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Sunstone Symposium Recap

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The Sunstone Symposium is an annual conference where anyone with an interest in things Mormon—and Mormon-adjacent—can gather to learn, discuss, and connect. It’s a unique space where active Latter-day Saints, fundamentalist Mormons, scholars, and ex-Mormons come together to explore a wide range of ideas in a respectful and curious environment. This year’s symposium, held in …

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The 1886 Revelation Denial and the LDS Church’s Longstanding Dishonesty

“As to this pretended revelation it should be said that the archives of the Church contain no such revelation; the archives contain no record of any such revelation, nor any evidence justifying a belief that any such revelation was ever given. From the personal knowledge of some of us, from the uniform and common recollection of the presiding quorums of the Church, from the absence in the Church archives of any evidence whatsoever justifying any belief that such a revelation was given, we are justified in affirming that no such revelation exists.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933. | wasmormon.org

In the complex history of Mormonism, few documents expose the tensions between prophetic revelation and institutional survival quite like John Taylor’s 1886 revelation. This revelation, written in Taylor’s own hand, declared that the divine commandment of plural marriage would not and could not be revoked. Yet for over a century, the Church of Jesus Christ …

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John Taylor’s Hidden 1886 Polygamy Revelation

“My son John, you have asked me concerning the New and Everlasting Covenant how far it is binding upon my people. Thus saith the Lord: All commandments that I give must be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are revoked by me or by my authority, and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant, for I the Lord am everlasting and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with, but they stand forever. ... I have not revoked this law, nor will I, for it is everlasting, and those who will enter into my glory must obey the conditions thereof; even so, Amen.” - John Taylor, LDS Church President, 1886 Revelation | wasmormon.org

In 1886, then-LDS Church president John Taylor claimed to receive a direct revelation from God reaffirming that plural marriage was an eternal, unchangeable law. This divine directive—written in his own hand—declared that the New and Everlasting Covenant (a.k.a. polygamy) could never be revoked, even under government pressure. But just a few years later, in 1890, …

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Green Flake, The Man and Slave Labor The Church Accepted as Tithing

“One family of enslavers in Nauvoo was the Flake family. They enslaved a man named Green Flake. While building the Nauvoo Temple, families were asked to donate one day in ten to work on the temple. The Flake family used Green's forced labor to fulfill their tithing requirement.” - Joel Flake "Green Flake: His Life and Legacy" | wasmormon.org

Today, the LDS Church no longer condones slavery, and leaders assert that the church has always been against slavery and racism, but there is a hidden history of racism and even slavery in the church. There are even instances where slaves were given as tithing to the church—the church used slave labor in temple construction. Green Flake …

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Can Mormons Wear Tank Tops? What are Porn Shoulders?

“In everyday living, immodest clothing such as short shorts, miniskirts, tight clothing, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and other revealing attire are not appropriate. Men and women—including young men and young women—should wear clothing that covers the shoulder and avoid clothing that is low cut in the front or back or revealing in any other manner.” - Robert D. Hales, LDS Apostle, 2008 | wasmormon.org

In Mormonism, modesty has long been tied to righteousness, especially for women and girls. From early youth activities to temple preparation, countless lessons reinforce the idea that spiritual worth is directly connected to how much skin is covered. Among the most scrutinized body parts? Shoulders. For generations, sleeveless dresses have been seen as taboo—unworthy of …

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White Suites, Stolen Keys, and Fried Chicken

“The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stood together in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors' Center for iconic photographs — symbols of their unified testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. Taken in front of the statues of the Christus and the 12 ancient Apostles by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, the photographs connect the work of the ancient Apostles with the work of Latter-day prophets.” - Church News: Historic Photo of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Rome | wasmormon.org

In recent years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has leaned hard into its carefully staged imagery—photos designed to communicate power, legitimacy, and divine authority. But the more tightly the Church clutches at these symbols, the more glaringly artificial the whole display becomes. From white-suited prophets mimicking the image of Christ to manufactured …

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Facsimile Problems with the Book of Abraham Translation Theory of Papyri as Catalyst

“The discovery of the papyrus fragments renewed debate about Joseph Smith’s translation. The fragments included one vignette, or illustration, that appears in the book of Abraham as facsimile 1. Long before the fragments were published by the Church, some Egyptologists had said that Joseph Smith’s explanations of the various elements of these facsimiles did not match their own interpretations of these drawings... None of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham’s name or any of the events recorded in the book of Abraham.” - LDS Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham | churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/translation-and-historicity-of-the-book-of-abraham | wasmormon.org

Apologists for the LDS Church have proposed a theory, the Catalyst Theory, to explain the translation of the Book of Abraham. This theory suggests that the Egyptian papyri Joseph Smith obtained were merely a spiritual trigger, or “catalyst,” for receiving inspired scripture. In other words, the physical texts weren’t actually translated in the traditional sense; …

