Do Mormons Read The Bible

Facts About Us Mormons

Twice each year, in April and October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds its General Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. These conferences which are open to all members of the LDS church and are broadcast around the world offer Mormons an opportunity to hear their leaders speak on a host of topics.

As the next conference gets underway this weekend, here are six facts about U.S. Mormons from Pew Research Center surveys:

1The LDS church typically places very high importance on families and traditional gender roles. Indeed, 81% of Mormons say being a good parent is one of the most important things in life. And 73% say the same about having a successful marriage. By comparison, half of all U.S. adults say being a good parent is one of the most important things in life, and only one-third say having a successful marriage is of utmost importance. Additionally, 58% of Mormons say a marriage where the husband provides and the wife stays at home is preferable to one in which both spouses have jobs. Among the general public, most people express the opposite view, saying a marriage in which both spouses have jobs and take responsibility for housework and child rearing is more satisfying. At this falls pre-conference session specifically for Mormon women, participants were urged to defend the churchs teachings on marriage, family and sexuality.

Things All Mormons Should Know About The King James Bible

Latter-day Saints use the King James Bible along with other scripture to learn the will and word of God. But while you may know your Bible verses, you might not know these things about the King James Version of the Bible.

In 1979, the LDS Church published its first edition of the Bible in English, and in 1992, it was officially adopted by the Church as the Bible of preference.

But if youve ever looked at the title page of your LDS quad and wondered about King James and his Bible, youre not alone.

Here are seven things all Latter-day Saints should know about the King James Bible .

1. The 1611 King James Version of the Bible is actually a composite of several earlier translations, not a new translation of older Greek and Hebrew manuscripts.

While the 47 translators who created the KJB were instructed by King James to consult the older Greek and Hebrew texts, they mostly referred to existing versions of the Bible.

This, as modern-day Church leaders note, is problematic because it obscures the original text: When a sacred text is translated into another language or rewritten into more familiar language, there are substantial risks that this process may introduce doctrinal errors or obscure evidence of its ancient origin. However, they also affirm, While other Bible versions may be easier to read than the King James Version, in doctrinal matters latter-day revelation supports the King James Version in preference to other English translations.

The Bible And Mormonism

Mormons, however, view the Bible to be the least reliable of their scriptures. The Book of Mormon says many plain and precious things were taken from it . Their 8th Article of Faith states: We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.

The quote from 1 Nephi helps us understand the 8th Article of Faith. When it talks about being translated correctly, in actuality, it is not referring to its translation but its transmission. The LDS Church believes that the transmission of the Bible was intentionally corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, it is unreliable.

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The Bible & Its Role In The Restoration

The Bible played an essential role in the restoration of Christs Church on the earth today. Elder Ballard said:

Millions of families have come together seeking to find the Church of Jesus Christ through their study of the Bible. One of those families, in the early 1800s in upstate New York, was the family of Joseph Smith Sr. One of his sons was Joseph Smith Jr., who searched the Bible, seeking to know which of the many denominations was the same as the Church that Jesus Christ organized. He was prompted by the words of the Bible to pray for further spiritual light and knowledge from God. Determined to seek the wisdom promised in the holy scriptures, Joseph knelt in humble prayer early in the spring of 1820. Oh, what marvelous light and truth were shed upon him that day as he beheld the glorious manifestation of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Once again God called a prophet as He did in the days of Noah, Abraham, and Moses.

Joseph Smith, Jr., became the restoring prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ. President Benson said:

What followed was the glorious vision that commenced the restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth. That vision also began the process of bringing forth new scripture to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Bible in bearing witness to a wicked world that Jesus is the Christ and that God lives and loves His children and is still intimately involved in their salvation and exaltation.

The Bible And Book Of Mormon Support Each Other

Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon testify of Jesus Christ and teach His gospel. Each book supports the others teachings. Both describe Gods interactions with people in a different area of the world and teach the same principles. The Book of Mormon confirms what the Bible says about Jesus Christ and clarifies many other Christian doctrines. Both books are evidence that God lives and wants to help all of His children.

A passage in the Book of Mormon teaches the relationship of these two holy books:

Therefore lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews , which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you.

For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that and if ye believe that ye will believe this also and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them .

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Lds Edition Of The Bible

The LDS edition of the Bible is a version of the Bible published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The text of the LDS Church’s English-language Bible is the , its Spanish-language Bible is a revised Reina-Valera translation, and its Portuguese-language edition is based on the Almeida translation. The editions include footnoting, indexing, and summaries that are consistent with the doctrines of the LDS Church and that integrate the Bible with the church’s other canonized Latter-day Saint scriptures. The LDS Church encourages its members to use the LDS Church edition of the Bible.

