In the Book of Mormon, Nephi declared, speaking of the Bible that there would be many, “plain and precious things taken away.” There is no specific time mentioned that this would happen, only that after it happened it then went to all the nations of the Gentiles (1 Nephi 13: 26-29). Some would conclude that this was only the Old Testament, but the New Testament is obviously included in this as it is part of the Gentile Bible that Nephi speaks of. Note that the printing press was not invented until the 15thcentury and until then the Bible, for all intensive purposes, was simply not available for all to read. At the very least, it was not available until it was compiled, which was around the 5th century.
Many vehemently object to this prophecy as it puts into question the inerrancy claim of the Bible (this claim being important as the Bible is held up as their ultimate authority in all they do and teach). Some would argue, asserting as proof that we have very old documents of both the Old and New Testaments, so we can see that this prophecy is not true. The fact is that the earliest New Testament document (a very small fragment) we have was written in the 3rd century and most are much later, therefore all we have are copies of copies of copies. In addition, when we look at these copies, we indeed can see changes, deletions, as well as additions. 1
Ancient Christian support
Origen (c. AD 185-255) was one of the earliest and most respected Christian writers. The Bible had not yet been compiled—they only had circulated manuscripts. Origen noted, “The differences among the manuscripts have become great, either through negligence of some copyists or through the perverse audacity of theirs; they either neglect to check over what they have transcribed, or in the process of checking, they make additions or deletions as they please”. 2
This phenomenon was also noted by Justin Martyr, another early Christian writer. He observed that certain important prophecies of Christ had been removed from the Jewish scriptures. 3 The Bible itself can testify to this fact as there are 13 books of scripture mentioned in the Bible that are not in the Bible, not to mention that there are literally thousands of verifiable errors. 1
Revelations 22:19 is a scripture warning to not take away from, "the words of the book of this prophecy". This is thrown at Mormons by the uneducated to mean there can be no more scripture, implying the Book of Mormon. In fact Revelations was not the last book written in the Bible, and as noted above, there was no Bible at the time to take away from. This same warning is also given in Deuteronomy, as I mention later. So why this warning? I would suggest that The Apostle John, the writer of Revelations, had already witnessed problems with the words of scripture being circulated at the time being tampered with. He mentions words being taken out, but most likely there were words added as well--thus the warning.
Modern Christian Support
Though many may be available, I choose to emphasize one particular scholar on this subject--Dr. Margaret Barker. Though not LDS, she is not only a well-known expert on the Old Testament and ancient Christianity, she is also well versed on LDS teachings and addresses this very issue. Here is some of what she says on this subject:
“One generation before Zedekiah there had been the great upheaval in the reign of King Josiah, something now regarded as the turning point in the history of Jerusalem and its religion. The events are usually described as King Josiah’s “reform,” the assumption being that everything he did was good and that the biblical texts describing the reform are an accurate and objective account. Other ancient texts had a very different view of Josiah and his work, but since they were eventually not included in the Bible, they are not often considered when the Bible is taught today. Yet here is our first warning: if some of the wickedness in Jerusalem mentioned in the First Book of Nephi included parts of Josiah’s temple purges, we should expect to find information relevant to the Mormon tradition in texts outside the Bible. And we do.”
She continues to mention dozens of examples of sacred texts that were eliminated, telling us that King Josiah allowed a group to prevail in forming the Old Testament called the Deuteronomists. She goes on, “Josiah’s purge was driven by their ideals, and their scribes influenced much of the form of the Old Testament we have today. The Deuteronomists denied that anyone had a vision of the Lord (Deu 4:12), they denied that anyone had revelations from heaven, and they insisted the Ten Commandments were all that was necessary (Deu 30:8, 11-14). Nothing more was to be added to them (Deu 5:22). Prophecies were genuine only if they had already been fulfilled and had no more power (Deu 18:21-22). The Deuteronomists had no place for angels, and so they did not use the title “Lord of Hosts.” These were the minds that eventually led to the closed canon of scripture and the cessation of prophecy. But the prophets did have visions of the Lord and the angels, they did speak in the name of the Lord, and their unfulfilled prophecies were carefully preserved… The original temple tradition was that Yahweh, the Lord, was the Son of God Most High, and present on earth as the Messiah. This means that the older religion of Israel would have taught about the Messiah. Thus, finding Christ in the Old Testament (or the lack thereof) is exactly what we should expect, though obscured by incorrect reading of the scriptures. This is, I suggest, one aspect of the restoration of the plain and precious things, which have been taken away (1 Ne 13:40).” 4
There are many more details that verify what the Deuteronomists did with regard to Jesus and His sacrifice. For example, they completely took out the Day of Atonement off of their calendar. What Dr. Baker is revealing here is monumental. To have Jesus Christ mentioned plainly in the Old Testament as the Messiah, would be earth-shattering for all of Christianity. Yet this is exactly what we have in the Book of Mormon, even in the era of the Old Testament. In its just more than 6000 versus in the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ is referred to almost 4000 times.
