For a free copy of the Holy Bible (King
James Version), call 1-800-408-4343.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reveres the Bible as the
word of God given through ancient prophets and apostles, though it recognizes that the
current text is not identical with the original. The Church has consistently used the King
James Version (KJV) for formal classes, missionary work, and personal study among
English-speaking peoples, utilizing KJV editions issued by the major Bible publishing
houses. However, because latter-day revelation
offers insight, interpretation, and supplemental material to thousands of biblical
passages and in order to make the message of the Bible more readily accessible to LDS
readers, the Church published in 1979 an edition of the KJV with multiple study helps.
These include chapter headings, cross-references to other LDS scriptural works,
explanatory footnotes, clarification of Greek and Hebrew terms and idioms, a
subject-matter guide, a dictionary, maps, and excerpts from an inspired translation of the
Bible by the Prophet Joseph
Smith. |
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| Do Latter-day Saints
Believe in the Bible and Biblical Christianity? |
| "The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints accepts and honors the Bible as the word of God. Latter-day Saints
treasure its inspired accounts of the Savior's life and earthly ministry. They read the
Bible regularly and accept both the Old and New Testaments among the standard works of the
restored Church of Jesus Christ." FARMS |
|
| Does God speak to his children in ways
other than through the Bible? |
| Latter-day Saints do not believe "that the Bible contains all of God's word to all people of
all time." |
|
| The Bible |
| "The Bible stands at the foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, constitutes one of its standard works, and is accepted as the word of
God." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| LDS
Belief in the Bible |
| "The Church believes the word of God contained in the Bible. It
accepts the Bible "as the foremost of [the Church's] standard works, first among the
books which have been proclaimed as…written guides in faith and doctrine. In the
respect and sanctity with which the Latter-day Saints regard the Bible they are of like
profession with Christian denominations in general" (AF, 1966 ed., p. 236)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Some LDS
Perspectives on the Bible |
| "Of course, Latter-day Saints
believe in the Bible, but it is sometimes stated by some not of our faith that we do not.
In fact, we love the Bible and believe its teachings. It holds a special place in our
religion that cannot be filled by any other book." Kent P. Jackson |
|
| Jesus
Christ in the Bible |
| "Latter-day Saints view Jesus Christ as the central figure of the
entire Bible. The Old and New Testaments are divinely inspired records that reveal the
mission of Jesus as Creator, God of Israel, Messiah, Son of God, Redeemer, and eternal
King. The Bible contains history, doctrinal teachings, and prophecy of future events, with
Jesus Christ as the main subject in every category." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism |
|
| King James
Version |
| "In various lands where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints has been established, it uses a translation of the Bible in the local language. In
English-speaking areas, the Church uses the King James (or Authorized) Version (KJV),
mainly because it was the basic English text used by the Prophet Joseph Smith and
because subsequent Church leaders have approved its use." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism |
|
| Joseph
Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible |
| "Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, made a "new translation" of the Bible, using the text of the King James Version (KJV). This work differs from the KJV in at
least 3,410 verses and consists of additions, deletions, rearrangements, and other
alterations that cause it to vary not only from the KJV but from other biblical
texts." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| The New
Testament |
| "During the early centuries of the Christian era, the New Testament
gospels were the principal written witness of Jesus as the Christ. No other collection of
writings carried the insight, the power of teaching, and, consequently, the spiritual
appeal to Christians. The New Testament also stands as the foundation of the restoration
of the gospel in the latter days. It was while reading in the Epistle of James (1:5) that
the youthful Joseph Smith was inspired to pray to the Lord about his confusion over
religious matters, leading to his first
vision (JS—H 1:7-20)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| The Old
Testament |
| "The Old Testament is one of the standard works, or scriptures,
accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which values it for its
prophetic, historical, doctrinal, and moral teachings." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| People in
the Bible |
| A discussion of some of the individual personalities mentioned in the
Bible. |
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| LDS
Publication of the Bible |
| "An edition of the King James Version of the Bible with new Bible
study aids was published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1979,
culminating seven years' work by Church leaders and scholars." Encyclopedia of
Mormonism |
|
| Bible
Dictionary |
| "In 1979 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published
its own edition of the King James Version of the Bible with many
reader's aids, including a new Bible dictionary." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Bible
