"...He (Joseph Smith) has brought forth the Book of Mormon...; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth..." (D&C 135:3)
"I (Joseph Smith) told the Brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." (History of the Church, Volume 4, Page 461)
It is the LDS concept that the Bible is the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly, that is, what is left of the Bible after many Plain and Precious Things were removed by the great and abominable church.
The Mormon also knows that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. It did not have many Plain and Precious Things removed. It did not suffer at the hands of many translations. It contains Christ's teachings to His other sheep.
"And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these things he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small." (3 Nephi 16:1)
"And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his gloryóyea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until...the heavens and the earth should pass away." (3 Nephi 26:3)
He (Jesus) sets a strong position that His church shall be called by His name (3 Nephi 27:6,7) and built in His Gospel. He continued to affirm this:
"But if it be called in my name then it is my church, it it be so that they are built upon my gospel." (3 Nephi 27:8)
"Verily I say to you, that ye are build upon my gospel; therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church, if it be in my name the Father will hear you." (3 Nephi 27:9)
He clearly states that His church will bear his name and teach His gospel, all of which He has given the Nephites, whose doctrine is built upon it.
But Jesus also set forth a judgement of what He taught. In 3 Nephi 27:10,11, He says that if it is not build upon His gospel (given to them in complete detail) and is built upon the works of a man or the devilóit will give "joy in their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there is no return."
1 Nephi 13:26-36 says that the "great and abominable church" (verse 26) took away from the gospel many parts and covenants which were Plain and Precious, in order to pervert the ways of the Lord and blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the people. The Bible was corrupted because of this (verse 28). What were some of those Plain and Precious Things? Are these those that separate Mormonism from the Christianity that grew out of the past? Are these not the law of eternal progression, salvation, baptism for the dead, the nature of God, temples, and polygamy?
The Lord God (Elohim) promised that a day would come when these things will be restored (verse 32) after the Gentiles stumble about because of this act of the "mother of harlots" taking the most Plain and Precious Things of the Gospel of the Lamb (verse 34).
The Lamb of God (Jesus) says exactly how this restoration of all the Plain and Precious Things will come about. In verse 35 He says He will manifest Himself to the Seed of Nephi and they shall write many thingsóall the precious things taken away by that churchóand even after they (your seed) are all gone. These things shall be hidden up to come forth unto the Gentiles.
Verse 36 says, "And in them shall be written my gospel., saith the Lamb, and my rock (word "rock" refers to ëgospel'ósee D&C 11:24) and my salvation."
Therefore, the Plain and Precious Things taken away by the great and abominable church must be restored in the Book of Mormon. This is verified by Latter-day revelations also:
"For in them are all things written concerning the foundation of my church, my gospel, and my rock." (D&C 18:4)
"And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thine own property, but impart it freely to the printing of the Book of Mormon, which contains the truth and the Word of God." (D&C 19:26)
"And gave him power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon; which contains a record of a fallen people, and the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles and to the Jews also." (D&C 20:8&9)
"And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel." (D&C 42:12)
What are the things contained in the fulness of the gospel, the Book of Mormon, which are lost, hidden and not contained in the Bible?
By the Word of God, they must be in the Book of Mormon. Where are these teaching of Mormonism? The critical doctrines that separate Mormonism from the Christianity that was debased for the loss of "many Plain and Precious Things" from its scriptures by the "great and abominable church" are listed here:
God has a body of flesh and bones.
