The Bible is one of the four canonized scriptures of the Latter Day Saints Church. (The other three are The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.)
THE BIBLE AND MORMONISM
Mormons, however, view the Bible to be the least reliable of their scriptures. The Book of Mormon says “many plain and precious things” were taken from it (1 Nephi 13:28). Their 8th Article of Faith states: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.”
The quote from 1 Nephi helps us understand the 8th Article of Faith. When it talks about being “translated correctly,” in actuality, it is not referring to its translation but its transmission. The LDS Church believes that the transmission of the Bible was intentionally corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, it is unreliable.
ARE MORMONS FAMILIAR WITH THE BIBLE?
Because of this position, many Mormons are not very familiar with the Bible. Mormon missionaries regularly admit they don’t know it very well. Christians cannot assume Mormons are familiar with even the most common Bible stories or passages.
WE CAN USE THE BIBLE TO WITNESS TO MORMONS
One positive consequence of the LDS Church’s effort to be accepted as Christian is that Mormons are less quick to reject Bible verses as they once did. Rejecting the Bible is not what Christians do.
Vice versa, scholarly Mormons will frequently cite liberal Christians’ attacks on the Bible as support for their position that many plain and precious things have been removed from the Bible.
The bottom line is that we don’t have to hesitate in sharing Bible verses with Mormons.
