The question of whether the Book of Mormon is historical—and whether it has to be historical in order to be “true”—is one that has sparked significant debate both within and outside the LDS Church. Here’s an analysis of the issue from various angles: Is the Book of Mormon Historical? The Book of Mormon presents itself …
Continue reading “Is the Book of Mormon Historical? True? Does it Matter?”
Reporter: In 2003 the church denounced the book Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer, calling Krakauer a storyteller who cuts corners to make the story sound good. Now Krakauer’s book has been adapted for TV and is streaming on Hulu. What does the church think of the Hulu adaptation, and more generally how …
Continue reading “Church Mischaracterized Since 1830: Fact or Fiction”
In the year 2000, Deseret Book, the church-owned publishing company, published a joint-written book from two BYU professors, Joseph Fielding McConkie, a BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture, and Craig J. Ostler, a BYU Professor of Church History and Doctrine. The book is titled Revelations of the Restoration, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants and …
Dallin H. Oaks teaches that even true criticisms of church leaders should be avoided, framing this restraint as a necessary way to maintain unity and love within the church. By comparing criticism to blackmail or breaches of confidentiality, Oaks implies that revealing truths that could harm leaders’ reputations is inherently harmful and spiritually unfaithful. He …
Continue reading “Oaks Demonizing Criticism and Avoiding Accountability”
The LDS Philanthropies video addresses how some faithful Latter-day Saint parents can approach passing on family wealth in alignment with their values. The video highlights one couple’s reflections on instilling values in their children, emphasizing that material inheritance if given to children who do not follow LDS teachings, could risk leading them away from the …
Continue reading “The Church Wants Your Unfaithful Children’s Inheritance”
Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is known for recounting dramatic and miraculous personal experiences that highlight his faith and divine protection. However, over the years, these stories have evolved into exaggerated, faith-promoting narratives, raising questions about the accuracy of his accounts. One such story is Nelson’s account …
Moroni’s Promise is a passage found in the Book of Mormon, Moroni 10:3-5, where the prophet Moroni invites readers to test the truthfulness of the book. According to the scripture, Moroni promises that if readers sincerely ask God in prayer, with a genuine heart and real intent, they will receive a confirmation through the Holy …
Continue reading “Moroni’s Promise and Begging the Question”
The church repeatedly states that no tithing money is used for its business purposes, like funding the City Creek Center or bailout money for church-owned insurance company, Beneficial Life. The church is surprisingly secretive about finances and has not publicly disclosed any financial statements in the United States since 1959, that’s 65 years and counting. The …
Continue reading “Donated Tithing Funds vs Earnings on Invested Tithing”
The church makes misleading statements about how much the Apostles and Prophets of the LDS church are paid. They state regularly that there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, and that no one is paid for their church service. This omits the fact that all senior leaders in the church are paid what they …
Today, the fact that Joseph Smith was involved in treasure digging is undisputed, yet still hardly common knowledge among members of the church. This is likely due to the historic denials from church leadership on Joseph and any such occult practices. The church has sought to distance itself from the strange magic practices of the …
Continue reading “Joseph Smith was a Glass Looking Treasure Digger”
Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person experiences discomfort due to holding conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. To reduce this discomfort, individuals often try to reconcile these inconsistencies, either by changing their beliefs, justifying their actions, or avoiding information that exacerbates the conflict. Leon Festinger Social psychologist Leon Festinger coined the term “cognitive dissonance” in the 1950s in …
Corbin Allred is an American actor best known for his roles in film and television, particularly within the Mormon community. Born into the church in Salt Lake City, Utah, Allred was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and his faith played a significant role in some of his …
Determining whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church) qualifies as a cult hinges on various criteria. According to the BITE model, we find evidence that it meets several characteristics associated with cults. Note that the term “cult” carries negative connotations and lacks a universally agreed-upon definition, and …
In an attempt to convince people that the lack of archaeological, DNA, or linguistic evidence supporting the Book of Mormon is nothing to be concerned about, LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard makes quite an interesting claim in the video shown below. He says… I don’t believe that’s how people will ever come to know whether …
Continue reading “Does a “Burning in Your Bosom” Outweigh Physical Evidence?”
Many people who have left the church report still feeling the “spirit” just as they did when they were active members. This feeling is linked to a phenomenon called “Elevation Emotion,” which is well-researched and associated with positive emotions like gratitude and admiration. Researchers can reliably induce this feeling, often described as a warm sensation …
LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen, is known for his intolerance and prejudice. He gave a speech at BYU entitled Race Problems – As They Affect the Church in 1954. This talk is not included in the list of BYU Speeches, though they do include his earlier talks from 1953 entitled Tolerance and Chastity. This talk …
Continue reading “Mormon Race Problems – As They Affect the Church, Mark E Petersen”
Confirmation bias refers to the cognitive tendency of individuals to interpret or seek out information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. When someone experiences confirmation bias, they are more likely to notice, remember, and give greater weight to information that supports their existing beliefs, while disregarding or downplaying evidence that contradicts …
One of the main messages from the church is that IF you feel a warm positive emotion, or feeling THEN you know what is being taught or said is true and from God. As long as the questions you ask align with the questions they want you to ask and your emotional response is what …
Continue reading “Bonneville’s HeartSell® – Strategic Emotional Advertising With the Holy Ghost”
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”
Lorenzo Snow, the 5th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a dutiful Mormon polygamist. He jumped right into the practice and went (according to some accounts) from single to husband of four wives in just 2 days! The official lists of his marriages show he was married to 9 (at …
Continue reading “Hannah Maria Goddard, Lorenzo Snow’s Nearly Forgotten Wife”
Lorenzo Snow Lorenzo Snow was born April 3, 1814, in Ohio. He joined the church in June of 1836 at 22 years of age. In 1837, he was called on a mission, and while serving he missed the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society. He moved to Far West in the summer of 1838, and …
Dianne’s path reflects a profound shift from unwavering faith to skeptical inquiry. Raised in the Mormon tradition and deeply devoted to its tenets and beliefs, her journey toward disbelief began with a clash between science and religious doctrine. As she grappled with the stark disparities between empirical evidence and faith-based teachings, Dianne embarked on an …
Continue reading “Dianne Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
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”
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 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”
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”
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 …
During the Worldwide Relief Society Devotional and Testimony Meeting on March 17, 2024, President Russell M. Nelson and the Relief Society General Presidency spoke to the members of the Relief Society and Young Women. The event was a 40-minute video production. The remarkable part is the claim J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society …
Continue reading “Church Leaders on Power and Authority Broadly Given To Women”
!["David Whitmer maintained [that] the Prophet used an oval-shaped, chocolate-colored seer stone slightly larger than an egg. Thus, everything we have in the Book of Mormon, according to Mr. Whitmer, was translated by placing the chocolate-colored stone in a hat into which Joseph would bury his head so as to close out the light... Such an explanation is, in our judgment, simply fiction created for the purpose of demeaning Joseph Smith and to undermine the validity of the revelations he received" - Joseph Fielding McConkie (BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture) & Craig J. Ostler (BYU Professor, Church History and Doctrine), Revelations of the Restoration. Page 95-96, Deseret Book, 2000 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Joseph-Fielding-McConkie-Craig-J-Ostler-used-an-oval-shaped-chocolate-colored-seer-stone-slightly-larger-than-an-egg-to-translate-book-of-mormon-by-placing-it-in-a-hat.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
!["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](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/M-Russell-Ballard-addresses-the-question-of-whether-there-is-scientific-proof-of-The-Book-of-Mormon.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
!["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)
