Court - wasmormon.org

60 Minutes Transcript: Whistleblower David Nielsen Speaks Out After Reporting the Mormon Church to IRS in 2019

"What's at stake?" "Integrity. Integrity is at stake: Mine, Ensign Peak's, and the Church's. We've got to go through a process and make the world better." – David Nielsen, former senior portfolio manager at Ensign Peak Advisors turned Whistleblower | wasmormon.org

The show 60 Minutes broadcast a segment about the Mormon Billions. Sharyn Alfonsi follows up with whistleblower David Nielsen who resigned from his position at Ensign Peak Advisors and wrote the whistleblower report in 2019. Since then, the Mormon church has been fined 5 million dollars by the SEC for illegal filing practices, but Nielsen …

Continue reading “60 Minutes Transcript: Whistleblower David Nielsen Speaks Out After Reporting the Mormon Church to IRS in 2019”

New Hymn: Oy vey, Heavenly Mother

This newly penned hymn is based upon the Eliza Snow poem, Oh My Father, which was turned into an LDS hymn. It is written in fake biblical style because, if it was good enough for Joe Smith in the Book of Mormon, why not. The Mormon song books are sorely lacking material around the topic of …

Continue reading “New Hymn: Oy vey, Heavenly Mother”

On Being a Mormon Historian from Michael Quinn

"The tragic reality is that there have been occasions when Church leaders, teachers, and writers have not told the truth they knew about difficulties of the Mormon past, but have offered to the Saints instead a mixture of platitudes, half-truths, omissions, and plausible denials... A so-called "faith-promoting" Church history which conceals controversies and difficulties of the Mormon past actually undermines the faith of Latter-day Saints who eventually learn about the problems from other sources." Dr. D Michael Quinn, Excommunicated Mormon | wasmormon.org

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”

Stop Paying Tithing and Challenge the Tax Exemption Status of the Mormon Church

Should we include these deductions in your tax return for 2020? Do the donations to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints still apply? – “Paying tithing is more of a sense of commitment than it is the church needing the money. So they never wanted to be in a position where people felt like, you know, they shouldn’t make a contribution.” – Roger Clarke, the head of Ensign Peak | wasmormon.org

Tax time in the US and as people are leaving the church, they are receiving real blessings. In many countries, donating money to a charitable organization is tax deductible, meaning this decreases your taxable income. This is a perk to tithing for some people, it can save you some money on your taxes, though not …

Continue reading “Stop Paying Tithing and Challenge the Tax Exemption Status of the Mormon Church”

Joseph Smith Confirms His Seer Stone Is Nonsense

"[Joseph Smith] told [me] his gift in seeing with a stone and hat... this 'peeping' was all damned nonsense." - Alva Hale, Emma's Brother, Joseph's Brother-in-law | wasmormon.org

Joseph was in trouble with the law for treasure digging with Josiah Stowell. It seems he was working out a pivot in his life and transitioning from treasure-digging to becoming a religious leader. As he learns that you can get into serious trouble taking people’s money and leading a treasure dig with a peep stone …

Continue reading “Joseph Smith Confirms His Seer Stone Is Nonsense”

Dallin Oaks Lectures Senate Committee regarding Honesty

"Our nation is held together not just by law and its enforcement, but by voluntary obedience to the unenforceable and by widespread adherence to norms of right and wrong, such as the vital principle of honesty." - Elder Dallin H Oaks Submitted Testimony to Senate Finance Committee Hearing October 18, 2011

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”

Other First Visions, Which are Not of This Fold

"I turned and bent my course toward the woods, feeling that I must be alone, and away from all human eyes and ears, so that I could pour out my prayer to God... I attempted to pray I found that my heart would not pray... when I came to try, I was dumb... In attempting to pray I would hear a rustling in the leaves..." Charles Grandison Finney, Upstate New York, 1821

The First Vision of Joseph Smith is told today as an original exact story detailing the unique experience that sets the foundation for Mormonism and the restoration movement. We’ve discussed that even though one version of the story is canonized in Joseph Smith History as the “official” version, there are multiple versions of the first …

Continue reading “Other First Visions, Which are Not of This Fold”

Fanny Alger, Joseph Smith’s “dirty, nasty, filthy affair” Teen Bride

"A dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger's was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deserted from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself." Oliver Cowdery regarding Joseph Smith and Fanny Alger

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”

LDS Church’s Misstated Filings to SEC Approved by First Presidency

After being ordered to cease and decist misstating filings and settling for $5M. "We reached resolution with the SEC. We affirm our commitment to comply with the law, regret mistakes made, and now consider this matter closed." 2023 First Presidency: Russell M Nelson, Dallin H Oaks, Henry B Eyring - wasmormon.org

For the past week, the church has been all over the news. Not for something they will want to draw publicity. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that the Church has been fined $5 Million for using shell companies to obscure the size of its investment portfolio. On February 21st, the SEC issued a …

Continue reading “LDS Church’s Misstated Filings to SEC Approved by First Presidency”

Retrofitting Revelation For The Mormon Church Official Name

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - hyphenated and even though in all-caps, with a lower case 'd' in Latter-day.

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”

Jeffrey R Holland’s BBC Interview – Transcript and Video Clips

(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

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.

What is the CES Letter? Is it True/Safe to Read?

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.

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 Nauvoo Expositor And More Lies From Joseph Smith

"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.

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”