View source for Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 7

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|H=Response to claims made in "Chapter 7: The Bible"
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|T=[[../../|Mormonism 101]]
|A=Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
|<=[[../Chapter 6|Chapter 6: The Apostasy]]
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|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Mormonism 101/Chapter 7
|H=Response to claims made in Mormonism 101, "Chapter 7: The Bible"
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|L1=Response to claim: 97 - Mormons consider the Bible to be "insufficient"
|L2=Response to claim: 97 - "the connection between the Bible and Christianity is a reason why the LDS Church began an advertising campaign in the United States in 1997 offering free King James Version Bibles"
|L3=Response to claim: 98 - The authors claim that Latter-day Saints don't fully read the Bible because they don't find it "trustworthy"
|L4=Response to claim: 97-98 - The LDS Church attempts to lend itself legitimacy in the eyes of the rest of the Christian world by borrowing from the legitimacy of the Bible
|L5=Response to claim; 98 - The authors suggest that Mormons have a lack of interest in the Bible because they think that it is not trustworthy
|L6=Response to claim: 99 - the authors highlight four principle uses of scripture...Teaching God's truths...Rebuking others...Correcting one another...Training for righteousness
|L7=Response to claim: 100 - "The early church gave a stamp of authority to the writings of the apostles"
|L8=Response to claim: 100 - The First Presidency said, "The most reliable way to measure the accuracy of any biblical passage is not by comparing different texts, but by comparison with the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations"
|L9=Response to claim: 101 - "It is doubtful that our many modern-day translations were produced by unprincipled people who wanted to keep God's truth hidden"
|L10=Response to claim: 101 - The authors try to show that by the term translation in the eighth Article of Faith, we really mean transmission
|L11=Response to claim: 102- whatever test for accuracy that could be applied to James 1:5 could also be applied to every other Bible verse as well
|L12=Response to claim: 102 - Why doesn't the Mormon prophet fix the alleged errors in the Bible?
|L13=Response to claim: 102 - If Mormons have problems with changes made to the Bible, do they also have a problem with the many changes made to the Book of Mormon over the years?
}}
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==Response to claim: 97 - Mormons consider the Bible to be "insufficient"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The chapter on the Bible begins with a short excerpt from a pamphlet that the authors title "The Bible an Insufficient Guide," by Orson Pratt:
<blockquote>
Add all this imperfection to the uncertainty of the translation, and who, in his right mind, could, for one moment, suppose that the Bible in its present form to be a perfect guide? Who knows that even one verse of the whole Bible has escaped pollution, so as to convey the same sense now that it did in the original? <ref>Orson Pratt, Orson Pratt's Works (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1945), 195-196.</ref>
</blockquote>
}}
{{misinformation|To begin, our authors have incorrectly attributed their excerpt. Orson Pratt's work was not called "The Bible an Insufficient Guide." Its title was ''The Bible and Tradition, Without Further Revelation, an Insufficient Guide''. It was published in Liverpool in 1850 as the third of three pamphlets addressing the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon. The authors show a consistent pattern of presenting the worst possible image of the LDS Church, both past and present, and consistently ignoring conflicting or corrective statements issued by the leaders of the LDS Church both past and present. There is a significant difference between the two titles, the complete title showing Pratt's intent in writing the pamphlet, while the title provided by the authors clearly portrays an attack on the Bible-which better proves their asserted reason for writing this chapter.
*What is the imperfection of which Pratt speaks at the beginning of the citation? He spells it out in his text as follows:
<blockquote>
We all know that but a few of the inspired writings have descended to our times, which few quote the names of some twenty other books which are lost, and it is quite certain there were many other inspired books that even the names have not reached us. What few have come down to our day, have been mutilated, changed and corrupted, in such a shameful manner that no two manuscripts agree. Verses and even whole chapters have been added by unknown persons; and we do not know the authors of some whole books; and we are not certain that all those which we do know, were written by inspiration. <ref>Orson Pratt, Orson Pratt's Works (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1945), 195-196.</ref>
</blockquote>
}}
{{:Question: Do Latter-day Saints consider the Bible "insufficient?"}}

