When a Latter-day Saint (Mormon) says they believe the Bible is the Word of God, they aren't lying—but they are using a different dictionary. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the LDS "Eighth Article of Faith" and the massive disclaimer that follows their view of Scripture: "as far as it is translated correctly." We explore the "Great and Abominable Church" narrative, the bold claims of the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), and how a "broken" Bible created a vacuum that only a modern prophet could fill. Ultimately, we compare the Mormon hierarchy of truth against the biblical claim that Jesus is the "final word," challenging listeners to return to the sufficiency of the original text.

--

The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

--

Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), believe the Bible is the word of God, but only as far as it is translated correctly. While they value the Bible as holy scripture, they do not believe it is the final or complete authority for faith. Instead, they view it as one part of a larger collection of scriptures that includes the Book of Mormon.

To understand what Mormons believe about the Bible, you first have to look at their eighth Article of Faith. It states that they believe the Bible to be the word of God "as far as it is translated correctly." This phrase is a major pivot point. For evangelical Christians, the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and sufficient Word of God. For a Mormon, the Bible is seen as a book that has suffered from the loss of "plain and precious parts" over centuries of translation and human interference.

Because of this perspective, the LDS Church generally uses the King James Version (KJV) but views it with a level of caution. They believe that through the centuries, many truths were removed by a corrupt church. This is why they believe a "restoration" was necessary. In their view, the Bible is a good book, but it is a damaged book that requires modern revelation to fix its perceived gaps.

Mormons often describe the Book of Mormon as "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." They believe it serves as a companion to the Bible, acting as a second witness to the divinity of Jesus. However, in practice, the Book of Mormon often takes precedence. Since they believe the Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith through divine power, they consider it the "most correct of any book on earth."

This creates a hierarchy of authority. When a biblical passage seems to contradict a teaching in the Book of Mormon or modern LDS revelation, the Bible is usually the one that is reinterpreted. For a Mormon, the Bible is the starting point, but the Book of Mormon is the clarifying finish line. They believe the two books work together to tell a more complete story of God’s dealings with humanity, specifically those in the ancient Americas.

A core belief in Mormonism is that the "canon" of scripture is not closed. While evangelical Christians...