LDS Holy books

The argument

Mormons embrace four different texts: The Christian Bible, The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Smith believed the Bible of his era had degenerated from its original form. Smith blamed the Catholic Church for the loss of biblical books and for introducing corruptions and obfuscations in the biblical text. People looking in often say it isn’t Christianity, but the Book of Mormon is a book of scripture that complements the Bible. Smith also published many more revelations which were regarded by his followers as scripture.

Premises

Counter-arguments

Whether an expanded canon makes Latter-day Saints 'Christians' is itself contested, so the argument states as settled a classification many dispute. A number of mainstream Christian denominations hold that adding scripture beyond the Bible, together with distinctive LDS teachings about the nature of God, places the movement outside historic Christianity. The premise that 'centring faith on Christ through scripture' is sufficient to define a Christian is precisely what those denominations reject. The account is accurate about what Latter-day Saints accept as scripture, but it presents a disputed boundary question as though it were resolved.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] That a tradition centres on Christ and scripture is not accepted by all Christians as sufficient for the label 'Christian,' so it does not settle the contested status of the LDS canon.