One of the most well-known teachings of Jesus comes from the Sermon on the Mount. As part of this sermon, Jesus declares, “I never knew you” to those who profess to follow Him in word but not in deed. This powerful statement appears in the King James New Testament book, Matthew 7:23, and is repeated word-for-word in the Book of Mormon, in 3 Nephi 14:23, where the resurrected Christ delivers the same sermon to the Nephites.
Much of the Sermon on the Mount appears in the Book of Mormon as a near word-for-word copy of the KJV, despite the Book of Mormon’s events supposedly taking place in the ancient Americas, over a thousand years before the KJV Bible was ever translated into English. This represents a glaring anachronism: the text reflects not ancient Hebrew or Reformed Egyptian, but the early 17th-century English of the KJV, down to its phrasing, punctuation, and translation quirks. If the Book of Mormon were truly an ancient record, why would it contain large sections lifted directly from a much later English Bible translation?
More troubling than this anachronism is later, in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, Joseph revises this verse to say, “Ye never knew me,” flipping the focus from Jesus’ rejection of the individual to the individual’s failure to truly know Christ. While subtle, this change alters the meaning, but more importantly, raises some serious questions. If the Book of Mormon is a perfect, ancient translation by the “gift and power of God,” and the JST is an inspired correction of biblical errors, why do they contradict each other? What does the difference reveal about Joseph Smith’s theology, the limits of his prophetic claims, and the difficulty in reconciling these inconsistencies with the belief that his work was divinely inspired?
King James Version—KJV
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, published in 1611, is one of the most influential and widely read translations in the English-speaking world. In the book of Matthew (New Testament), Jesus preached what is often called the Sermon on the Mount. As part of this sermon, he states, according to the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you.”
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:23
For some history and context, the KJV of the Bible was commissioned by King James I of England, and was intended to unify religious factions and provide a definitive English Bible for use in the Church of England. The project was undertaken by 47 scholars, divided into six committees, who worked from earlier English translations—such as the Tyndale Bible, Coverdale Bible, and the Geneva Bible—as well as from the Hebrew Masoretic Text for the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus (a Greek text compiled in the 16th century) for the New Testament. While the translators aimed for reverence and accuracy, modern biblical scholars note that the KJV reflects the theological biases and linguistic style of the time, particularly the Jacobean English and church politics of early 17th-century England. The KJV includes later additions to the biblical text—such as the long ending of Mark (Mark 16:9–20)—which were not part of the earliest known manuscripts. Scholars have emphasized that while the KJV is a literary masterpiece, it is not the most textually accurate representation of the earliest biblical sources. Its wide usage in early American religious life meant it was the version most familiar to Joseph Smith and his contemporaries—an important point when considering the strong parallels between KJV phrases and the language of the Book of Mormon.
Joseph Smith Translation—JST
The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible, also known in the LDS Church as the Inspired Version, is a revision of the King James Version (KJV) undertaken by Joseph Smith. Between 1830 and 1833, Smith worked on what he claimed was a divinely guided effort to restore lost or corrupted truths in the biblical text. Rather than “translating” from original Hebrew or Greek manuscripts, the JST was a simple revision of the English KJV, informed by inspiration, rather than historical or linguistic scholarship. This is yet another example of the LDS church making claims by redefining words, such as translation, as they do with Joseph’s “translation” of gold plates using a rock in his hat to produce the Book of Mormon, and allegedly “translating” papyri to produce the Book of Abraham.
Following are selected portions of the Joseph Smith Translation of the King James Version of the Bible (JST). The Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph Smith to restore truths to the King James Bible text that had become lost or changed since the original words were written. These restored truths clarified doctrine and improved scriptural understanding.
Because the Lord revealed to Joseph certain truths that the original authors had once recorded, the Joseph Smith Translation is unlike any other Bible translation in the world. In this sense, the word translation is used in a broader and different way than usual, for Joseph’s translation was more revelation than literal translation from one language into another.
