Joseph Smith’s various accounts of the First Vision provide a window into his evolving theology, particularly regarding the nature of the Godhead. The changes in each version, when looked at as a narrative through a lens to understand the thinking of church leadership at the time, show ideas developing and how these changing ideas were …
Tag Archives: angel
Mary Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Mary Kathryn’s journey out of Mormonism is one of transformation, resilience, and self-discovery. A devoted believer, she followed the prescribed path—attending BYU, marrying young, and having eight children by age 35. She dedicated herself fully to the faith, shaping her identity around the church’s teachings on womanhood, family, and service. However, as life unfolded—with personal …
Continue reading “Mary Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
A New Book of Mormon Introduction Tested in App
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 …
Continue reading “A New Book of Mormon Introduction Tested in App”
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](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Martin-Harris-Witness-not-naked-eye-spiritual-eye.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
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 …
Continue reading “Witnesses Saw Gold Plates With Spiritual Eyes”
Mark Twain on Mormons
![“The [Book of Mormon] is a curiosity to me. It is such a pretentious affair and yet so slow, so sleepy, such an insipid mess of inspiration. It is chloroform in print.” - Mark Twain, Roughing It, 1872 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mark-Twain-Book-of-Mormon-chloroform-in-print.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), was a prominent American writer, humorist, and social critic best known for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain lived during a transformative period in American history marked by the Civil War, Reconstruction, and rapid industrialization. His sharp wit and keen observations often critiqued …
The Drawn Flaming Sword of Polygamy – Spiritual Abuse and Manipulation
Joseph Smith secretly practiced polyandry and polygamy, or what the church later called plural marriage. The church freely admits this today (when forced) whereas previously it was all denied as anti-mormon lies. A strange hill to die on since the church is well known for practicing polygamy for decades in Utah. The church was hesitant …
Continue reading “The Drawn Flaming Sword of Polygamy – Spiritual Abuse and Manipulation”
Mormons Expected to Stand Forever – Despite Questions
Church leader Lawrence E. Corbridge, an LDS Seventy, gave a BYU Devotional that addresses how to properly deal with questions. Corbridge explains that he’s read all the anti-Mormon literature out there, but was successfully able to put all his questions on the shelf because he was able to convince himself that his questions don’t matter …
Continue reading “Mormons Expected to Stand Forever – Despite Questions”
Joseph Smith’s Rock in Hat Translation of the Book of Mormon
Traditionally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church) depicts Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon in a manner that implies a reverent, direct reading of ancient golden plates. Today, church leaders are shifting this narrative to reflect the more historically accurate manner of translation. In reality, Joseph Smith barely …
Continue reading “Joseph Smith’s Rock in Hat Translation of the Book of Mormon”
Why Worry about Different Versions of the First Vision
In 1983, Gordon B. Hinckley, then Second Counselor in the First Presidency, but later President of the Church spoke to students at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion. An edited version of this address was then given as the First Presidency Message in the October 1984 Ensign. The message, God Hath Not Given Us the …
Continue reading “Why Worry about Different Versions of the First Vision”
Book of Mormon Anachronisms – Slippery Treasures and Treasure Digging Concepts
Joseph Smith was brought up being praised for a “gift.” What gift is that? The gift his father practiced and saw in him. The practice was condemned by Benjamin Franklin 100 years earlier. The practice appears in church history, in the doctrine and covenants, and even the Book of Mormon. This practice is easily ridiculed …
Continue reading “Book of Mormon Anachronisms – Slippery Treasures and Treasure Digging Concepts”
Mormon Truth Claims Crumble With Changing Church History Narrative
The Church is built on specific claims. The church claims that Joseph Smith met God and Jesus, received ancient plates from an angel, translated them, and had priesthood authority restored by heavenly messengers. Church leaders even state that if the events didn’t occur, the church would fall apart. This is the danger in the church …
Continue reading “Mormon Truth Claims Crumble With Changing Church History Narrative”
