Orson Pratt - wasmormon.org

Deseret News on Polygamy

“Polygamy is particularly disastrous for women... No one can truly feel safe inside a marriage whose vows have an asterisk.” - Perspective: It’s time to push back against the glamorization of polyamory, Opinion By Maria Baer and Brad Wilcox, Deseret News, October 18, 2025 | wasmormon.org

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 …

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Green Flake, The Man and Slave Labor The Church Accepted as Tithing

“One family of enslavers in Nauvoo was the Flake family. They enslaved a man named Green Flake. While building the Nauvoo Temple, families were asked to donate one day in ten to work on the temple. The Flake family used Green's forced labor to fulfill their tithing requirement.” - Joel Flake "Green Flake: His Life and Legacy" | wasmormon.org

Today, the LDS Church no longer condones slavery, and leaders assert that the church has always been against slavery and racism, but there is a hidden history of racism and even slavery in the church. There are even instances where slaves were given as tithing to the church—the church used slave labor in temple construction. Green Flake …

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Irony of Mormon Church Complaining of Bigoted Marriage Laws

“The laws against the plurality of wives, we believe to be unconstitutional, growing out of the narrow-contracted bigoted customs of Apostate Christianity. If the [saints] wish to enjoy the privileges granted by the word God, and by the glorious Constitution of our National Republic, let them depart from under the jurisdiction if these illiberal State laws, and go to Utah where religious liberty is tolerated, and where every people and sect have the right to worship please, and marry as many wives as they please.” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer (1853) Criticizing "bigoted" monogamous marriage laws forbidding his preferred plural marriage. wasmormon.org

Remember that time when Mormons called out marriage laws for being narrow-minded, bigoted laws. The Mormon church complained about laws that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. This was in the days of plural marriage, so in other words, these laws were against Polygamy and the plurality of wives. They called them …

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The Drawn Flaming Sword of Polygamy – Spiritual Abuse and Manipulation

“Joseph told associates that an angel appeared to him three times between 1834 and 1842 and commanded him to proceed with plural marriage when he hesitated to move forward. During the third and final appearance, the angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully.” - Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo, Gospel Topic Essay | wasmormon.org

Joseph Smith secretly practiced polyandry and polygamy, or what the church later called plural marriage. The church freely admits this today (when forced) whereas previously it was all denied as anti-mormon lies. A strange hill to die on since the church is well known for practicing polygamy for decades in Utah. The church was hesitant …

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Why Worry about Different Versions of the First Vision

“To me the gospel is not a great mass of theological jargon. It is a simple and beautiful and logical thing, with one quiet truth following another in orderly sequence. I do not fret over the mysteries... I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision” - President Gordon B. Hinckley, as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, November 1983 | First Presidency Message, October 1984 Ensign | wasmormon.org

In 1983, Gordon B. Hinckley, then Second Counselor in the First Presidency, but later President of the Church spoke to students at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion. An edited version of this address was then given as the First Presidency Message in the October 1984 Ensign. The message, God Hath Not Given Us the …

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Mormonism and The BITE Model

The BITE™ Model of Authoritarian control is a framework to identify and analyze the ways cults and other high-control groups manipulate their members with mind control or undue influence. BITE stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control. | wasmormon.org

Determining whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church) qualifies as a cult hinges on various criteria. According to the BITE model, we find evidence that it meets several characteristics associated with cults. Note that the term “cult” carries negative connotations and lacks a universally agreed-upon definition, and …

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Convince Mormons of Delusions and Errors

“Convince us of our errors of doctrine, if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the Word of God, and we will be ever grateful for the information.” - Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, July 12th 1843 Celestial Marriage: A Revelation on the Patriarchal Order of Matrimony or Plurality of Wives. Published in 'The Seer', January 1853, Volume 1 Number 1, by Orson Pratt | wasmormon.org

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 …

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“Come over and help us; teach us our errors; convince us of our delusions, if we have any; set us in the good old paths of ancient Christianity if we are not already walking therein; take us by the hand and lead us into the light, if you consider us in darkness; prove to us that the Book of Mormon is an imposition that we may be justified in rejecting it; convince us that a plurality of wives is contrary to the gospel.” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer, May 1853 | wasmormon.org — “Come over and help us; teach us our errors; convince us of our delusions, if we have any; set us in the good old paths of ancient Christianity if we are not already walking therein; take us by the hand and lead us into the light, if you consider us in darkness; prove to us that the Book of Mormon is an imposition that we may be justified in rejecting it; convince us that a plurality of wives is contrary to the gospel.” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer, May 1853

