Their Claim in One Sentence
Revelation 22:18-19 closes the biblical canon permanently; new scripture (Book of Mormon, D&C) is forbidden.
The Devastating Counter: Deuteronomy 4:2
If Revelation 22:18-19 closes the entire Bible, then Deuteronomy 4:2: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it”: closes the canon at Deuteronomy. That eliminates:
- Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings
- All the Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel…)
- Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
- The entire New Testament
Also Proverbs 30:5-6: “Add thou not unto his words.” Written centuries before Christ. Same logic would eliminate everything after Proverbs.
The point: “Do not add” warnings prohibit human tampering with God’s word: not God Himself from speaking again.
Revelation 22:18-19: What It Actually Says
- “This book” = the Book of Revelation (the scroll John was writing)
- The Bible as a compiled volume did not exist when John wrote this
- Athanasius listed today’s 27 New Testament books in AD 367. The earlier record shows disagreement about some of them.
- Several NT books may have been written after Revelation
Missing letters and disputed books
- Paul appears to refer to an earlier letter in 1 Corinthians 5:9. Colossians 4:16 mentions a letter from Laodicea and leaves its author open. These references do not establish that a book was taken out of a canon.
- Eusebius reports divided opinion about Revelation. Athanasius later includes it and distinguishes his canon from books he recommended for reading. Read the sources side by side
Key Scriptures FOR an Open Canon
| Verse | Point |
|---|
| John 21:25 | Not everything Jesus did is recorded |
| Amos 3:7 | God reveals through prophets: no expiration date |
| Isa 29:11-14 | Sealed book + marvelous work to come |
| Ezek 37:16-17 | Stick of Judah + Stick of Joseph joined |
| Acts 3:19-21 | ”Restitution of all things” before Christ returns |
| John 16:12-13 | ”I have yet many things to say unto you” |
| 2 Nephi 29:3-10 | The Lord’s direct response to closed-canon thinking |
One-Line Objection Responses
| Objection | Response |
|---|
| ”Rev 22:18-19 closes the Bible!" | "This book” = Revelation. Apply the same logic to Deut 4:2 and you lose everything after Deuteronomy, including the NT. |
| ”The councils settled it!” | Early canon lists record broad agreement and some disputes. Ask what makes a particular list binding and final. |
| ”New scripture undermines the Bible!” | The Book of Mormon confirms the Bible. It’s called “Another Testament of Jesus Christ." |
| "If we accept the Book of Mormon, we must accept the Quran!” | Each text is evaluated on its own merits. Accepting one doctor doesn’t mean accepting every person who claims to be one. |
| ”The Bible is sufficient!” | A letter can be lost without settling what the Church needs for faith and life. Ask what establishes that the biblical canon is the sole final rule. |
| ”Opening the canon opens the door to fraud!” | Same argument could reject Isaiah (Torah existed), Daniel (Isaiah existed), or any NT book (OT existed). God gives tests for prophets (Deut 18:20-22). |
LDS Position
Article of Faith 8: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”
Article of Faith 9: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
- Additional scripture witnesses the Bible, doesn’t replace it
- An open canon = a God who keeps speaking
- A closed canon = a God who went silent 2,000 years ago
The Knockout Question
“Deuteronomy 4:2 says ‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you.’ If that didn’t close the canon: and you accept everything from Joshua through Revelation: then why does the identical language in Revelation 22:18 close it?”
Resources
Introduction
The claim that the biblical canon is permanently closed: that no new scripture can ever be added to the Bible: is one of the most frequently deployed arguments against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Critics assert that Revelation 22:18-19 functions as a divine seal on the entire Bible, that the early church councils definitively settled which books are canonical, and that any new scripture claims (the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) are inherently illegitimate additions that “open the door to unlimited human invention.” This argument sounds authoritative but collapses under historical, textual, and theological scrutiny.
The Criticism (Steelmanned)
The strongest version of this argument:
Revelation 22:18-19 states: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life.” This is God’s final warning: the canon is closed. The early church councils (Laodicea, Hippo, Carthage) carefully and prayerfully discerned which books were divinely inspired, and that process is complete. The 66 books of the Protestant Bible (or 73 of the Catholic Bible) represent the full and final revelation of God. Any claim to new scripture: the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price: undermines the authority and sufficiency of the Bible and opens the door to anyone claiming divine revelation. If we accept new scripture, there is no principled way to reject the Quran, the Book of Mormon, or any other text that claims divine origin.
