Cameron’s life was steeped in the culture and expectations of Mormonism, growing up in a loving yet disciplined home in Orem, Utah, with milestones like baptism, priesthood ordination, and temple marriage shaping his path. These events were celebrated as pillars of faith and family life, and he embraced them wholeheartedly. However, as he began to …
Continue reading “Cameron Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
The research into Native American DNA conclusively demonstrates that the ancestors of American Indians migrated from Asia, not the Middle East. This has profound implications for the claims of the Book of Mormon. For decades, the Book of Mormon described Lamanites as the “principal ancestors” of American Indians—a key narrative aligning with Joseph Smith’s teachings …
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 …
Meet Kate, a woman who has faced incredible challenges as she navigated a profound faith transition. Kate was “born in the covenant” and spent her life in the Church. But at 45, her “proverbial Mormon shelf” came crashing down, triggered by a series of life changes that left her feeling lost, uprooted, and homeless—all tied …
Continue reading “Kate Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
City Creek Center is a large, upscale shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, that opened in 2012. It spans over 20 acres and features retail stores, restaurants, office spaces, and residential units. The development is notable for its retractable glass roof, pedestrian sky bridge, and an artificial creek running through the property, making …
Continue reading “Let’s Go Shopping – City Creek Center and Tithing”
“The Emperor’s New Clothes” is a classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. It tells the story of an emperor who two cunning weavers deceive. They promise him a …
Henry B. Eyring had a moment of vulnerable honesty. He states that in sustaining the church leaders, church members promise God that you will sustain the leaders no matter what they do. He might know something of the future after all, because he says that keeping the promise will take unshakable faith that the Lord …
Continue reading “Sustaining Leaders Takes Unshakable Faith”
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”
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”
Doubt is frequently cast as the opposite of faith. Doubt is frequently shunned, and sometimes, outright condemned. Mormon leaders today demonize doubt and admonish members to doubt their doubts, to stop rehearsing their doubts with others, researching doubts is not going to provide answers and even that research itself is not the solution to doubt. …
Continue reading “Doubt is Not the Opposite of Faith; Certainty Is”
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”
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?”
We are taught in the church from a young age to do what is right, no matter the consequences. We even learn to sing, “do what is right; let the consequence follow” from the old protestant hymn that the church has adopted and number 237 in the current hymn book. Do what is right; let …
Continue reading “Do What Is Right Let the Consequence Follow”
A Mormon Bishop in a Mississippi Ward resigned from his calling during a message he delivered in sacrament meeting in front of his ward. He asked to be released from his calling and wanted his ward to hear about it directly from him. He states it is not because of any sins or because he’s …
Continue reading “Mormon Bishop Resigns at Pulpit in Mississippi Sacrament Meeting”
Walt Whitman Walt Whitman (1819-92) is considered to be the most important American poet of the 19th century. He published the first edition of his major work, Leaves of Grass, in 1855 and updated it throughout his life with updated editions. Whitman’s work broke away from traditional poetic forms, embracing free verse and celebrating the …
Continue reading “Examine What You Know – Dismiss What Insults Your Soul”
Mormon scripture teaches that faith is hope in things that are not seen but true. If we can see that they are not true, then how can we still have faith in them? Faith is required when there is an absence of facts. It is a hope for things that are true but not seen. …
A famous saying within the Church states, “As man is now, God once was; as God is now, man may be.” This couplet, originating from Joseph Smith’s King Follet discourse, was popularized by the fifth Church President Lorenzo Snow. Time Magazine published an article about Mormons and asked President Gordon B Hinckley about this concept …
Continue reading “Hinckley’s “I Don’t Know That We Teach It” Interview”
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 …
Continue reading “Elder Ballard Gave Mormon Tithing Records to Tim Ballard as Potential OUR Donors”
At the end of Section 76, (3 Degrees of Glory) the ‘D&C Commentary’ issues a salient warning to all those who would desert the faith, by naming brother Lyman Johnson as a: ‘Particular kind of apostate’ who “never had a really happy day” after leaving the fold and ended up drowning in an accident. “In one portion of this Revelation the eternal misery …
Continue reading “Apostates Can Never Have a Really Happy Day?”
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 …
Russell M. Nelson would have us believe he is in direct conversation with Jesus and with God the Father. Neil Anderson recounts a story from Wendy Nelson (Russell M. Nelson’s second wife) on his Facebook page which details Russell M. Nelson’s frequent practice of receiving revelation. It’s so frequent that he keeps a lined yellow …
Continue reading “Does President Nelson Talk With God? Do Any Church Leaders?”
Long-serving Apostle Boyd K Packer famously said that “some things that are true are not very useful,” he also stated that “the truth is not uplifting, it destroys”. Seems to contradict the idea that “the truth will set you free,” no? And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/8?lang=eng&id=32#p32 Apostle Boyd K. Packer was …
Continue reading “Mormon Apostle Knows The Truth Is Not Uplifting”
Daniel was raised Mormon and cruised along the Mormon conveyor belt in life. He’s also a physician and was educated to “research and investigate, to seek truth from reliable sources”. He suffered from religious scrupulosity and constantly felt like a sinner. He came across the Gospel Topic Essays though and quickly felt “uneasy with the …
Continue reading “Daniel Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Echoing sentiments of When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done and The prophet will never lead the Church astray for the next generation, Elder Ballard spoke at a devotional in 1996 and reasoned that members should keep their “eyes riveted on the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles” He said …
Continue reading “Elder Ballard Claims Church Leaders Can Not Lead You Astray”
Brigham Young was the second leader of the Mormon church. He wanted no dissension among the ranks and taught that members who openly disagree with church leaders are cursed. He said that any who reject Mormon doctrine or the absolute authority of the church leaders are apostates. He shared what he thinks of an apostate. …
Russel M. Nelson and his second wife, Wendy, were involved in an altercation in Mozambique, Africa while visiting the mission home in 2009. The mission home is alarmingly robbed by assailants. When first reported there is nothing involving criminals targeting church leaders. The only injuries mentioned in the reports were the Mission President’s wife having …
Micah was all in and fully believed in the church. He lived every bit of it. To be more prepared for the second coming, he studied church doctrine deeply. But as he studied church history, he learned that what he’s always been taught wasn’t exactly an honest representation of history. In fact, he found that …
Continue reading “Micah Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
The authors of the fascinating book about Emma Smith, Mormon Enigma were reprimanded for publishing it. They weren’t excommunicated, but they were forbidden to speak in meetings and firesides. Elder Oaks spoke with Linda Newell (one of the authors of Mormon Enigma) as she recounted in her talk at the 1992 Pacific Northwest Sunstone Symposium called “The …
![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)
