How LDS Scholars Approach Biblical Criticism: Methods & Faith

LDS Perspective

LDS scholars approach biblical criticism as an opportunity to illuminate the

Historical Perspective

LDS engagement with biblical criticism has historically been marked by institutional tension and methodological distinctiveness. During the mid-20th century, church leadership often viewed higher criticism with suspicion, exemplified by Joseph Fielding Smith's tenure as Church Historian, where he employed "anti-intellectual arguments especially against science evolution and biblical studies biblical criticism" and actively suppressed historical documents that challenged orthodox narratives. This gatekeeping approach created an environment where professional biblical scholarship was viewed as potentially threatening to faith, leading to restricted access to archives and discouragement of critical methodologies that questioned traditional authorship claims or historical readings of scripture