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QUESTION 1: What is Church doctrine? Visitors ask missionaries to account for various quotes from leaders of the Church.

Short answer

While some members consider additional resources as official doctrine, the Church teach that "With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith."

Longer answer

Medium Answer: While some members consider additional resources as official doctrine, church leaders teach that "With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. .

Within those books are reader aids such as headings, footnotes, and dictionaries which are not scripture, but are meant as helps to the reader.

The Church has stated that "...Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four "standard works" of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith..."

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/approaching-mormon-doctrine

Additional resources

President George Q. Cannon (counselor in the First Presidency) explained that the scriptures are the only source of official doctrine, coupled with later revelation to the prophets that has been presented to the Church and sustained:

I hold in my hand the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and also the book, The Pearl of Great Price, which books contain revelations of God. In Kirtland, the Doctrine and Covenants in its original form, as first printed, was submitted to the officers of the Church and the members of the Church to vote upon. As there have been additions made to it by the publishing of revelations which were not contained in the original edition, it has been deemed wise to submit these books with their contents to the conference, to see whether the conference will vote to accept the books and their contents as from God, and binding upon us as a people and as a Church.

B.H. Roberts further explained that only those things within the Standard Works and those presented for a sustaining vote by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles is binding upon the Church and its members:

The Church has confined the sources of doctrine by which it is willing to be bound before the world to the things that God has revealed, and which the Church has officially accepted, and those alone. These would include the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price; these have been repeatedly accepted and endorsed by the Church in general conference assembled, and are the only sources of absolute appeal for our doctrine.

Anything else is valuable and may be of use for explanation, exhortation, and instruction, but does not bear the weight of ‘scripture’ in the LDS canon. Harold B. Lee was equally explicit:

If anyone, regardless of his position in the Church, were to advance a doctrine that is not substantiated by the standard Church works, meaning the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, you may know that his statement is merely his private opinion. The only one authorized to bring forth any new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church. And if any man speak a doctrine which contradicts what is in the standard Church works, you may know by that same token that it is false and you are not bound to accept it as truth.

Elsewhere, President Lee taught the same principle:

It is not to be thought that every word spoken by the General Authorities is inspired, or that they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost in everything they speak and write. Now you keep that in mind. I don't care what his position is, if he writes something or speaks something that goes beyond anything that you can find in the standard works, unless that one be the prophet, seer, and revelator—please note that one exception—you may immediately say, "Well, that is his own idea!" And if he says something that contradicts what is found in the standard works (I think that is why we call them "standard"—it is the standard measure of all that men teach), you may know by that same token that it is false; regardless of the position of the man who says it.

In Mormon Doctrine, Elder Bruce R. McConkie was equally clear:

The books, writings, explanations, expositions, views, and theories of even the wisest and greatest men, either in or out of the Church, do not rank with the standard works. Even the writings, teachings, and opinions of the prophets of God are acceptable only to the extent they are in harmony with what God has revealed and what is recorded in the standard works

QUESTION 2a: What is our relationship to the Bible?

Short answer

Latter-day Saints love the Bible and cherish it as a source of information about God and His plan for mankind. We consider it to be inspired, and it is one of the four books Latter-day Saints regard as scripture.

Longer answer

Latter-day Saints love the Bible and cherish it as a source of information about God and His plan for mankind. We consider it to be inspired, and it is one of the four books Latter-day Saints regard as scripture. We study and ponder its sayings and seek to live by the divine standard it proclaims (Discourses of Brigham Young, pp. 124-125). The Bible, as no other book, bears testimony of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ and testifies of His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. It contains the prophecies of patriarchs and seers that the Messiah-Christ would come and the testimonies of apostles and other witnesses that He did come. When it was recorded, it was truly "the word of God" revealed to inspired men. By the providence of the Lord it has been handed down from age to age and preserved as a witness to all mankind that God loves us and has provided a way for us to return to Him. The late Elder James E. Talmage, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, had this to say about the Bible in his classic book about the Articles of Faith: 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. In the respect and sanctity with which the Latter-day Saints regard the Bible they are of like profession with Christian denominations in general, but differ from them in the additional acknowledgment of certain other scriptures as authentic and holy, which others are in harmony with the Bible, and serve to support and emphasize its facts and doctrines.