Joseph Smith Translation – Introduction
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/jst/introduction?lang=eng
The JST includes hundreds of changes, ranging from minor word adjustments to entire passages added, such as the dramatic expansion of the Book of Genesis, which became the Book of Moses in LDS scripture called the Pearl of Great Price. Excerpts of the JST are included in the Church’s printed scriptures, most often as footnotes. Many of the changes reflect Smith’s evolving theological ideas, and some scholars see the JST as a window into his broader efforts to reframe biblical narratives in line with his own prophetic worldview.
Joseph provided an inspired revision for the verse in Matthew 7:23, in which he changes the phrase “I profess unto them, I never knew you,” to say “I say, Ye never knew me.” An interesting twist that changes the subject of the phrase.
And then will I say, Ye never knew me; depart from me ye that work iniquity.
JST Matt. 7:33 And then will I say, Ye never knew me …
JST Matthew 7:23 (Footnote a)
The change from “I profess unto them, I never knew you” (KJV) to “I say, Ye never knew me” (JST) shifts both the subject and emphasis of the statement. In the KJV, Christ asserts His rejection of the individual, placing the focus on His authority to deny them. In the JST, the blame is reversed—the individual is faulted for not knowing Christ, emphasizing human responsibility rather than divine judgment.
In 2016, Bednar referenced the Sermon on the Mount and indicated that our understanding is enlarged when we reflect on the inspired revision. Bednar combines this change with another JST “inspired revision” in the parable of the Ten Virgins.
As the Savior concluded the Sermon on the Mount, He emphasized the eternal truth that “only by doing the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtainable.” …
Our understanding of this episode is enlarged as we reflect upon an inspired revision to the text. Significantly, the Lord’s phrase reported in the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you,” was changed in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye never knew me.”
Consider also the parable of the ten virgins. Recall that the five foolish and unprepared virgins went to obtain oil for their lamps after hearing the cry to go and meet the bridegroom. …
The implications of this parable for each of us are expanded by another inspired revision. Importantly, the phrase “I know you not,” as reported in the King James Version of the Bible, was clarified in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye know me not.”
The phrases “Ye never knew me” and “Ye know me not” should be a cause of deep spiritual introspection for each of us. Do we only know about the Savior, or are we increasingly coming to know Him? How do we come to know the Lord?
David A. Bednar, “If Ye Had Known Me”, October 2016, General Conference
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/if-ye-had-known-me?lang=eng
The Book of Mormon—BOM
The issue is the “most correct book,” or The Book of Mormon, Jesus visits the new world after his resurrection and repeats, many times word for word, what he said in his Sermon on the Mount. But in this “most correct” book, the text reads, as it does many times, word for word the same as the KJV.
And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
3 Nephi 14:23
When Jesus is depicted as delivering the same Sermon on the Mount to the Nephites in the Book of Mormon—written before the JST and claimed to be an ancient record translated “by the gift and power of God”—the verse in 3 Nephi 14:23 mirrors the KJV exactly: “I never knew you.” The JST revision does not appear here. Despite being a supposedly perfect, ancient record translated without error, this verse in the Book of Mormon retains the very wording that Joseph later felt needed divine correction.
This text in the Book of Mormon matches exactly the KJV Bible, which the church believes is the word of God “as far as it is translated correctly.” So does the divinely inspired revision make the book translated correctly or is the version in the “most correct book” and divinely inspired translation correct?
If Joseph Smith was inspired of God to revise the text in his inspired version of the Bible, would it not have been inspired when Jesus said the same thing to the Nephites, or when Joseph translated the record? How does the account in 3rd Nephi match the KJV exactly, while the KJV was changed to something else by inspiration from God?
Defenders of the faith argue that the Sermon was simply delivered twice—to different audiences—and thus could differ in wording. But this doesn’t resolve the contradiction.
To whom is he speaking? Is it not to those who have been baptized; those who have gained the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy; those who have received the holy priesthood and have cast out devils and worked miracles?
