The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible (affiliate link) is a collection of religious texts that forms the foundation of Christianity and plays a major role in Mormonism and the broader Latter Day Saint movement. For readers trying to understand how Mormons use the Bible, it is important to know that Mormon groups generally accept the Bible as scripture, but not as their only scripture. Most Mormon traditions place the Bible alongside additional sacred texts connected to the Restoration movement begun by Joseph Smith.

The Bible was written primarily in Hebrew, with some portions in Aramaic and Koine Greek. It contains many different kinds of writing, including law codes, history, prophecy, poetry, wisdom literature, sermons, letters, genealogies, and apocalyptic visions. Different religious traditions recognize different collections of biblical books, known as biblical canons. Christians generally regard the Bible as divinely inspired, though beliefs about interpretation, translation, and authority vary widely between denominations.

The Hebrew Bible developed over centuries within ancient Israelite and Jewish communities. Its first major section is the Torah, meaning “teaching” in Hebrew, also known as the Pentateuch or “five books.” The second section, the Nevi’im, contains prophetic writings and historical narratives. The third section, the Ketuvim, contains psalms, wisdom literature, and other writings. Together these three collections form the Tanakh, also called the Hebrew Bible. Important historical versions include the Masoretic Text, the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic tradition preserved in Rabbinic Judaism, and the Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation widely used in the ancient Mediterranean world.

Christianity emerged from Second Temple Judaism and adopted Jewish scripture as the Old Testament. Early Christians also produced new writings centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. These included the four Gospels, apostolic letters, sermons, and apocalyptic works like Revelation. Over time these writings became the New Testament. By the fourth century, the Christian Bible had largely taken its present form, though differences in canon remained between Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions.

Mormons use both the Old Testament and the New Testament as scripture. In the largest Mormon denomination, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Bible is one of four “standard works.” The other three are the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. This means the Bible is considered sacred and authoritative, but it is interpreted within a broader Restoration framework that includes additional revelation and scripture.

Other Latter Day Saint groups also use the Bible, though they differ in how they view later revelations and additional sacred texts. Community of Christ uses the Bible alongside the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Groups such as the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), the Church of Jesus Christ, Strangite churches, Cutlerite groups, Restoration Branches, Remnant movements, and Mormon fundamentalist groups also accept the Bible as scripture while differing over prophetic authority, priesthood claims, and later revelations.

One of the most common questions people ask is whether Mormons believe in the Bible. The answer is yes. Mormon traditions use the Bible extensively in sermons, missionary work, worship services, scripture study, and doctrinal teaching. Biblical stories, prophecies, and teachings about Jesus Christ are central to Mormon belief and practice. At the same time, Mormon theology often interprets the Bible through the lens of Restoration scripture and modern revelation.

English-speaking Mormon traditions have historically favored the King James Version. The LDS Church in particular has long treated the King James Version as its standard English Bible, and many passages in Mormon scripture intentionally imitate King James language and style. Some branches of the Latter Day Saint movement allow or encourage the use of additional Bible translations, but the King James Version remains especially influential in Mormon culture and theology.

A major difference between Mormonism and many Protestant traditions is that most Mormon groups reject the idea of the Bible alone as the complete and final source of scripture. Instead, Mormonism generally teaches that God continued to reveal scripture and guidance after the biblical period. Because of this, Mormon branches often include additional books such as the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, Lectures on Faith, or branch-specific revelation collections within their broader scriptural canon.

Used by: Many (if not all) Mormon groups.

Source Note: This section contains material adapted from Wikipedia under the CC BY-SA license. Original article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible

The Joseph Smith Translation (affiliate link), also called the Inspired Version, is Joseph Smith’s revision of the King James Bible. For readers trying to understand how Mormons use the Bible, the Joseph Smith Translation matters because it shows that Joseph Smith did not treat the Bible as closed, fixed, or textually perfect. He approached it as scripture that could be clarified, expanded, corrected, and restored through revelation.

Smith began the project in 1830 and completed most of the work between 1830 and 1833, though he continued making revisions before his death in 1844. The revision includes grammatical edits, wording changes, doctrinal clarifications, interpretive additions, harmonizations between passages, and longer expansions. The largest additions appear in Genesis and parts of the New Testament.

In several Mormon branches, the Inspired Version is treated as a restored or corrected form of the Bible. It has been especially important in the RLDS and Josephite tradition. Community of Christ historically published and used the Inspired Version, and conservative RLDS-derived groups continue to give it a major role. The Remnant Church, Restoration Branches, and the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also use the Inspired Version as scripture.

The LDS Church does not publish the full Inspired Version as a separate standard work. Instead, it uses selected Joseph Smith Translation passages in footnotes, study helps, and appendices. Certain excerpts from Joseph Smith’s Bible revision are canonized in the LDS Pearl of Great Price, including the Book of Moses and Joseph Smith, Matthew.

Used by: Community of Christ historically, Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Restoration Branches, Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and other conservative RLDS-derived groups. The LDS Church uses selected Joseph Smith Translation material but does not canonize the full Inspired Version as a separate standard work. 

The Latter Day Saint movement does not have one shared scriptural canon. Different branches recognize different books, editions, and revelation collections. Some books are shared by many branches, while others are used by a single church, a smaller restorationist body, or a specific fundamentalist movement. There is a lot of overlap in usage.