Our Acceptance of the Bible -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints accepts the Holy Bible as the foremost of her standard works, first among the books which have been proclaimed as her written guides in faith and doctrine. In the respect and sanctity with which the Latter-day Saints regard the Bible they are of like profession with Christian denominations in general, but differ from them in the additional acknowledgment of certain other scriptures as authentic and holy, which others are in harmony with the Bible, and serve to support and emphasize its facts and doctrines.
The historical and other data upon which is based the current Christian faith as to the genuineness of the Biblical record are accepted as unreservedly by the Latter-day Saints as by the members of any sect; and in literalness of interpretation this Church probably excels.
Nevertheless, the Church announces a reservation in the case of erroneous translation, which may occur as a result of human incapacity; and even in this measure of caution we are not alone, for Biblical scholars generally admit the presence of errors of the kind -- both of translation and of transcription of the text. The Latter-day Saints believe the original records to be the word of God unto man, and, as far as these records have been translated correctly, the translations are regarded as equally authentic. The English Bible professes to be a translation made through the wisdom of man; in its preparation the most scholarly men have been enlisted, yet not a version has been published in which errors are not admitted. However, an impartial investigator has cause to wonder more at the paucity of errors than that mistakes are to be found at all.
There will be, there can be, no absolutely reliable translation of these or other scriptures unless it be effected through the gift of translation, as one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost. The translator must have the spirit of the prophet if he would render in another tongue the prophet's words; and human wisdom alone leads not to that possession. Let the Bible then be read reverently and with prayerful care, the reader ever seeking the light of the Spirit that he may discern between truth and the errors of men.
The Name "Bible" -- In present usage, the term Holy Bible designates the collection of sacred writings otherwise known as the Hebrew Scriptures, containing an account of the dealings of God with the human family; which account is confined wholly, except in the record of antediluvian events, to the eastern hemisphere. The word Bible, though singular in form, is the English representative of a Greek plural, Biblia, signifying literally books. The use of the word probably dates from the fourth century, at which time we find Chrysostom FN employing the term to designate the scriptural books then accepted as canonical by the Greek Christians. It is to be noted that the idea of a collection of books predominates in all early usages of the word Bible,; the scriptures were, as they are, composed of the special writings of many authors, widely separated in time; and, from the harmony and unity prevailing throughout these diverse productions, strong evidence of their authenticity may be adduced.
The word Biblia was thus endowed with a special meaning in the Greek, signifying the holy books as distinguishing sacred scriptures from other writings; and the term soon became current in the Latin, in which tongue it was used from the first in its special sense. Through Latin usage, perhaps during the thirteenth century, the word came to be regarded as a singular noun signifying the book, this departure from the plural meaning, invariably associated with the term in the Greek original, tends to obscure the facts. It may appear that the derivation of a word is of small importance; yet in this case the original form and first use of the title now current as that of the sacred volume must be of instructive interest, as throwing some light upon the compilation of the book in its present form.
It is evident that the name Bible, with its current signification, cannot be of itself a Biblical term; its use as a designation of the Hebrew scriptures is wholly external to those scriptures themselves. In its earliest application, which dates from post-apostolic times, it was made to embrace most if not all the books of the Old and the New Testament. Prior to the time of Christ, the books of the Old Testament were known by no single collective name, but were designated in groups as (1) the Pentateuch, or five books of the Law; (2) the Prophets; and (3) the Hagiographa, comprising all sacred records not included in the other divisions. But we may the better consider the parts of the Bible by taking the main divisions separately. A very natural division of the Biblical record is effected by the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ; the written productions of pre-Christian times came to be known as the Old Covenant; those of the days of the Savior and the years immediately following, as the New Covenant. FN The term Testament gradually grew in favor until the designations Old and New Testaments became common.
Its Origin and Growth -- At the time of our Lord's ministry in the flesh, the Jews were in possession of certain scriptures regarded by them as canonical or authoritative. There can be little doubt as to the authenticity of those works, for they were frequently quoted by both Christ and the apostles, by whom they were designated as "the scriptures." FN
The Savior specifically refers to them under their accepted terms of classification as the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms. FN The books thus accepted by the people in the time of Christ are sometimes spoken of as the Jewish Canon of Scripture. The term canon, now generally current, suggests not books that are merely credible, authentic or even inspired, but such books as are recognized as authoritative guides in profession and practise. The term is instructive in its derivation. Its Greek original, kanon, signified a straight measuring rod, and hence it came to mean a standard of comparison, a rule, a test, as applied to moral subjects as well as to material objects.
