Tag Archives: facts

Plural of fact. ‘Facts are stubborn things’ that challenge faith-promoting narratives.

I’ll Pray for You — Hate mail

Visitors sometimes ask why wasmormon.org exists, or why former members don’t just move on. Fair questions deserve straight answers. Occasionally, though, the mail isn’t a question—it’s a script: pity, prophecy, and the old line that people who leave should leave the Church alone. We recently received that kind of message and had an insightful exchange. Below is the full …

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MLK Chapel of Morehouse College Honors Founder of Racist Church

The historically black Morehouse College campus in Atlanta, Georgia, includes an International Chapel that bears the name of the school’s most renowned alumnus, Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2023, the Chapel added a portrait of the then-president of the LDS Church, Russell M. Nelson. More recently, the chapel also added a portrait of church founder …

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Millions Shall Worship Brother Joseph Again But Don’t Google Us

In his BYU–Idaho devotional Millions Shall Know Brother Joseph Again, Jayson Kunzler urges students to reject any information—inside or outside the Church—that might “humanize” Joseph Smith or acknowledge his flaws. He warns that those who study inconvenient history “serve the wrong master” and risk their eternal standing. He insists that members can only truly know …

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I didn’t begin to learn about the critical historical and contemporary issues the church has until several months after I left. I didn’t read, listen to, or watch anything that the church would classify as “anti-Mormon” prior to my resignation. For some reason, it was very important to me to make the decision to leave without any outside influences steering my thinking. Learning about the many unflattering facts that had been deliberately withheld from me, and others, ensured that I wouldn’t be able to come back. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I didn’t begin to learn about the critical historical and contemporary issues the church has until several months after I left. I didn’t read, listen to, or watch anything that the church would classify as “anti-Mormon” prior to my resignation. For some reason, it was very important to me to make the decision to leave without any outside influences steering my thinking. Learning about the many unflattering facts that had been deliberately withheld from me, and others, ensured that I wouldn’t be able to come back. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/

Lying for the Lord

The idea of “lying for the Lord” has long been whispered among members and critics of the LDS Church alike. It reflects the sense that leaders and members sometimes feel justified in withholding, distorting, or even outright fabricating information in order to protect the church or further its goals. In other words, the ends are …

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“A lie can be effectively communicated without words ever being spoken. Sometimes a nod of the head or silence can deceive. Recommending a questionable business investment, making a false entry in a ledger, devious use of flattery, or failure to divulge all pertinent facts are a few other ways to communicate the lie.” - Marvin J. Ashton, LDS Apostle, "This Is No Harm," General Conference April 1982 | wasmormon.org
“A lie can be effectively communicated without words ever being spoken. Sometimes a nod of the head or silence can deceive. Recommending a questionable business investment, making a false entry in a ledger, devious use of flattery, or failure to divulge all pertinent facts are a few other ways to communicate the lie.” - Marvin J. Ashton, LDS Apostle, "This Is No Harm," General Conference April 1982
“While the position of Church since 1893 has been repeatedly set forth, namely that polygamous or plural marriages are not and cannot now be performed, yet in order that there may be no excuse for any Church member to be misled by the false representations or the corrupt, adulterous practices of the members of this secret and (by reputation) oath-bound organisation (of which the history of the Nephites and Lamanites show so many counterparts), it is deemed wise again to set out the position of the Church on this matter, at the same time tracing the outlines of the historical facts lying behind the Church's position, of which many young Church members might not be fully aware.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933. | wasmormon.org
“While the position of Church since 1893 has been repeatedly set forth, namely that polygamous or plural marriages are not and cannot now be performed, yet in order that there may be no excuse for any Church member to be misled by the false representations or the corrupt, adulterous practices of the members of this secret and (by reputation) oath-bound organisation (of which the history of the Nephites and Lamanites show so many counterparts), it is deemed wise again to set out the position of the Church on this matter, at the same time tracing the outlines of the historical facts lying behind the Church's position, of which many young Church members might not be fully aware.” - Official Statement from the First Presidency (Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, J. Reuben Clark) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deseret News, June 17, 1933.

