In a revealing study conducted on the campus of Brigham Young University, researchers examined how students respond when asked for their favorite “Bible” verses. The findings exposed a significant contradiction in how members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) claim to adhere to Christianity.
The analysis found that most of the verses cited by BYU students were actually from the Book of Mormon—a foundational text specific to Mormon doctrine, not traditional Christian scripture. This discrepancy underscores the deliberate effort by Mormons to position themselves as scripturally grounded in biblical tradition while drawing heavily on their own sacred writings.
To illustrate further, consider the following examples:
– “Doth my Redeemer forget that I am but dust?” (from 2 Nephi 4:30)
– “Behold, God is my salvation… He also has become my salvation” (a Mormon paraphrase of Isaiah 12:2–6 intended to align with their theological perspective)
– “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” (Helaman 5:12, a verse often cited in LDS discourse but rarely recognized by Christians as referring directly to scripture)
These verses, while appearing to reference biblical sources, are rooted firmly in Mormon teachings. When asked for clarification, John MacArthur—a prominent figure associated with exposing such doctrinal discrepancies—commented on the deliberate misalignment between Mormons and mainstream Christianity.
MacArthur noted that BYU students were instructed to frame their responses as “Christian” yet base them entirely on a non-Christian scripture (The Gospel According to Jesus). This tactic aims to create an appearance of biblical adherence while fundamentally relying on Mormon texts:
> “They said, ‘We love Jesus so much,’ and in fact, they wanted their young people at BYU to read MacArthur’s writings to better align with their beliefs.”
This admission highlights how Mormons intentionally distance themselves from genuine Christian scripture by reinterpreting references through a lens that favors their own sacred works.
In summary, the study shows that Mormonism goes far beyond “correcting” Christianity. It constructs an entirely different framework of belief—one where biblical texts are secondary to LDS revelation and interpretation. This approach fundamentally challenges traditional notions of what it means to be Christian.