Tag Archives: Elder Ballard

“Put on a little lipstick now and then and look a little charming” M. Russell Ballard’s Devotional

Elder M. Russell Ballard gave a talk at a YSA Devotional on Saturday, October 24, 2015. The talk was offensive and displayed the patriarchy of the church. Ballard made this comment asking the woman not to “wander around looking like men.” He advised them to “put on a little lipstick now and then and look …

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"You could have [the gold] plates, you could turn the pages, you could look at them, you could hold them, and you wouldn't know any more after that experience whether or not the book is true than you would have before... You will not get to know it by trying to prove it archaeologically, or by DNA, or by anything else, in my judgment... I don't believe that's how people will ever come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is the word of God... Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel." - Elder M. Russell Ballard, LDS Apostle addresses the question of whether there is scientific proof of The Book of Mormon | wasmormon.org
"You could have [the gold] plates, you could turn the pages, you could look at them, you could hold them, and you wouldn't know any more after that experience whether or not the book is true than you would have before... You will not get to know it by trying to prove it archaeologically, or by DNA, or by anything else, in my judgment... I don't believe that's how people will ever come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is the word of God... Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel." - Elder M. Russell Ballard, LDS Apostle addresses the question of whether there is scientific proof of The Book of Mormon
"I don't believe that's how people will ever come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I remember an experience that I had as a mission president some years ago when I presided over the affairs of the church in Eastern Canada. I had met with about 30 different ministers of different religions, and then I let them ask me questions. The very first question I was asked was by a fine minister who said, "Mr. Ballard, if you just give us the gold plates and let us see that they exist, then we would know that the Book of Mormon is true." I looked at him and said, "Father, you know better than that. You're a man of the cloth. You know that God has never revealed religious truth to the heart and soul of a man (or a woman) except by the power of the Spirit. Now, you could have those plates, you could turn the pages, you could look at them, you could hold them, and you wouldn't know any more after that experience whether or not the book is true than you would have before. My question to you is, have you ever read the Book of Mormon?" He said, "No, I haven't." That's how people will come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is true. You will not get to know it by trying to prove it archaeologically, or by DNA, or by anything else, in my judgment. Just pick it up, read it, and pray about it, and you will come to know. Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel. That's the way Heavenly Father answers prayers." M. Russell Ballard, LDS Apostle addresses the question of whether there is scientific proof of The Book of Mormon, 2007 | wasmormon.org
"I don't believe that's how people will ever come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I remember an experience that I had as a mission president some years ago when I presided over the affairs of the church in Eastern Canada. I had met with about 30 different ministers of different religions, and then I let them ask me questions. The very first question I was asked was by a fine minister who said, "Mr. Ballard, if you just give us the gold plates and let us see that they exist, then we would know that the Book of Mormon is true." I looked at him and said, "Father, you know better than that. You're a man of the cloth. You know that God has never revealed religious truth to the heart and soul of a man (or a woman) except by the power of the Spirit. Now, you could have those plates, you could turn the pages, you could look at them, you could hold them, and you wouldn't know any more after that experience whether or not the book is true than you would have before. My question to you is, have you ever read the Book of Mormon?" He said, "No, I haven't." That's how people will come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon is true. You will not get to know it by trying to prove it archaeologically, or by DNA, or by anything else, in my judgment. Just pick it up, read it, and pray about it, and you will come to know. Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel. That's the way Heavenly Father answers prayers." M. Russell Ballard, LDS Apostle addresses the question of whether there is scientific proof of The Book of Mormon, 2007

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 …

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Would There Be Fewer Mistakes if God Restored His Church Through You?

Elder Kyle McKay, the Executive Director of the Church History Department asks a rhetorical question. He asks during a devotional address (A Sure and Certain Foundation) in which he attempts to bolster testimonies by teaching how to believe. He absolves church leaders of mistakes by basically countering that “you couldn’t do any better.” He suggests …

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Church Against Bucket Lists, Traveling and Following Dreams

As we embark on the New Year with resolutions and travel aspirations, consider Elder Rasband’s counsel, which dissuades members from pursuing personal dreams and travel experiences. Discouraging the pursuit of individual “bucket lists,” he advocates prioritizing the church over personal needs, asserting that such pursuits will not bring fulfillment to one’s soul. This raises questions …

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Elder Ballard Gave Mormon Tithing Records to Tim Ballard as Potential OUR Donors

Tim Ballard has been a topic of discussion with his separation from O.U.R., the release of the Sound of Freedom movie, hint at running for US Senate for Utah, and then publicly denounced by the Mormon church leadership. The Davis County investigation into his dealings has produced some interesting allegations. If true these are incredible …

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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 …

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The Lord Is At The Helm?

Despite the fact that church leaders remind us constantly that the Lord is at the head of the church, Uchtforf’s refreshing frankness here clarifies that it’s really men running things, and not the Lord. Once you see it, it’s clear that church leaders are merely men doing their best and stumbling along. They are not …

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Mormon Church vs Tim Ballard: Cancelling Ballard

Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an organization focused on combatting human trafficking, has garnered recent media attention, particularly concerning his association with the Mormon church of which he is a member. During fundraising efforts for the organization, he was known to suggest endorsements from church leaders, including a senior church leader …

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Personal Mormon Faith Crisis Report – Perpetual Cycle of Disaffection

The report also analyses a perpetual cycle of disaffiliated members, where a member finds troubling information and through the age of information and the internet confirms the troubling issue as true and feels betrayed by the church for not being honest, and ends up venting to a family member and causing the cycle to restart for them.