The historical and other data upon which is based the current Christian faith as to the genuineness of the Biblical record are accepted as unreservedly by the Latter-day Saints as by the members of any sect; and in literalness of interpretation this Church probably excels.

Nevertheless, the Church announces a reservation in the case of erroneous translation, which may occur as a result of human incapacity; and even in this measure of caution we are not alone, for Biblical scholars generally admit the presence of errors of the kind -- both of translation and of transcription of the text. The Latter-day Saints believe the original records to be the word of God unto man, and, as far as these records have been translated correctly, the translations are regarded as equally authentic. The English Bible professes to be a translation made through the wisdom of man; in its preparation the most scholarly men have been enlisted, yet not a version has been published in which errors are not admitted. However, an impartial investigator has cause to wonder more at the paucity of errors than that mistakes are to be found at all.

There will be, there can be, no absolutely reliable translation of these or other scriptures unless it be effected through the gift of translation, as one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost. The translator must have the spirit of the prophet if he would render in another tongue the prophet's words; and human wisdom alone leads not to that possession. Let the Bible then be read reverently and with prayerful care, the reader ever seeking the light of the Spirit that he may discern between truth and the errors of men. (James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, Ch.13, p.236 - p.237)

Every year the LDS Church around the world focuses its Sunday School lessons on one book of scripture in a four year rotating course. Two of those four years are dedicated solely to the Bible. The same goes for the "seminary" program in which every LDS teenager participates. Latter-day prophets consistently urge the membership of the Church to study, ponder and pray about the messages found in the Bible.

Additional resources

http://en.fairmormon.org/Bible/Basics

QUESTION 2b: Do we believe in the Bible?

Short answer

Latter-day Saints treasure the Bible. We accept it as scripture and use it as a source of doctrine. In particular, we treasure the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in the New Testament, and the prophecies about His coming and atonement in the Old Testament.

Longer answer

Latter-day Saints treasure the Bible. We accept it as scripture and use it as a source of doctrine. In particular, we treasure the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in the New Testament, and the prophecies about His coming and atonement in the Old Testament. The Church has adopted the Authorized King James as the official English translation used by the Church, but is not opposed to other translations. The LDS Church encourages study of the Bible. It forms a significant part of what Latter-day Saints consider scripture. This includes, along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Every year each congregation of the LDS Church focuses its Sunday School lessons on one book in a four-year rotating course. Two of those four years are dedicated solely to the Bible. The same goes for the “seminary” program, which is a study course for high school students.. The Bible is the most quoted text of LDS scripture, and members of the Church are encouraged to use the Bible as a source of doctrine, for personal study and enlightenment, and most importantly, we treasure the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in its New Testament.

Our 8th Article of Faith reads in part "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly" We understand this to mean that we believe that the Bible is an inspired book, that it was given through inspired authors, and that as far as it represents the text written by those original authors, it is the word of God. As with any revelation from God, we believe that reading with the Spirit of God is a crucial aspect of understanding the Bible. In following our view that the Bible is the word of God as given to its original authors, we also believe in supporting and using responsible scholarship to help us restore as much as possible that original text of the Bible.

Additional resources

http://en.fairmormon.org/Bible/Basics

QUESTION 2c: Aren’t you adding to the Bible?

Short answer

As our 9th Article of Faith tells us: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” As God reveals His will and inspires prophets, it is God that is adding to His word, not us. In doing so, we are not supplanting scripture, we are extending it -- adding new revelation specifically provided for us in our present circumstances. In this sense, while new scripture is added, it does not have the purpose of changing past revelation that we also view as holy scripture.

Longer answer

As our 9th Article of Faith tells us: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” In this sense, we believe the following: a) that God continues to covenant with men, and that this covenantal relationship can be recorded as scripture, b) that God continues to reveal His will to men (both individually and collectively through prophets), and c) that as God reveals His will and inspires prophets, it is God that is adding to His word, not us. In doing so, we are not supplanting scripture, we are extending it -- adding new revelation specifically provided for us in our present circumstances. In this sense, while new scripture is added, it does not have the purpose of changing past revelation that we also view as holy scripture.

