Tag Archives: mormonism

LDS religion and culture.

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 …

Continue reading “Millions Shall Worship Brother Joseph Again But Don’t Google Us”

Martha Brotherton: Pressured by Church Leaders to Become a Plural Wife

In July 1842, the Sangamo Journal published the affidavit of Martha H. Brotherton, a young English convert who had only recently arrived in Nauvoo with her family. In it, she recounts a disturbing encounter where she was pressured by church leaders Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Joseph Smith himself to become Young’s plural wife. …

Continue reading “Martha Brotherton: Pressured by Church Leaders to Become a Plural Wife”

Religion and Tribes

The LDS Church is Just Another Man-Made Religion One of the hardest truths to face when stepping back from Mormonism is this: The LDS Church is just a man-made religion, no more divinely authoritative than any other. That sentence alone might feel heavy, especially for a “true believing Mormon” (TBM). It cuts directly against the …

Continue reading “Religion and Tribes”

Deseret News on Polygamy

The Audacity The recent Deseret News opinion piece condemning polygamy and polyamory as a “direct threat to kids” and insisting that “monogamy ought to remain our social ideal” is dripping with irony. For a newspaper owned by the LDS Church to rail against the supposed dangers of polygamy—without mentioning their own history as America’s largest …

Continue reading “Deseret News on Polygamy”

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 …

Continue reading “Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Denials: Carefully Worded Lies, Loopholes, and Lasting Damage”

Nathanael Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight

Meet Nathanael, whose story demonstrates the profound courage required to choose integrity over comfort, even when it means dismantling the very foundation upon which you’ve built your life. As a descendant of Mormon pioneers with deep ancestral roots in the faith, Nathanael’s journey represents one of the most authentic and thoughtful deconversion stories we’ve encountered. …

Continue reading “Nathanael Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”

A subtle and very effective form of censorship is the silent treatment. "It is permitted," writes St. Augustine, "for the purpose of building up religion in things pertaining to piety, when necessary, to conceal whatever appears to need concealing; but it is not permitted to lie, of course, and so one may not conceal by way of lying." - Hugh Nibley, Renowned LDS Scholar, Mormonism and Early Christianity | wasmormon.org
A subtle and very effective form of censorship is the silent treatment. "It is permitted," writes St. Augustine, "for the purpose of building up religion in things pertaining to piety, when necessary, to conceal whatever appears to need concealing; but it is not permitted to lie, of course, and so one may not conceal by way of lying." - Hugh Nibley, Renowned LDS Scholar, Mormonism and Early Christianity

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 …

Continue reading “Lying for the Lord”

Sunstone Symposium Recap

The Sunstone Symposium is an annual conference where anyone with an interest in things Mormon—and Mormon-adjacent—can gather to learn, discuss, and connect. It’s a unique space where active Latter-day Saints, fundamentalist Mormons, scholars, and ex-Mormons come together to explore a wide range of ideas in a respectful and curious environment. This year’s symposium, held in …

Continue reading “Sunstone Symposium Recap”

I was baptized at 8 years old on the Fourth of July. But I wasn't active in the church until I was 18. As a result, I've always felt like a convert. I agreed to the baptism because I felt it was something my mother wanted, but I understood none of it, and in fact, what I was really looking forward to wasn't the baptism at all but the fireworks that night. Mormonism was just another religion to me because all my friends were Catholics or Baptists or nothing at all. I had been attending a Baptist elementary school since kindergarten, and I occasionally joined my friend for Saturday mass. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
I was baptized at 8 years old on the Fourth of July. But I wasn't active in the church until I was 18. As a result, I've always felt like a convert. I agreed to the baptism because I felt it was something my mother wanted, but I understood none of it, and in fact, what I was really looking forward to wasn't the baptism at all but the fireworks that night. Mormonism was just another religion to me because all my friends were Catholics or Baptists or nothing at all. I had been attending a Baptist elementary school since kindergarten, and I occasionally joined my friend for Saturday mass. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/

Why Didn’t Cowdery, Whitmer, or Harris Expose Joseph Smith as a Fraud?

