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Bible overview
Summary: Latter-day Saints consider the Bible to be holy scripture.
Biblical accuracy
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.
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?
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.
Summary: Critics try to show that by the term translation in the eighth Article of Faith, we really mean transmission.
Summary: Critics claim that Latter-day Saint leaders diminish the Bible as untrustworthy.
Biblical completeness
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.
Summary: Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be true because nothing should be "added to" or "taken away from" the Holy Bible.
Summary: Does the Bible teach that it is "inerrant"? Is this an idea with any meaning?
Summary: Critics interpret a statement by Orson Pratt to mean that Latter-day Saints believe that the Bible is "insufficient."
Summary: I've heard about "lost scripture" mentioned in the Bible. What does the Book of Mormon mean when it says that "plain and precious" things have been taken out of the bible? What is this about, and what implications does it have for the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy and sufficiency?
Summary: Critics claim that the Church is in error because Christianity requires a "closed canon" (no more authoritative revelation) instead of the Church's "open canon" (potential for more binding revelation).
Biblical interpretation by Latter-day Saints and critics
Summary: When the Bible talks about being "born again," what does this mean? How did the first Christians understand this concept?
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).
Summary: What do we know about how Bible authors viewed the earth and the universe?
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.
Summary: Critics of Mormonism attack Joseph Smith for altering things that were "eternal," while ignoring other matters labeled "eternal" that were later changed by biblical prophets.
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?
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.
Summary: Critics of Mormonism claim that the doctrine of three heavens has no basis in the Bible.
Summary: What are the merits of various biblical translations?
Summary: LDS doctrine expresses belief in the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly." Does
translated have a broader sense than the modern one?
Summary: Do LDS regard the Bible as "untrustworthy"?
- Animal sacrifice—
Brief Summary: Critics claim that Joseph Smith favored "Old Testament practices" including "teaching animal sacrifice." (Click here for full article)
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- Cursing of enemies—
Brief Summary: Critics charge that Joseph Smith focused on Old Testament ideas and concepts, such as the "cursing of enemies." Critics appeal to New Testament prohibitions of cursing enemies (e.g., Rom. 12:14, and then argue that restoration scriptures or remarks by Church leaders are inconsistent with the Christian command to "bless, not curse." (Click here for full article)
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Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
Summary: A collection of articles responding to criticisms related to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.
Relationship of the Bible to the Book of Mormon
Summary: The "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. The critical issue raised is that the Brass Plates of Laban quote from sections of Isaiah that this theory ascribes to Deutero-Isaiah, so how could the Nephites have these writings if they weren't written until after they left Jerusalem?
Science and the Bible
Summary: Sectarian critics who accept the Bible, but not the Book of Mormon, sometimes claim that the Bible has been "proven" or "confirmed" by archaeology, and insist that the same cannot be said for the Book of Mormon.
Summary: Modern scientific knowledge regarding the diversity of species, language and evidence of continuous human habitation does not support the Biblical story that a global flood wiped out most life as recently as 4,400 years ago