The Textual Evidence Before Us Makes An Inerrant Bible Text Untenable

Some Christians claim the Bible texts, at least in their pristine form, were inerrant. Therefore, it is incorrect for Joseph Smith to teach that the Bible contains errors, mistakes, or omissions.

The textual evidence before us makes an inerrant Bible text untenable. Furthermore, the doctrine of inerrancy is not a Biblical doctrine, and so can only be imposed upon the text from outside, not drawn out of the teachings of the purportedly “inerrant Bible.”

The Latter-day Saint stance of honoring the Bible and seeking to understand it, while appreciating that it is the Word of God only insofar as fallible humans have faithfully transmitted that Word to us, is consistent with both Biblical teaching and the evidence available to us.

Insisting on Biblical infallibility is a theological and ideological presupposition, not a natural consequence of Bible teachings.

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Mormons And The Bible

As long as I remember Mormons use the King James version of the Bible, a Bible that lots of believer in use.

Now you know that, I have to tell you something else.

Mormons, they have additional scriptures, they have the Book of Mormon which is another testament of Jesus Christ because it talks about how people in ancient America praised God.

They have also have some new revelations in a book called Doctrine and Covenants. The book is made up of revelations given to latter-day prophets by God.

They also have another book called the Pearl of Great Price which are like spin-offs of some Bible stories.

So faithful Mormons have more homework than other Christians.

No Book Of Scripture Is Perfect

Latter-day Saints do not subscribe to the conservative Protestant belief in scriptural inerrancy. We do not believe that any book of scripture is perfect or infallible. Brigham Young explained:

When God speaks to the people, he does it in a manner to suit their circumstances and capacities…. Should the Lord Almighty send an angel to re-write the Bible, it would in many places be very different from what it now is. And I will even venture to say that if the Book of Mormon were now to be re-written, in many instances it would materially differ from the present translation. According as people are willing to receive the things of God, so the heavens send forth their blessings.

So while the Book of Mormon has come down to us with fewer doctrinal errors and corruptions than the Bible, even it could be improved if we were ready to receive further light and knowledge.

Infelicities of language are also to be expected when produced by revelators with little education, said George A. Smith:

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Why Is Drinking Coffee A Sin Mormon

The Word of Wisdom is a section of the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the churchs four volumes of scripture. Mormons believe God revealed in 1833 the foods and substances that are good and bad for people to consume. Liquor, tobacco, tea and coffee were prohibited.

Mormon Land: How Latter-day Saints celebrate Christmas at church and at home. But, yes, Mormons celebrate Christmas.

Mormonism And The Bible

Joseph Smith supposedly received divine inspiration to translate the Bible. Translate is in quotation marks because Mormon scholars acknowledge that he didnt know Greek or Hebrew, the languages the Bible was originally written in. Therefore, he couldnt translate in the normal sense of the word. Rather, they say, the correct meaning was revealed to him by God.

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Textual Criticism Is Still A Discipline That Is Often Controversial And Unreliable In Its Ability To Ascertain An Original Text

Let us ask ourselves-if God is continuing to reveal His will and word to men, either to individuals or to prophets through the Holy Spirit, which would you prefer? The knowledge of scholars who cannot guarantee truth, or the witness from God? And, which is more reasonable? The fact that God allowed His word to be corrupted, and then intended to reveal the truth of His word, over several hundred years of textual criticism in an effort to identify original truth? Yet, textual criticism is still a discipline that is often controversial and unreliable in its ability to ascertain an original text. The alternative is that it was God’s intention that we study the scriptures and go to Him to gain a witness of the truth through His Spirit. While the LDS Church has never denied the importance of text-critical tools and language studies to more correctly understand the text, they also state firmly that only revelation from God can give us confidence in His Word and in any interpretation of it.

The Text Of The Bible Is Pure

A. The New Testament. Most if not all of the New Testament was originally written in Greek. How do we know that the New Testament which we have today is what was originally written? Lets take a look at the evidence that consists of thousands of ancient manuscripts, ancient versions, and quotations of the New Testament found in the writings of the early Church Fathers.

1) Greek Manuscripts. Approximately 5,000 manuscripts of the New Testament have survived in the original language. 2) Ancient Versions. By the second century, the New Testament was being translated into different languages. Syriac, Latin, Coptic and other translations provide valuable sources from which to compare. 3) Early Church Fathers. Within 300 years of Christ, almost 36,000 quotations of the New Testament appear in the writings of the early Church Fathers. In fact, every verse in the New Testament is quoted but eleven.

