Why the Old Testament Is the Most Misunderstood Scripture | Dr. Joshua Sears
Why the Old Testament Is the Most Misunderstood Scripture | Dr. Joshua Sears  
Podcast: Informed Saints
Published On: Sun Jan 25 2026
Description: Latter-day Saints have relied on the King James Version for generations—but the Church recently updated the handbook to clarify that other Bible translations may be helpful for personal study. So what does that mean for your Old Testament, Come, Follow Me year? In this episode, BYU professor Joshua Sears (author of A Modern Guide to an Old Testament) walks through why comparing translations can change your study overnight, especially in difficult books like Isaiah, and how modern manuscript discoveries (like the Dead Sea Scrolls) affect what you see on the page.  What you’ll learn: •Why the Church still prefers the KJV in classes, but encourages helpful study tools for individuals  •The best “starter” translations to compare side-by-side (ESV/NRSV, NIV/NLT, etc.)  •Why “missing verses” in modern Bibles often reflect better manuscript evidence, not “tampering”  •How covenants in the Old Testament are about relationship—not contracts  •Key covenant terms to watch for (like ḥesed, often translated “lovingkindness”) ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Get the book: A Modern Guide to an Old Testament — https://amzn.to/4rarPWh  Favorite takeaway? Comment your go-to Bible translation and why. Further Readings: https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-20-no-3-2019/study-bibles https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/holy-bible-translations-editions-church-of-jesus-christ https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/38-church-policies-and-guidelines?lang=eng#title_number139 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/translations-and-downloads/scriptures/holy-bible?lang=eng “Why Bible Translations Differ: A Guide for the Perplexed” (Ben Spackman, BYU Religious Studies Center): https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-15-no-1-2014/why-bible-translations-differ-guide-perplexed    “How Excellent Is Thy Lovingkindness”: the principle of ḥesed (RSC, BYU): https://rsc.byu.edu/gospel-jesus-christ-old-testament/how-excellent-thy-lovingkindness    “The Divine Council” (BYU Studies): https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-divine-council    “The Textual Problem in 1 John 5:7–8” (the “Johannine Comma” topic you mention): https://bible.org/article/textual-problem-1-john-57-8    ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. Chapters (00:00:00) - Professor Joshua Sears on the Old Testament(00:01:37) - The Church Handbook: Other Bible Texts(00:06:22) - What's So Beautiful About the King James Bible?(00:09:05) - The King James Version(00:14:06) - Mormon Doctrine: Differences Between Bible Texts(00:17:19) - How Do Latter Day Saints Deal With the Reliability of the Old(00:20:27) - Other Translations in the Bible(00:22:17) - Wonders of the Old Testament(00:26:11) - The Temple and Our Own Covenants(00:29:21) - What is a Covenant in the Hebrew Bible?(00:35:46) - Hesed: The Hebrew Word(00:38:51) - Signs of Covenants in the Old Testament(00:40:41) - How have God's Covenants Improve your own life?(00:42:14) - A Modern Guide to An Old Testament Study