Recommended Bible Translations, Tools, and Resources

With the upcoming Come, Follow Me years focusing on the Bible for Latter-day Saints, it should be noted that while the King James Version is the preferred Bible for the English-speaking members of the Church, additional insights can be gained as other Bible translations are consulted for clearer language. As a recent update to the Church handbook states:

When possible, members should use a preferred or Church-published edition of the Bible in Church classes and meetings. This helps maintain clarity in the discussion and consistent understanding of doctrine. Other editions of the Bible may be useful for personal or academic study.

To be sure, the King James Version has had more impact on the English language than any other text and is (in my opinion) a great translation, but due to archaic language and some flaws in the translation (e.g. the Johannine Comma in 1 John 5:7-8 is the most obvious), it may not always be the best tool to understand what the Bible originally said. While not everyone can learn Hebrew and Greek to read the Bible in its original languages, modern translations can be very useful, especially as older texts and manuscripts have been found since the King James Version was originally published.

Here, I would like to provide a small list a few of the Bible translations that I personally enjoy and think would be beneficial for Latter-day Saints to study in addition to the King James Version.

Scripture Study Applications

First, I would like to talk about a few scripture study apps that I absolutely love.

ScripturePlus – ScripturePlus is made by Book of Mormon Central and contains the full text to the canonized scriptures for the Church of Jesus Christ of atter-day Saints. The King James Version of the Bible is used, but footnotes provide direct access to many articles, commentaries, videos, images, and other study material that will be especially helpful for better appreciating and understanding the scriptural text.

Bible Central – The latest addition to the Book of Mormon Central ecosystem that is dedicated to providing the best resources for understanding the Bible in its proper context and through the lens of the Restoration. I cannot stress how good of a resource this will be, especially in conjunction with ScripturePlus mentioned above.

Scripture Citation Index – Made by BYU, this app links the scriptural text to every instance it is linked to in General Conference addresses.

Sefaria – This app contains Jewish and Rabbinic commentary for the Hebrew Bible, as well as the scriptural text in both Hebrew and a Jewish translation into English presented at the same time. 

Logos – Logos has free and paid versions that offers a wide library related to the Bible. I do not endorse every book available through Logos, but it does a good job at providing some ecumenical sources to use and draw from.

Bible Translations I Recommend

The Joseph Smith Translation/Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures – At the top of the list, of course, is the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Joseph Smith made inspired corrections, clarifications, and commentary to the Bible, including additional revelations that have been restored to the Bible. Thomas Wayment has provided side-by-side comparisons of all of the changes that have occurred in the biblical text in this translation in two volumes (Old Testament | New Testament), and in January 2022 a new edition of the JST will be published side-by-side with the KJV by BYU's Religious Studies Center. Currently, the Community of Christ prints the entire Bible in full as the Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures.

The New Revised Standard Version – Descended from the King James Version, the NRSV is one of the best scholarly translations that is faithful to the original text. It provides the Bible in modern English without translator bias affecting the text.

The English Standard Version – Like the NRSV, the ESV is descended from the King James Version and is an excellent modern translation of the text. While the ESV is a great translation, unfortunately the ESV Study Bible is one of the worst study Bibles available, so just stick to the standard text.

The New English Translation – This free, online translation can be bought in print. It has over 50,000 footnotes and is a serious and in depth translation of the Bible.

The Lexham English Bible – This Bible is available freely through Logos or Bible Gateway. I have enjoyed reading through this translation during the past few months, and am sad that there is no print publication available. But perhaps that is just the bibliophile in me coming out.

The Hebrew Bible: A Translation and Commentary by Robert Alter ­– This is a translation of the Old Testament by a Jewish scholar with his translator notes and commentary in the footnotes. It is published in a beautiful three volume set, and I have especially enjoyed Alter’s translation skills in conveying the literary beauty of the Hebrew Bible.

The New Testament, translated by David Bentley Hart – Translated by an Eastern Orthodox scholar, I have enjoyed reading his translation of the New Testament. He does not include many footnotes, so it is almost straight text from cover to cover.

The Kingdom New Testament, translated by N. T. Wright – New Testament scholar N. T. Wright provides a new translation of the New Testament. Like other works by Wright, I highly recommend this translation.

Study Bibles I Recommend

Study Bibles are great for understanding the wider context of the Bible as an Ancient Near Eastern text. They can provide maps of the biblical world, alternate readings, and a plethora of notes for better understanding the Bible. I can highly recommend the following study Bibles:

The Jewish Study Bible, The Jewish Annotated Apocrypha, and The Jewish Annotated New Testament – Three volumes from Oxford, these study Bibles look at the biblical text from a Jewish perspective. The Jewish Publication Society’s translation of the Old Testament is used, as well as the NRSV edition of the Apocrypha and New Testament.

The Harper Collins Study Bible – The Harper Collins Study Bible uses the text of the NRSV. It contains some of the best study notes available, in mine and my coworkers’ opinions.

The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints, translated by Thomas A. Wayment – Translated by a BYU professor and New Testament scholar, I have enjoyed his translation. His footnotes incorporate the Joseph Smith Translation and his commentary is specifically geared to a Latter-day Saint audience.

Footnotes to the New Testament for Latter-day Saints – Edited by Kevin Barney, the King James Version of the New Testament is supplemented with additional footnotes in a two-volume set for greater understanding. It is also available freely online as a set of three pdf files.

Bible Translations I Recommend Avoiding

As a general rule, check if the translation is a thought-for thought or word-for-word translation. Thought-for-thought translations like the New International Version generally do not actually relate the biblical text accurately and translator bias is easy to introduce into the text. As such, I recommend avoiding these translations.