In 2010 a book was published by Cedar Fort, Inc., called The Biblical Roots of Mormonism. Written by Eric Shuster and Charles Sale, the book finally shows that Mormonism—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—is indeed biblically based and sound where biblical doctrine is concerned.
The authors were not born into Mormon families and have never been a part of Utah Mormon culture. They did not graduate from Brigham Young University, nor have they ever attended the seminary or institute programs of the LDS Church meant to give Mormon youth an education in their religion. Both authors were members of other Christian faiths and converted to Mormonism in adulthood. Because of this, both were required to reconcile their past religious beliefs and culture with their new religion. Said the authors,
The Bible is common ground for all Christians. Therefore, we sought to discover whether the Bible, standing alone, could sustain Mormon theology and practice. We found that it does. We wrote this book to show how (TBRoM, Preface).
The book is the result of a two-year effort to discover Mormonism as it is revealed in the Bible. The authors have found that the Church of Jesus Christ, commonly called Mormonism, can stand on the Bible alone. The authors used both the Old and New Testaments. The book they have written uses the King James Version of the Bible (which is what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses). There is no such thing as a “Mormon version” of the KJV. Instead, English-speaking members of the Church of Jesus Christ use the King James unchanged, but with a dictionary, topical guide, maps, and full indexing and cross-referencing with the other scriptures of the LDS Church.
There are between 33,000 and 38,000 Christian denominations in the world today. One proof that the Bible cannot alone be the authority upon which truth rests. Latter-day Saints have other scriptures and modern prophets to guide them on the path of truth. In no way do these other revealed scriptures or prophets oppose, or contradict, the Bible, as it is translated correctly. Mormon scholars work with scholars of Judaism and other Christian faiths to discern later changes in the Bible that might confuse meaning, and to translate properly ancient Semitic and Greek vocabulary.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the largest Christian denominations in the world. It conducts some of the world’s most respected theological study programs, including those at Brigham Young University, which has campuses in Utah, Hawaii, Idaho, and Jerusalem. The Church has more than 4,300 seminary programs and 2,200 institutes of religion in operation around the world, and the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) is a respected defender of the faith. The Church uses these vast resources to provide scriptural commentary and interpretation that is as reliable as that of any other Christian institution in the world today (p. 4).
However, using the gift of the spirit to understand the Bible is of utmost importance, and Mormons rely upon it, as do all Christians.
By Gale
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