As to the formation of the Jewish Canon, or the Old Testament, we read that Moses wrote the first part of it, viz., the Law; and that he committed it to the care of the priests, or Levites, with a command that they preserve it in the ark of the covenant, FN to be a witness against Israel in their transgressions. Foreseeing that a king would some day govern Israel, Moses commanded that the monarch should make a copy of the Law for his guidance. FN Joshua, who succeeded Moses in some of the functions pertaining to leadership in Israel, wrote further of the dealings of God with the people and of the divine precepts; and this writing he evidently appended to the Law as recorded by Moses. FN Three centuries and a half after the time of Moses, when the theocracy had been replaced by a monarchy, Samuel, the approved prophet of the Lord, wrote of the change "in a book, and laid it up before the Lord." FN Thus the law of Moses was augmented by later authoritative records. From the writings of Isaiah we learn that the people had access to the Book of the Lord; for the prophet admonished them to seek it out, and read it. FN It is evident, then, that in the time of Isaiah the people had a written authority in doctrine and practise.
Nearly four centuries later, 640-630 B.C., while the righteous King Josiah occupied the throne of Judah as a part of divided Israel, Hilkiah, the high priest and father of the prophet Jeremiah, found in the Temple "a book of the law of the Lord' FN which was read before the kings. FN Then, during the fifth century B.C., in the days of Ezra, the edict of Cyrus permitted the captive people of Judah, a remnant of once united Israel, to return to Jerusalem, FN there to rebuild the Temple of the Lord, according to the law FN of God then in the hand of Ezra. From this we may infer that the written law was then known; and to Ezra is usually attributed the credit of compiling the books of the Old Testament as far as completed in his day, to which he added his own writings. FN In this work of compilation he was probably assisted by Nehemiah and the members of the Great Synagogue -- a Jewish college of a hundred and twenty scholars. FN The book of Nehemiah, which gives a continuation of the historical annals recorded by Ezra, is supposed to have been written by the prophet whose name it bears, in part at least during the life of Ezra. Then, a century later, Malachi, FN the last of the prophets of note who flourished before the opening of the dispensation of Christ, added his record, completing and virtually closing the pre-Christian canon, with a prophetic promise of the Messiah and of the messenger whose commission would be to prepare the way of the Lord, particularly as to the last days, now current.
Thus, it is evident that the Old Testament grew with the successive writings of authorized and inspired scribes from Moses to Malachi, and that its compilation was a natural and gradual process, each addition being deposited, or, as the sacred record gives it, 'laid up before the Lord' in connection with the previous writings. Undoubtedly there were known to the Jews many other books not included in our present Old Testament; references to such are abundant in the scriptures themselves, which references prove that many of those extra-canonical records were regarded as of considerable authority. But concerning this we will inquire further in connection with the Apocrypha. The recognized canonicity of the Old Testament books is attested by the numerous references in the later to the earlier books, and by the many quotations from the Old Testament occurring in the New. About two hundred and thirty quotations or direct references have been listed, and in addition to these, hundreds of less direct allusions occur.
Language of the Old Testament -- Nearly all the books of the Old Testament were originally written in Hebrew. Scholars profess to have found evidence that small portions of the books of Ezra and Daniel were written in the Chaldee language; but the prevalence of Hebrew as the language of the original scriptures has given to the Old Testament the common appellation, Hebrew or Jewish Canon. Of the Pentateuch, two versions have been recognized -- the Hebrew proper and the Samaritan, FN the latter of which was preserved in the most ancient of Hebrew characters by the Samaritans, between whom and the Jews there was enmity.
