Jacob 5 is a story about an orchard of Olive Trees and a servant who grafts branches from wild trees to tame trees and vice versa all according to the commands from the Lord of the Vineyard. The allegory represents the past, and future history of the House of Israel. It discusses the scattering of Israel before …
Continue reading “The Anachronistic Olive Tree Allegory from Zenos in Jacob 5”
The September Six were a group of six members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped in September 1993 for their intellectual and historical pursuits that were deemed contrary to the teachings and doctrines of the Church. The six members were: The excommunications and disfellowshippings of …
Continue reading “Mormon Excommunication For Change – The September Six and More”
There are multiple accounts of Joseph Smith’s “first vision”. This is a fact and today the church admits it. The church wants to dismiss these different accounts though by claiming that they really aren’t different because they tell the same consistent story. The details are in fact very different though. The earliest version of this …
Continue reading “The Strange Hidden First Vision Account of 1832”
Elder McKay the official Church Historian, with no credentials for history, but a career lawyer and executive gave a devotional at BYU-I in April 2023 titled A Sure and Certain Foundation. He detailed to students and young adults how to strengthen their faith in the church and how to face doubts. Elder McKay, Church Historian …
Continue reading “Elder McKay’s Sure and Certain Foundation for Unhistory and Brainwashing”
Hinckley made it clear that the church doesn’t share financial statements because the information belongs to those who made the contribution. Since 1959, Church finances have not been disclosed to the public, and we can see that church leaders have actively tried to hide finances from the public. Even so, there are disclosures that can …
Continue reading “Church Finances: Follow the Prophet, He has the Money”
Considering the demeaning parable from Elder Renlund about the spoiled boy leaving the boat and Elder Holland being furious with members who “bail” and imploring members to “Stay in the Boat” as well as The Old Ship Zion references from Brigham Young, Mormon church culture has a lot of imagery around boats, and staying in …
The late Dr. D. Michael Quinn was among the many scholars who were forced to choose between promoting church propaganda and maintaining their integrity as historians in response to Elder Packer’s controversial talk “The Mantle is Far Greater Than the Intellect,”. Quinn delivered a pointed response to Elder Packer’s remarks in his lecture entitled “On …
Continue reading “On Being a Mormon Historian from Michael Quinn”
Many church leaders bemoan those who leave the church and then refuse to leave the church alone. Despite the ethical duty many ex-members feel to expose fraud when they see one or the training they have received to “always be converting” as missionaries. What about the hypocrisy when the church commonly talks about those who …
Continue reading “Elder Maxwell Tells ExMormons to Go Bowling and Leave the Church Alone”
Joseph Fielding Smith wasn’t the only church leader that didn’t accept evolution. He claimed, “if evolution is true, the church is false.” He could be dismissed as a “man of his times”, especially now that it’s been a lifetime since he published that statement in his Doctrines of Salvation book. We have this same sentiment …
Continue reading “Russell M Nelson Continues Mormon Tradition To Deny Evolution”
Mormon Church President, Russell M Nelson is being honored by the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel on Morehouse College Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. He is to receive a new award, the first recipient, which is to be called the Gandhi-King-Mandela Peace Prize. This is in coordination with the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Institute at the chapel. What …
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Before M Russell Ballard was an apostle, he is praised as a successful businessman. He was involved in various business pursuits in Utah. He was the top-selling salesman for his father’s Nash car dealership, which he left and in the late 1950s put his efforts into being the first Edsel car dealer in Salt Lake City. Sadly, …
Continue reading “Elder M Russell Ballard’s Colorful History With the SEC”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, previous Justice of the State of Utah Supreme Court, but currently in the First Presidency of the Mormon church, submitted a “testimony” to the Senate Finance Committee Hearing in 2011 regarding the debate on whether charitable deductions should be considered when calculating taxes. In other words, he’s talking about the tax-exempt …
Continue reading “Dallin Oaks Lectures Senate Committee regarding Honesty”
There are many many acronyms in the nomenclature of the Mormon church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come up with many nicknames for parts of the organization or even doctrines, most of which are acronyms. Some of these are “official” acronyms while others have simply developed naturally over time. It should …
Continue reading “What does TSCC mean when referring to the Mormon church? TBM? PIMO? MFMC?”
