Tag Archives: general conference

Semiannual worldwide church meeting with talks from leaders.

Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Denials: Carefully Worded Lies, Loopholes, and Lasting Damage

One of the most unsettling aspects of Mormon history is the secret practice of polygamy. Joseph Smith publicly denied practicing polygamy while secretly marrying between 30 and 40 women, including teenagers and other men’s wives, as the church’s published essay confirms (in a footnote). The exact number of women to whom he was sealed in …

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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
Thank you Internet. Thank you Fawn Brodie, B.H. Roberts, Richard Bushman, Dan Vogel, William Clayton, Todd Compton, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Grant Palmer, Robert Ritner, the Tanners, the Joseph Smith Papers, and a host of podcasters. And thank you Jeremy Runnells, Letter for My Wife, and thank you Gospel Topic Essays. There's more, so much more. And I had not been taught ANY OF IT—not at church meetings, general conference, Institute classes, BYU, a mission, a lifetime in the Mormon church. What a betrayal. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
Thank you Internet. Thank you Fawn Brodie, B.H. Roberts, Richard Bushman, Dan Vogel, William Clayton, Todd Compton, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Grant Palmer, Robert Ritner, the Tanners, the Joseph Smith Papers, and a host of podcasters. And thank you Jeremy Runnells, Letter for My Wife, and thank you Gospel Topic Essays. There's more, so much more. And I had not been taught ANY OF IT—not at church meetings, general conference, Institute classes, BYU, a mission, a lifetime in the Mormon church. What a betrayal. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
“The First Presidency have recently received letters making inquiry concerning the position of the Church regarding the contracting of polygamous or plural marriages. It is evident these letters, a well as from certain published material—some of it distributed during our last General Conference—that a secret and, according to reputation, an oath-bound organization of misguided individuals is seeking to lead the people to adopt adulterous relations under the guise of a pretended and false polygamous or plural marriage ceremony.” - 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
“The First Presidency have recently received letters making inquiry concerning the position of the Church regarding the contracting of polygamous or plural marriages. It is evident these letters, a well as from certain published material—some of it distributed during our last General Conference—that a secret and, according to reputation, an oath-bound organization of misguided individuals is seeking to lead the people to adopt adulterous relations under the guise of a pretended and false polygamous or plural marriage ceremony.” - 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.

The 1886 Revelation Denial and the LDS Church’s Longstanding Dishonesty

In the complex history of Mormonism, few documents expose the tensions between prophetic revelation and institutional survival quite like John Taylor’s 1886 revelation. This revelation, written in Taylor’s own hand, declared that the divine commandment of plural marriage would not and could not be revoked. Yet for over a century, the Church of Jesus Christ …

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“[Many] advocate: Go to any school, take any course, or go to no school at all, and we’ll all end up in the same place with the same heavenly diploma. That just isn’t reasonable, nor is it true. The position that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church upon the face of the earth is fundamental. Perhaps it would be more convenient and palatable and popular if we were to avoid it; nevertheless, we are under a sacred obligation and a sacred trust to hold to it. It is not merely an admission; it is a positive declaration. It is so fundamental that we cannot yield on this point.” - Boyd K. Packer, LDS Apostle, General Conference, October 1971 | wasmormon.org
“[Many] advocate: Go to any school, take any course, or go to no school at all, and we’ll all end up in the same place with the same heavenly diploma. That just isn’t reasonable, nor is it true. The position that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church upon the face of the earth is fundamental. Perhaps it would be more convenient and palatable and popular if we were to avoid it; nevertheless, we are under a sacred obligation and a sacred trust to hold to it. It is not merely an admission; it is a positive declaration. It is so fundamental that we cannot yield on this point.” - Boyd K. Packer, LDS Apostle, General Conference, October 1971

Trust Us—We Don’t Know: Dallin H. Oaks, Polygamy, and the Promise of Mormon Heaven

In a 2019 talk, Dallin H. Oaks—apostle and current First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—responded to a question that hits at the heart of the legacy peculiar Mormon doctrine of plural marriage, especially for women today: If a woman marries a widower sealed to his first …

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As the Savior concluded the Sermon on the Mount, He emphasized the eternal truth that “only by doing the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtainable.” ... Our understanding of this episode is enlarged as we reflect upon an inspired revision to the text. Significantly, the Lord’s phrase reported in the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you,” was changed in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye never knew me.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle, “If Ye Had Known Me”, General Conference, October 2016 | wasmormon.org
As the Savior concluded the Sermon on the Mount, He emphasized the eternal truth that “only by doing the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtainable.” ... Our understanding of this episode is enlarged as we reflect upon an inspired revision to the text. Significantly, the Lord’s phrase reported in the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you,” was changed in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye never knew me.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle, “If Ye Had Known Me”, General Conference, October 2016

Can Mormons Wear Tank Tops? What are Porn Shoulders?

In Mormonism, modesty has long been tied to righteousness, especially for women and girls. From early youth activities to temple preparation, countless lessons reinforce the idea that spiritual worth is directly connected to how much skin is covered. Among the most scrutinized body parts? Shoulders. For generations, sleeveless dresses have been seen as taboo—unworthy of …

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“Young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, Quote from Pornography Talk at General Conference, April 2005, Photo: Becket Fund for Religious Liberty Canterbury Medal Dinner in New York City, 16 May 2013 | wasmormon.org
“Young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, Quote from Pornography Talk at General Conference, April 2005, Photo: Becket Fund for Religious Liberty Canterbury Medal Dinner in New York City, 16 May 2013
“This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter.” - Henry B. Eyring, The True and Living Church, April 2008, General Conference | wasmormon.org
“This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter.” - Henry B. Eyring, The True and Living Church, April 2008, General Conference

Shifting Visions of God: Unpacking Mormonism’s Developing Theology Through Joseph Smith’s First Vision Accounts

Joseph Smith’s various accounts of the First Vision provide a window into his evolving theology, particularly regarding the nature of the Godhead. The changes in each version, when looked at as a narrative through a lens to understand the thinking of church leadership at the time, show ideas developing and how these changing ideas were …

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Mormonism’s Legacy of Slavery

The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the 19th century is marked by moments of conflict, migration, and the formation of a new religious identity in the American frontier. LDS leaders suggest that early Latter-day Saints were persecuted for being abolitionists or for holding enlightened racial views, meanwhile, …

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Church Leadership Claims No Financial Compensation For Service

During the 2025 April General Conference, Steven D. Shumway continued to push the narrative that church leaders are not paid for their service in the church. He claims that “we do not receive financial compensation for serving.” This is misleading and exemplifies a glaring transparency issue regarding church leadership and finances. While it is technically true …

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Oaks’ Temporary Commandments and The Shifting Sands of “Permanent” Laws

Dallin H. Oaks introduced a new concept during the October 2024 General Conference. He states that while some commandments are permanent, others are temporary. He then provides a few examples of each before moving on in his talk and not returning to the subject to conclude that we must forgo contention, be peacemakers, and avoid …

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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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