Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible

Most of us have had two young Mormon evangelists show up at our door. They claim that the Bible was translated inaccurately, and an angel gave Joseph Smith visions to correct the errors. In the Mormon Latter Day Saints Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith wrote, “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.” Joseph Smith attacked the “corrupted Bible” by producing his own version known as the Joseph Smith Translation (JST).

Smith quoted Genesis 6:52-53 as saying that Adam was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and was given the gift of the Holy Ghost by that process. He changed John 1:1 to say that “the gospel was preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word …” Smith did not go back to the original languages and had no access to ancient manuscripts for his translation. He claimed that God gave him the revisions for the Joseph Smith Translation.

Mormon writings contain many scientific and historical errors, some of which later Mormon leaders have removed by editing Joseph Smith’s original books. Examples include God cursing Indians (native Americans) with dark skin (2 Nephi 5:21&23, Jacob 3:3-9, Mormon 5:15-17, and Alma 3:6-109). Furthermore, if they accepted Mormon teachings, they would “become a white and delightsome people” (2 Nephi 30:5-7 and 3 Nephi 2:15). Sin causes baldness, according to 2 Nephi 13:24.

Our correspondence course contains an appendix with four pages of errors in the Book of Mormon. It is available on our doesgodexist.org website in the correspondence course section. You will also find that list of errors in appendix A (pages 164 to 167) of our book The Source: Eternal Design or Infinite Accident, available from the PowerVine Store.

For more information and materials showing the errors in Mormonism, read The Salt Lake City Messenger. It is published by the Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1358 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115. You will find their website HERE.

We repeatedly make our arguments about the credibility of the Bible by going back to the original languages. Our Beyond Reasonable Doubt video series goes deeply into archaeological support and historical facts to back up our claims about the Bible. We wrote about it in our second quarter Does God Exist journal, which you can read HERE. You can watch the series on our Does Does God Exist? Media website. It is available for purchase from the PowerVine Store.

The Latter-Day Saints (LDS) conversion rate has dropped, and their growth rate has slowed from 4% in the 1980s to 1.5% in 2020. Their efforts toward children have grown to overcome this decrease, and we can expect a more aggressive approach from their missionaries as well. Before listening to the Mormon missionaries, we should know the errors of the Joseph Smith Translation and the Book of Mormon, and other false Mormon teachings.