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Kirton McConkie’s Abuse Helpline Protocol

Protocol For Abuse Help Line: Never advise a priesthood leader to report abuse. - Protocol For Abuse Help Line Calls | LDS Church & Kirton McConkie Law Firm | wasmormon.org

This internal “Protocol for Abuse Help Line Calls” document reveals a deeply troubling reality about how the LDS Church handles sexual abuse cases—one that stands in stark contrast to its public claims that the Abuse Help Line exists solely to protect children and “has nothing to do with cover-up”. The Help Line The Abuse Hotline …

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Mormon Abuse Helpline

The LDS Church claims its abuse helpline instructs bishops to follow reporting laws, yet in Arizona, while clergy may keep abuse confessions confidential, they are not required to, and are even legally protected if they report. Despite this, the helpline advised the bishop not to report the abuse. In practice, the helpline serves less to protect victims and more to shield the institution, keeping abuse cases “in-house.” This approach effectively circumvents law enforcement, protecting the church rather than the victims. | wasmormon.org

In 2022, an Associated Press (AP) investigation revealed that officials of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints failed to prevent or report the sexual abuse of children by a church member in Arizona over seven years. The report detailed how church leaders were informed of the abuse but did not notify law enforcement, …

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The Stages of Grief When Your Shelf Breaks

“The five stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with who/what we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief.” - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Swiss-American Psychiatrist, On Death and Dying (1969) | wasmormon.org

Losing one’s testimony is a deeply painful experience, tragically affecting both the individual and the community. Faithful members mourn the loss of a fellow believer, viewing it as a defeat or a sign of weakness—someone who will now be cast aside like chaff from the wheat. But the greatest hardship falls on the individual. They …

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Bednar’s Evasive $300 Billion Answer Only Raises More Questions

“[To] the people who want to tell us how to spend the money, I would just emphasize one undergirding principle. The assets of the church are primarily income consuming; they are not income producing.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle & Ryan Smith, Qualtrics/Utah Jazz Owner Silicon Slopes Summit, September 28, 2023 'What Does the Church Do With Tithing Money?' Church Video | wasmormon.org

In February 2025, the LDS Church released a new video featuring an interview with David A. Bednar at the Silicon Slopes Summit on September 28, 2023. The interview was conducted by Ryan Smith, Mormon billionaire, co-founder of Qualtrics, and owner of multiple professional sports teams, including the Utah Jazz (NBA), Utah Hockey Club (NHL), and …

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Church Adjusts Correlated Children Lesson on Polygamy

LDS Scripture Stories, Doctrine and Covenants: 1831–1890 Plural Marriage. "Faith to obey a law from the Lord even when it's hard" becomes "A commandment for a time." wasmormon.org

In December 2024, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) released a children’s lesson supporting the polygamous history of the church as a hard commandment the leaders and members were blessed for following, even though they did not want to. Then in February 2025, the church updated the lesson to remove some …

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LDS Church Offended by American Primeval

“A recently released streaming series presents a fictionalized interpretation of events in mid-19th century Utah. While historical fiction can be illuminating, this drama is dangerously misleading. Brigham Young, a revered prophet and courageous pioneer, is, by any historical standard, egregiously mischaracterized as a villainous, violent fanatic. Other individuals and groups are also depicted in ways that reinforce stereotypes that are both inaccurate and harmful.” - LDS Newsroom Article: Depictions that Deceive: When Historical Fiction Does Harm - Kim Coates as Brigham Young, in the Netflix series, American Primeval | wasmormon.org

If you have watched the whole 6 episodes of American Primeval on Netflix, you’d have done well to weather the portrayal of the frontier violence shown. As you may already know, it highlights the dreadful event of the Mountain Meadow Massacre (MMM) The Official LDS church was ‘offended’ by this certificate 18 or TV-MA (mature) …

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Reformed Egyptian The Caractors on the Anthon Transcript – Deformed English

The LDS Church purchased historic artifacts and buildings for an undisclosed price from the Community of Christ in 2024. This ‘Caractors’ document is believed to contain a sample of inscriptions from the gold plates. | wasmormon.org

Joseph Smith’s claims about the discovery of the gold plates and the translation of the Book of Mormon are at the core of the founding narrative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to Smith, in 1827, he found (or was led by an angel to) gold plates buried near his home …

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Church Misrepresents Offering Church Buildings as Shelters for California Fire Victims

"Meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also have been made available for community staging and shelter." - Deseret News | January 10, 2025. What do they mean by shelter? Discussions on Reddit meanwhile reveal that no one has been able to verify a single LDS chapel being used as a shelter. These meeting houses are not available or listed on any official shelter lists by government agencies or other news outlets. This isn’t the first time the church has been accused of inflating its charitable efforts for publicity.