We believe that the Bible was not intended by God to be His final word to mankind, and that Jesus was not intended to be the final revelation of God for mankind. Rather, God has many things that He will yet reveal to His children. Our message to the world is that God has not stopped speaking—He continues to speak to a prophet in our day.

Additional resources

http://en.fairmormon.org/Bible/”Adding_to_”or_”taking_away_from” http://en.fairmormon.org/Bible/Completeness “Because the Church has four books of divine scripture, some observers have misunderstood our attitude toward the Bible. Saul (later known as Paul) probably had similar feelings when he heard the early New Testament Saints tell of their faith in Jesus Christ; the new revelations and experiences seemed to be a threat to and a replacement of the Old Testament. But Paul’s resentment gave way to understanding; he not only became converted to the “new” doctrine and history, but even wrote a large portion of what is now called the New Testament. Paul learned that it is not necessary to reject the Old Testament in order to accept and believe the New Testament.”

“Similarly, acceptance of the Book of Mormon and other Latter-day Saint scripture does not mean rejection of the Bible. As one becomes familiar with all of the revelations God has given, he understands and reveres each volume all the more.” (Robert J. Matthews, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, July 1985, 17–19)

QUESTION 2d: Isn’t the Bible the ultimate authority?

Short answer

We believe that God, not scripture, is the ultimate authority. By this we mean in effect that present-day revelation is as important as past scripture, including the Bible. This can be summed up by our 9th Article of Faith…

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

Longer answer

We believe that God, not scripture, is the ultimate authority. By this we mean in effect that present-day revelation is as important as past scripture, including the Bible. This can be summed up by our 9th Article of Faith…

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

Just as with the Bible, we believe that God is the author of revelation - whether it comes through His chosen prophets, or personally as a witness from the Holy Spirit. The role of modern revelation is not only to provide new information but also to explain or clarify past revelation (including the Bible). In this way, we see God as the authority behind not just the Bible, but all scripture. The main role of scripture (both ancient and modern) is to bring us to God and to allow us to receive a personal witness of the atonement of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Additional resources

QUESTION 3a: What are the reasons for it?

Short answer

God commanded Joseph Smith to practice polygamy and reveal this practice in the early days of the latter-day Church. Some early members of the Church practiced polygamy because they received a spiritual witness that God commanded them to practice it. Many of them were reluctant to do so, but chose to obey the commandment, though they did not understand the reasons for it.

[Important note: People should be careful not to offer as an explanation that there were many single sisters that needed to be cared for. There is very little evidence that this played into most practice of polygamy, so critics of the Church make short work of this suggestion.]

Longer answer

God commanded Joseph Smith to practice polygamy and reveal this practice in the early days of the latter-day Church. Some early members of the Church practiced polygamy because they received a spiritual witness that God commanded them to practice it. Many of them were reluctant to do so, but chose to obey. Although they did not understand all the reasons for it, many members of the Church who practiced polygamy believed that they were restoring something that had been practiced by the early patriarchs and faithful prophets of God, and in doing so they were taking part in the restoration of “all things” that was necessary as a prophesied precondition to the Savior’s second coming

Additional resources

“The Bible indicates that Abraham, Jacob, and others of the Lord’s servants had multiple wives (see Genesis 16:1–3; 29:23–30; 30:4, 9; Judges 8:30; 1 Samuel 1:1–2). Joseph Smith asked God why He had permitted this practice and was told that God had commanded it for specific purposes. One reason given by the Lord for plural marriage is mentioned in the Book of Mormon: “If I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall [have only one wife]” (Jacob 2:30; see also v. 27). “After God revealed the doctrine of plural marriage to Joseph Smith in 1831 and commanded him to live it, the Prophet, over a period of years, cautiously taught the doctrine to some close associates. Eventually, he and a small number of Church leaders entered into plural marriages in the early years of the Church. Those who practiced plural marriage at that time, both male and female, experienced a significant trial of their faith. The practice was so foreign to them that they needed and received personal inspiration from God to help them obey the commandment.” (www.lds.org – gospel topics – polygamy)

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