Two answers of equivalent meaning are recorded to his question; both are answers that will be given to those saints who have not endured to the end, who have not kept the commandments, and who have not pressed forward with a steadfastness in Christ after baptism. In one, the account says: “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” In the other account the words are: “And then will I say, Ye never knew me; depart from me ye that work iniquity.”
‘I never knew you, and you never knew me! Your discipleship was limited; you were not perfect members of my kingdom. Your heart was not so centered in me as to cause you to endure to the end; and so for a time and a season you were faithful; you even worked miracles in my name; but in the end it shall be as though I never knew you.’
Bruce R. McKonkie, LDS Apostle, The Mortal Messiah, Volume 2, Page 172-173
Leadership wants to say these phrases complement each other and that the JST enlarges our understanding. McConkie suggests the “two answers of equivalent meaning” mean both “I never knew you, and you never knew me!” The Book of Mormon version copies entire KJV passages word for word, suggesting not a separate discourse, but a direct reproduction. Joseph’s inspired correction doesn’t leave both phrases, but changes one to the other, so leaders today combining the two into one cohesive narrative is disengenuous.
If Joseph’s later revision was truly inspired, why didn’t that same divine insight and correction appear in his other, and earlier, “most correct” scripture? Why would a flawed KJV phrase make its way into an allegedly pure, ancient record, but not into his later revision?
This inconsistency reveals that Joseph’s theology and narrative evolved over time, and with it, the text of his revelations. What he initially presented as ancient and divinely translated was later—by his own hand—rendered theologically outdated or incorrect. The only explanation that fits all the evidence is that Joseph Smith was not translating ancient texts by divine means, but rather adapting and editing as his understanding grew or changed.
The contradiction between the JST and the Book of Mormon exposes a crack in the foundation of prophetic authority. If both texts are divinely inspired, they should not contradict one another, especially not on a matter as precise as a direct quote from Jesus Christ. These errors aren’t just grammatical—they undermine the claim that Joseph Smith was a true prophet receiving perfect revelation. Instead, they show that he was the author of the texts, not their translator.
Contradictions like the one between the Joseph Smith Translation and the Book of Mormon are more than just textual quirks—they’re evidence of a much deeper problem. Joseph Smith claimed divine authority, presented himself as a prophet, and asserted that his revelations and translations came directly from God. And yet, his edits, revisions, and glaring inconsistencies reveal not the work of a prophet, but of a man—clever, ambitious, and persuasive, but ultimately unauthorized and uninspired. The fact that he didn’t catch that his revised version of Jesus’ words contradicted his earlier, supposedly perfect translation of the same sermon shows that he was not translating ancient texts through revelation, but composing scripture as he went. Mistakes like these and others are not the mark of divine guidance; they are the fingerprints of a charlatan crafting a religious narrative on the fly.
For many, this and countless other contradictions were the beginning of the end—moments when our “shelves” finally broke under the weight of irreconcilable doctrines, historical revisions, and theological backpedaling. If you’ve struggled with shelf issues—those troubling points you couldn’t ignore—we invite you to share your story. You might be surprised that you are not alone and that many others share the same concerns.
Whether your faith unraveled slowly over time or shattered in a single moment of clarity, your experience matters. Or perhaps you were able to find a way to reconcile the dissonance and keep your faith—either way, your journey is worth telling. Share your story of faith crisis, deconstruction, or reevaluation at wasmormon.org. Your voice may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
More reading:
- The Mormon “Shelf” and Why it’s a Problem
- https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/10/if-ye-had-known-me
- https://rsc.byu.edu/joseph-smith-translation/sermon-mount-jst-book-mormon
- https://www.reddit.com/r/latterdaysaints/comments/632nrr/why_are_the_jst_of_the_sermon_on_the_mount_and/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/1gb90zq/joseph_smith_failed_to_realize_his_mistake_and/
- https://rsc.byu.edu/sermon-mount-latter-day-scripture/sermon-mount-joseph-smith-translation