New Bible for the LDS Church?

The LDS Church has announced it's plans to re-translate the Spanish Bible. Before this time, Spanish speaking LDS members used their own Spanish Bible translation of the KJV or " Reina Valera" translation. It's important to take note, that this a new translation, not just a reprint of the KJV translation with a LDS book cover. To read more about this, you can visit the LDS Church's official website and read up on this project.

I suspect the LDS church will include the various changes it's founder Joseph Smith, made to the original text of the KJV. These can be found at the back of the current English version of the LDS published Bible. I also suspect the new Spanish LDS edition of the Bible will have the LDS footnotes at the top of each chapter and cross references to other LDS scriptures, as it does in the English version.

What I do wonder is how long will it be before the LDS Church re-translates the English Version of the Bible into their own translation/version? Right now, the LDS church uses the KJV, and also adds their own footnotes, and cross references to other LDS cannonized Scriptures. I wonder if this step will lead LDS leaders to come up with their own Bible translation in English and then do the same in other languages?

I also wonder, and wondered when I was a practicing LDS, "why" they just don't lay aside the KJV all together and use the Joseph Smith Inspired Version like the Reorganized Church and other splinter churches from the original church Joseph Smith founded.

My concern is this, right now the LDS people have God's word available to them in the KJV. Yes, there are LDS footnotes, and cross references, but God's Word is still available to them to read. For me personally, my exit from the LDS was deeply affected by reading the Bible. ( and yes it was an LDS published KJV bible!) God has promised us that His word will not return void and will go forth and fulfill the purposes it is intened by God to do, and that is to bring men to a knowledge of their sinfullness and need of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As long as the LDS do have access to the Bible, there is great hope, that many will pick it up and read and may come to see the truth.

"If" the LDS church re-translates the Bible it's members use there is reason to be concerned. Other Cults also have their "own" translations, including the Jehovah Witnesses. These translations change God's Word in essential ways.

For example, what if the LDS church changed John 1: 1 from what it states now to what Joseph Smith said it should be?

Right now John 1: 1 states:

" In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. "

Joseph changed this passage to read:

" In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God and the Son was of God."

Can you see the significant change in the text & meaning of this passage?

All of sudden Jesus is no longer the WORD, and no longer is HE GOD.

Big difference! Big change!

So there lies my concern.

All I can do is hope & pray God would intervene, that the LDS people would begin to read their Bibles more , like I did, and that God would use His word to divide asunder, and to convict them of the error of the LDS doctrines. I guess time will tell.

One can hope & definately one can pray ~ He is able!

gloria

Can our hearts be trusted?

A few days back, my 10 yr old daughter had found some money. She didn't know if the money was hers or not. She had found it in an old purse my daughters' share. She wondered whether the money was hers or one of her sisters.... what to do, what to do..... keep it ... or not.....


She came to me and explained her situation. I listened and told her to pray about it. I told her if the money wasn't truly hers and she "knew" it, then she would most likely have little joy in spending it! I told her to ask God and wait for an answer. That seemed to appease her and she did just that. A few minutes later she came downstairs and said she was going to "keep it" and upon asking her if God had told her to do that, she said "well, no.... but I sure feel like it!" I encouraged her to let the Lord lead her on this one. For the next few hours she went back forth wondering if she should keep the money or not... one second she "felt" she should ... the next minute she didn't.... the result: confusion!





She also talked to my husband about it. ( he is a practicing LDS) He encouraged her to pray about it too.... but instead of telling her to wait for God to answer, he told her to see how she "feels about" it after praying. If she feels "good" about keeping it, then she should. If she doesn't "feel good" about it then she shouldn't. My daughter , told her daddy that it doesn't work that way. She shared w/ him her struggle to give this issue to God and *not* rely on her feelings.. because her feelings were "selfish" and wanting to keep the money, regardless of "whose" it was. Her daddy didn't agree and a discussion ensued. She got out her Bible and shared the following verse with her daddy:





" The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9





My daughter then proceeded to tell her daddy that she can't trust her heart, because her heart is selfish and wants to keep the money regardless of what God would want her to do.





My husband and I later discussed the situation. He is a practicing LDS and believes that thru the promptings of the Holy Spirit ( thru feelings given to the heart) a person is able to know what to do in a given situation. That means, if a person feels peace and good about something then they can know that God is approving of that. I explained to him, that the bible does not teach such a thing, but rather teaches us that our heart is "deceitful" and desperately wicked. How can we trust our hearts in making choices, when our heart can deceive us? Our hearts naturally, apart from God's redeeming grace, is described as "deceitful". Therefore man can not trust his own heart solely, but must leave all to God.