B. The Old Testament. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew before the New Testament . One issue on which Mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses, and Christians agree is Jesus and his apostles believed that the Old Testament was the inspired, uncorrupted Word of God.

Even scholars who do not believe the Bible refuse to levy the charge that the Bible has been corrupted over the years

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The Bible Plus: The Four Books Of Mormonism

A Latter-day Saint friend of mine once invited an evangelical coworker to church. The coworker found much that was familiar in the LDS service: hymn singing, an informal sermon style, robust fellowshiping and scripture-driven Sunday school. But then came the moment when the Sunday school teacher, after beginning with Genesis, said Lets now turn to the Book of Moses and began reading: The presence of God withdrew from Moses . . . and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. I am told that the visitor reflexively searched through his Bible before he realized that hed never heard of such a book, though of course the story of the burning bush was familiar. And while he didnt mind the sentiments expressed in the words hed heard, he knew that they were not in his Bible.

What Bible Do Mormons Use

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints revere and love the Holy Bible as a record of scripture inspired by God and written by his prophets on earth. This short video set to the recent words of one of the members of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles on earth today, tells a short story about William Tyndale and his efforts to bring the Bible to the world.

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Is Mormonism Christian

The Church of the Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest church in the United States of America and the fastest growing. The Saints, or Mormons as they are referred to by church outsiders, assert that they are Christian as they believe in the Jesus Christ of the Bible. However, many outsiders do not agree. The question of whether Mormonism is Christian is very relevant to American society at present as Mitt Romney, a Saint, became the Republican nominee for President and significantly challenged Barack Obamas presidency. The fact that twenty-two percent of recently polled Americans would oppose voting for a Mormon for President causes one to wonder why there is such opposition to Mormonism in its country of origin. In this paper, I will examine Mormon beliefs in comparison with those of Christianity to determine whether Mormonism can be considered Christian or whether it is in its own religious category.

For the purposes of this paper, the term Mormon will be used throughout to refer to members of the LDS Church. While this term is acceptable to LDS members, the terms Latter-day Saints or simply Saints are generally preferred within the church itself.

Kevin D. Williamson, An American Gospel: Mitt Romney, the Mormons, and those who hate them, National Review, April 2 : 27.

Gilleasbuig Macmillan, Understanding Christianity, , 111.

Jan Shipps, Is Mormonism Christian? Reflections on a Complicated Question, BYU Studies 33 , 439.

Smith, Mormon Scripture, 372.

How Do Mormons Dress

Many adult Mormons follow the practice of wearing the temple garment, which for men, means long boxer briefs and a scoop-neck T-shirt and, for women, knee-length shorts and a top with cap sleeves. For men, tank tops are out, but you can stay on-trend in a button-down plaid shirt, rolled selvedge jeans and boat shoes.

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Why Are Mormons Leaving Church

The LDS Church teaches that people leave for a variety of reasons. Reasons range from trivial to serious . Latter-day Saints view denying the Holy Spirit as having potentially devastating spiritual consequences, and they generally hope ex-Mormons will return to the fold.

Mormons use the Book of Mormon alongside the Bible in teaching and study. Mormons believe that the Book of Mormon, unlike the Bible, was translated correctly and is the unaltered word of God.

The Flaws In The Biblical Text Present A Problem To Those Who Believe The Bible Is Without Error But Not To Latter

What can textual criticism tell us about the Bible? Does it have anything to say about the Bible being without error, as some Christians claim?

Most Latter-day Saints are not interested in searching the Bible for errors, or highlighting its flaws, though they readily admit that no text can be perfect or without error when mortals are involved in writing, transcribing, transmitting, or translating it.

The flaws in the Biblical text present a problem to those who believe the Bible is without error, but not to Latter-day Saints. Some additions or removals might have been corrections that came from earlier unknown sources , but still in a scholarly point of view, it is evident that the Bible has been changed many times and contains errors.

Bart Ehrman was a Biblical inerrantist when he entered the study of the New Testament , but ultimately lost his faith over the 200,000 to 400,000 variant New Testament readings. As he wrote, “There are more variations among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament.”

Ehrman’s slide into agnosticism illustrates the dangers of inerrantism. His inability to have complete confidence that every word of the Bible was correct led to an inability to trust any of the Bible’s witness about Jesus as Lord, Son of God, and Savior.

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