Hot answers tagged book-of-mormon
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What is considered scripture
The Standard Works
The LDS Church accepts 4 volumes as "standard works" of scripture:
The KJV Bible
The Book of Mormon
The Pearl of Great Price
The Doctrine and Covenants
Each book is esteemed basically equally with the others as pertaining to their scriptural value. Of course, Mormons will emphasize the Book of Mormon ...
11
According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, chapter summaries first appeared in an edition published in 1920, under the editorship of James E. Talmage, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but the chapter summaries in modern printings of the Book of Mormon, as well as the footnotes and cross-references, date to the 1981 printing, which was "edited by a ...
10
The testimonies of these "lists of witnesses" is included in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, in which they explain what they saw and experienced.
From the testimony of the Three Witnesses:
And we also testify that we have seen the engravings which are upon
the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and
not of man. And ...
9
To understand the answer, it's important to understand the actual invitation. It can be found in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon:
Moroni 10: 4-5
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye
would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these
things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere ...
9
If any such "unofficial canon within a canon" existed in the Book of Mormon, it would have to be in 3rd Nephi, from chapter 11 to approximately chapter 28. This is from the record of Nephi, a distant descendant of the Nephi from the beginning of the book, who lived through a time period that our modern calendar counts as the 0030s AD: the time of Christ's ...
8
As mentioned over in this answer, they're not regarded higher or lower than the others, since they are all the word of God. Everyone's individual experience will vary with which scriptures are emphasized. Usually, the Book of Mormon and Bible are read from most often.
The Doctrine & Covenants are mentioned for a more recent, historical account of God's ...
7
Because Mormons believe in an open canon of scripture (i.e., that God continues to provide scripture through His living prophet), the words of the living prophet (or president of the church) are esteemed more valuable than ancient records. Every six months the leaders of the church formally address the church and their words in these general conferences are ...
7
According to LDS history, Joseph Smith was meditating on James 1:5 when he had his first encounter with Jesus. That verse says:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
That guiding principle has underscored much of Mormon theology since - God gives wisdom to those ...
7
Currently, 150 million+ copies in any of 82 languages. (from the Mormon Newsroom)
Since it was first published in English in 1830, the Book of Mormon
has been fully translated into 82 languages, and printed copies have
totaled more than 150 million.
I'll add a note that I've seen at least a dozen incomplete translations ("Selections of the Book of ...
4
Two ways to determine prominent LDS scriptures are the "scripture mastery" lists and citation data from General Conference sermons.
Scripture Mastery
The LDS seminary program encourages youth to increase familiarity with the scriptures by memorizing select passages. This "scripture mastery" program specifies 25 passages in each of the Old Testament, New ...
4
From the very title page:
... And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the
Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations— ...
...to the last page of the record (Moroni 10:32-33):
32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny
yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of ...
3
As a member of the LDS faith, I am a bit uncomfortable with parts of Daniel's answer. We do have a statement which says,
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Articles of Faith 1:8
Further, the Book of Mormon itself states that its purpose is to ...
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