FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Bible
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Contents
The Bible as part of Latter-day Saint canon
Bible overview
Basics
Summary: Latter-day Saints consider the Bible to be holy scripture.Biblical accuracy
Inerrancy and the Bible
Summary: Critics 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.Textual criticism
Summary: 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?Translations
Summary: The Church insists on using the Authorized ("King James") Version as its official Bible, even though more modern translations are easier to read, are more accurate, and include more recent manuscript discoveries. Critics sometimes complain that the eight Article of Faith about believing the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly," implies that Bible translators are trying to hide God's truth.Transmission versus translation
Summary: Critics try to show that by the term translation in the eighth Article of Faith, we really mean transmission.Trustworthy?
Summary: Critics claim that Latter-day Saint leaders diminish the Bible as untrustworthy.Biblical completeness
Completeness and sufficiency
Summary: Critics claim the Bible contains all necessary or essential knowledge to assure salvation. Therefore, things like modern prophets or additional scripture (such as the Book of Mormon) are unnecessary or even blasphemous."Adding to" or "taking away" from the Bible
Summary: Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be true because nothing should be "added to" or "taken away from" the Holy Bible.Insufficient?
Summary: Critics interpret a statement by Orson Pratt to mean that Latter-day Saints believe that the Bible is "insufficient."Lost scripture
Open canon vs. closed canon
Biblical interpretation by Latter-day Saints and critics
Being "born again"—what does the Bible mean?
Summary: When the Bible talks about being "born again," what does this mean? How did the first Christians understand this concept?Christianity is a mystery
Summary: Members of the Church believe that the gospel of Christ has been known since the days of Adam. Critics claim that the New Testament teaches that the Gospel of Christ was a mystery unknown until the advent of Christ. (In defense of this claim, they often cite such scriptures as Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7, 1 Cor. 4:1; Eph. 3:1-10; Col. 1:25-27).Cosmology of the Bible
Summary: What do we know about how Bible authors viewed the earth and the universe?Three degrees of glory not biblical
Summary: Critics of Mormonism claim that the doctrine of three heavens has no basis in the Bible.Genealogy, condemnation of
Summary: Critics of Mormonism charge that the Bible condemns genealogy, and therefore the Latter-day Saint practice of compiling family histories is anti-Biblical, often citing 1 Timothy 1:4 or Titus 3:9.Hebrews 7 and the Aaronic Priesthood
Summary: Hebrews 7 states that the Aaronic/Levitical Priesthood was "changed" to the unique priesthood "after the order of Melchizedek" held by Jesus Christ. Why then do Latter-day Saints still use the Aaronic Priesthood?On-going divine revelation not necessary
Summary: Critics of Mormonism claim that there is no need for on-going divine revelation today; some even charge that claims of visions from God or revelations to a modern prophet is a blasphemous idea.Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
Joseph Smith Translation
Summary: A collection of articles responding to criticisms related to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.- As a restoration of the original Bible text—
Brief Summary: If the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) is Joseph Smith's 'correction' of Biblical errors, why do these corrections not match known Biblical manuscripts? (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - As the Church's official Bible—
Brief Summary: Why don't Latter-day Saints use the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible as the "official" Bible instead of the King James Version. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - JST an embarrassment to leaders?—
Brief Summary: Critics claim that the Church is "embarrassed" by the Joseph Smith Translation. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗ - Relationship of the JST to the Book of Mormon—
Brief Summary: Some passages from the Bible (parts of Isaiah, for example) were included in the Book of Mormon text. However, the same passages were later revised for the Joseph Smith Translation of the Holy Bible. In some cases these passages are not rendered identically. Critics claim that if the JST was an accurate translation, it would match the supposedly more 'pure' Isaiah text possessed by the Nephites. (Click here for full article)∗ ∗ ∗
- As a restoration of the original Bible text—