Because my heart feels "good" about something then that means God is giving me the go ahead? How can I be sure my heart isn't being selfish? Lots of times I may feel "good" something.. but that doesn't mean God views it that way.





As a Christian, I make sure to check what God has to say about things before I make a decision. I check my views with what God has revealed, and if my views are not in harmony with God's revealed Word, then I can be *sure* that I have been deceived.





" The hearts of men, moreover are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live and afterward they join the dead." Ecc 9:3 NIV





The Lord speaking of the children of Isreal whom He had brought out of Egypt:





" But they did not listen or pay attention, instead they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts." Jer. 11:8





When I was an LDS missionary, I taught those who were investigating the LDS faith to "pray about" the things I was teaching them. I told them that if they prayed with a sincere heart, with real intent , the Holy Ghost would manifest the truth of what I was teaching them. ( Moroni 10:3-5) When I returned to their homes, one of the first things I would ask them was "if they had prayed" and if they had, how had they "felt" while they prayed and after they prayed.


We used the passage from Galatians 5:22-23, as a gauge to teach those investigating Mormonism that if they felt "peace, love, joy, etc" they were receiving an answer from the Holy Ghost telling them that the things I was teaching were true. They had received a "testimony" . I encouraged investigators to focus on their "feelings".... did they feel peace upon praying? Did they feel any physical manifestations like a warm heart or did they begin to cry and get emotional? All of these manifestations were taught to be from the Holy Ghost. Interestingly I never taught those investigating to compare the teachings of Mormonism with the Bible and it's teachings . I never once told those whom I taught to "test" out the Mormon's claims and research out the back round of it's church, history, leaders, etc. No, most definitely the focus was on the "feelings" people were experiencing.





The same rules are used today by many LDS for receiving answers to prayers. If they feel peace,and good about something, then that is a "yes" answer. That was what my husband was trying to tell my daughter about her issue with the money she had found. If she felt "good" about it, then that was the Holy Ghost confirming to her that she should keep it.





My concern with that pattern is 1. it's not biblical. 2. it opens one up for being emotionally driven instead of being driven by solid truth and 3. it's leads to confusion





For LDS readers , you may ask "how so"?





1. It's not biblical: No where in the Bible does the Lord tell us to use our feelings as a guide to determine truth, or find answers to questions. On the contrary we are told to "trust the Lord with all our hearts"..... Proverbs 3:5-6 and "lean not unto our own understanding. Be not wise in thine own eyes and depart from evil." We are being warned in this passage to trust GOD , not our own understanding, our own hearts. We are not to be "wise" in our own eyes. Why? Because we are naturally interested in our own selfish ways! As believers, we are to trust GOD, not ourselves. Not our hearts, not our feelings but God.





2. It opens one up for being emotionally driven: When we focus too much on our feelings... we can become immune to what God has already revealed and spoken. For example, if God says we are not to fornicate or commit adultery, it doesn't matter how much I "feel like" I may be in love with another person. I am a married woman. Regardless of my feelings, I am to not look at another man, for to do so would be to commit adultery. Not even to peek at a man to lust after. God's word is pretty clear. I don't need to "pray" about such a thing or focus on my "feelings" . Focusing on feelings has led many many a soul into adulterous relationships. Our feelings are simply not safe enough to trust. We need God's wisdom.





3. It leads to confusion: Simply put our God is not a God of confusion. He does not work in confusing ways. If we are confused, we can now for a surety God is not in it. If we trust our feelings for answers, we may find ourselves confused. In all honesty, especially for women, our feelings are constantly changing! Our feelings are effected by how much we sleep, eat, the weather, stresses in life, etc. They can change from one hour to the next... how can we possibly trust our heart to lead us? We can't. God is to lead us. We are to trust in God, not our feelings.





Recently a good friend of mine, who was born and raised LDS mentioned to me , after attending my church for prayer meeting, that she had felt the "tingling up the back , goosebumps, and a burning in the heart" while at the prayer meeting .... according to her LDS beliefs, she then could conclude that "my church" was the correct church to attend, right? She sincerely wanted to know what I thought. I told her that the "feelings" she experienced at prayer meeting, were simply that... "feelings". Emotional expressions and responses to the heartfelt prayers she heard offered up. They were not to be taken as any manifestation from the Holy Ghost. They were the tender feelings of her heart, but not to be equated with "truth" .





