Articles of Faith #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.”

the standard works with manualsThe Bible has been translated many times and it has been printed in many different versions. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the King James Version of the Bible. It is identified as one of our “standard works.”

“We revere the Bible and its sacred teachings. We can receive strength and comfort from the biblical accounts of God’s dealings with His people.” – True to the Faith, page 157

As a Mormon, the Bible has taught me so much about the Savior and His earthly ministry. Aside from personal scripture study, I have learned more about the Bible by attending classes offered in the Institute of Religion and during Sunday School. These classes helped me learn realize the importance of these sacred records in our day.

Leaders of the Church have also given their testimony of the Bible. Elder M. Russel Ballard said, “I bear solemn witness that we are true and full believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His revealed word through the Holy Bible. We not only believe the Bible—we strive to follow its precepts and to teach its message.”- Ensign, May 2007, 82

The misconception that Mormons do not believe in the Bible comes from people’s observation that members of the Church always talk about the Book of Mormon. That observation is correct and it’s probably the reason why we got the name “Mormons.” The truth is, we teach and learn from both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. In fact, “Latter-day Saints believe in an open scriptural canon, which means that there are other books of scripture besides the Bible (such as the Book of Mormon) and that God continues to reveal His word through living prophets.” We believe that understanding the teachings from the scriptures and the words of living prophets will help us better understand the gospel of Jesus Christ and become better people.

Note: For more information about the topic, feel free to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.