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 …
Continue reading “Mormons Call the Church President the Prophet But Haven’t Always”
The church leadership announced a $2 million donation to the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. Church President Russell M. Nelson stated that “the gift from the church will strengthen Native American and other families by creating within the museum a FamilySearch center.” The church praises itself on this contribution in a newsroom article and …
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 …
Investigation reveals more than $1 billion raised by the Mormon church in Canada has been funneled to the U.S. rather than going to charitable works in this country. We hear from former members in Canada and elsewhere who say concerns about how money is spent have led them to leave the church. – The Fifth …
Continue reading “The Mormon-Canadian-BYU Billion Dollar Tithing Funnel”
Gordon B. Hinckley’s quote underscores the foundational importance of the First Vision in Mormon theology. Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. …Upon that unique and wonderful experience stands the validity of this Church. …
Continue reading “If The First Vision Did Not Occur, This Work Is A Fraud – Hinckley”
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”
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”
A member of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy, Hugo Montoya, shared a message in the Ensign, the church magazine, in June 2017. He is among the top leadership of the religion. He adds to the Mormon paranoia of doubt. The church demonizes doubt and uses fear to scare members from questioning their authority or …
Veronika’s faith journey from a Mormon to an agnostic secular humanist shows personal evolution and intellectual transformation. Growing up in Utah, she was the first in her immediate family to step away from the LDS Church. Initially embracing the conviction that living the gospel would lead to a happy life, Veronika grappled with the church’s …
Continue reading “Veronika Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Brother Ahmad S. Corbitt, the then First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, gave a talk to LDS Chaplains, on October 4, 2022, in which he teaches against activism directed towards the church. He doesn’t want members getting any ideas that they can influence or change things the church does by criticizing, complaining, or …
Continue reading “Church Claims Activism a Tactic of Satan and Gaslights Members”
President Spencer W Kimball, as president of the church gave a speech at BYU about Marriage and Divorce in 1976. This talk is currently referenced frequently, nearly 50 years later, in church lesson manuals and by church leaders. In this talk, he spoke against interracial marriages. He advised against marriages between those from differing economic …
General Authorities and top leaders of the church are compensated or paid for their work, though technically they claim they are not on salary. The church claims over and over that there is no paid clergy and that the church runs on volunteers. But we can see that they are choosing their words carefully at …
The church held a special Broadcast for the Utah Area to drum up interest and enlist more senior missionaries in the service of the church. Elder Kevin Pearson, of the Seventy, who is also the Area President of the Utah Area worked to fire up the attendees with a call to serve. He urged all …
Continue reading “One Mission Is Not Enough – Church Urges Seniors for Two”
In the October 1984 General Conference, Elder Ronald E. Poelman of the First Quorum of the Seventy gave a talk that many who saw, heard, or witnessed live thought was an amazing talk that addressed many things that had thus far remained unsaid regarding the relationship between the Mormon church and the Mormon Gospel. The …
Continue reading “Censoring ‘The Gospel and the Church’ Talk”
Nearly every speaker in a testimony meeting says “I know the church is true.” This is a nonsensical statement, but considering the Illusory Truth Effect we can see what the church may be after. We know that repetitions don’t make statements any more true, but psychologically we do tend to believe things we’ve heard repeatedly. …
The church published a video on YouTube and other social media channels making seemingly outrageous and impossible-to-fake claims about the Book of Mormon with the conclusion “How can it not be true?” Here is the content of the video: Imagine writing a book: How can it not be true? This mirrors the famous Hugh Nibley …
Mormonism Is a Religion of Unwritten Rules Mormonism as a religion and a culture relies heavily on unwritten and even unspoken rules. The religion judges members on these rules and judges everyone for adherence to the unwritten rules. There are theological assumptions that are entirely based on some of these rules and the religion has …
Continue reading “Unwritten Rules Are A Foundation Built On Sand”
The Covenant Intimacy Conversations discuss the challenging transition individuals may face when moving from a state of being sexually active to sexually inactive due to divorce or the death of a spouse. It states that while it may not be possible to fully replace the aspect of sexual intimacy lost through such life changes, individuals …
Continue reading “BYU Counsels Divorcees to “Fill the holes that were once filled by sex””
Boyd K. Packer gave a BYU devotional on 15th of October 1996 called The Unwritten Order of Things in which he discusses the unwritten rules and cultural standards of Mormonism. He states “The things that I shall tell you are not explained in the scriptures.” “The things I am going to tell you are not …
The church makes a big deal about having no paid clergy. They proclaim that the church is led by a lay ministry of volunteers and no one is compensated for their work or service in the church. Church Led by Volunteer Service The missionaries are taught this fact, and all the missionaries are required to …
Continue reading “How Much Are Mormon Church Leaders Compensated?”
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 …
Continue reading “Would There Be Fewer Mistakes if God Restored His Church Through You?”
David A. Bednar, Mormon Apostle, visited the University of Texas and spoke at a devotional for young adults. He shared a story in which a friend he calls “John and Heather” faced a serious health challenge, prompting a discussion about faith and healing. Bednar surprisingly asked when about to give John a blessing, if John …
The Book of Abraham is a sacred text of the church. The church claims it is a translation by Joseph Smith from an ancient Egyptian papyrus he acquired. The book states that it contains “the writings of Abraham,” the biblical patriarch and that they are “written by his own hand, upon papyrus.” The contents are …
The church published a Gospel Living article on its website with a title referring to a memorable “moment in the barn” as one that “she” would never forget. The title is full of intrigue and leads a reader to wonder who this she is, and what this unforgettable moment was. Mary Whitmer in the Barn …
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Is tithing a forever part of the Mormon church? Or will there be a day when it will have enough funds in the bank and in the “rainy day fund” that it will direct members that it is no longer required to enter the temple? Will the church go as far as to ask members …
Continue reading “Will the Church Ever Have Sufficient To Stop Requiring Tithing?”
Orson Pratt, an Apostle in the Mormon church once invited others to “teach us our errors; convince us of our delusions.” He thought that the church was walking in true Christianity. This echoes a statement from Joseph Smith asking others to “convince us of our delusions,” and claiming that “we will be ever grateful for …
Gordon B Hinckley was interviewed on Larry King Live in 1998 (see Hinckley’s 1998 Larry King Interview, briefly in 2001, and then again in 2004. Here is the transcript of the 2004 interview. In this interview, Hinckley states that, as the prophet, the Lord speaks through him or makes his will manifest through him, even …
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Shaylee was born into the Mormon church and was raised with a fundamentalist leaning. She always knew all the answers at church and graduating seminary was more important to her than high school. She knew about Joseph Smith’s polygamy at a young age and stated that she would “also marry a prophet at age 14 …
Continue reading “Shaylee was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Story Spotlight”
![The church is taking away the government's ability to fund health care, and education, and provide other essential services. They've done it at the expense of taxpayer dollars. There's definitely been a change in [my] perspective. The church teaches that the temple should always be a focal point in your life. The temple has become a physical reminder of greed for me. - Nigel Kennet, a Canadian accountant, was working on the books of a church of a different faith, when he saw how much their members gave to charity. So, he looked into the Mormon's books, and was stunned by where their donations were going. - The Fifth Estate, October 27, 2022 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/canada-5th-estate-Nigel-Kennet-church-taking-away-government-ability-to-fund-essential-services-temple-has-become-a-reminder-of-greed.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)
