Illustration created via AI from a prompt "An angel with a flaming sword forcing Joseph Smith to marry teenagers."
Illustration created via AI from a prompt "An angel with a flaming sword forcing Joseph Smith to marry teenagers."
Martrydom of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith. A lingering member of the Warsaw militia, his face blackened with mud and gunpowder, is about to decapitate Joseph Smith's corpse. A Mormon witness claimed a pillar of light thrust down from heaven and the made ruffian's arm powerless. In the background, the dead body of Hyrum Smith is carried from the jail.
“Greater Love Hath No Man” Casey Childs - Painting of Joseph Smith and company, armed and barricading the door against the mob. Just before Hyrum is shot through the door and Joseph jumps out the window.
Assassination of Joseph Smith. Joseph Murdered At The Carthage Jail. Smith Was Shot Within The Jail'S As He Attempted To Exit Through The Second Story Window. He Was Also Shot By The Outside Mob. June 27
Assassination of Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith Murdered At The Carthage Jail. After Being Shot From And Falling To The Ground.
We want nothing secret nor underhanded, and for one I want no association with things that cannot be talked about and will not bear investigation." John Taylor, President of Mormon Church, As President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
"I don’t know whether furious is a good apostolic word. But I am. What on earth kind of conviction is that? What kind of patty-cake, taffy-pulled experiences is that? As if, as if none of this ever mattered; as if nothing in our contemporary life mattered; as if this was all JUST SUPPOSED to be JUST EXACTLY the way I want it?" Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
"This church means everything to me. Everything. I don’t care what happens; I don’t care what price has to be paid, as painful as that can be; and as much as I don’t want to invite the test as much as I don’t want to sound arrogant, or self-confident, or filled with any kind of pride other than the love of the Lord – this church means everything to me. And I’m NOT going to leave it. And I’M NOT GOING TO LET YOU LEAVE IT." Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
"Don’t you dare bail. I am so furious with people who leave this church." Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
Like many religions that evolved in isolation from significant predators, the dodo was entirely fearless of the internet. This fearlessness and its inability to reveal made the dodo easy prey for scholars. "I'm not an idiot, you know, I've read a couple of books and I've been to a pretty good school." Elder Jeffrey R Holland the Dodo.
Illustration created via AI from a prompt "An angel with a flaming sword forcing Joseph Smith to marry teenagers."
Sunstone Article: Two Centuries of Book of Mormon Historicity Debates 19th Century: Mormons use Native American and Mesoamerican ruins as evidence of Book of Mormon civilizations. Early 20th Century: Skeptics point out anachronisms in the Book of Mormon such as wheels and horses. Apologists search for archeological evidence of Book of Mormon civilizations. Mid-20th Century: The original Book of Abraham papyrus is discovered to actually be a funerary text, helping to throw more doubt on the ancient origins of the Book of Mormon. Orthodox scholars propose a "limited geography" of the Book of Mormon. Orthodox scholars begin looking for "Old World" parallels to the Book of Mormon. Late 20th Century: The LDS Church disciplines revisionist scholars. President Ezra Taft Benson's focus on the Book of Mormon initiates more scholarly attention and anti-Mormon polemics. FARMS counters attacks on the Book of Mormon. Early 21st Century: DNA studies seem to rule out Israelitish ancestry of Native Americans. The Internet spawns an explosion of critical and apologetic material.
If after a rigid examination, it be found an imposition, it should be extensively published as such; the evidence and arguments on which the imposture was detected, should be clearly and logically stated, that those who have been sincerely yet unfortunately deceived may perceive the nature of the deception and be reclaimed, and that those who continue to publish the delusion, may be silenced.
If false, [The Book of Mormon] is one of most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the word of God, and will suppose themselves securely built upon the rock of truth until they are with their families into hopeless despair. - Orson Pratt, Mormon Apostle
"We do not have penalties in the Temple. We used to. (Therefore, he swore an oath saying, 'I will not tell anyone about the secrets here lest I slit my throat.') The vow was regarding the ordinance of the Temple. It's comparable, similar to a masonic, relationship." Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
"If people want to call us a cult, they can call us a cult, and you can call us a cult. But we are 14 million and growing, and I'd like to think that your respect for me would be enough to know that this man doesn't seem like a dodo." Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
"If that's what they believe, it's probably a good thing they chose to leave it. Because we're not a cult. I'm not an idiot. You know, I've read a couple of books, and been to a pretty good school." Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
(As a record of historical fact, was Joseph Smith convicted of being a con-man in 1826?) I have no idea. There's a good deal of difficulty in the early frontier life in America, but that's an incidental matter to the character and integrity of the man. - Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
"What got translated, got translated into the word of God. The vehicle for that, I do not understand, and don't claim to know, and know no Egyptian." Jeffrey R Holland, Mormon Apostle
CES Letter is one Latter-day Saint's honest quest to get official answers from the LDS Church on its troubling origins, history, and practices. Jeremy Runnells was offered an opportunity to discuss his own doubts with a director of the Church Educational System (CES) and was assured that his doubts could be resolved. After reading Jeremy's letter, the director promised him a response. No response ever came.