Sola Scriptura vs. Open Canon

The Authority Question

Every religious system must answer a fundamental question: Where does ultimate authority reside? For Roman Catholics, it is the Magisterium—the teaching authority of the church, including the Pope. For Eastern Orthodox, it is sacred Tradition as interpreted by ecumenical councils. For Protestants, it is Scripture alone (sola Scriptura)—the Bible as the final arbiter of all matters of faith and practice.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers yet another answer. For Mormons, authority resides in an open canon—scripture that continues to expand through living prophets who receive new revelation for the church. This fundamental difference shapes everything else about how Mormons and evangelical Christians approach truth, doctrine, and spiritual authority.

Understanding Sola Scriptura

What It Means

Sola Scriptura (Latin for "Scripture alone") is one of the five "solas" of the Protestant Reformation. It asserts that the Bible is the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the church. This does not mean that Scripture is the only authority—Protestants recognize the value of tradition, creeds, confessions, and pastoral teaching. But Scripture stands above all other authorities as the final court of appeal.

The Westminster Confession of Faith expresses this principle well: "The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men."

Note carefully what this claims: Scripture contains everything necessary for salvation and godly living. Nothing needs to be added—not new revelations, not human traditions. This stands in direct opposition to the LDS claim that continuing revelation is essential and that the Bible alone is insufficient.

What It Does Not Mean

Sola Scriptura is often misunderstood, sometimes by its critics and sometimes by its defenders. It does not mean:

Solo Scriptura: The idea that each individual interprets Scripture in isolation, ignoring the wisdom of the church throughout history. Historic Protestantism values creeds, confessions, and the communion of saints. We read Scripture in community, not as isolated individuals.

Scripture is the only authority: Protestants recognize legitimate authorities—pastors, elders, church courts, civil government. But these authorities are subordinate to Scripture and can be corrected by it. Scripture alone is the ultimate authority, the standard by which all others are judged.

Everything must be explicitly stated in Scripture: We can draw "good and necessary consequences" from Scripture. The doctrine of the Trinity, for example, is not stated using that word, but it is the necessary conclusion from what Scripture teaches about Father, Son, and Spirit.

Notice Paul's claim: Scripture makes the believer "complete" and "equipped for every good work." Not partially equipped, waiting for additional revelation, but fully equipped. This is a strong statement of Scripture's sufficiency.

The LDS Open Canon

The Four Standard Works

The LDS church recognizes four bodies of scripture as its standard works:

The Bible: Mormons accept the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly" (Eighth Article of Faith). This qualification is significant—it allows any biblical teaching to be set aside if it conflicts with other LDS scriptures or prophetic pronouncements. The LDS church primarily uses the King James Version, though Joseph Smith also produced his own "Inspired Version" (the Joseph Smith Translation) that modifies numerous passages.

The Book of Mormon: Claimed to be a record of ancient peoples in the Americas, translated by Joseph Smith from golden plates. It is considered "another testament of Jesus Christ" and is often given more practical authority than the Bible because it is not subject to the "translation" caveat.

The Doctrine and Covenants: A collection of revelations given primarily to Joseph Smith, covering church organization, doctrine, and practice. This book contains many of the distinctive doctrines of Mormonism not found in the Book of Mormon—plural marriage, baptism for the dead, the three degrees of glory, and temple ordinances.

The Pearl of Great Price: A shorter collection containing the Book of Moses (Joseph Smith's revision of Genesis), the Book of Abraham (supposedly translated from Egyptian papyri), Joseph Smith's history, and the Articles of Faith.

The Living Prophet

Beyond the written standard works, the LDS church teaches that the living prophet—the current president of the church—can receive binding revelation for the entire church. His words, when speaking in his prophetic capacity, carry scriptural weight and can supersede previous revelation.

Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth president of the LDS church, taught fourteen fundamentals of following the prophet. Among them:

"The living prophet is more vital to us than the Standard Works... The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet... The prophet does not have to say 'Thus saith the Lord' to give us scripture... The prophet will never lead the Church astray."

This teaching means that whatever the current prophet says effectively becomes the highest authority. If President Nelson (or his successor) teaches something that contradicts the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or even Joseph Smith, the current teaching takes precedence.

Problems with the Open Canon

Prophetic Contradictions

If later prophets can override earlier ones, and if the standard works can be superseded by living prophets, then there is no stable foundation for doctrine. Consider some examples of prophetic contradiction:

Plural Marriage: Joseph Smith received a revelation (D&C 132) declaring plural marriage an "everlasting covenant" necessary for exaltation. Brigham Young taught that anyone who rejected plural marriage would be damned. Yet in 1890, President Wilford Woodruff issued a Manifesto discontinuing the practice, and today Mormons who practice polygamy are excommunicated. Was the "everlasting covenant" not actually everlasting?

Race and Priesthood: From Brigham Young until 1978, Black men were denied the priesthood and Black members of both sexes were denied temple ordinances. This was taught as doctrinal, rooted in the pre-existence. Brigham Young declared that the curse would remain until the resurrection. Yet in 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball announced a revelation reversing this teaching. The church now disavows the previous racial theories but has never explained how prophets could have been so wrong for so long.

Adam-God Doctrine: Brigham Young repeatedly taught that Adam was actually God the Father, who came to earth with one of his celestial wives (Eve) to begin the human race. This teaching was presented in the temple endowment ceremony and defended as revelation. Today the LDS church rejects this doctrine as false, attributing it to Brigham Young's speculation. But Young explicitly claimed it was revealed to him.

