What Do Latter-day Saints Think of the Bible?

            This week in my religion class I studied Articles of Faith 1:8: “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.” Two doctrines contained in this article are Latter-day Saints and the Bible and Latter-day Saint Canon. I found several insights as I studied the material.

My first insight came from a talk given by Elder M. Russell Ballard titled “The Miracle of the Holy Bible” (Ensign, May 2007). He said that the Bible is a miracle in the way that it was recorded and preserved, in its doctrine and information about the life, ministry, and words of Jesus Christ, and in its healing power of the Spirit of Christ. He said that honest and diligent study of the Bible will make us better people. This truth is evident when we think of all the people and families who study the Bible and are prepared to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ because of their studies. 

Unlike many Christians, Latter-day Saints believe that Heavenly Father continues to reveal His word to His children here on earth. Therefore, we believe in an open canon of scripture, and we believe that we will receive more scripture in the future. We believe the Bible to be true as it was originally written, but we believe that errors and omissions crept in through the many translations. We believe the Book of Mormon to be true because it has been through only one translation and because Jesus Christ declared that it was translated “by the power of God” (D&C 1:29).

Elder Ballard makes three statements that I really like. The first one is, “The scriptures are rich in history, doctrine, stories, sermons, and testimonies, all of which ultimately focus on the eternal Christ and His physical and spiritual mission….” We are told that the scriptures enlarge our memories of God’s dealings with His children. Where would we be without the story of Noah and the Ark, Daniel in the lion’s den, Christ calming the seas, the Good Samaritan, or the many other stories in the Bible? 

The second statement is, “The more we read and study the Bible and its teachings, the more clearly we see the doctrinal underpinnings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We tend to love the scriptures that we spend time with. We may need to balance our study in order to love and understand all scripture.” I believe that the reason that we study the scriptures on a four-year schedule in Sunday School is to give us balance in our studies. We are encouraged to read from the Book of Mormon every day even though we are studying from another book of scripture. I have found my greatest insights while studying two books of scripture at the same time.

The third statement is, “The Book of Mormon … expands, extends, and exalts [the Bible].” I find in my personal scripture study that I understand and appreciate the Bible more because of what I learn from the Book of Mormon. A good example of this is found in the Isaiah chapters of the Book of Mormon. Nephi includes the parts of Isaiah that he considers critical for us to know in our day. Those parts are mainly about Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. What Bible teaching did you gain more understanding about because of information found in the Book of Mormon?

            My second insight is in how the Bible and the Book of Mormon work together and support each other. The Book of Mormon testifies of the truths that are taught in the Bible, and it restores truths and covenants lost from the Bible. Second Nephi 29 talks about the Gentiles who reject the Book of Mormon because they already have the Bible. This chapter tells us three reasons why we need both the Bible and the Book of Mormon: (1) There are more nations than one (verse 7). (2) The testimony of two nations is a greater witness of Christ (verse 8). (3) God will judge the world from the books that are written (verse 11). Doctrine and Covenants 42:12 tells us that we are to teach the principles and doctrines of the gospel as found in the Bible and the Book of Mormon because they have the fulness of the gospel.


            My third insight is the fact that Latter-day Saints believe in an open canon of scripture. I had not previously thought of our belief in quite this way, but I recognize the statement to be true. Most Latter-day Saints understand that there are scriptures that we do not have with the Sealed Portion and the record of the Lost Tribes being just some of them.

I appreciated Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s counsel in his talk titled “My Words … Never Cease” (Ensign, May 2008). He referenced Revelation 22:18 where John wrote, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” However, he does not mention Deuteronomy 4:2 that says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it….” However, he gives a great explanation for why John and Moses were speaking for their own books that were written before there were collections of books known as the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Bible.  

Elder Holland said that other New Testament books were written after John wrote the Book of Revelation, including 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and possibly the gospel according to John. He reminded us that every prophet of the Old and New Testaments added scriptures to that written by previous prophets. He posed an excellent question, “If the Old Testament words of Moses were sufficient … then why … the subsequent prophecies of Isaiah or of Jeremiah, who follows him? To say nothing of Ezekiel and Daniel, of Joel, Amos, and all the rest. If one revelation to one prophet in one moment of time is sufficient for all time, what justifies these many others?” This is important information to remember when people tell us, “We have a Bible and do not need any more scripture.”

            My fourth insight is an answer to a question asked by members of other Christian religions: Are Latter-day Saints Christians? Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ has a glorified body of flesh and bones like that of Heavenly Father and that They are two separate Beings. The name of Jesus Christ is prominent in the name of His Church, and we do all that we do in His name. There were people called Christians before the New Testament was even written. Nearly 600 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Nephi saw the Gentiles carrying a “book” that “contained the fulness of the gospel when written” and that it went forth in “purity” (2 Nephi 13:24-25). Followers and descendants of Nephi were called Christians in ancient America. 


            My fifth insight is that Latter-day Saints love and study the Bible for numerous reasons. One important reason is that Joseph Smith was studying the Bible in his quest to learn which church he should join. He learned that God would grant wisdom to His children if they would ask (see James 1:5). He went to a sacred place and knelt to offer his first prayer and received his First Vision. He was told to join none of the churches and that God had a work for him to do (see Joseph Smith-History 1:9-13). We are counseled to study both the Bible and the Book of Mormon to balance our knowledge and to be prepared to teach the truths found in both.

As part of my assignment I applied this article of faith to a present-day problem – divorce. Elder M. Russell Ballard in his talk titled “The Miracle of the Holy Bible” (Ensign, May 2007) tells us, “Honest, diligent study of the Bible does make us better and better.” As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are fortunate to have the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other latter-day scriptures to study. They all testify of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and Their love for all mankind. They all have the capability of making us “better and better.” No one should attempt to make their way through this life without the help that we can find in the scriptures.

The Church of Jesus Christ now has a program called “Come, Follow Me” and encourages families to study the scriptures together. Couples and families who study the scriptures and pray together each day are strengthened to avoid and defend against the fiery darts that Satan shoots at us. 

            The scriptures specifically teach that marriage is ordained of God and that He performed the marriage for Adam and Eve. The scriptures also teach important principles that strengthen marriages and families, such as love for spouse and children, kindness, honesty, service, and chastity. As couples and families learn about these and other principles and put them into practice in their lives, they grow closer to each other and closer to God.


            I heard a marriage counselor once say that the Book of Mormon was the best book on marriage that she knew because it has answers to all the problems that couples may face in their marriage. I believe that this statement is true because I have learned much about marriage and family life through my study of the Book of Mormon and other scriptures. I have also learned that God can reveal instructions for our specific situation through studying the scriptures and receiving the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I believe that the best way to avoid divorce is for a couple to study the scriptures together and pray together daily.