A Doctrinal Approach
Although it may be true that there were in fact deletions, my case here is to show that there were also teachings that were doctrinally deleted. In other words, my contention is that there are many plain and precious teachings still in the Bible that have astonishingly been taken away doctrinally. Although they are simple and right in front of us, they have been wrenched, misinterpreted, voted out, and even ignored until they have been lost as doctrine. New manmade doctrine has taken its place. Some of these teachings were likely more clearly contained in the above examples, but glimpses do remain in the Bible.
LDS scholar, Dr. John Welch beautifully describes this process, “First things would be taken away, not from the texts of the Bible, but from the gospel itself. In the words of the angel the first thing mentioned is that the Gentiles would take away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious. This stage possibly could have occurred more by altering the meaning or understanding of the concepts taught by the Lord than by changing the words themselves. Later Nephi says there were many plain and precious things taken away from the book. This step apparently should be understood as a consequence of the preceding step, since verse 28 begins with wherefore. Thus, the actual physical loss of things from the text of the Bible was perhaps less a cause than it was the result of the fact that at first the gospel and the covenants had been lost or taken away.”
Note he mentions the word covenants here. In verse 26 it states, "they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away." So among the doctrine taken away are covenants. There is much that can be derived from this word. God has always chosen to work with His people through covenants. But what seems to be most emphasized here is the Abrahamic covenant and importantly we learn that the Abrahamic covenant is extended to the Gentiles.
To paraphrase the words of Dr. Joshua Sears on this topic, the Gentile supersessionism after Christ’s death in claiming the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled and no longer needed is a major contributor to what has happened. There are still promises that are saved for Jacob’s children. God is still going to gather Israel. They are still the missionary force to bring everything to the world, and the covenant is still the way that we come unto the Father, enter into a relationship with him and receive all the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 5
The Book of Mormon sets this straight, and today the restored church refers to this as the covenant path. This covenant path ends with exaltation. President Russell M. Nelson has said, "Salvation is an individual matter, but exaltation is a family matter." Covenants are absolutely essential for exaltation.
Some of the other "many parts" that were taken away that I chose to speak of below were verifiably believed by the earliest Christians, and most actually continued with these beliefs well into the dark ages until they were consciously denied by the predominant church at the time, but were thankfully restored through the restoration.
How Man is Saved
Is there any other more important teaching or doctrine? This question and the corresponding answer have gone through many changes through the centuries. I will just share a couple scriptures here that are completely ignored or wrested away, "unto their own destruction." (2 Pet 3; 16)
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone." (James 2:14,17,24)
Now the answer that has been taken away is simple for those who have an ear to hear. Here are some scriptures that should solve it easily. "He that believeth in me and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16) “Repent, and be baptized every one of you.” (Acts 2:38) “Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19) “He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Mainstream religion cringes at the thought they have to actually work to be a righteous person. There is no doubt salvation is a gift and freely available to any through the grace of our Savior. But we still cannot just sit still and expect it to happen. Earning it seems to be a taboo word, and it is true we do not earn salvation on our own the way critics think of this word and incorrectly portray it on LDS. So lets state it simply: We must repent through the grace of Jesus Christ, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. This qualifies us and puts us on the road that leads to salvation, every whit.
The Nature of God
Nephi does explain more deeply what he means by these plain and precious morsels. Several times he refers to this as parts of the gospel that were taken away (see versus 26 and 34 for example). He also gives us at least one example himself, possibly making it the most important one to him. In verse 40 he refers to other records which will come to light in the last days, and that these records will, “make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them; and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father.”
There it is—plain, simple and precious, yet how many truly believe Jesus is the literal Son of God? Jesus is referred to many times in the Bible as the Son of God. The Bible also refers to The Father, and the Holy Spirit just as such. As simple as it seems, nearly the whole of Christianity does not believe this in its’ simplicity—as it is given to us in the scriptures. Jesus is rather a personage of God the Father. Likewise God the Father and the Holy Ghost are simply a personage of the same God as well. They are all somehow mysteriously one “essence”—the word used in the 4th century when this doctrine first became official at the Council of Nicea.
There are literally dozens of scriptures on this point that are plain and precious but are no longer believed as they are written. Here is just a sampling: Hebrews 1:5, Matthew 22:44, Matthew 24:36, John 14:28, John 17:1, Matthew 27:46. I will only quote one, John 20:17, “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” There are multiple questions here. Why would He ascend to Himself? But more importantly how could His God also be our God if He was God?