==Response to claim: 97 - "the connection between the Bible and Christianity is a reason why the LDS Church began an advertising campaign in the United States in 1997 offering free King James Version Bibles"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors speculate that "the connection between the Bible and Christianity is a reason why the LDS Church began an advertising campaign in the United States in 1997 offering free King James Version Bibles."
}}
{{disinformation|The Bible has ''always'' been one of the most important standard works of the Church, and the Church has always claimed to be "Christian."
}}

==Response to claim: 98 - The authors claim that Latter-day Saints don't fully read the Bible because they don't find it "trustworthy"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors claim that Latter-day Saints don't fully read the Bible because they don't find it "trustworthy."
|authorsources=<br>
#McConkie, ''The Millennial Messiah'', 160, 161, 164.
}}
{{disinformation|This claim is without foundation. The Church spends fully 50% of it Sunday School and Seminary time devoted to the Old and New Testaments. One year out of every four is devoted to the New Testament, and one is devoted to the Old Testament.
}}

==Response to claim: 97-98 - The LDS Church attempts to lend itself legitimacy in the eyes of the rest of the Christian world by borrowing from the legitimacy of the Bible==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors now bring into the equation a 'conspiracy' of sorts-an attempt by the LDS Church to lend itself legitimacy in the eyes of the rest of the Christian world by borrowing from the legitimacy of the Bible. They write:
<blockquote>
There can be no better way to legitimize a church's existence and make it look like the Christian mainstream than by showing how the movement accepts the Bible in this way, quoting it in an attempt to support their doctrine on one hand while severely criticizing it on the other. Historically, LDS leaders have used the Bible in this way, quoting it in an attempt to support their doctrine on one hand while severely criticizing it on the other.
</blockquote>
}}
{{propaganda|Here we see that they intend to show by the citations from early and current LDS leaders that the LDS faith is critical of the Bible. However, what they are not going to show are the statements which are consistently used throughout the body of LDS literature that paint a positive picture of the Bible and its place within the LDS Church. The real evidence indicates that the LDS Church's study of the Bible as sacred scripture is neither limited in scope nor is it of recent origin.
}}

==Response to claim; 98 - The authors suggest that Mormons have a lack of interest in the Bible because they think that it is not trustworthy==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors claim the following:
<blockquote>
When Mormons ask us if we have read the Book of Mormon-which we have-we find it interesting when we turn the tables and ask if they have ever read the Bible. Although many will say they've read parts, our hearts are saddened because so few have spent much time doing so, let alone having read the entire Word of God. Could this lack of Biblical interest be a result of the LDS leaders' assertions that the Bible is not fully trustworthy?
</blockquote>
}}
{{disinformation|In 1979, the Church produced its own King James Bible, complete with a set of footnotes and cross references, as well as translational notes and study helps. Prior to this publication, the Church purchased most of its King James Bibles from Cambridge University Press. Does this sound like an organization that is using the Bible merely as a public relations gimmick? If so, millions of members were never told. The Church and its members have a deep love and appreciation for the Word of God as found in the Bible. 
*This bold assertion is amusing. There is no presentation of statistics, only the anecdotal idea that first, LDS members do not read the Bible and are not familiar with it, and second, that we hear constantly from our leaders that the Bible is less than trustworthy.
}}
{{:Question: Do Mormons consider the Bible to be untrustworthy?}}

