“They Have Taken Away Many Parts Which Are Plain and Most Precious”

K. Douglas Bassett
(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 9,10, 327; A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, McConkie, pp. 403, 405-406; preface to D&C 76)
“I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 327)
“Surely the most plain and precious of all truths lost from the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, are the clear, unequivocal, and extensive declarations regarding the coming of Christ and the eternal, essential covenantal elements of his gospel which have been taught beginning with Adam and continuing on down in each dispensation of time. Thus the highest and most revered purpose of the Book of Mormon is to restore to Abraham’s seed that crucial message declaring Christ’s divinity, convincing all who read its pages with ‘a sincere heart and real intent’ that Jesus is the Christ (see Moroni 10:4).” (Jeffrey R. Holland, Nurturing Faith Through the Book of Mormon; 24th Annual Sperry Symposium, p. 4)

Latter-Day Commentary on the Book of Mormon

References