The Septuagint and the Peshito -- We recognize first the important translation of the Hebrew canon known as the Septuagint. FN This was a Greek version of the Old Testament, translated from the Hebrew at the instance of an Egyptian monarch, probably Ptolemy Philadelphus, about 286 B.C. The name Septuagint connotes the number seventy, and is said to have been given because the translation was made by a body of seventy-two elders, in round numbers seventy; or, as other traditions indicate, because the work was accomplished in seventy, or seventy-two days; or, according to yet other stories, because the version received the sanction of the Jewish ecclesiastical council, the Sanhedrin, which comprised seventy-two members. Certain it is that the Septuagint, sometimes indicated by the Roman numerals LXX, was the current version among the Jews in the days of Christ's earthly ministry, and was quoted by the Savior and the apostles in their references to the old canon. It is regarded as the most authentic of the ancient versions, and is accepted at the present time by the Greek Catholics and other eastern churches. It is evident, then, that from a time nearly three hundred years before Christ, the Old Testament has been current in both Hebrew and Greek; and this duplication has been an effective means of protection against alterations.
Another compilation, the Peshito, was made, according to tradition, at an early but undetermined date and is referred to as "the oldest Syriac version of the Bible." It contains the canonical books of the Old Testament and many New Testament books, omitting, however, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude and Revelation. The Peshito is regarded by scholars as of great critical value.
The present Compilation recognizes thirty-nine books in the Old Testament; these were originally combined as twenty-two books, corresponding to the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The thirty-nine books as at present constituted may be conveniently classified as follows:
The Pentateuch or Books of the Law........................... 5
The Historical Books........................................ 12
The Poetical Books........................................... 5
The Books Of the Prophets................................... 17
The Books of the Law -- The first five books in the Bible are collectively designated as the Pentateuch (pente -- five, teuchos -- volume) and were known among the early Jews as the Torah, or the law. Their authorship is traditionally ascribed to Moses, FN and in consequence the "Five Books of Moses" is another commonly used designation. They give the history, brief though it be, of the human race from the creation to the flood, and from Noah to Israel; then a more particular account of the Israelites through their period of Egyptian bondage; thence during the journey of four decades in the wilderness to the encampment on the farther side of Jordan.
The Historical Books, twelve in number, comprise: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the two books of Samuel, the two of Kings, the two of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. They tell the story of the Israelites entering the land of promise, and their subsequent career through three distinct periods of their existence as a people -- (1) as a theocratic nation, with a tribal organization, all parts cemented by ties of religion and kinship; (2) as a monarchy, at first a united kingdom, later a nation divided against itself; (3) as a partly conquered people, their independence curtailed by their victors.
The poetical Books number five: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. They are frequently spoken of as the doctrinal or didactic works, and the Greek designation Hagiographa (hagios -- holy, and graphe -- a writing) is still applied. FN These are of widely different ages, and their association in the Bible is probably due to their common use as guides in devotion amongst the Jewish churches.
The Books of the prophets comprise the larger works -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, including his Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel, commonly known as the works of the four Major Prophets; and the twelve shorter books -- Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, known as the books of the Minor Prophets. These give the burden of the Lord's word to His people, encouragement, warning and reproof, as suited their condition, before, during, and after their captivity. FN
The Apocrypha embrace a number of books of doubtful authenticity, though such have been at times highly esteemed. Thus, they were added to the Septuagint, and for a time were accorded recognition among the Alexandrine Jews. However, they have never been generally admitted, being of uncertain origin. They are not quoted in the New Testament. The designation apocryphal, meaning hidden, or secret, was first applied to the books by Jerome. The Roman church professes to acknowledge them as scripture, action to this end having been taken by the Council of Trent (1546); though doubt as to the authenticity of the works seems still to exist even among Roman Catholic authorities. The sixth article in the Liturgy of the Church of England defines the orthodox view of the church as to the meaning and intent of Holy Scripture; and, after specifying the books of the Old Testament which are regarded as canonical, proceeds in this wise: "And the other books (as Hierome [Jerome] saith) the church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following: -- The Third Book of Esdras; The Fourth Book of Esdras; The Book of Tobias; The Book of Judith; The rest of the Book of Esther; The Book of Wisdom; Jesus, the Son of Sirach; Baruch the Prophet; The Song of the Three Children; The Story of Susanna; Of Bel and the Dragon; The Prayer of Manasses; The First Book of Maccabees; The Second Book of Maccabees."