In the wake of the recent California wildfires, the LDS Church has made headlines in their own new publications claiming that they have made their meetinghouses available as shelters for those affected. However, evidence suggests that no LDS chapels have actually been used as shelters, raising questions about whether the church is engaging in media …

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Richard Bushman, Mormon Historian, Concedes to CES Letter Truths on CES Letters Podcast

I think that may make some people nervous, that the church is trying to cover up the truth. How would you help them through something that might cause dissonance like that? “You just have to accept the fact that they didn't want to be made to look silly. Who wants to be made to look silly? So, if Joseph's associated with the wrong class of people, you do your best to make him look better. It wasn't a real lie. It was just subordinating, or retelling the story. Who doesn't retell the stories of their lives to make them look better?” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | Interview on CES Letters (Study & Faith) Podcast | wasmormon.org

Richard Bushman concedes to many points Jeremy Runnells brought up in the CES Letter in a discussion on the CES Letters podcast. CES Letters has no affiliation with the CES Letter, but is the latest attempt to debunk it. Richard Bushman is asked a series of questions stemming from the CES Letter, and responds to …

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The Mormon Mountain Meadows Massacre

"The Mormons courageously performed their part of the blood bath, after which they took binding oaths to stand by each other, and to always swear that the massacre was committed by Indians alone. This was the advice of Brigham." - John D. Lee, Participant in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, Excommunicated by Brigham Young & Executed by US Marshalls | wasmormon.org

The Mountain Meadows Massacre, one of the most disturbing events in Mormon history, occurred on September 11, 1857, in southern Utah. A group of approximately 120 emigrants traveling through Utah toward California was ambushed and slaughtered by members of the local Mormon militia, aided by Native American allies. The victims, predominantly families in the Baker-Fancher …

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A New Book of Mormon Introduction Tested in App

"Since the beginning of time, God has spoken to His children all over the world. Often they have recorded their experiences and God’s messages to inspire future generations to choose good instead of evil and come to know their Father in Heaven. Some of these records are lost to time. Others may yet be found. One such record was buried in a hillside in around A.D. 400 on the North American continent. Its location was revealed by an angel in 1823. It was translated into modern language by the gift and power of God. That record is the Book of Mormon." - New Book of Mormon App Introduction, Paragraph 2 | wasmormon.org

The church has many apps available for download, and no surprise, one dedicated to the Book of Mormon. It is geared towards investigators who are new to the church as you can imagine is a useful tool for missionary work when investigators can download a free app rather than be given a physical book. The …

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Witnesses Saw Gold Plates With Spiritual Eyes

Martin was in the office when I [John H. Gilbert, typesetter for most of the Book of Mormon] finished setting up the testimony of the three witnesses, I said to him, “Martin, did you see those plates with your naked eyes?” Martin looked down for an instant, raised his eyes up, and said, “No, I saw them with a spiritual eye.” - Martin Harris, Witness of the Gold Plates | wasmormon.org

The Three Book of Mormon witnesses offer a fascinating and contradictory window into the authenticity of Joseph Smith’s claims about the gold plates. The accounts of the witnesses—both official and unofficial—regarding whether they saw the plates with their natural eyes or spiritual eyes are highly contentious and have been subject to much debate. The church …

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Church Teaches Children Eternal Polygamy

"A few years later, the Lord told Joseph to marry other women. Joseph didn’t want to marry other wives. But he knew it was a commandment from the Lord. When Joseph asked a woman to marry him, he told her to pray about it. He wanted her to know from the Lord that it was right." - LDS Scripture Stories, Doctrine and Covenants: 1831–1890 Plural Marriage Faith to obey a law from the Lord even when it's hard | wasmormon.org

The church has introduced a new series of scripture stories aimed at children. There are plenty of illustrations and the simplified stories pull from the scriptures and church history. They don’t shy from one of the most troubling chapters of Mormon history, polygamy. The simplified story portrays the origin of Mormon polygamy as beginning with …

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QuitMormon Offers Free Legal Assistance For Mormons Who Want To Resign

We are not attempting to influence anyone to leave. QuitMormon eliminates most or all unwanted contact and gets you resigned much quicker than resigning on your own. | QuitMormon.com | wasmormon.org

Mark Naugle, an immigration attorney from Orem, UT, is the creator of QuitMormon.com, a free service that helps members resign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His involvement in this effort was not initially planned but was influenced by his own personal experience. When Naugle was 15, his family, after conducting their …

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How to Avoid a Faith Crisis

A stake in Utah offers a course in ‘How to avoid a Faith Crisis’. It looks like this is a series of lessons and though the handout formatting is so horrible some are hard to read, it looks like the topics each include a scripture reference and are as follows: Faith Crisis Avoidance Course Examination …