A common apologetic argument in defense of Joseph Smith is that his closest early associates—Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris—never outright denounced him as a fraud, even after they left or were cast out of the church. The logic goes: if anyone would have known the “truth” behind the origins of the Book of …

Continue reading “Why Didn’t Cowdery, Whitmer, or Harris Expose Joseph Smith as a Fraud?”

“Not one of the Three Witnesses [Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, or Martin Harris] ever denied his testimony of the Book of Mormon.” - Michael R. Morris, The Last Witness of the Three Witnesses, The New Era, January 2020 | [Oliver Cowdery] arose and addressed the audience present, admitted his error and implored forgiveness, and said he was sorry and ashamed of his connection with Mormonism. | “Smith, having become worldly and proud, has been forsaken of the Lord, and has become a knave and impostor.” - Martin Harris | “If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints.” - David Whitmer | wasmormon.org
“Not one of the Three Witnesses [Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, or Martin Harris] ever denied his testimony of the Book of Mormon.” - Michael R. Morris, The Last Witness of the Three Witnesses, The New Era, January 2020 | [Oliver Cowdery] arose and addressed the audience present, admitted his error and implored forgiveness, and said he was sorry and ashamed of his connection with Mormonism. | “Smith, having become worldly and proud, has been forsaken of the Lord, and has become a knave and impostor.” - Martin Harris | “If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints.” - David Whitmer

Joseph Smith’s Twice “Inspired” Translation of Matthew: Two Versions and Considerable Differences

Joseph Smith claimed to be a prophet, seer, and revelator—one uniquely gifted by God with the power to translate ancient scripture by divine means. Among his translation projects was the “Joseph Smith Translation” (JST) of the Bible, also known as the Inspired Version. But a close look at this work raises serious questions about the …

Continue reading “Joseph Smith’s Twice “Inspired” Translation of Matthew: Two Versions and Considerable Differences”

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 …

Continue reading “The 1886 Revelation Denial and the LDS Church’s Longstanding Dishonesty”

“No mention of angelic ordinations can be found in original documents until 1834-35. Thereafter accounts of the visit of Peter, James, and John by Cowdery and Smith remained vague and contradictory. The distance between traditional accounts of LDS priesthood beginnings and the differing story of early documents points to retrospective changes made in the public record to create a story of logical and progressive development.” - Dr D. Michael Quinn, Historian on Mormonism, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, p. 14–15 | wasmormon.org
“No mention of angelic ordinations can be found in original documents until 1834-35. Thereafter accounts of the visit of Peter, James, and John by Cowdery and Smith remained vague and contradictory. The distance between traditional accounts of LDS priesthood beginnings and the differing story of early documents points to retrospective changes made in the public record to create a story of logical and progressive development.” - Dr D. Michael Quinn, Historian on Mormonism, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, p. 14–15

Did Sidney Rigdon Influence the Priesthood Restoration?

The modern LDS Church presents the restoration of priesthood authority—first the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist on May 15, 1829, and then the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John—as pivotal, well-documented events in church history. However, early sources and the timeline of doctrinal development tell a much murkier story, one that raises serious …

Continue reading “Did Sidney Rigdon Influence the Priesthood Restoration?”

“Claims that polygamy was never a central tenet of Mormonism, or that it was not essential for the highest reward in heaven, ignore a large body of teachings to the contrary. The subject was frequently addressed in religious meetings where church members were told to live in a manner worthy of entering the new order. Those who turned away from it were reproached. Polygamy, some said, was as important as baptism.” - B. Carmon Hardy (1934–2016) Professor of History. Doing the Works of Abraham: Mormon Polygamy, Its origin, practice, and demise. | wasmormon.org
“Claims that polygamy was never a central tenet of Mormonism, or that it was not essential for the highest reward in heaven, ignore a large body of teachings to the contrary. The subject was frequently addressed in religious meetings where church members were told to live in a manner worthy of entering the new order. Those who turned away from it were reproached. Polygamy, some said, was as important as baptism.” - B. Carmon Hardy (1934–2016) Professor of History. Doing the Works of Abraham: Mormon Polygamy, Its origin, practice, and demise.

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 …

Continue reading “Priesthood Restoration Apologetics = Retrofitting and Narrative Engineering”