Many LDS stay LDS because of their "testimonies". They have felt the goosebumps, chills, and a warm fuzzy feeling in the heart. They sincerely believe this is how God reveals truth to them. As sincere as they may be, and I don't deny in any way that they experience these feelings, I would point out that they are simply that... "feelings" nothing more and nothing less. My concern is that many souls are basing truth on feelings, instead of God's Word.





So how does one know truth? How can one know what God's will is for you? May I share with you a passage from the book of John, these are red letter verses:

" If ye continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32

Jesus identifies the true disciples as those who believe in Him, and continue in His word, unlike the Jews who did not believe, disciples will be freed from sin by the truth. ( Jesus it the TRUTH) They will not be sinless , but blameless -- free from the power and eternal effects of sin ( death & hell).



We can know God's will for us , by reading what He has said and spoken in His revealed word , the Bible. I am constantly amazed at how much ground God has covered! I have yet to face a problem that has not already been dealt about and written about in the Bible!! When I have a problem, I turn to the Lord and seek for answers in His Word. I also wait for God to open doors and close doors. That is, if something is not for me, God will close the door. Literally. We must ask according to His will.





Never, am I told to rely on my heart or my feelings. This is precisely what my daughter my husband that day with her money issue. The heart is a deceptive thing. To trust our hearts, we could be led to sin. We should seek out God's will, continue in His Word, and trust in Him with all our hearts. My 10 yr old daughter has also learned to trust God, not her heart. God is growing her in HIS Word and revealing Himself to her daily as she studies His Word. As tempting as it may be, our hearts can not be trusted. We need God's wisdom, guidance and direction in our lives if we hope to navigate our lives. I am so grateful God is teaching my 10 yr old daughter that as well as me!

God bless,
gloria

More thoughts on the reliabilty of the Bible

This week it has been on my heart to study more about what the Bible says about God's Word.

In my study I fell upon the following passages that speak so beautifully.....

" Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Matt. 24:35

The Words of our precious Lord are recorded in the Bible. The Bible has withstood the test of time, and the words of our Lord were guarded and preserved for generations. How thankful I am for all those men who guarded God's word!! Not one of the Lord's words will pass away.. that is His promise to us ( red letter in my bible!) .

" Every word of God is pure, He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him." Proverbs 30:5

" The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, Thou shalt preserve them for this generation forever." Psalm 12:6

" As for God, His way is perfect, the Word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him. " 2 Samuel 22:31

" As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord is tried. " Psalm 18:30

" Thy word is very pure; therefore thy servant loveth it." Psalm 119:140

These passages clearly tell us that every one of God's words are pure. For something to be pure it has no blemishes. God's word has not "blemishes" ... no errors, not mistakes or mistranslations. The word of the Lord are as pure as silver that has been tried , purified 7 times!!! Now that is pure! If a piece of silver has been placed thru a hot furnace 7 times, what will the silver be like once it comes out of that furnace???? Is there going to be any blemishes left??? I don't think so. That is how pure God's Word! It is without blemish. The Lord has also promised us that He shall preserve HIS Word forever. That is exactly what God has done! He has truly preserved the Word of God found in the Bible thru generations and it will continue to be preserved! God's word has been tried. It has past the test of time. His promises in His Word of salvation thru Jesus has not been written in vain. The bible has accomplished what God hoped it would -- to bring the message of salvation to a lost and dying world!

As Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:20-21, scripture did not come from "private" interpretation, by the Holy Ghost.

The Bible is pure, without blemishes and will be preserved forever!

Wow, don't we have an awesome God!

His word truly is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path!

I praise Him for that,

gloria

Response to a comment from an LDS reader

Dear Readers,

I am always encouraged when you leave comments, and even more encouraged when LDS readers leave a comment. Thanks friends for taking time to leave your comments here. I also appreciate that the tone is courteous. :) Thanks!

I wanted to take a moment and respond to a comment left here in response to my post on the Bible.

" You don't have to believe the Bible is inerrant to believe the Bible. "

--- Seth

First of all, I wish to thank Seth for taking time to stop by my blog and sharing his thoughts about the Bible. I have visited enough blogs and sites that are similar to mine to know that the comments left are not always shall I say "kind". :) Thanks Seth for your courteous sharing.