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Joseph Smith’s Kinderhook Plates Kinder-Surprise Translation Redaction

Contemporaneous sources say very little about Joseph Smith’s encounter with the Kinderhook plates, which occurred over a span of just a few days in 1843. Joseph apparently examined the plates and, according to his clerk William Clayton, remarked that they contained “the history of … a descendant of Ham through the loins of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” Joseph evidently did not attempt a revelatory translation as he had done with the Book of Mormon plates, but rather appears to have compared the symbols on the Kinderhook plates with other ancient artifacts in his possession. - LDS Website, Church History Topics: Kinderhook Plates https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/kinderhook-plates | wasmormon.org

In Kinderhook, Illinois, about 50 miles south of Nauvoo, six bell-shaped brass plates were allegedly found when digging up a burial mound on a farmer’s land. He said he’d dreamt about finding treasure in the mound and organized a dig. A couple Mormons were present when some small plates with ancient-looking inscriptions were found and …

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Seek Truth Wherever We Find It?

"Latter-day Saints are not asked to blindly accept everything they hear. We are encouraged to think and discover truth for ourselves. We are expected to ponder, to search, to evaluate, and thereby to come to a personal knowledge of the truth. We seek for truth wherever we may find it." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf, LDS Apostle, January 13, 2013 BYU Devotional | wasmormon.org

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke in a BYU Devotional, teaching that “We seek for truth wherever we may find it.” He invites his listeners to find truth, and bring it into their testimony. Is the church really this comfortable with members searching wherever for truth? This sentiment is often repeated by modern LDS leaders and …

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Facts vs Beliefs – No Limit At All On What Church Is Required To Teach Or Not Teach

The LDS Church Corporation is currently involved in many many lawsuits. One such is a RICO case, where the church is being accused of behavior more similar to an organized crime network, like the mafia, than a religious institution. What is RICO? A RICO case refers to charges brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt …

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Email to Sydney Australia Mortdale Stake: Pilot Program – Informed Consent

Sydney Australia Mortdale Stake | Pilot Program: Informed Consent | wasmormon.org

The members of the Sydney Australia Mortdale Stake received an email informing them the area had been selected for a Pilot Program named Informed Consent. The program announced two objectives: 1) to ensure that converts are fully informed before they commit to baptism, and 2) for all members to have a “short” lesson to make …

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Nickname Pejoratively Attached to Church By Enemies

“I think that President Russell M. Nelson will be known forever as a man of remarkable courage, to say, we will no longer use a nickname pejoratively attached to our church, by our enemies, anymore. We're inviting other people to call us what we are called, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle, Addresses the National Press Club, 2022 | wasmormon.org

Elder Bednar, a senior leader or apostle of the LDS church, states that the current leader of the church, President Russell M. Nelson shows remarkable courage for insisting that only the official name of the church be used. He states the Mormon nickname was given pejoratively to the church by it’s enemies. This plays into …

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Worldwide Leadership for Worldwide Church?

As of 2024, 66% of the current LDS Apostles are from Utah. Since 1850, when Utah became a U.S. Territory, over 82% of all Apostles have either been young immigrants to or natives of Utah. Expanding the geographic scope to include the broader "Mormon Corridor" (Utah, Southern Idaho, and Northern Arizona), this figure rises to over 92%. | wasmormon.org

The church claims to be a worldwide organization. They state they pay their top leaders a living allowance so they can choose leaders from all over the world rather than just limiting their choice to those who are financially independent. However, they also claim these callings come from God, so this rationalization for why church …

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Donated Tithing Funds vs Earnings on Invested Tithing

During my employment at Ensign Peak Advisors, senior leadership and other employees referred to and revered all funds as “tithing” money, regardless of whether they were referring to principal or earnings on that principal. Tithing donations from the Church’s members were commingled with earnings. Every penny was referred to as the “widow’s mite.” - David Nielsen, former Senior Portfolio Manager, Ensign Peak Advisors, Whistleblower | wasmormon.org

The church repeatedly states that no tithing money is used for its business purposes, like funding the City Creek Center or bailout money for church-owned insurance company, Beneficial Life. The church is surprisingly secretive about finances and has not publicly disclosed any financial statements in the United States since 1959, that’s 65 years and counting. The …

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Are Mormon Church Leaders Paid?

Do General Authorities get paid? "General Authorities are given a living allowance which enables them to focus all of their time on serving in the Church. The living allowance is uniform for all General Authorities. None of the funds for this living allowance come from the tithing of Church members, but instead from proceeds of the Church's financial investments." - LDS Church Website FAQ | faq.churchofjesuschrist.org | wasmormon.org

The church makes misleading statements about how much the Apostles and Prophets of the LDS church are paid. They state regularly that there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, and that no one is paid for their church service. This omits the fact that all senior leaders in the church are paid what they …

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