MORMON QUESTION:

I have a problem with the acceptance of the Bible, which I believe has as many questions about its origins as the Book of Mormon.  I have a problem with Emperor Constantine and the college of cardinals who chose which books to keep in the Bible and which ones to leave out of the Bible.

BIBLICAL ANSWER:

HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE:  This is a question that requires a lot of explanation, but briefly, there is evidence that the books chosen in the Scriptures were books that were ALREADY accepted by the Biblical writers and early Christians.

For example, Jesus quoted from all of the Old Testament Scripture books and none from the Apocrypha so only the Old Testament books that Jesus quoted were canonized by Protestants.

In the New Testament, the Christians of the third and fourth century carefully examined statements by the apostles and early writers to see what was accepted by the first-century church as authoritative. They also examined internal and external evidence for the authenticity of the books based upon statements made to ensure they agree with the rest of Scripture and thus questionable books, such as the “Gospel of Thomas” were thrown out. It was a very involved process and nothing was taken lightly. I highly recommend you read the articles below and the books referenced below that explain the process well and answers many more questions Mormons ask when it comes to the authenticity and preservation of the Biblical text:

HOW AND WHEN THE BIBLE WAS CANNONIZED 

SHOULD WE TRUST THE BIBLE? —A Response to Mormonism’s Attack Upon the Bible’s Accuracy

REASONING FROM THE SCRIPTURES WITH MORMONS

THE NEW EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT