MORMON BELIEFS

 Books of Scriptures

Article of Faith # 8 states: "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 Mormon Church recognizes four books of scripture: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These books are often referred to as the standard works of the Mormon Church because they are written by men of God, which wrote and spoke by the power of the Holy Ghost.

The Bible covers the time of Adam to when Christ walked the earth. It bears testimony of Jesus Christ and contains sacred writings of God's revelations to man. The Bible is divided into two sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The writings in the Old Testament foretell the coming Jesus Christ. It also includes teachings from prophets such as Moses, Joshua, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel. The New Testament tells of the life of Jesus Christ - his birth, ministry, Atonement, and the establishing of His Church.

Since the Bible has been translated numerous times and is printed in different versions, the King James version of the Bible is the only version accepted as scripture by the Mormon Church.

The Book of Mormon is considered 'another testament of Jesus Christ' and does not take the place of the Holy Bible. It contains the 'fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ'1, and is another witness that Jesus Christ lived, and that He was and is God's Son. The Book of Mormon contains sacred records of those who lived on the American continents between about 2,000B.C. to A.D. 400. It tells of the visits Christ made to the people in America after His resurrection. Near the end of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni challenges the reader to the following: "When ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." 2

The Doctrine and Covenants contains revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith to prepare the people for Christ coming. It explains the organization of the Mormon Church, offices of the priesthood and their functions, the word of wisdom, truths that were lost for hundreds of years, and prophesies. "Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled."3

The Pearl of Great Price contains the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, and some inspired writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Moses clarifies doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and were received through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Abraham was translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith from a papyrus scroll taken from the Egyptian catacombs and contains information about the Creation, the gospel, the nature of God, and the priesthood. The inspired writings of the Prophet Joseph Smith include, selections from the History of the Church, the Articles of Faith and inspired translation of the Bible.  

In addition to the above four books of scripture, inspired words of Mormon prophets become scripture as well.

For more information about the Mormon Church and the basic beliefs, please see the following websites:

Mormon Church

Mormon Scriptures