The Bible

FAIR Answers—back to home page

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Topics

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"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.

Basics

Summary: Latter-day Saints consider the Bible to be holy scripture.

Archaeology 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.

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).

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.

Cosmology of the Bible

Summary: What do we know about how Bible authors viewed the earth and the universe?

"Eternal" biblical commands altered by later prophets

Summary: Critics claim that Joseph gave a false prophecy when he described the United Order in revelation as "everlasting," "immutable and unchangeable," "until I [Jesus] come."

Flood, global or local

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

Genealogy, condemnation of

Summary: Critics 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?

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.

Insufficient?

Summary: Critics interpret a statement by Orson Pratt to mean that the Bible is "insufficient."

Joseph Smith Translation

Isaiah, multiple authors of

Lost scripture

On-going divine revelation not necessary

Open canon vs. closed canon

Textual criticism

Three degrees of glory not biblical

Translations

Transmission versus translation

Trustworthy?