You’ve probably seen the missionaries. White shirts, black name tags, and a book in their hand that usually isn't the Bible. Because of that, a lot of folks assume they’ve just swapped one for the other. It’s a common trope: "Oh, they have their own book, so they must have ditched the old one."
Honestly, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Do mormons believe in the bible? Yes. Absolutely. But—and this is a big "but" that trips people up—they don't view it the same way a typical Baptist or Catholic might. To understand it, you have to look at how they juggle the King James Version with things like the Book of Mormon. It’s not a replacement; it’s more like a collection. Think of it like a legal case where you have multiple witnesses. They think the Bible is a primary witness, but they don't think it's the only one.
The 8th Article of Faith: The "Fine Print"
If you want to get technical, you have to look at the "Articles of Faith." This is basically their list of core beliefs written by Joseph Smith. The eighth one is the kicker. It says: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly."
That phrase—as far as it is translated correctly—is where the nuance lives.
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Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called Mormons) believe the Bible started out perfect. They’ll tell you that when the original apostles wrote it down, it was 100% the word of God. But they also believe that over two thousand years, things got... messy.
Imagine a massive game of "Telephone." You start with a clear sentence, but after it passes through a hundred people, a word gets dropped here or a phrase gets tweaked there. They believe "plain and precious" parts were lost because of "ignorant translators" or even "corrupt priests" who had an agenda back in the day.
So, when a Latter-day Saint reads the Bible, they’re doing it with a bit of a mental filter. If a verse seems to contradict their other scriptures, they might figure that specific verse was translated poorly or lost its original context.
Why the King James Version?
Walk into any Latter-day Saint chapel in the U.S., and you won't see a "NIV" or an "ESV." They are strictly KJV people. It’s the official English version of the Church.
Why? It’s partly about the "feel."
Joseph Smith’s other revelations, like the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, were written in that same 17th-century "Thee and Thou" style. Using the King James Version keeps everything sounding consistent. It feels like one continuous voice from God.
Back in 1979, the Church actually published its own edition of the KJV. It’s not a "Mormon Bible" in the sense that they changed the text—the text is the standard King James Version you can buy at any bookstore. But they added a massive system of footnotes and a "Topical Guide" that links Bible verses directly to the Book of Mormon.
- Example: You’re reading about Jesus in the Gospel of John? The footnote will point you to a chapter in 3 Nephi where Jesus is teaching the same thing in the Americas.
The 4-Year Cycle: How They Actually Study It
One thing people find surprising is that Mormons spend just as much time studying the Bible as they do the Book of Mormon.
They use a curriculum called "Come, Follow Me." It’s a four-year rotation.
- Year 1: The Old Testament.
- Year 2: The New Testament.
- Year 3: The Book of Mormon.
- Year 4: The Doctrine and Covenants/Church History.
This means that for two out of every four years, their entire Sunday school focus is 100% on the Bible. In 2023, they spent the whole year in the New Testament. In 2026, they'll be back in the Old Testament. They don't just "mention" the Bible; they dissect it. They memorize verses. They debate the meaning of Hebrew roots.
Is the Bible the "Final Word"?
This is where the friction with mainstream Christianity usually happens. For most Protestants, the Bible is Sola Scriptura—the only and final authority.
Latter-day Saints don't buy that.
They believe in an "open canon." Basically, they think God is still talking. To them, saying the Bible is the only word of God is like saying a father stopped talking to his kids after the first few years. They believe the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, and modern-day prophets are "add-ons" that clarify the Bible.
Elder M. Russell Ballard, a former leader in the Church, once said that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are "hand in hand." He used the analogy of a pair of scissors—you need both blades to cut.
The Joseph Smith Translation (JST)
There’s also this thing called the "Joseph Smith Translation." While Joseph was alive, he went through the Bible and "restored" parts he felt were missing.
He didn't use ancient Greek or Hebrew manuscripts. He did it through what he called revelation.
Most of these changes aren't in the main text of the LDS Bible; they’re tucked away in the footnotes or an appendix. Some of the changes are huge—like adding hundreds of words to the beginning of Genesis to talk about Enoch. Others are tiny, like changing "no man hath seen God at any time" to "no man hath seen God at any time, except he hath borne record of the Son."
It’s a subtle shift, but for them, it solves a lot of "contradictions" in the Bible.
What This Means for You
If you’re talking to a Latter-day Saint about the Bible, don't assume they don't know it. A Pew Research study actually found that Mormons (along with Jews and Atheists, interestingly) tend to score the highest on general religious and biblical knowledge.
They love the Bible. They just don't think it's the complete picture.
Actionable Insights for the Curious:
- Check the Footnotes: If you ever pick up a "LDS Edition" of the Bible, look at the bottom of the page. You’ll see "JST" (Joseph Smith Translation) references that show exactly where they think the King James Version got it wrong or left something out.
- Compare Translations: If you're a Bible student, compare the LDS KJV with a modern translation like the NRSV. You'll notice the Church sticks to the "Textus Receptus" (the Greek text the KJV was based on), whereas modern scholarship often uses older, more reliable manuscripts.
- Look for the Harmony: Instead of looking for where the books clash, look for where they overlap. Latter-day Saints use the Book of Mormon specifically to "prove" the Bible is true, which is a weirdly circular but fascinating theological loop.
The reality is that do mormons believe in the bible is a "Yes" with a footnote. They revere it as the foundation of their faith, but they view it as a book that has survived a long, hard journey through history and occasionally needs a modern "clarification" to be fully understood.