How can we answer people who ask the question: “How do Mormons know when the Bible is correct and when it is not?” For some people it seems that Mormons only disagree with the Bible when it contradicts Mormonism. Can you help?
One Response to “How can we answer people who ask the question: “How do Mormo…”
Mateo Campos
2008-03-30 21:36:50
While some fundamentalist sects believe the Bible is inerrant, many Christian religions and certainly most academians who study the Bible agree that errors in translation and transmission have occurred. Some of these errors can be identified by comparing our modern Bibles with ancient Biblical texts. For example, 1 John 5:7-8, called the Comma Johanneum, is not present in most Bible translations before the middle ages. It was added in the 4th century in order to bolster a post-apostolic, non-Biblical view of the Trinity. Thus Mormons can reasonably point to Biblical error when this scripture is used to challenge our own view of social trinitarianism. Likewise, some other Biblical passages can be shown to be erroneous. Unfortunately, for many controversial verses it is not possible to know for certain if errors in translation and transmission have been made. The "chain of possession" for Biblical verses is not always clear.
I do feel, however, that Mormons overuse the "Biblical error" claim. We are, for the most part, Biblical literalists. We believe the Bible to be the word of God. Many great men have dedicated their lives to the preservation and perpetuation of this sacred text. There are errors, but I believe they are few and far between. Mormons tend to appeal to Biblical errancy as a substitute for careful study and research. Most of the apparent "contradictions" can be resolved by carefully reading the text to understand what it does (and does not) say, looking at the text in its original language using a Greek or Hebrew concordance, or understanding the verse in its textual and cultural context. We Mormons too often explain away "contradictions" by claiming errors in the Bible when we should instead carefully examine the scriptures. The Biblical "contradictions" with modern Mormonism generally vanish upon careful examination.
I do feel, however, that Mormons overuse the "Biblical error" claim. We are, for the most part, Biblical literalists. We believe the Bible to be the word of God. Many great men have dedicated their lives to the preservation and perpetuation of this sacred text. There are errors, but I believe they are few and far between. Mormons tend to appeal to Biblical errancy as a substitute for careful study and research. Most of the apparent "contradictions" can be resolved by carefully reading the text to understand what it does (and does not) say, looking at the text in its original language using a Greek or Hebrew concordance, or understanding the verse in its textual and cultural context. We Mormons too often explain away "contradictions" by claiming errors in the Bible when we should instead carefully examine the scriptures. The Biblical "contradictions" with modern Mormonism generally vanish upon careful examination.