I just wanted to take a moment and respond to Seth's comment, about "not having to believe the Bible is inerrant -- that is without error-- to believe in the Bible and it's message. "

Seth also mentioned that in the Book of Mormon it mentions various times that the Book of Mormon is not without error. Seth is correct. The Book of Mormon does not claim to be a inerrant book. That is, it openly declares it contains errors.

I want to point out to Seth and other LDS readers who may actually read the Bible , is that no where in the Bible does it state by any of it's writers that it contains errors. Not one place that I know of. On the contrary the Bible declares that God's word shall accomplish what is sets out to do ( to share the message of salvation thru Christ) and that it shall prosper in the thing that God sends it out to do.

" So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

God's Word, is found in the Bible. It shall accomplish that which He desires and shall prosper. God reveals Himself to men by His Word, which shall not return to Him in vain. ( void) The Word of God therefore, accomplishes His purposes by announcing salvation to all mankind. Thus the great need and importance the world has, to read the Bible.

I also love the passage in Isaiah 46:9-11

" Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying: "My counsel shall stand, and I will do my pleasure.... yea, I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass, I purposed it, I will also do it."

He speaks thru His Word and what He declares and has declared shall come to pass. We see that over and over again thru the Biblical prophesy. Prophesies about our Lord's birth, life, and eventual sacrifice was prophesied years prior. What God has declared in His Word, has come to pass. There is yet things to come to pass as well. His eventual return for His Bride, The Church is something we look forward to as believers. What God has spoken is found in the Bible. It shall truly come to pass , if it has not already been fulfilled.

The concern I have with the LDS view that the Bible is not inerrant, and does have errors, is that "if" that is the point of view the reader has about God's word -- then how can the reader of the Bible truly come to trust God? How can one "trust" something that it believes contains error? To say The Bible contains errors is to declare God is a God of errors. As I mentioned earlier, The Bible does not declare itself to be a book that contains errors. The writers of the Bible, were inspired by God.

" ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, or correction for instruction in righteousness. " 2 Timothy 3:16

This refers to the supernatural guidance of the writers of Scripture by the Holy Spirit, so that what they wrote was the divine Word of God, transcribed accurately, reliably, and without error in the original manuscripts. The word "inspiration" itself pictures God "breathing" out His Word to men. Since the scriptures are given to help Christians grow in their walk with the Lord, they should rely upon them for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in how to live correctly.

" Knowing this first that no prophesy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but holy men of God sake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:20-21

The scriptures were written by holy ( holy in Greek and Hebrew means "set apart") men, or men "set apart" by God to write His Word. While in no way denying the individual personalities of the writers, or rejecting the distinctiveness of their particular styles, the Holy Spirit controlled the process of bringing things to the writer's memories. ( John 16:13) and ensuring what they recorded was the very Word of God. For example, Jeremiah once became so frustrated with the work God called him to do, he wanted to quit. But God's Spirit compelled him to go on. ( Jer. 20:9) Jonah also at first refused God's call to preach in Nineveh, but later obeyed. ( Jonah 3:1) As Christians we can read the Bible and be confident that this is the very Word of God.


When I was LDS, I regarded for many years the Bible with suspicion. I had been taught that the Catholic Church had thru the years ( middle ages and early Church years) meddled with it and had taken out plain and precious truths. I was led to believe that it was not reliable, and had errors, at times significant errors. ( case in point the passage in John 3 that states God is a Spirit, that is not a man. The LDS declare that to be an "error" or mistranslated.) When I began to read the bible in earnest, I read with sincerity, wishing to read it in it's entirety. I began my study with a sincere desire to read and understand. An amazing thing happened in the process. My eyes were opened, and I came to know and understand WHO Jesus was and is, and Who God is and Who is the Holy Spirit. My eyes and heart were further opened to realize, that NO where in the Bible is there any such command to join a particular church or that one has to have membership in some religious organization to gain eternal life. No, after reading the Bible, it was so clearly laid out to me that JESUS IS THE WAY. Jesus preached Himself, He did not preach a religious denomination. It was so very simply laid out.

My concern for Seth and other LDS readers is that they have been taught that the Bible contains errors. First of all, as I stated earlier no where does the Bible state that as it does in the Book of Mormon, and secondly we have texts today, ancient manuscripts that point out to us that there isn't errors as the LDS teach. The Bible can be trusted. It is not in error. Another book I highly recommend is the book : Evidence that demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. This man , was an atheist when he began to study the Bible. He began it's study with the intent to prove it's falseness. In the process of studying God's Word, He was proved of it's truth! A wonderful and very intense book for those Bible critics out there.