Mormons Call the Church President the Prophet But Haven’t Always
There has been a significant cultural change within the Mormon Church, shifting from church leaders predominantly being referred to as “President,” to being esteemed as “Prophet.” This change evolved gradually over several decades. Initially, references to the church leader as “Prophet” were reserved exclusively for Joseph Smith, the church’s founder, and prophets from biblical and …
Continue reading “Mormons Call the Church President the Prophet But Haven’t Always”
The Mormon-Canadian-BYU Billion Dollar Tithing Funnel
![The church is taking away the government's ability to fund health care, and education, and provide other essential services. They've done it at the expense of taxpayer dollars. There's definitely been a change in [my] perspective. The church teaches that the temple should always be a focal point in your life. The temple has become a physical reminder of greed for me. - Nigel Kennet, a Canadian accountant, was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon's books, and was stunned by where their donations were going. - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/canada-5th-estate-Nigel-Kennet-church-taking-away-government-ability-to-fund-essential-services-temple-has-become-a-reminder-of-greed.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
Investigation reveals more than $1 billion raised by the Mormon church in Canada has been funneled to the U.S. rather than going to charitable works in this country. We hear from former members in Canada and elsewhere who say concerns about how money is spent have led them to leave the church. – The Fifth …
Continue reading “The Mormon-Canadian-BYU Billion Dollar Tithing Funnel”
Brad Wilcox On Asking the Wrong Questions
Brad Wilcox, the Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency gave a Fireside address in Alpine, Utah on February 6, 2022. He made quite a fool of himself and his rhetoric about members asking the wrong questions. He ridiculed a normal and valid question and then posed a racist question instead. He also accuses …
Continue reading “Brad Wilcox On Asking the Wrong Questions”
Gift of Crisis
The tumult of a faith deconstruction, especially in the Mormon faith, has been termed as a crisis, it’s often referred to as a faith crisis. There are podcasts focused on this, even books written about it. BYU did a study on the social media impact on a faith crisis which defines how the church views …
Joseph Smith’s Story Parallels his Mother
Joseph Smith has some interesting points in his history that stand out. Upon reading his mother’s own biography, a few of the same points stand out. Could it be that Joseph’s own story borrows from those of his mother? Could he borrow from both of his parents? We can see that he already integrated his …
Continue reading “Joseph Smith’s Story Parallels his Mother”
McConkie Got It Wrong – Redacted Mormon Doctrine
!["There are statements in our literature by the early brethren which we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, "You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?" And all I can say to that is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation... [All the views and all the thoughts of the past] don't matter any more... It doesn't make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June of this year." - LDS Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie, BYU Devotional 1978 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/mormon-doctrine-it-doesnt-make-a-particle-of-difference-what-anybody-ever-said-about-blacks.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
Prior to 1978, LDS church leaders wrestled to understand the priesthood ban. They listened to explanations from Brigham Young and other church presidents who taught about the subject. They continued teaching the same things, and in some cases came up with new explanations. That changed in 1978, when the church flipped a 180 and granted …
Continue reading “McConkie Got It Wrong – Redacted Mormon Doctrine”
President Oaks Fibbing For The Lord Again – Prompt and Public Disavowal of Racism?
The church celebrates its own decision to stop the racially discriminatory practice of banning the priesthood from anyone of African descent in 1978. To show that they are not racist, they wanted to point out that it has now been 40 years since they stopped being racist. There was a big self-congratulatory spectacle planned for …
Church Claims Activism a Tactic of Satan and Gaslights Members
Brother Ahmad S. Corbitt, the then First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, gave a talk to LDS Chaplains, on October 4, 2022, in which he teaches against activism directed towards the church. He doesn’t want members getting any ideas that they can influence or change things the church does by criticizing, complaining, or …
Continue reading “Church Claims Activism a Tactic of Satan and Gaslights Members”
Do LDS Mission Presidents Get Paid?
