The LDS Church now officially recognizes Bible translations other than the KJV!

Did you know up until now the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible was the only official translation of the LDS church?

That means that all LDS church meetings, classes, and teaching materials used the KJV exclusively. This made studying the Bible difficult for many Latter-Day saints, because like most contemporary English speakers, they found old English, like what the KJV was written in, confusing. This also made witnessing to them challenging for many Traditional Christians (TCs), as they would often study the Bible in simpler, modern, English translations, and naturally quote those translations to support the TC position when dialoging with LDS. In response, LDS would often dismiss said Biblical arguments, because they assumed the translations the TCs were quoting to be less reliable than the KJV. Perhaps this was your experience.

Well, according to the LDS church’s official news source, (https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/holy-bible-translations-editions-church-of-jesus-christ) things have changed! In the December of 2025, some of the highest ranking leaders of the LDS church made public statements, not only clarifying the church’s official stance (that members are permitted to study other translations alongside the KJV), but they formally recognized multiple other translations of the Bible as being reliable, which Church members may use in their studies. Some specific Bible translations the LDS church have recognized includes, but is not limited to: 

• Ages 14 and Above

  • English Standard Version (ESV)​

  • New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)​

• Ages 11–13

  • New International Version (NIV)​

  • New Living Translation (NLT)​

  • New King James Version (NKJV)​

• Ages 8 and Above

  • New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)​

The LDS Church made these announcements to make studying the scriptures easier for its members, and it may make reasoning from the scriptures with them easier for you!