Mormon 9:23

Upon close examination, Mormon 9:22–24 appears to draw directly from Mark 16:15–18. This presents a problem. Although there is not complete unanimity, the vast majority of biblical scholars agree that the so-called longer ending of Mark—Mark 16:9–20—was not part of the original Gospel of Mark. The two earliest complete Greek manuscripts of Mark, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, both end the Gospel at Mark 16:8, omitting the longer ending entirely.

For further discussion, Peter M. Head (PhD, University of Cambridge) provides a helpful analysis in his article, “A Case Against the Longer Ending of Mark,” published by the Text & Canon Institute.

If scholars are correct that Mark 16:9–20 is a later addition, then its apparent quotation in Mormon 9:22–24 becomes difficult to explain. The presence of this passage suggests an uncritical reliance on the King James Version, including textual variants that arose after the earliest manuscripts—variants that would have little reason to appear in a text (Book of Mormon) claiming to be an ancient record.