General Authorities and top leaders of the church are compensated or paid for their work, though technically they claim they are not on salary. The church claims over and over that there is no paid clergy and that the church runs on volunteers. But we can see that they are choosing their words carefully at …
BYU Counsels Divorcees to “Fill the holes that were once filled by sex”
The Covenant Intimacy Conversations discuss the challenging transition individuals may face when moving from a state of being sexually active to sexually inactive due to divorce or the death of a spouse. It states that while it may not be possible to fully replace the aspect of sexual intimacy lost through such life changes, individuals …
Continue reading “BYU Counsels Divorcees to “Fill the holes that were once filled by sex””
Another “Moment in the Barn is One She’ll Never Forget”
The church published a Gospel Living article on its website with a title referring to a memorable “moment in the barn” as one that “she” would never forget. The title is full of intrigue and leads a reader to wonder who this she is, and what this unforgettable moment was. Mary Whitmer in the Barn …
Continue reading “Another “Moment in the Barn is One She’ll Never Forget””
Gordon B. Hinckley 2004 Larry King Live Interview
Gordon B Hinckley was interviewed on Larry King Live in 1998 (see Hinckley’s 1998 Larry King Interview, briefly in 2001, and then again in 2004. Here is the transcript of the 2004 interview. In this interview, Hinckley states that, as the prophet, the Lord speaks through him or makes his will manifest through him, even …
Continue reading “Gordon B. Hinckley 2004 Larry King Live Interview”
A Fig For Polygamy?
Early church leaders (Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Orson Pratt among others) allegedly had a change of heart for polygamy. At first, they reportedly resisted the practice but later on accepted it and vehemently defended it. Did they really resist in the first place or are these just retro-active stories and manipulation in order to …
Mother Knows Best – Joseph Smith’s Mother on The First Vision
Today’s church narrative tells the story of a young rambunctious yet spiritual lad of 14 who is stressed about which church to join and is absorbed in the words of the Bible. He finds the passage that if he lacks wisdom, he should pray (James 1:5). He resolves to pray and the heavens are opened. …
Continue reading “Mother Knows Best – Joseph Smith’s Mother on The First Vision”
Erin was a Mormon | An Ex-Mormon Story Spotlight
Erin was born into the church but left the church as a child when her parents did the same. All her extended family has remained Mormon even after her dad wrote a book about leaving and was outspoken against the church. She was not raised Mormon, but evangelical, and has since become more agnostic. She’s …
Continue reading “Erin was a Mormon | An Ex-Mormon Story Spotlight”
Judging Past Leaders by Today’s Standards
Church members and leaders enjoy the refrain that we can’t judge Joseph Smith (and other church leaders) by modern standards. Nobody today should criticize them for living according to the cultural norms of the day. People thought and did things differently back then. This expands beyond Mormon church leaders into politics etc. There are many …
Continue reading “Judging Past Leaders by Today’s Standards”
Hinckley’s “I Don’t Know That We Teach It” Interview
A famous saying within the Church states, “As man is now, God once was; as God is now, man may be.” This couplet, originating from Joseph Smith’s King Follet discourse, was popularized by the fifth Church President Lorenzo Snow. Time Magazine published an article about Mormons and asked President Gordon B Hinckley about this concept …
Continue reading “Hinckley’s “I Don’t Know That We Teach It” Interview”
Men Of Their Times
Church leaders assert that they directly follow God’s guidance, exempting themselves from apologies and social pressure, like for example addressing racism within church doctrine and culture. Apologists claim that church leaders are merely “men of their times” and can’t be judged by today’s standards. These two ideas don’t work together. Either the leaders are led …
Gordon B Hinckley on Larry King Live | Interview Transcript 1998
Transcript of Larry King Live: Gordon Hinckley – Distinguished Religious Leader of the Mormons. Remember that time Hinckley was on Larry King in 1998? Looking back at the transcript, he said quite a few surprising things on air. Hinckley claimed that when people think of Mormons when polygamy is mentioned, they do it “mistakenly” and …
Continue reading “Gordon B Hinckley on Larry King Live | Interview Transcript 1998”