Its Origin and Authenticity -- Since the latter part of the fourth century of our current era, there has a risen scarcely a question of importance regarding the authenticity of the books of the New Testament as at present constituted. During these centuries the New Testament has been accepted as a canon of scripture by professed Christians. FN In the fourth century there were generally current several lists of the books of the New Testament as we now have them; of these may be mentioned the catalogues of Athanasius, Epiphanius, Jerome, Rufinus, and Augustine of Hippo, and the list announced by the third Council of Carthage. To these may be added four others, which differ from the foregoing in omitting the Revelation of John in three cases, and the Epistle to the Hebrews in one.
This abundance of evidence relating to the constitution of the New Testament in the fourth century is a result of the anti-Christian persecution of that period. At the beginning of the century in question, the oppressive measures of Diocletian, emperor of Rome, were directed not alone against the Christians as individuals and as a body, but against their sacred writings, which the fanatical monarch sought to destroy. FN Some degree of leniency was extended to those persons who yielded up the holy books that had been committed to their care; and not a few embraced this opportunity of saving their lives. When the rigors of persecution were lessened the churches sought to judge their members who had weakened in their allegiance to the faith, as shown by their surrender of the scriptures, and all such were anathematized as traitors. Inasmuch as many books that had been thus given up under the pressure of threatening death were not at that time generally accepted as holy, it became a question of first importance to decide just which books were of such admitted sanctity that their betrayal would make a man a traitor. FN Hence we find Eusebius designating the books of the Messianic and apostolic days as of two classes: (1) Those of acknowledged canonicity: the Gospels, the epistles of Paul, Acts, 1 John, 1 Peter, and probably the Apocalypse. (2) Those of disputed authenticity: the epistles of James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Jude. To these classes he added a third class, including books that were admittedly spurious. FN
The list published by Athanasius, which dates from near the middle of the fourth century, gives the constitution of the New Testament as we now have it; and at that time all doubts as to the correctness of the enumeration seem to have been put to rest; and we find the Testament of common acceptance by Christians in Rome, Egypt, Africa, Syria, Asia Minor, and Gaul. The testimony of Origen, who flourished in the third century, and that of Tertullian, who lived during the second, were tested and pronounced conclusive by the later writers in favor of the canonicity of the Gospels and the apostolic writings. Each book was tested on its own merits, and all were declared by common consent to be authoritative and binding on the churches.
If there be need to go farther back, we may note the testimony of Irenaeus, distinguished in ecclesiastical history as Bishop of Lyons; he lived in the latter half of the second century, and is known as a disciple of Polycarp, who was personally associated with the Revelator, John. His voluminous writings affirm the authenticity of most of the books of the New Testament and define their authorship as at present admitted. To these testimonies may be added those of the saints in Gaul, who wrote to their fellow sufferers in Asia, quoting freely from Gospels, epistles, and the Apocalypse; FN the declarations of Melito, Bishop of Sardis, who journeyed to the East to determine which were the canonical books, particularly of the Old Testament; FN and the solemn attest of Justin Martyr, who embraced Christianity as a result of his earnest and learned investigations, and who suffered death for his convictions. In addition to individual testimony we have that of ecclesiastical councils and official bodies, by whom the question of authenticity was tried and decided. In this connection may be mentioned the Council of Nice, 325 A.D.; the Council of Laodicea, 363 A.D.; the Council of Hippo, 393 A.D.; the third and the sixth Councils of Carthage, 397 and 419 A.D.
Since the date last named, no dispute as to the authenticity of the New Testament has claimed much attention.
The present is too late a time and the separating distance too vast to encourage the reopening of the question. The New Testament must be accepted for what it claims to be; and though, perhaps, many precious parts have been suppressed or lost, while some corruptions of the texts may have crept in, and errors have been inadvertently introduced through the incapacity of translators, the volume as a whole must be admitted as authentic and credible, and as an essential part of the Holy Scriptures. FN
Classification of the New Testament -- The New Testament comprises twenty-seven books, conveniently classified as:
Historical............................................ 5
Didactic.............................................. 21
Prophetic............................................. 1
The Historical Books include the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The authors of these works are spoken of as the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; to Luke is ascribed the authorship of the Acts.