The New Narrative We have many statements and posts from current church leaders trying to normalize Joseph’s seer stone translation. We have Elder Uchtdorf and Brother Brad Wilcox discussing the rock in a hat and independently comparing it to a mobile phone of all things. We even have President Nelson demonstrating the rock-in-hat procedure Joseph …
The church has done much to normalize the fact that Joseph Smith used a peep stone or seer stone when he purportedly translated the Book of Mormon. They have released images of the exact stone he used and have received quite a bit of pushback since in the past, the narrative was he used the …
Continue reading “Elder Uchtdorf Compares Peep Stone to His Smartphone”
Boyd K Packer gave a talk to religious educators at a symposium on the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history. The talk was given at Brigham Young University on August 22, 1981 and is titled The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect. This is an infamous talk among scholars because Packer commands them …
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There are myriad warnings against dissension and apostasy by church leaders. Church leaders are afraid of those who leave the church behind. Those who leave have the gumption and the gall to stand up for what they believe in, rather than believing what they are told to believe. Those who leave have the courage to …
Continue reading “Mormon Authorities Threaten Doubters With “Don’t You Dare Bail” Messages”
The president of the Mormon church, LDS church, or as he wants it to be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints had made a stand about the term Mormon. After years of the church learning to embrace the nickname and fund ad campaigns promoting members of the church as Mormons, President Nelson …
Continue reading “The Church Leaves the Term Mormon, But Can’t Leave it Alone”
What Happened between Fanny Alger and Joseph Smith? As a young woman, Fanny Alger was a servant in Joseph Smith’s house. She lived with the family for a time while also serving as a maid. Joseph Smith and Fanny got very close. Multiple accounts exist of Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife catching Joseph celestializing (sexually involved) …
Continue reading “Fanny Alger, Joseph Smith’s “dirty, nasty, filthy affair” Teen Bride”
John Taylor, the third President of the church, would not recognize the church today. He invites discussion and investigation on even trivial matters. He’s not afraid of research or whack-a-mole. When there was speculation and disagreement about a certain plot of land which Brigham Young was reimbursed for after having personally purchased for the church …
Continue reading “We Want Nothing Secret Nor Underhanded – Not The Mormon Church Today”
Though Oaks will say research is not the answer, and the church uses research to understand why they are losing so many members to a faith crisis, the church handbook has something else to say about research. Research in the Church Research as defined in the church handbook is to gather information to support the …
Continue reading “What is Research According to the Mormon church”
Elder Jeffrey R Holland gave a fiery talk at a devotional in Tempe, Arizona in April 2016. Tempe Rescue This is a very dynamic address, and he’s quite emotionally charged about those who leave. Though charged, Holland does come off as more intelligent than in his BBC interview where he claims he’s neither an idiot …
Continue reading “Elder Holland’s Taffy-Pulled Devotional – Don’t You Dare Bail & Stay in the Boat!”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints With all the hubbub about referring to the church by the proper name, as directed by church president Russell Nelson, let’s stop and look at what the church name is. Why does the official name of the church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) contain …
Continue reading “Retrofitting Revelation For The Mormon Church Official Name”
As a result of a believing Mormon potentially leading the United States, there was increased scrutiny of the Mormon church. John Sweeny, of the BBC, interviewed LDS Apostle Jeffrey Holland for a program called ‘The Mormon Candidate’ which aired on BBC in 2012. Holland is caught in lies during the interview and resorts to claiming he’s neither an idiot or a dodo.
Orson Pratt was an early Apostle of the church. He believed and proclaims that the Book of Mormon is inspired and true. He has some pointed criticisms of the book though if it turns out not to be true. If false, [The Book of Mormon] is one of most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever …
Continue reading “Orson Pratt Wouldn’t Have Left the Mormon Church Alone”
The CES Letter is a collection of questions, concerns, and doubts about the Mormon church’s truth claims addressed to a Church Education System Director from Jeremy Runnels. Learn about the background, the effects and rebuttals and some of the contents.
The report concludes with suggestions the mormon church can take to mitigate the further loss of members due to a faith crisis. This report shows that the church leaders are well aware of the fact that members are leaving and why they are leaving and shows us insight into how the church thinks it can plug this membership leak.
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”
Kelly has a story of conversion and deconstruction and deconversion. She went from being a “Golden Convert”, to feeling racist discrimination for the first time in her life in the Mormon church doctrines. She dug in to learn all the hidden issues in church history and despite her best efforts, could no longer believe the …
Continue reading “Kelly Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
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”
![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](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/orson-pratt-if-bom-false.jpg?fit=940%2C1200&ssl=1)
!["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)