==Response to claim: 99 - the authors highlight four principle uses of scripture...Teaching God's truths...Rebuking others...Correcting one another...Training for righteousness==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
Writing on 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the authors highlight four principle uses of scripture, as follows:
#Teaching God's truths and the doctrines we are to believe
#Rebuking others, such as Jesus' example with Lucifer in Matthew 4:1-11
#Correcting one another when we stray from Gods truth
#Training for righteousness
}}
{{information|Referring to this passage, the Encyclopedia of Mormonism states the following:
<blockquote>
Any message that comes from God to man by the power of the Holy Ghost is scripture to the one who receives it, whether in written or spoken form. Paul wrote to Timothy that "all [written] scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". Further, every person may receive personal revelation for his or her own benefit. God, however, has always designated prophets to speak for him, thus resulting in holy writ or scripture. <ref>A. Gary Anderson, "Scripture: Words of Living Prophets," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992), 3:1281.</ref>
</blockquote>
The LDS Church recognizes these roles of scripture, and the passage in Paul is applied to all of the standard works of the Church-including the Holy Bible. 
}}

==Response to claim: 100 - "The early church gave a stamp of authority to the writings of the apostles"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
Where we begin to question the assumptions of our authors however, is when they start discussing the process that gave the scriptures authority. Speaking of the passage in 2 Peter 3:15-16, they write that, "The early church gave a stamp of authority to the writings of the apostles." 
}}
{{information|This is almost certainly the case, but the proof text is not evidence of that process. In the passage, Peter accords to Paul's epistles the status of scripture-but we must remember that this was referring to contemporary scripture, not to a formal series of writings that had been established. This is made more clear when the authors quote Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (emphasis theirs):
<blockquote>
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the ''word of God'', which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
</blockquote>

It should be noted that Paul is not speaking of a written text-as he states 'which ye heard of us.' The word which they spoke was recognized as the inspired word of God. This is not a bold assertion of authority for a text, or a book, but rather for a message-a message delivered by the apostles through the Holy Spirit. It is authority for revelation from God. To the Christians at Thessalonica, this was not written scripture, but modern revelation, revealing the will and mind of God. 

Yet, for this same principle, our author's condemn the Latter-day Saints-and for what? They cite the following written by Dallin H. Oaks (an LDS apostle):
<blockquote>
What makes us different from most other Christians in the way we read and use the Bible and other scriptures is our belief in continuing revelation. For us, the scriptures are not the ultimate source of knowledge, but what precedes the ultimate source. The ultimate knowledge comes by revelation. <ref>Ensign (January 1995), 7, quoted in McKeever and Johnson, Mormonism 101, 100.</ref>
</blockquote>
}}

==Response to claim: 100 - The First Presidency said, "The most reliable way to measure the accuracy of any biblical passage is not by comparing different texts, but by comparison with the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors note a message from the First Presidency of the LDS Church, issued on June 20, 1990. They quote the following: "The most reliable way to measure the accuracy of any biblical passage is not by comparing different texts, but by comparison with the Book of Mormon and modern-day revelations." <ref>"Letter Reaffirms Use of King James Version of Bible," LDS Church News (20 June, 1992), 3, quoted in McKeever and Johnson, Mormonism 101, 100.</ref>
}}
{{information|These points are exactly right. 
}}
{{:Question: Is textural criticism of Biblical texts superior to receiving revelation on that text through a prophet of God?}}

==Response to claim: 101 - "It is doubtful that our many modern-day translations were produced by unprincipled people who wanted to keep God's truth hidden"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors proceed to discuss what the LDS Church means in its eighth Article of Faith:
<blockquote>
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.
</blockquote>
On the translation of the Bible the author's note the following:
<blockquote>
It is doubtful that our many modern-day translations were produced by unprincipled people who wanted to keep God's truth hidden. In actuality, quite the opposite is true. The motivation behind a new translation is, in most cases, to give a clearer understanding of what God wants to reveal to His people. Granted. Some translations do a better job at achieving this goal than others.
</blockquote>
}}
{{misinformation}}
{{:Question: Why do Mormons use the King James Version of the Bible?}}