If one truly believes The Bible is God inspired, not of " private interpretation" or "mistranslated" then one can come to understand and know that Jesus , The Messiah is the ONLY means by which man can inherit eternal life.

I challenge my LDS readers to perhaps consider picking up a non - LDS version of the Bible, that does not have the Joseph Smith translations and read for one self. There are many wonderful modern translations of the Bible, and yes they are reliable. The New KJV and NIV Bibles are reliable and wonderful translations. Pick one up and give it a try. I promise you that if you read with a sincere heart you will be changed. God's Word is just that powerful.

Seth, thanks again for sharing and for the opportunity to respond to your comment.

God bless,

gloria

Is the Bible translated correctly?

" We believe the Bible to be the Word of God, as far as it is translated correctly"

--- LDS Articles of Faith, # 8 ---

When I was LDS, I believed that the Bible was "mistranslated". That is to say, I didn't believe the Bible was completely in error, but had been "mishandled" in the translation process over the years and "plain and precious" truths had been removed. There is a kind of mind set in the LDS church that the Bible is "hard to understand" not as easy to read as the Book of Mormon. LDS are biased in their belief that the Book of Mormon is more "pure" than the Bible. Although they do recognize the Bible and use it in their Sunday School classes , there is a underlining mistrust in the Bible.

The above quote, at the top of the blog entry, is from the LDS Articles of Faith. ( similar to a statement of faith).

The LDS church believes the Bible is "correct" as long as it is translated correctly. So "who" decides if a particular passage is translated correctly or not? Mr. Joseph Smith, founder and first LDS prophet believed that the Bible was mistranslated and as such changed verses and passages from the Bible. LDS today call his translations the "inspired" translation or Joseph Smith Translation. These changes and alterations can be found in the back of the LDS published version of the King James Bible. ( the only authorized Bible LDS are encouraged to read).

The Book of Mormon, "another" book of scripture for the LDS states the following about the Bible:

" ... for behold they have taken away from the gospel of the lamb many parts which are plain and precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. Wherefore thou seest that after the book ( the Bible) hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church , that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book which is in the book of the lamb of God." ~ 1 Nephi 13: 26-28

" And because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men.... because of these things which they have taken out of the gospel of the lamb an exceedingly great many do stumble , yea insomuch that Satan hath great power over them." ~ 1 Nephi 13:29

The Subheading for Chapter 13 of 1 Nephi in the book of Mormon, states the "loss of many plain and precious parts of the Bible".

These passages from the the Book of Mormon ( a book that LDS believe is the most correct of all books) clearly states that LDS believe that the Bible has "missing" parts/truths that cause men to stumble. The believe that the "abominable church" ( once believed by many LDS to be the Roman Catholic Church, but now no longer taught) took out truths from the Bible. This was done with the "intent" to blind men and harden their hearts.

Later on in the Book of Mormon, it goes further to state:

" ... Many of the gentiles ( non mormons) shall say A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible! and there cannot be any more Bible.... O fools they shall have a bible, and it shall proceed forth from the Jews, mine ancient covenant people. Thou fool that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible." -- 2 Nephi 29: 3,4,6

For non LDS readers, now you understand "why" LDS have a hard time trusting God's Word found in the Bible. Their own set of Scripture, that they view as the most correct of all books, teaches them that it is a "fool" who says that God's Word, found in the Bible is enough. They have been taught that the Bible is missing truths, that the great and abominable church ( once believed to be the roman catholic church) took out "plain and precious" truths to harden mens' hearts and to blind man.

Do you see why the distrust in God's Word?

Joseph Smith undertook the daunting task of re-translating the Bible. Most passages stayed the same as the original KJV version, but there are some key passages that have been changed.

Recently the LDS church announced that they have re-translated the Spanish Version of the KJV Bible. For LDS readers you can read more about this on http://www.lds.org/ This is not added footnotes and such as found in the LDS KJV, but a whole "new" translation. I wonder if the English KJV is next in line to be "re-translated" by the LDS. Time will tell.

When I began to read the Bible from cover to cover, it changed me from the inside out. My eyes were opened and God's word did a mighty work in my heart. It was not difficult to understand, but very plain and simple. THe gospel of John affected me the most. It so simply and clearly pointed me to the Messiah -- the Lamb. My heart was not hardened, nor were my eyes blinded. On the contrary after a lengthy study of the Bible, I came to the conclusion that Christ alone is all I need to inherit eternal life. That is how powerful God's word is.

