by Dan Hiland

Created on: September 17, 2009   Last Updated: September 18, 2009

In order to discuss the central doctrines and beliefs of Mormons, there are words and terminology that need to be clarified, so that we are all on the same page, so to speak.

First of all, the Mormon Church is actually known as "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Second, the word "Bible" refers to books, or a divine library as we know it today. The Bible is a collection of writings which are records of divine revelation. It is important to remember, as we go through this, that the present version of the Bible (King James Version) used in the LDS Church, is a collection of sacred writings. The LDS Church uses the KJV because we believe it to be the most doctrinally pure, of all the translations that exist.

While the Savior, apostles, and other special witnesses traveled from place to place preaching the good news, they weren't toting around the Holy Bible as we know it today. True, they had access to the contents of the Old Testament, but the letters and books we now know collectively as the New Testament were still being written at the time Peter and Paul and the other special witnesses of God walked the earth. Though unified in message, the writings were as scattered as the writers.

They were composed of individual letters, epistles to branches, and messages written for the world at large. It wasn't until about 150 A.D. that the scriptures we know today as the New Testament were collected together. (At that time they were also referred to as the "New Covenant.")

Now to my first point: Some ask how we justify calling the Book of Mormon scripture, when it "clearly states" the following in Revelations 22:18-19:

"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book;

"And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

If we take this promise at face value, we have also taken it out of context. Read Deuteronomy 4:2. It states almost the same thing: "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it..."

Using the "thou shalt not add to or take away" line of reasoning, should we then disregard all that was written after the passage in Deuteronomy? Of course not.

One question I would pose to critics is: Where did you first

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