dictionary defining Biblical names, places, and terms.
LDS church founder Joseph Smith said, "I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers." This is, however, not believed by Mormons to be the text of the Bible that is had right now.
Mormon Position on Inerrancy of the Bible
Latter-day Saints have a deep respect for the Bible and regard it as a collection of sacred writings from ancient prophets of God. But they also believe that thousands of years of translation and transcription resulted in errors entering into the text.
This is probably the cause of many contradictions within the Bible, such as the two seemingly conflicting accounts of the creation [Genesis 1:1 - 2:3, Genesis 2:4 - 2:25] and whether or not men have seen God [Exodus 33:11, John 1:18.]
The Bible also contains references to authoritative books of scripture not contained in the Bible such as Jehu [2 Chronicles 20:34,] Enoch [Jude 1:14,] Nathan, Ahijah the Shilonite, and Iddo the Seer [2 Chronicles 9:29, 2 Chronicles 13:22.]
Book of Mormon vs. the Bible
Latter-day Saints believe that the loss of "plain and precious truths" [1 Nephi 13:29] from the Bible have resulted in discrepancies among denominations concerning the mode of baptism, priesthood, tithing, resurrection, the trinity, and so on.
Therefore, the purpose of the Book of Mormon and other modern-day revelation is to:
- Be additional witnesses to Biblical truths, especially the divinity of Jesus Christ; and
- Clarify points of confusion and incomplete explanations of doctrines in the Bible.
Church leader Russell M. Nelson explains that "scriptures of the restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible." Members of the LDS church do not believe that their acceptance of the Book of Mormon in any way degrades the Bible.
Scriptural Support for Book of Mormon
Since the Jews are descendants of Judah and the Book of Mormon writers are descendants of Joseph, Mormons believe that Ezekiel 37: 16-17 refers to the Bible and the Book of Mormon when it says, “Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel … : then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel … And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.”
The Holy Bible has always had a prominent place in Mormon doctrine. Joseph Smith was a serious student of the Bible all his life; in fact, James 1:5 led him to ask God a question which led to the formation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The principles taught by the Bible are held precious by Latter-day Saints, and are read today in combination with modern-day scriptures such as the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
For more information on what Mormons believe about the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other doctrinal topics, please visit the Mormon Beliefs Main Page.
Sources:
- Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph F. Smith. Shadow Mountain, 1977.
- The Holy Bible, King James Version. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 1979.
- The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 1981.
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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