Anyone who was raised Mormon, or even attended the church for any length of time knows the Urim and Thummim story. Joseph Smith is portrayed as having translated the Book of Mormon with some special seer stones which were found with the gold plates. The Book of Mormon translation was possible with this Urim and …
Continue reading “The Problems with Joseph Smith and Peep Stone Translations”
What was the Nauvoo Expositor? The Nauvoo Expositor was a four-page newspaper that only printed one issue. It reportedly printed so many vicious lies and slander about Joseph Smith that the prophet of the restoration had the printing press destroyed in retaliation or as the church claims to avoid violence. Somewhat ironic that they destroyed …
Continue reading “The Nauvoo Expositor And More Lies From Joseph Smith”
What is an anachronism? Anachronisms are impossibilities or inconsistencies that include things that do not belong together. Something like the Flintstones is anachronistic because it portrays humans and dinosaurs living together, but science tells us that dinosaurs were long extinct before humans evolved. Something like the image above, portraying Abraham Lincoln with a laptop computer …
The church wants us to leave the church alone. Do they leave “apostates” alone? Have they ever left apostates alone? The church tells stories about those who leave to discredit them and instill fear into their congregations. They are seeking to control members and keep them “in”. Plugging holes in a leaking ship. They will …
Continue reading “More Church Myths – Thomas B Marsh and Milk Strippings”
This annual Christmas message I usually sent to the local newspaper’s Letters column. Merry Christmas to all! Christmas is one of the happiest times of year. For most of us, Christmas brings back memories of Christmases past, the Christmases of our childhood, when joy reigned and wishes came true. The fragrance of fresh fir, the …
Based upon the song, Book of Mormon Stories. Numbers in parentheses indicate gestures performed at that point in the song. Gestures are listed following the lyrics. Here’s the tune (so you can sing along): Book of Mormon (1) stories that my teacher told to me Were about the Lamanites (2), but lack historicity Long ago the …
Was the first vision a “vision”? Was it the “first” one? Which one is “The” first vision? There are so many different accounts. The gospel topic essay mentions some of the main versions, but they also gloss over the differences and dismiss them all. The First Vision is a total misnomer and can be completely debunked with some simple reading and thinking. Something the church does not want members to do, they do everything they can to keep members from looking at the accounts. They first tried to hide them, and then they dismiss them by saying “we’ve always been honest and transparent about these accounts, and they all tell the same consistent story anyways, so don’t worry, trust us”.
The story of Lehi leaving Jerusalem with his family and their struggles is central to the Book of Mormon. In the book (1 Nephi chapter 8), Lehi shares a dream with his family that is about a great and spacious building and a straight and narrow path, an iron rod, and a tree with fruit …
Continue reading “Lehi’s Dream is Joseph Smith Senior’s Dream too”
Hugh Nibley is a famous mormon scholar. He wrote many books on complex mormon doctrine and taught for many years at BYU. In some of his classes and some of his books he famously gave his students a faux writing challenge where they were to write the equivalent of the book of mormon. He was …
What are the Church Essays? The church has quietly published some essays discussing some hard-to-reconcile issues. There are multiple topics in these essays, such as Multiple First Vision Accounts, Rock in a Hat Translation & Mormon Institutionalized Racism, a collection of essays about Polygamy referred to as Plural Marriage & even Heavenly Mother. Haven’t heard …
Continue reading “Yesterday’s Anti-Mormon “Lies” Are Today’s Church Essays”
Is the Mormon church transparent? Is the church honest with its own history? What does it mean to be as transparent as you know how to be? Not much actually, but it’s their best excuse and retort when questioned. M Russell Ballard and Dallin H Oaks had a fireside broadcast with Young Single Adults. They …
Continue reading “Church as transparent as it knows how to be”
Drinking coffee is like saying I reject the church. That is a thought I have daily as I drink my morning coffee. It’s cathartic, therapeutic, and energizing. Drinking coffee is an open act of rebellion. Mormons are not permitted to drink coffee. It is against the word of wisdom. The word of wisdom forbids drinking …
The church is famous for strongly pressuring members to follow a dress and grooming standards and whenever possible requiring it. They suggest that members follow the grooming standards but require every volunteer missionary who are paying their own way (or at least their parents are in many cases), every volunteer temple worker, and every student …
Continue reading “BYU honor code dress and grooming standards – Mormon Facial Hair”
Shrinkage, shrinkageLooks like the Church is suffering shrinkageThey always bragged the Church had grown, but nowComplete statistics are never shown Lying, hiding The Church’s numbers we aren’t buyingNow, if an apostle says that the Church has grownWe know an apostle who needs to atone Count the apostatesThe declining birth ratesAnd the excommunicationsAdd them all togetherGrowth claims …
What type of Mormon are youWhat do you call your brand If the name is too long-winded It will be written in shorthand Mos. stood for MormonsUntil we were notifiedThe name was a trick of SatanThat Rusty Nelson rectified Ortho-Mos. are orthodox Mormons They believe what the prophets have saidAnd when the prophets do conflict They abandon the ones …