Biblical Response
Revelation 22:18-19 Refers to the Book of Revelation, Not the Entire Bible
This is the single most important point in this entire debate, and it is textually indisputable:
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“This book” means the Book of Revelation. The phrase “the words of the prophecy of this book” refers to the Apocalypse of John: the document John was writing. It does not refer to the Bible as a whole because the Bible as a whole did not exist when John wrote these words.
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The New Testament was not compiled as a single volume until centuries later. When John wrote Revelation (c. 95 AD), there was no “Bible” to add to or take from. The 27 books of the New Testament were individual scrolls and codices circulating independently among various churches. They were not gathered into a single canon until the late 4th century.
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The order of the New Testament books is not the order in which they were written. Revelation is placed last in our modern Bibles, but many scholars believe several epistles (2 Peter, possibly 2-3 John) were written after Revelation. If Revelation 22:18-19 closes the canon, these later books violate the closure.
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Moses made an identical statement: and it did not close the Old Testament canon. Deuteronomy 4:2: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32: “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” If these verses closed the canon, every book after Deuteronomy: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, the Psalms, Proverbs, and the entire New Testament: is an illegitimate addition. The critic’s argument, applied consistently, destroys the Bible itself.
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Proverbs 30:5-6 says: “Every word of God is pure… Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” This was written centuries before the New Testament. If it closes the canon, the New Testament is illegitimate.
The “adding to the book” warnings in scripture prohibit human tampering with divine revelation: altering, corrupting, or distorting God’s words. They do not prohibit God Himself from speaking again.
Writings mentioned in the Bible
Paul appears to refer to an earlier letter in 1 Corinthians 5:9. Colossians 4:16 mentions a letter from Laodicea without naming its author. Joshua cites the Book of Jasher. These references show the biblical writers knew of other writings. Establishing that a referenced work was received as scripture, or later taken out of a canon, requires independent evidence. Compare the references and the early lists
God’s Word Is Not Confined to a Single Book
- Amos 3:7: “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” No time limit. No canon closure.
- Isaiah 29:11-14 compares a vision to a sealed book and promises a “marvellous work and a wonder.” Latter-day Saints see a later fulfillment in the Book of Mormon. Compare Isaiah, 2 Nephi, and the Anthon accounts.
- Ezekiel 37:16-17: “Take thee one stick… for Judah… and one stick… for Joseph… and they shall become one in thine hand.” Latter-day Saints understand this as the Bible (Judah’s record) and the Book of Mormon (Joseph’s record) joined together.
- 2 Nephi 29:3-10: The Lord directly addresses the “closed canon” mentality: “Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible… Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea?”
Early Christian and Historical Evidence
What the early canon lists establish
Eusebius describes a substantial set of accepted writings, several books recognized by many but disputed by others, and a division of opinion over Revelation. Athanasius’s letter in AD 367 lists today’s 27 New Testament books and names other books suitable for instruction. Early Christians shared much of the canon while differing over some books. Protestant and Catholic accounts explain recognition of the canon differently. Those accounts and the historical lists need to be considered on their own terms. Eusebius, Church History 3.25 · Athanasius, Festal Letter 39 · Westminster Confession 1.2–5 · Catholic Catechism, §120
Early Christians Expected Ongoing Revelation
- The Didache (c. 50-120 AD): Provides instructions for receiving and testing prophets: presupposing that prophetic revelation continued.
- Papias (c. 60-130 AD): “I did not think that information from books would help me as much as information from a living and surviving voice” (Fragments of Papias, quoted in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.39.4). Early Christians valued living prophetic witness over written texts.
- Irenaeus (c. 130-202 AD): While defending the four-Gospel canon, he did not argue that all revelation had ceased.
- Justin Martyr (c. 100-165 AD): “The prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time” (Dialogue with Trypho 82).
Martin Luther’s questioning of James, Jude, Hebrews, and Revelation demonstrates that even within Protestantism, the canon has not been as “settled” as critics claim. If Luther: the father of the Reformation: could question whether James belonged in the Bible, the canon is not as self-evidently closed as the argument assumes.