Scholarship |
| "Latter-day Saints recognize Bible scholarship and intellectual study
of the biblical text. Joseph
Smith and his associates studied Greek and Hebrew and taught that religious knowledge
is to be obtained by study as well as by faith" Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Abrahamic
Covenant |
| "The divine archetypal covenant, of which Abraham's covenant is an
example, is the everlasting covenant of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By accepting the
gospel, humankind can be redeemed from the doom of death and the blight of sin to enjoy
eternal life with God." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Israel |
| This article gives a general introduction of the distinctive LDS concept
of Israel, a review of the scriptural scattering of Israel, discusses the scriptural
promises of the restoration of the tribes to their homelands, and reviews the scriptural
promises concerning the latter-day gathering of Israel. |
|
| Law of Moses |
| "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that this
law was given by God to Moses, that it formed part of a
peculiar covenant of obedience and favor between God and his people,
that it symbolized and foreshadowed things to come, and that it was fulfilled in the Atonement of Jesus Christ." Encyclopedia
of Mormonism |
|
| The
Beatitudes |
| "The Beatitudes, or promises of blessings in Jesus' Sermon on the
Mount (Matt. 5:3-12), hold a particular significance for Latter-day Saints because the
resurrected Lord gave essentially that same sermon to the Nephites and the Lamanites in
the Western Hemisphere, as recorded in 3 Nephi 12-14." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Biblical
Prophets |
| "The phenomenon of prophecy is a distinctive feature of biblical
religion. In its fully developed character, it sets biblical religion apart from other
religions of the ancient Near East." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Priesthood in
Biblical Times |
| "Throughout the biblical period, God
called prophets and other servants to direct his work and to be his authorized
representatives by sharing his power or priesthood with them. Through that priesthood, God
administered his spiritual and temporal kingdom on earth, taught redeeming gospel truths,
and provided saving ordinances in all generations (D&C 84:17-21)."
Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Covenants
in Biblical Times |
| "The idea of making and keeping covenants is essential to Latter-day Saints, who
would readily agree "that the central message of the Bible is God's covenant with
men" (Bruce, p. 139)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Deuteronomy |
| "Deuteronomy (Greek for "duplication of the law") is the
fifth book of the Old Testament. Latter-day Saints have specific interests in this work.
It distinctively teaches that those who inherit a Promised Land do so on condition that
they remain faithful to the Lord, pure in heart, generous to the poor, and devoted to
God's Law." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Isaiah |
| "Of the writings in the Old Testament,
the message of Isaiah enjoys high priority among Latter-day Saints. The attraction derives
primarily from the extensive use of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon."
Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Epistle to the
Hebrews |
| "Many passages in this New Testament letter have particular
significance for Latter-day Saints." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Fall
of Adam |
| "Latter-day Saints recognize the Fall of Adam and Eve as an actual
event that occurred in the Garden of Eden and has affected the entire earth and everyone
in the human family. The Fall was a necessary step in the eternal progress of mankind and
introduced the conditions that made the mission of Jesus Christ absolutely necessary for
salvation." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| The
Creation |
| ".... Latter-day Saints understand that Jesus
Christ, acting under the direction of God the
Father, created this and other worlds to make possible the immortality and eternal
life of human beings who already existed as spirit children of the Father."
Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| Revelations of
John |
| "The apostle John, sometimes referred to as John the Beloved and John the Revelator, and scriptural
texts linked to his name are esteemed highly by Latter-day Saints. Modern scripture adds
to an understanding of the man and his writings in three important areas: John as a
translated being, an additional record of John, and clarification of the book of
Revelation." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| The
Prophesies of Daniel |
| "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regards the book of
Daniel as the writings of Daniel, who was deported from Jerusalem to Babylon (c. 606
B.C.), and accepts the work as scripture. It sees in the work significant prophecies about
the latter days, including the apostasy
from and restoration of the gospel of Jesus
Christ." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
|
| The
Prophesies of Ezekiel |
| "The principal attention of most Latter-day Saints to the book of
Ezekiel focuses on chapters 34-48 because they shed light on God's latter-day work,
including Israel's return to its land, the restoration of the land to full productivity,
the rebuilding of the temple as a residence for God, and the appearance of important
records that they identify with the Bible and Book of Mormon." Encyclopedia of Mormonism |
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| (See Basic Beliefs home page; Scriptural Writings home page) |
|