Mormonism makes liars of us all. It starts when we are oh so very small. Nothing is more phony, Than a young child’s testimony. Repeating whispers in his ear, From a proud parent standing near, “I know the Church is true And the Prophet must be too.” Though the congregation may be enthralled, Mormonism makes liars of us all. Mormonism makes liars of us …
Everybody wants a Mormon as a neighborBut no one wants a Mormon as a friendAs neighbors they are always cheery and helpfulBut as friends, it all feels pretend As friends, do Mormons like you for youOr are you just a potential convertDo Mormons help you, so as to help youOr to get you to join …
Have you experienced a faith crisis or transition? Many people have (and some tell their story), perhaps including Albert Einstein. What has the experience taught you about God or your belief in God? Has it transformed how you view God or what you mean when you refer to God? Do your current thoughts still align …
Do religions take advantage of the innate human desire to matter, to have purpose and to exist beyond death? Was this nefarious? As all religions are different, it may not be a blanket statement that could be made. It does stand though that we must take the word of leaders who tell us how to …
Many people have as their main defense of Mormonism is that it gives them purpose and meaning. “The church is good or useful for me so I stay.” Those who find it useful may or may not be all in believers, they might or might not drink deeply of the kool-aid. We each have a …
Continue reading “Experiencing Groundlessness in a Faith Transition”
Do you remember the mormon.org website? Members were pestered relentlessly to create a profile online to share their testimony and answer gospel questions. Everyone was encouraged to share their personal url on social media too! Here are some example profiles: Some profiles even backfired and brave disaffected members posted what they actually thought until the …
Gordon B. Hinckley taught the First Vision of Joseph Smith is “the hinge pin on which this whole cause turns. If the First Vision was true, if it actually happened, then the Book of Mormon is true. Then we have the priesthood. Then we have the Church organization and all of the other keys and blessings …
Continue reading “Mormon Binary Thinking and The Great Sham”
The church has made much self-congratulation and self-promotion PR regarding its new relationship with the NAACP in the past couple of years. They are speaking words of unity and shared vision, which is great, but there is a backstory. The Backstory of Blacks and the church The race relations between the church and blacks is …
Continue reading “Mormons and the NAACP – Blacks and the Priesthood”
In response to those who wonder why mormons who leave the church and then speak out against it and echo the phrase: “You can leave the church, but you can’t leave it alone.” Glenn L. Pace, Follow the Prophet, General Conference, April 1989https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1989/04/follow-the-prophet As mormons, we have been taught to share truth. That desire and …
You have almost certainly heard of the “shelf” if you’re Mormon. This wasmormon.org site lists many of these shelf items and questions that users have responded to. Check it out, do you share any of these shelf items or want to contribute with your own story? If you aren’t familiar with the Mormon shelf, the …
Continue reading “The Mormon “Shelf” and Why it’s a Problem”
In honor of Star Wars day, I wanted to spotlight the moment of betrayal from Obi Wan and the parallel to my own faith crisis. Today is May the Fourth, also known as Star Wars Day – due to the “May the Force”, be with you pun. One thing we can learn from the prequel …
Continue reading “Obi Wan channels a mormon faith crisis – The Chosen One and Betrayal”
Many testimonies come off like the bearer thinks that “I know” actually means “I really hope” or “I want to know”. When encouraged to bear a testimony to find it, this doublethink and newspeak almost makes sense. We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained …
Continue reading “Gain a Testimony By Pretending To Have One”
A faith crisis may be hard, but it does get better – like wading past the crashing waves. We struggle with many difficulties navigating a mormon faith crisis. It is quite tumultuous, as the phrase ‘crisis’ implies. We often hear the advice that “it gets better” – which is helpful, but it does take time. …
Smallfoot is a story (find the book here) about Migo, a yeti who lives in a “perfect” community. He is very happy and has no issues with anything! He loves it! They have families and leaders and of course laws. The laws are written in stone. They don’t change and they make sense… that is, …
Continue reading “Faith Transition Parallels from Smallfoot the movie”
In the story of Dumbo, we have the little elephant with giant ears (even for an elephant) born into a circus family. His ears are so big that while his name is Jumbo, he earns the nickname Dumbo. His mother is soon imprisoned for standing up for him when he is ridiculed. Maybe she overreacts …
!["Joseph had asked [Jane Law] to give him half her love; she was at liberty to keep the other half for her husband." Elder William Law, Mormon Apostle. Defected from the First Presidency and published the Nauvoo Expositor when his wife Jane told him she refused Joseph Smith who came in the night while he was away seeking a polyandrous relationship.](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/William-Law-Joseph-Smith-sought-polyandry-with-Jane-Law.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