LDS Doctrinal Position
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The Latter-day Saint canon is open. This is not a weakness: it is a feature. An open canon means God can still speak. A closed canon means God has gone silent. Which is more consistent with the nature of a loving Father?
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Additional scripture does not replace the Bible. The Book of Mormon is subtitled “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” The Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price supplement and confirm biblical teaching. They do not compete with the Bible; they witness it.
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Article of Faith 8: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”
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Article of Faith 9: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.”
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2 Nephi 29:3-10 provides the Lord’s own response to closed-canon thinking: He has spoken to many nations and will continue to speak. To limit God to one book is to deny His sovereignty.
Key Scriptures
| Reference | Point |
|---|
| Rev 22:18-19 | Refers to “this book” (Revelation), not the entire Bible |
| Deut 4:2; 12:32 | Identical “do not add” language: did not close the OT canon |
| Prov 30:5-6 | ”Add not unto his words”: written centuries before the NT |
| John 21:25 | Not everything Jesus did is recorded |
| 1 Cor 5:9 | Paul’s lost letter to the Corinthians |
| Col 4:16 | Paul’s lost letter to the Laodiceans |
| Jude 14-15 | Jude quotes the non-canonical Book of Enoch |
| Num 21:14 | Cites the Book of the Wars of the Lord |
| Josh 10:13 and 2 Sam 1:18 | Cite the Book of Jasher |
| 1 Chr 29:29 | Books of Samuel, Nathan, Gad: all lost |
| Isa 29:11-14 | A vision compared to a sealed book and a promised marvelous work |
| Ezek 37:16-17 | Stick of Judah and stick of Joseph joined |
| Amos 3:7 | God reveals through prophets: no expiration |
| 2 Nephi 29:3-10 | The Lord’s direct response to “A Bible! We have a Bible!” |
Responses to Common Objections
”Revelation 22:18-19 closes the canon!”
“This book” means the Book of Revelation. The Bible did not exist as a compiled volume when John wrote those words. If this logic applied, Deuteronomy 4:2 (“ye shall not add unto the word which I command you”) would eliminate everything after Deuteronomy: including the Psalms, the Prophets, and the entire New Testament.
”The early church councils settled the canon.”
They did: after nearly 400 years of disagreement, using human judgment, and Christians still disagree on which books are canonical (66, 73, or 81 books depending on tradition). If the canon were divinely and permanently closed, God did a remarkably poor job of communicating which books are in it.
”New scripture opens the door to anyone claiming revelation.”
The same argument could have been used against every prophetic book in the Old Testament. When Isaiah prophesied, the Torah existed: should Israel have rejected Isaiah? When Daniel prophesied, Isaiah existed: should they have rejected Daniel? God has always provided new revelation through new prophets, and He has always provided means to test them (Deuteronomy 18:20-22; 1 John 4:1).
”The Bible is sufficient: we don’t need more.”
Westminster’s claim concerns everything necessary for faith and life. It allows for a biblical writer to have written or consulted works outside the canon. The more direct question is what establishes that the apostolic canon became the Church’s final rule, and how a claim to restored authority should be tested. Westminster Confession 1.6 and 1.10 · The missing-books case
”The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible!”
The Book of Mormon is remarkably consistent with biblical theology. It testifies of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Atonement, faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and the resurrection. It confirms and supplements the biblical record. Critics who make this claim rarely provide specific examples: because the Book of Mormon’s theology is deeply biblical.
”If we accept the Book of Mormon, we have to accept the Quran too.”
Not at all. Each text must be evaluated on its own merits: internal consistency, historical claims, theological content, the circumstances of its production, and spiritual witness. The Book of Mormon invites this evaluation directly (Moroni 10:3-5). The claim that accepting any new revelation means accepting all claimed revelation is a logical fallacy: it is like saying that if you accept one doctor’s diagnosis, you must accept every diagnosis from every person who claims to be a doctor.
Conclusion
Revelation’s warning protects the words of John’s prophecy. Early canon lists show how Christians recognized the books they received. The case for permanent closure needs to explain why the apostolic writings became the sole final rule. Latter-day Saints affirm the Bible and believe Christ has given further scripture through the Restoration. That claim stands on the evidence for the Restoration and what its revelations teach. Articles of Faith 8–9
Resources