Priesthood Restoration Apologetics = Retrofitting and Narrative Engineering

A BYU Studies article, Priesthood Restoration Documents (BYU Studies, Volume 35, Number 4, 1996), attempts to compile and legitimize the historical claims surrounding the restoration of the priesthood in Mormonism. While the compilation appears scholarly on the surface, the conclusion it draws is apologetic rather than academic. The piece says one thing, but the data …

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“The legality of the council's action in suppressing the Expositor depends upon the nature of the charges in the Expositor... some of the charges involve facts that are essentially undisputed... Politics. The Expositor's general complaints about the union of the authority of church and state in Nauvoo were essentially true... Religion. The same can be said of the Expositor's charges that Joseph Smith was teaching false religious doctrines, notably polygamy. Morality.... Whether the charges were true or false, they were malicious, scandalous, and defamatory.” - Dallin H. Oaks, “The Suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor,” Utah Law Review, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1965 | wasmormon.org
“The legality of the council's action in suppressing the Expositor depends upon the nature of the charges in the Expositor... some of the charges involve facts that are essentially undisputed... Politics. The Expositor's general complaints about the union of the authority of church and state in Nauvoo were essentially true... Religion. The same can be said of the Expositor's charges that Joseph Smith was teaching false religious doctrines, notably polygamy. Morality.... Whether the charges were true or false, they were malicious, scandalous, and defamatory.” - Dallin H. Oaks, “The Suppression of the Nauvoo Expositor,” Utah Law Review, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1965

Leadership Suppress Dissenfecting Light – The Nauvoo Expositor

On June 7, 1844, a bold and short-lived newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor published its first—and only—issue in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was created by former Mormon insiders who could no longer remain silent. They leveled charges against Joseph Smith, including abuse of power, political tyranny, and most explosively, his secret polygamy. The Nauvoo Expositor printed …

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“When I look up at the night sky and I know that yes, we are part of this universe. We are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up—many people feel small because they’re small and the universe is big—but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity. That’s really what you want in life, you want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant, you want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings-on of activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator, TIME Magazine Interview | wasmormon.org
“When I look up at the night sky and I know that yes, we are part of this universe. We are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up—many people feel small because they’re small and the universe is big—but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity. That’s really what you want in life, you want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant, you want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings-on of activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator, TIME Magazine Interview

Mormon Apologist Handbook: Argument does not Create Conviction, Lack of it Destroys Belief

Latter-day Saint apologetics—through institutions like FARMS, FAIR, and now the Interpreter Foundation—have largely operated on a defensive crouch, crafting arguments not to generate genuine conviction, but simply to keep belief from crumbling. Their aim isn’t to persuade the outsider or satisfy the seeker; it’s to keep the disillusioned member tethered, just barely. But Farrer warns …

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Facsimile Problems with the Book of Abraham Translation Theory of Papyri as Catalyst

Apologists for the LDS Church have proposed a theory, the Catalyst Theory, to explain the translation of the Book of Abraham. This theory suggests that the Egyptian papyri Joseph Smith obtained were merely a spiritual trigger, or “catalyst,” for receiving inspired scripture. In other words, the physical texts weren’t actually translated in the traditional sense; …

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How To Leave the Mormon Church

There are many reasons someone might decide to quit the Mormon Church, often stemming from a deep desire for authenticity, integrity, and personal freedom. For some, the decision arises after discovering inconsistencies in the church’s foundational narratives, such as the lack of evidence for the Book of Mormon or the troubling aspects of Joseph Smith’s …

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Joseph Smith’s Kinderhook Plates Kinder-Surprise Translation Redaction

In Kinderhook, Illinois, about 50 miles south of Nauvoo, six bell-shaped brass plates were allegedly found when digging up a burial mound on a farmer’s land. He said he’d dreamt about finding treasure in the mound and organized a dig. A couple Mormons were present when some small plates with ancient-looking inscriptions were found and …

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From ‘the Seer Stone a Fiction to Undermine the Validity of Church’ To ‘Such Aids Are Consistent With Accounts in Scripture’

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 …

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Oaks Demonizing Criticism and Avoiding Accountability

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 …

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Facts vs Beliefs – No Limit At All On What Church Is Required To Teach Or Not Teach

The LDS Church Corporation is currently involved in many many lawsuits. One such is a RICO case, where the church is being accused of behavior more similar to an organized crime network, like the mafia, than a religious institution. What is RICO? A RICO case refers to charges brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt …

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