The Problem of Verification

How does one verify a claim to prophetic authority? The Bible provides criteria for testing prophets: their predictions must come true (Deuteronomy 18:22), they must not lead people away from the true God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5), and their teaching must align with previous revelation (Isaiah 8:20).

But in the LDS system, the living prophet can redefine what counts as "the true God" and can override previous revelation. The criteria for testing prophets have been neutralized. Members are told to gain a "testimony" through prayer and spiritual feelings—a subjective experience that cannot distinguish between true and false prophets since followers of many religions have similar experiences.

Scripture Undermined

The LDS caveat that the Bible is trustworthy only "as far as it is translated correctly" effectively undermines biblical authority. Whenever the Bible conflicts with LDS teaching, the conflict can be resolved by claiming the biblical passage was mistranslated or corrupted.

Yet we have excellent manuscript evidence for the New Testament—over 5,800 Greek manuscripts, some dating to within decades of the originals. The science of textual criticism allows us to reconstruct the original text with very high confidence. The suggestion that the Bible has been so corrupted as to be unreliable contradicts the actual evidence.

Moreover, Jesus and the apostles treated the Hebrew Scriptures as authoritative and reliable. Jesus said, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). He did not add qualifications about translation accuracy or warn of coming corruption. The LDS position on biblical reliability contradicts Jesus' own view.

The Biblical Case for a Closed Canon

The Sufficiency of Scripture

The Bible presents itself as sufficient for faith and life. Several key passages establish this:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 declares that Scripture makes the believer "complete, equipped for every good work." If we are completely equipped, nothing essential is missing. Additional revelation might be interesting, but it cannot be necessary.

2 Peter 1:3 states that God's "divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us." All things for life and godliness—not most things, awaiting supplementation by later prophets.

Jude 3 exhorts believers to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." The faith was delivered "once for all" (hapax)—completely and finally. This language suggests a completed deposit, not an ongoing process of revelation.

Warnings Against Addition

Scripture contains explicit warnings against adding to God's revealed word:

While this verse specifically refers to the book of Revelation, it expresses a principle found throughout Scripture. Deuteronomy 4:2 commands, "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it." Proverbs 30:6 warns, "Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar."

The consistent biblical pattern is that God's word is complete for its purpose and should not be supplemented by human additions—even additions that claim prophetic origin.

The Uniqueness of the Apostolic Era

The New Testament presents the apostolic era as foundational and unique. Ephesians 2:20 describes the church as "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." A foundation is laid once; you don't keep adding to the foundation after the building is under construction.

The apostles were eyewitnesses of Christ's resurrection (Acts 1:22) or, in Paul's case, recipients of direct revelation from the risen Christ (Galatians 1:12). This qualified them uniquely to establish Christian doctrine. Their writings were recognized as carrying divine authority (2 Peter 3:16), and the early church preserved and circulated them as Scripture.

The LDS claim of restored apostleship fundamentally misunderstands the apostolic office. The twelve apostles were witnesses to Christ's ministry and resurrection in a way that cannot be replicated. Modern claims to apostleship lack this essential qualification.

The Appeal of Continuing Revelation

Why People Find It Attractive

We should understand why the LDS position appeals to many sincere seekers. The promise of continuing revelation addresses real felt needs:

Certainty amid confusion: The multiplicity of Christian denominations can be bewildering. A living prophet who can settle disputes offers attractive certainty. "Just ask the prophet" seems simpler than wrestling with biblical interpretation.

Relevance to modern issues: The Bible doesn't directly address many contemporary questions. A living prophet can speak to current issues, providing guidance that feels more immediately applicable.

Ongoing relationship with God: The idea that God continues to speak through prophets today can feel more dynamic than a faith based solely on an ancient book. It suggests God is still active and communicative.

Why These Appeals Fail

While these concerns are understandable, the LDS solution creates more problems than it solves:

Certainty proves illusory: LDS prophets have contradicted each other on significant matters. Today's certainty becomes tomorrow's embarrassment. Members who built their faith on prophetic teachings about race, plural marriage, or other matters found their foundation shifting beneath them.

Scripture does address principles: While the Bible doesn't mention smartphones or genetic engineering, it provides principles that apply to any situation. The sufficiency of Scripture doesn't mean it answers every specific question but that it equips us to think christianly about all of life.

God still speaks—through Scripture: The Protestant position doesn't mean God fell silent in the first century. God speaks today through the living Word of Scripture, applied by the Holy Spirit to individual hearts and situations. The Word is not static but dynamically applicable.

Standing on the Rock

The authority question underlies all other doctrinal discussions with our LDS friends. If they believe that living prophets can override Scripture, then biblical arguments alone will not persuade them. We must first establish why Scripture is sufficient and why additional revelations that contradict Scripture should be rejected.

The good news is that many Mormons are troubled by prophetic contradictions and doctrinal shifts. The very instability of the open canon can become an apologetic opportunity. When the foundation keeps moving, people begin looking for something more solid to stand on.

We can point them to Jesus' words at the end of the Sermon on the Mount: the wise man builds his house on the rock, and when storms come, it stands firm. The foolish man builds on sand, and his house collapses. The rock is not a living prophet who might change his mind or be disavowed by his successor. The rock is Christ and his unchanging Word.

The God of the Bible does not change (Malachi 3:6). His Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). What he has revealed is sufficient for salvation and godly living. We need no additional scripture, no ongoing prophetic corrections, no new revelations to supplement what Christ and his apostles delivered once for all. In an unstable world of shifting claims and competing prophets, Scripture offers something solid to stand on—the very words of the eternal God.