The Didactic Books comprise the epistles; and these we may arrange thus: (1) The Epistles of Paul, comprising (a) his doctrinal letters addressed to Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Hebrews; (b) his pastoral communications to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. (2) The General Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude.
The Prophetic Works, consisting of the Revelation of John, also known as the Apocalypse.
Early Versions of the Bible -- Many versions of the Old Testament and of the combined Testaments have appeared at different times. The Hebrew text with the Samaritan duplication of the Pentateuch, and the Greek translation, or the Septuagint, have been already noted with mention of the Peshito. Revisions and modified translations competed for favor with the Septuagint during the early ages of the Christian era; Theodotian, Aquila, and Symmachus each issued a new version. One of the first translations into Latin was the Italic Version, probably prepared in the second century; this was later improved and amended, and became known as the Vulgate,; and this is still held by the Roman Catholic church to be the authentic version. This includes both Old and New Testaments.
Many Modern Versions in English, some fragmentary, others complete, have appeared since the beginning of the thirteenth century. About A.D. 1380, Wycliffe presented an English translation of the New Testament, made from the Vulgate; the Old Testament was afterward added. About A.D. 1525, Tyndale's translation of the New Testament appeared; this was included in Coverdale's Bible, printed in 1535, which constituted the first version of the complete Bible in English. Matthew's Bible dates from 1537; Taverner's Bible from 1539, and Cranmer's Great Bible from the same year. In 1560 the Geneva Bible appeared; in 1568 the Bishops' Bible, the first English version having chapter and verse divisions; and in 1611 the Authorized English Version, or King James' translation, this being a new translation of Old and New Testaments from the Hebrew and Greek, made by forty-seven scholars at the command of King James I. This has superseded all earlier versions, and is the form now in current use among Protestants. But even this was found to contain many and serious blemishes; and in 1885 a Revised Version was issued, which, however, has not yet been accorded general acceptance.
Genuineness and Authenticity of the Bible -- However interesting and instructive these historical and literary data of the Hebrew scriptures may be, the consideration of such is subordinate to that of the authenticity of the books; for as we, in common with the rest of the Christian world, have accepted them as the word of God, it is eminently proper that we should inquire into the genuineness of the records upon which our faith is so largely founded. All evidences furnished by the Bible itself, such as its language, historical details, and the consistency of its contents, unite in supporting its claim to genuineness as the actual works of the authors to whom the separate parts are ascribed. In a multitude of instances comparisons are easy between the Biblical record and history not scriptural, particularly in regard to biography and genealogy; and, in such cases, general agreement has been found. FN Further evidence appears in the individuality maintained by each writer, resulting in a marked diversity of style; while the unity pervading the whole declares the operation of some guiding influence throughout the ages of the record's growth; and this can be nothing less than the power of inspiration, which operated upon all who were accepted as instruments in the divine hand to prepare this book of books. Tradition, history, literary analysis, and above and beyond all these, the test of prayerful research and truth-seeking investigation, unite to prove the authenticity of this volume of scripture, and to point the way, defined within its covers, leading men back to the Eternal Presence.
Book of Mormon Testimony Regarding the Bible -- The Latter-day Saints accept the Book of Mormon as a volume of sacred scripture, which, like the Bible, embodies the word of God. In the next chapter the Book of Mormon will receive especial attention; but it may be profitable to refer here to the collateral evidence furnished by that work regarding the authenticity of the Jewish scriptures, and of the general integrity of these latter in their present form. According to the Book of Mormon record, the Prophet Lehi, with his family and some others, left Jerusalem by the command of God 600 B.C., during the first year of King Zedekiah's reign. Before departing from the land of their nativity, the travelers secured certain records, which were engraved on plates of brass. Among these writings were a history of the Jews and some of the scriptures then accepted as authentic.
Lehi examined the records: "And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah." FN This direct reference to the Pentateuch and to certain of the Jewish prophets is valuable external evidence concerning the authenticity of those parts of the Biblical record.
