This morning, I found myself reviewing the book A Man Without Doubt. I feel that this website, dedicated to the topic of Joseph Smith and Christianity, would be incomplete without pointing out how foundational the Bible was in Joseph Smith’s teachings.
"Joseph translated the Book of Mormon, but almost never used it in his writings, sermons, letters or private discussions. His primary text was the Bible. He had confidence in his own revelations because he saw them as harmonious with and prophesied by the Bible. Joseph’s First Vision experience was a direct result of his belief in the New Testament scripture, James 1:5. When Christ first spoke to him, He used the language of Paul and Isaiah to foretell Joseph’s mission. When the angel visited Joseph with news of a buried book written on gold plates, the angel’s message quoted from Bible passages of Joel, Malachi, Acts and Isaiah. Many of the revelations Joseph received came while retranslating the Bible. He would encounter mysterious passages that provoked an inquiry to God. The great revelation on the afterlife (D&C 76) came as a result of reading John 5:29.
Joseph’s greatest sermon, The King Follet Discourse, expounded Bible passages. Though not commonly thought of as a Bible-based preacher, Joseph’s ministry was grounded in the Bible and his sermons expounded Bible meaning and interpretation.
The most controversial issue involving Joseph Smith was the publication of the Book of Mormon. It, however, begins and ends with Biblical materials quoted extensively. Early in the book chapters of Isaiah are set out, followed by a commentary focusing on the meaning on events in the Americas., It makes Isaiah as a relevant a prophet for the American gentiles as it was for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. At the end of the book, Christ visits the Nephites and preaches The Sermon on the Mount, then adding words of counsel and prophecy. The Book of Mormon borrows Bible language, meaning, and prophecy, and then adapts the message to an American setting." (Denver Snuffer, A Man Without Doubt, pg. 161-162)