Why would God confuse us on this important doctrine if these are not to be understood as they are written? Plain, precious and taken away.
The argument might be that we need to have faith that God is greater than man can imagine. He is mysterious only to us, but not to him. That he speaks in this manner only for our benefit. So why is it so important to understand Him correctly? Or is it important at all? Jesus answers this question himself in John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”. Here he equates eternal life with knowing Him and God. I would ask, if He is a mysterious “essense” to us, can we really know Him?
Baptism
In Matthew 3:14, upon meeting Jesus, John said: "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" However, Jesus convinces John to baptize him nonetheless. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.”
Here are some other scriptures mentioning baptism:
Acts chapter 2 is the day of Pentacost when the church is basically organized and many listening are pricked with the spirit. They then ask Peter what they do now. He did not respond by telling them to say a little prayer and accept Jesus into your heart, but was very direct and to the point. Acts 2:38 says, “Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Romans 6: 3, 4, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
John 3: 5, “Except a man be born of the water and the spirit, he cannot enter in the kingdom of God.”
Here is the question: Is baptism important? I hope it is obvious that these scriptural examples all say it is. However, a big part of Christianity says no. Some say it is a personal choice but not necessary. Further, some claim if it is performed at all, that it is done by sprinkling water on the head, not by immersion, although the symbolic gesture of dying in the grave and coming out to life again is destroyed in this case.
Again, I will not get into the importance of baptism, or of doing it right, only that here we see another example of an important doctrine that is still in the Bible, and that it is simple, and that it is precious, and that it has been taken away.
Premortal Life
Consider the following scriptures: Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth…when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38: 4, 7) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee (Jeremiah 1: 5). The Lord formeth the spirit of man within him (Zech 12: 1). Who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? (Acts 17: 28) He has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1: 4). “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:23-24)
This is not an exhaustive list, but will suffice to bring the point to light. What all of these scriptures have in common is that they all suggest a pre-mortal existence of man—a doctrine that is vital to understanding many other concepts relating us to our God. Far from being unimportant, this morsel of truth helps us to understand the majesty of who we are and what we can become. It helps us understand why bad things happen to good people and the importance of all human life. Yet this precious doctrine, while still in the Bible and believed by christians for centuries after Christ, has been taken away.
Salvation for the Dead
Many thinking Christians often ask, what about all the billions of people that lived and died and never even heard the name of Jesus? Are they all doomed to hell? Since belief in Jesus is a basic requirement, the answer would be yes. This is a moral question--one that would seem to put God's goodness into extreme doubt. But the answer was different with the earliest Christians, and it has been in the Bible all along.
1 Peter 3: 18-29, Christ was "put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah." And 1 Peter 4: 6, "For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit." Then finally 1 Cor 15: 29, "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?"
I won't get into the complete context and interpretation, just to say this... What purpose is there in Christ preaching to those that are dead--especially those in prison that were evil and destroyed? Peter plainly tells us that they may be fairly judged and have a chance to live in the spirit of God--the same chance given to living men. Then we have a verse in Corinthians many Christians aren't sure what to do with, but it is a positive argument for the reality of the resurrection using baptism for the dead, taking for granted that the reader knows very well that this practice is taking place. Who else believes these things, and who else practices these things? None but one, for again, this precious doctrine has been taken away from the Bible.
This phenomenon of deleting, changing, or ignoring the written word that is plainly written in front of them is not new to this dispensation. For example, when the Savior was in His ministry, He plainly told his disciples of His death and being raised the third day--that in this first coming He was there as a spiritual savior, not as a military savior. Though it was plainly in the scripitures (as He pointed out to them after His resurrection) all the people were so entrenched in the belief that the messiah would be only a military savior, that they were blinded to the plain and precious scriptures saying otherwise.
As I mentioned, there are many other doctrines this applies to, such as the teaching of priesthood responsibility as taught in Jacob 1 and 2, the role of faith building to knowledge as taught in Alma 32, what we learn from the Garden of Eden, the degrees of glory and the potential of man. My hope is that the question at hand has been proved—that Nephi’s sad prophecy has indeed come to pass, but more importantly, that we can again enjoy the original gospel fully restored in our day.
1-(see Misquoting Jesus, by Bart Ehrman)
2-Explicit References in the Works of Origen to Variant Readings in New Testament manuscripts," in Biblical and Patristic Studies in Memory of Robert Pierce Casey, ed. J Neville Birdsall and Robert W. Thomson (Freiburg: Herder, 1968), 78—79.
3-Dialogue with Trypho, 71-73
4-As spoken at a conference in The Library of Congress, contained in the book, The Worlds of Joseph Smith, pp 70-71, 79.
5-As taken from followHIM podcast, 2 Nephi 11-15 Part 2
