There are four volumes of Scripture considered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Word of God. These are The Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
The Book of Mormon and The Bible are usually mistaken by people outside the Church. How does The Book of Mormon differ from The Bible? Are they mutually excluded? Is one most important than the other? The answers here.
The Book of Mormon
From the beginning, Latter-day Saints, wrongly referred to as Mormons, have accepted The Book of Mormon as scripture. This doesn’t mean The Book of Mormon replaces The Bible as scripture. Instead, this means The Bible and The Book of Mormon are used side by side in their preachingm and personal study.
The Book of Mormon, as an additional testament of Jesus Christ, confirms His reality and divinity. The book contains the teachings of Jesus Christ, which testify of His Atonement and His love; and supports and ratifies The Bible.
The Book of Mormon is another witness that Jesus Christ really existed and that He is the Son of God. It contains the writings of ancient prophets and historians in the Americas.
Similarities and Differences with The Bible
The Book of Mormon is the word of God, just like The Bible. Both books contain the guidance of God as revealed to the prophets, as well as the religious histories of various civilizations. While The Bible was written by and about a people in the region of Israel and surrounding areas, and spans from the Creation of the world until shortly after the death of Jesus Christ, The Book of Mormon contains the history and dealings of the Lord with a civilization that lived in the Americas around 600 BC to 400 AD.
The Book of Mormon, with The Bible, testifies that Jesus Christ is the divine Redeemer and that by living according to His Gospel, people can find peace in this life and eternal happiness in the life to come. The Book of Mormon does not replace The Bible but complements it, both are partners that together teach about God and Jesus Christ.
Both volumes of scripture are a compilation of teachings as recorded by ancient prophets. While The Bible details events in the eastern hemisphere, The Book of Mormon documents the lives of the inhabitants of the ancient Americas.
The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ and confirms the truths found in the Holy Bible. As a companion to The Bible, The Book of Mormon is a witness of Jesus Christ’s divinity and His role as the Savior of the world. The Book of Mormon restores plain and precious truths that have been lost from The Bible.