Issues Paper Introduction

According to Segal’s law, "a man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure." When we are given too many options, it makes it difficult for us to decide which one is the right one. When options differ, it does not necessarily mean that there is one good option and one bad option. It does not denote sides, or black and white, or north or south, but it is a part of our nature to believe that there is only one way and that it is the correct way. In the LDS church we use the King James Version of the Bible, and that is partially because it was the Bible prominently used at the time the church was restored. Another reason would be that the KJV has been found to be one of the more accurate translations, and from what we have from Joseph Smith’s inspired version, the KJV compliments it well. There are some disputes regarding whether or not it is acceptable to use other versions of the Bible aside from the KJV. It is not wrong, but it may bring about some confusion. I experienced this for the first time when I was about nine years old visiting a youth group from my friend’s church. I brought my scriptures and was ready to volunteer to read when it was the time to do so. I knew how to turn to the correct scripture, but for some reason, what I was reading was different from what everyone else was reading. I was young and it was more confusing than bothersome, but when they gave me their scriptures to read it just felt wrong. Religion is something people everywhere are passionate about, and that does not always end as nicely as nine-year olds visiting a friend’s church. The KJV is important for us to use not only because of its historical roots in the Church and its accuracy, but because the language helps us understand the Book of Mormon better, and having multiple versions could lead to division within the members.