" The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

" So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. " Isaiah 55:11

"For the word of the Lord endureth forever. " 1 Peter 1:25

God did a great work in my heart and mind thru the reading of the Bible. I was not "looking" to leave the LDS church, when I began my extensive study of the Bible. God clearly pulled me out, and the Word of God, found in the Bible had a mighty affect on me.

I realized the Bible can be trusted! It is reliable! It has not been mistranslated as the LDS claim.

After leaving the LDS church I began to study the History of the Bible and how it came to be put together. Amazing. I recently purchased a book that helped my children and I understand the painstaking process of compiling the bible. I recommend this book not only for LDS readers, but also for Christians. It's a great book, especially for kids because it is a visual book, with lots of photos. How We Got the Bible by Clinton E. Arnold, published by Zondervan.

There is so much archaeological research that also supports the Bible as authentic and reliable. There is NO doubt that places like Jerusalem, the Jordan River and the Dead Sea existed! They exist today! Ancient ruins have been uncovered, places like Jericho, that show that the walls were indeed destroyed/torn down. The oldest form of any portion of the Hebrew Bible is over 2,600 yrs old and contains portions of Numbers chapter 6. This was discovered in an excavation of a burial tomb near Jerusalem in 1979. The Dead Sea Scrolls also reveal evidence that the Bible is not only authentic, but recent translations support the translations of years past. There is congruence and continuity. The oldest fragment of the New Testament is a portion of John's gospel that dates to AD 125. It was discovered in Egypt in the 1920's.

Contrary to what the LDS church teaches, the Bible has not been mistranslated. So far the Dead Sea scroll translations show that the translations are congruent with Biblical texts today. Men like William Tyndale, John Wycliffe and Mart Luther went thru extraordinary feats to translate the bible from the Greek and Latin and Hebrew so that the common Christian can know God's word. The Bible continues to be translated today into many languages and dialects. The Bible continues to be the World's Best selling book.

The LDS reader may question whether the Bible is still accurate after 2,000 yrs?

The answer to that question is a resounding YES!!!!! The Bible was translated thru a very careful process with many checks and balances along the way. Furthermore, the scribes working on copying the text of scripture took extraordinary care not to make careless mistakes. They had great respect and reverence for God's word and handled it carefully. Today we also posses the advantage of having many ancient manuscripts that can be dated back not far from the originals. When we compare the Bibles we use today the result is an astonishing degree of correspondence.

The Bible is God inspired and God breathed. John wrote :

" And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true and he knoweth that he saith truth that ye might believe. " John 19:34

The apostle John, walked and talked with Jesus and bore His record in written form. His record is true, and he does so that readers may believe that Jesus truly is the WAY!

The Bible is God's record of His dealings with His people, of their falling away, and of their need for salvation thru Christ the Lord. It is relevant for us today and it is most definitely reliable and translated correctly.

I challenge my LDS readers to put my words to test. Sincerely open God's word, and read for yourselves. I have faith and trust in God that He has preserved His word for generations.

I promise you that if you do read God's Word with sincerity of heart, your heart will undergo radical changes. For those of you who are reading who already know the Bible to be God's word, that endures forever, I challenge you to continue your study of it.

" For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. " - Hebrews 4:12

Now you understand why your LDS friends may not accept the Bible as God's word and may express a distrust of sorts. The LDS church has recently been attempting to show forth a different face when it comes to the Bible. A recent video by an LDS leader depicts the bible as a "miracle" and "inspired". Be careful, and remember that in their statement of faith, they openly declare that it is translated correctly only to their approval. The book of mormon also declares that the Bible has been tampered with. Although the LDS church has made recent attempts to place more focus on the Bible, the fact does stand that their scriptures teach that the Bible can not be trusted as accurate. The truth of the matter is that the LDS will take into consideration Joseph Smith's translation over what the Bible states. ( for an example of this, you may compare John 1:1 from the KJV to the Joseph Smith translation of the same passage of scripture) .

I testify to my LDS readers that the Bible is indeed God's word! It has withstood the test of time, and will continue to do so. It continues to testify of the need of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His sacrifice for our sins. It can be trusted. It is reliable. It is not mistranslated as you have been taught. It can be trusted! Don't take my word for it, but go and read it for yourselves. God is the author of the Bible, and His word surely has not returned void.

God bless,

gloria