Nephi, son of Lehi, learned in vision of the future of God's plan regarding the human family; and saw that a book of great worth, containing the word of God and the covenants of the Lord with Israel, would go forth from the Jews to the Gentiles. FN It is further stated that Lehi's company, who, as we shall see, were led across the waters to the western continent, whereon they established themselves and afterward grew to be a numerous and powerful people, were accustomed to study the scriptures engraved on the plates of brass; and, moreover, their scribes embodied long quotations therefrom in their own growing record. FN So much for Book of Mormon recognition of the Old Testament, or at least of such parts of the Jewish canon as had been completed when Lehi's migrating colony left Jerusalem, during the ministry of the Prophet Jeremiah.
But further, concerning the New Testament scriptures this voice from the West is not silent. In prophetic vision many of the Nephite prophets saw and then foretold the ministry of Christ in the meridian of time, and recorded predictions concerning the principal events of the Savior's life and death, all with striking fidelity and detail. This testimony is recorded of Nephi, FN Benjamin, FN who was both prophet and king, Abinadi, FN Samuel the converted Lamanite, FN and others. In addition to these and many more prophecies regarding the mission of Jesus Christ, all of which agree with the New Testament record of their fulfilment, we find in the Book of Mormon an account of the risen Lord's ministrations among the Nephite people, during which He established with them His Church, after the pattern recorded in the New Testament; and, moreover, He gave them instructions in words almost identical with those of His teachings among the Jews in the East. FN
Holy Scriptures
Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God -- Matt. 22:29.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life -- John 5:39; see also verse 46.
Abraham said unto him: They have Moses and the prophets -- Luke 16:29.
Instances of Christ citing scripture -- Matt. 4:4; Mark 12:10; Luke 24:27.
Holy scripture given through the Holy Ghost -- Acts 1:16.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable -- 2 Tim. 3:16.
Prophecy came not by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost -- 2 Peter 1:21.
The scriptures testify of Christ -- John 5:39; Acts 10:43; 18:28; 1 Cor. 15:3.
That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope -- Rom. 15:4.
Now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets -- Rom. 16:26.
For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again -- John 20:9.
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ -- John 20:31.
Scriptures appealed to and cited by the apostles -- Acts, chaps. 2 and 3; 8:32; 17:2; see also 18:24, 28:23.
No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation -- 2 Peter 1:20.
Holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith -- 2 Tim 3:15.
What does the scripture mean, which saith that God placed cherubim? -- Alma 12:21.
For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day -- Alma 30:8.
Nephi read to the people from the book of Moses, and from Isaiah, and did liken all scriptures unto their conditions -- 1 Nephi 19:23.
For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them -- 2 Nephi 4:15.
This people understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves -- Jacob 2:23.
And I said unto him: Believest thou the scriptures? -- Jacob 7:10.
Alma confounded Zeezrom by unfolding the scriptures unto him -- Alma, chap. 12.
The scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction -- Alma 13:20.
Ye do greatly err, and ye ought to search the scriptures -- Alma 33:2.
Now in this thing they did err, having not understood the scriptures -- 3 Nephi 1:24.
After Jesus had expounded all these scriptures unto the Nephites -- 3 Nephi 23:6; see also verse 14.
Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ? -- 3 Nephi 27:5.
Scriptures engraven upon the plates of brass brought from Jerusalem -- 2 Nephi 4:15.
The Bible referred to in divine revelation to Nephi: They shall have a Bible; and it shall proceed forth from the Jews -- 2 Nephi 29:3-6. Other scriptures to come forth -- verses 7-14.
Because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words -- 2 Nephi 29:10.
Part of the Biblical record found upon the brass plates brought from Jerusalem -- 1 Nephi 5:10-13.
Ancient records containing scripture spoken by the manifestation of the Spirit -- D&C 8:1.
And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture -- D&C 68:4.
Through Satan's influence people wrest the scriptures and do not understand them -- D&C 10:63.
Latter-day admonitions to study the scriptures -- D&C 11:22.
Proving to the world that the holy scriptures are true -- D&C 20:11.
Principles of the gospel contained in the Bible and the Book of Mormon -- D&C 42:12.
The holy scriptures are given for instruction; and the power of the Spirit quickeneth all things -- D&C 33:16.
Holy scriptures quoted by the Angel Moroni to Joseph Smith -- P. of G.P. pp. 52, 53.
A book of remembrance was kept, recorded in the language of Adam -- Moses 6:5; written according to the pattern given by the finger of God -- verse 46.