The LDS Attack on the Bible: An Assault on the Nature and Character
of God by Bob Betts
ERRANCY
Joseph Smith was originally "inspired" to proclaim, "We believe in the
Word of God recorded in the Bible;…" (Eighth Article of Faith). Sometime
after that, a different LDS leader was "inspired" to change it to, "We
believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly."
Aside from this change calling into question the prophetic calling on
Joseph Smith, this second version of the article attacks the very reliability
of the Bible. From a practical LDS viewpoint, any biblical words or passages,
which disagree with their current teachings and doctrines, it follows,
must be mistranslated. But, this explanation for the massive discrepancies
between current LDS theology and traditional biblical theology, leaves
the Bible substantially discredited and holding little authority. The
late LDS apostle, Orson Pratt, gave his low opinion of the Bible in his
1853 book, The Seer, p. 213, "…almost every verse has been corrupted
and mutilated to that degree that scarcely any two of them read alike.
The original manuscripts of the books of the Old and New Testaments are
no where to be found; all we have left are mutilated copies containing
an incredible number of contradictory readings."
LOST SCRIPTURES
In addition, it has been taught by LDS leaders that there are numerous
lost scriptures. In his 1966 edition of Mormon Doctrine, p. 453,
the late LDS apostle Bruce R. McConkie wrote, "Only a small part of the
recorded revelations and scriptural writings of the past are now available
to men. That great body of revealed truth which is missing-without question
a collection of scripture far greater than the scriptures now extant-is
lost scripture, meaning that it is lost to the knowledge of men. Many
passages and even whole books of scripture have been lost through the
carelessness or wickedness of the record keepers."
THE HOLY BIBLE
If the Bible is as incomplete and corrupted as McConkie and Pratt claimed,
then it would be a misnomer to call it the Holy Bible. Yet, on
"The Holy Bible" page of the official LDS website, no mention is made
of the alleged missing books or the alleged corrupted scriptures. For
the Mormons to call the Bible "Holy," yet teach that it is incomplete
and flawed because of men's mishandling is a misrepresentation of what
they truly believe.
GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY
Who canonized the Bible and is it accurately translated? Rather than name
names or produce evidentiary proof of its accuracy, I recommend you read
God's Word, Final, Infallible and Forever by Floyd McElveen (sold
in our bookstore for $4.00) and New Evidence That Demands a Verdict
by Josh McDowell (check your local Christian bookstore). Instead, I'm
going to take a different approach. The answer? "Men spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21) resulting in
our Bible today and, of course it's accurate. Being sovereign and all-knowing,
these scriptures were "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16) and everything God
purposed is included. He accomplished this just as surely as He created
all that is; just as surely as He breathed life into Adam; just as surely
as He etched the Ten Commandments on stone tablets with His finger; just
as surely as He sent Himself, His Word (John 1:1-5) and His Truth (John
14:6) personified; just as surely as He raised Jesus from the dead to
sit at His right hand; just as surely as He sent His chosen apostles,
giving them instructions through the Holy Spirit to continue the spread
of His good news worldwide and does so to this day.
IT'S ALL ABOUT GOD
By faith in the flawless character and sovereign nature of God, we know
that the Bible is precisely what God purposed. Jesus assured us in Matthew's
gospel (5:18) that "…until heaven and earth pass, not the smallest letter
or stroke shall pass from the law, until all is accomplished." Jesus also
stated in the parallel verses of Matt. 24:35, Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33,
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
And in Luke 16:17, He put it this way: "But it is easier for heaven and
earth to pass away, than for one stroke of a letter of the law to fail."
Regarding missing books, John gave us this insight in his gospel (21:25),
that Jesus did "…many other things which…if written…the world itself could
not contain the books." The Bible is intact. Were it not so, our Father
God would not be Almighty.