==Response to claim: 101 - The authors try to show that by the term translation in the eighth Article of Faith, we really mean transmission==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors try to show that by the term translation in the eighth Article of Faith, we really mean transmission. They write:
<blockquote>
Some Mormons have recognized that the word translated as used in the Articles of Faith is not entirely correct. Knowledgeable Mormons who have studied the methods of translating languages admit that the transmission, not the translation, of the biblical texts concerns them.
</blockquote>
}}
{{misinformation|The Articles of Faith were written by the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was not interested in the transmission at all, but rather in the translation. He studied Hebrew and Greek in an attempt to come closer to the original language of the Bible. When we do this, we become aware of some startling problems with the translation of the New Testament.
}}
{{:Question: Does the eighth Article of Faith statement about believing the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly" imply that Bible translators are trying to hide God's truth?}}

==Response to claim:  102- whatever test for accuracy that could be applied to James 1:5 could also be applied to every other Bible verse as well==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors ask,
<blockquote>
How do we know if James 1:5, the verse that Joseph Smith used to draw him to the "Sacred Grove," was indeed correct? For that matter, how can anyone trust other proof texts used to support Mormonism? It would seem reasonable that whatever test for accuracy that could be applied to James 1:5 could also be applied to every other Bible verse as well.
</blockquote>
}}
{{information|The answer is clear. As Orson Pratt put it, ''The Bible and Tradition, Without Further Revelation, an Insufficient Guide''. Revelation, whether personal revelation from God or through a prophet called by God, is capable of answering that question. Without the Holy Spirit, we are left to rely on the strengths and weaknesses of man, working with textual criticism to produce something as close to the original text as possible.
}}

==Response to claim: 102 - Why doesn't the Mormon prophet fix the alleged errors in the Bible?==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors ask,
<blockquote>
If the LDS Church has a prophet who has direct communications with God, then it would seem plausible for him to fix these alleged errors. After all, D&C 107:92 states that one of the "gifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church" is the role of translator. If the God of Mormonism was able to help Smith translate the Book of Mormon from the golden plates, he could also be able to help the prophet with these alleged errors. Although the LDS Church does not officially publish the Joseph Smith Translation as a bound volume, Smith's corrections are included as footnotes and endnotes in the LDS-published version of the King James Bible. Many Mormons are unaware that Smith failed to "correct" many of the so-called problematic verses.
</blockquote>
}}
{{misinformation|There are a number of issues here, and I wish to address them as appropriately as I can. These are not the only answers, but they may be helpful. First, we have the issue of why the LDS Prophet does not provide us with a complete and perfect text for the Bible. The answer to this is simple. If God wanted us to have a perfect text, then He would provide it to us in whatever fashion He deemed appropriate. However, we have to ask-why didn't God manage to keep His word in the Bible perfect for the last 2000 years? And, why would He choose to provide us with a perfect text now, after so many of His children have had to deal with it in an imperfect form? The answer lies within the nature of the text itself. LDS doctrine is that we rely on the Spirit and revelation to confirm truth for us. This means that we do not have to rely on scholars, on textual criticism, or on the fruitless search for the original autographs of the scriptures.
}}

==Response to claim: 102 - If Mormons have problems with changes made to the Bible, do they also have a problem with the many changes made to the Book of Mormon over the years?==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title=Mormonism 101
|claim=
The authors ask,
<blockquote>
If Mormons want to make a great deal about the small percentage of questionable material in the Bible-none of which affects essential doctrine-then do they also have a problem with the many changes made to the Book of Mormon over the years?
</blockquote>
}}
{{misinformation|
It is ironic that the most significant changes to the Book of Mormon text are attached to the footnotes. It is true that there have been many changes. Anyone who picks up a facsimile copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon will notice them. However, anyone who actually reads through them will also realize how most of them reflect a hundred and fifty years of changes to the language. And while we could discuss each of the changes, this is neither the time nor the place. The issue here is the Bible, and LDS doctrine regarding the Bible.
}}
{{:Question: Why were textual changes made to the Book of Mormon over the years after it was first published?}}

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