New Testament Study for Latter-day Saints
The New Testament is the account of Jesus Christ - his mortal ministry, his Atonement, his resurrection, and the early Church he established. Latter-day Saints read the New Testament with the understanding that the priesthood authority and many plain doctrines were lost through apostasy and restored through Joseph Smith. That perspective shapes how members approach every passage. LDS Sunday School helps you understand any New Testament text with that full context.
The Record of the Savior's Ministry
The New Testament is the account of Jesus Christ: His birth, His mortal ministry, His atoning sacrifice, His resurrection, and the Church He established among His followers. For Latter-day Saints it is not a book about a distant founder. It is the record of the Savior whose Atonement makes every other doctrine possible, and whose Church was restored in these last days.
The four Gospels come first, each telling the story of Jesus from a different vantage point. Matthew wrote for a Jewish audience, showing Jesus as the promised Messiah. Mark moves quickly and plainly. Luke gathers tender details found nowhere else, including the parable of the prodigal son. John, written last, focuses on the divine identity of Christ and His great final teachings to the apostles.
Reading With the Restoration in Mind
Latter-day Saints read the New Testament believing that the Church Christ organized, with apostles and prophets, priesthood authority, and saving ordinances, was lost through the Great Apostasy after the apostles died. Passages that describe the early Church take on added weight when you see them as the pattern the Restoration brought back. Ephesians 2:20, with its foundation of apostles and prophets, is one such passage.
The Joseph Smith Translation adds another layer. Joseph Smith made inspired changes and additions to hundreds of New Testament verses, some printed in the footnotes and some in the appendix of the Latter-day Saint edition. These clarify difficult passages and restore meaning. Comparing the King James text with the Joseph Smith Translation is one of the most rewarding habits in New Testament study for members.
Making Sense of the Letters and Revelation
After Acts records the spread of the early Church, the letters of Paul and others make up most of the rest of the New Testament. These were real letters to real congregations facing real problems, in Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, and elsewhere. Knowing what problem a letter addresses turns abstract counsel into a specific answer. First Corinthians reads very differently once you know the divisions Paul was writing to heal.
The book of Revelation is apocalyptic writing, closer to the visions of the Old Testament prophets than to a news report. Its symbols reward patient study rather than hurried alarm. Doctrine and Covenants 77 answers specific questions about it. When a New Testament passage is dense or a letter assumes a situation you cannot see, LDS Sunday School can give you the context and plain-language meaning to make it clear.
Key Principles
- ✓The four Gospels present Christ from four different perspectives - all are valuable
- ✓The Joseph Smith Translation makes significant additions and corrections to the New Testament text
- ✓Acts records the early Church as Christ established it - and provides a pattern for the Restoration
- ✓Paul's letters address specific congregations but contain universal doctrinal teaching
- ✓Latter-day Saints believe in a Great Apostasy between the early Church and the Restoration
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Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What is the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible?
The Joseph Smith Translation is a revision of the King James Bible that the Prophet Joseph Smith made by inspiration beginning in 1830. He restored lost meaning and clarified difficult passages, especially in the New Testament. Latter-day Saint editions include many of his changes in the footnotes, with longer passages in an appendix. Comparing it with the King James text often deepens understanding.
What is the Great Apostasy?
The Great Apostasy is the Latter-day Saint teaching that the Church Christ established fell into a general falling away after the deaths of His apostles. Priesthood authority, saving ordinances, and plain doctrines were lost or changed over the centuries that followed. This is why the Restoration was necessary. Joseph Smith taught that the same Church, with the same authority, was brought back to the earth.
Why are there four Gospels?
The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each present the life of Jesus Christ from a different perspective and for a different audience. Together they give a fuller picture than any single account could. Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the promised Messiah, Luke preserves tender details others omit, and John focuses on Christ's divine identity. Reading all four rewards the effort.
How should I study the letters of Paul?
Read each letter as real correspondence to a specific congregation facing specific problems. Learning what situation Paul was addressing, such as the divisions at Corinth or the false teaching in Galatia, turns his counsel from abstract advice into a pointed answer. The book of Acts provides the historical background for many of Paul's letters and is worth reading alongside them.