"If one portion of the doctrines of the Church is true, the whole of them are true. If the doctrine of polygamy, as revealed to the Latter-day Saints, is not true, I would not give a fig for all your other revelations that came through Joseph Smith the Prophet; I would renounce the whole of them, because it is utterly impossible, according to the revelations that are contained in these books, to believe a part of them to be divine—from God—and part of them to be from the devil." - LDS Apostle Orson Pratt | wasmormon.rg — "If one portion of the doctrines of the Church is true, the whole of them are true. If the doctrine of polygamy, as revealed to the Latter-day Saints, is not true, I would not give a fig for all your other revelations that came through Joseph Smith the Prophet; I would renounce the whole of them, because it is utterly impossible, according to the revelations that are contained in these books, to believe a part of them to be divine—from God—and part of them to be from the devil." - LDS Apostle Orson Pratt

A Fig For Polygamy?

Early church leaders (Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Orson Pratt among others) allegedly had a change of heart for polygamy. At first, they reportedly resisted the practice but later on accepted it and vehemently defended it. Did they really resist in the first place or are these just retro-active stories and manipulation in order to …

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Mother Knows Best – Joseph Smith’s Mother on The First Vision

"One evening we were sitting till quite late conversing upon the subject of the diversity of churches that had risen up in the world and the many thousand opinions in existence as to the truths contained in scripture. Joseph never said many words upon any subject but always seemed to reflect more deeply than common persons of his age upon everything of a religious nature. After we ceased conversation, he went to bed and was pondering in his mind which of the churches was the true one. But he had not lain there long till he saw a bright light enter the room where he lay. He looked up and saw an angel of the Lord standing by him. The angel spoke: ‘I perceive that you are inquiring in your mind which is the true church. There is not a true church on earth-no, not one-and has not been since Peter took the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood after the order of God into the kingdom of heaven. The churches that are now upon the earth are all man-made churches. There is a record for you, Joseph, but you cannot get it until you learn to keep the commandments of God, for it is not to get gain, but it is to bring forth that light and intelligence which has been long lost in the earth. Now, Joseph, beware or when you go to get the plates, your mind will be filled with darkness and all manner of evil will rush into your mind to prevent you from keeping the commandments of God. You must tell your father of this, for he will believe every word you say. The record is on a side of the hill of Cumorah, three miles from this place. Remove the grass and moss, and you will find the record under it, lying on four pillars of cement." - Lucy Mack Smith, Preliminary Manuscript, Biographical sketches of Joseph Smith the prophet, and his progenitors for many generations, by Lucy Smith, Mother of the Prophet | wasmormon.org

Today’s church narrative tells the story of a young rambunctious yet spiritual lad of 14 who is stressed about which church to join and is absorbed in the words of the Bible. He finds the passage that if he lacks wisdom, he should pray (James 1:5). He resolves to pray and the heavens are opened. …

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Apostates Can Never Have a Really Happy Day?

“"I have not enjoyed one day's peace since I left the Church." This is the declaration of the apostates today, when they tell the truth about it.” - Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, speaking in for all disaffected church members. | wasmormon.org

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 …

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Was it the Angel Moroni or Nephi? Both? Neither?

"When I first looked upon him I was afraid, but the fear soon left me. He called me by name and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me and that his name was Nephi/Moroni." History, 1838–1856, Volume A-1, “Manuscript History of the Church” Joseph Smith Papers Project vs Joseph Smith History 1:32-33, Canonized Extracts from the History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet | wasmormon.org

Joseph Smith’s early stories involve the visitation of a specific angel in his bedroom. The current narrative states that this was the angel Moroni, the same Moroni that tops all the temples. He was the last writer of the Book of Mormon. However, some records indicate that it was the angel Nephi who first visited …

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Timeline of the First Vision Story and Development

The second argument frequently made regarding the accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision is that he embellished his story over time. - First Vision Accounts, Gospel Topic Essay | wasmormon.org

The First Vision is a foundational event in the history and theology of the Church. It refers to an experience Joseph Smith claimed to have had as a young man. In the spring of 1820, he seeks guidance and religious truth. In later accounts, he described going into a grove of trees and praying to …

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Elder Maxwell Tells ExMormons to Go Bowling and Leave the Church Alone

"They leave the Church, but they cannot leave the Church alone. Considering their ceaseless preoccupation, one wonders, is there no diversionary activity available to them, especially in such a large building—like a bowling alley? Perhaps in their mockings and beneath the stir are repressed doubts of their doubts." - Elder Neal A Maxwell, Mormon Apostle | wasmormon.org

Many church leaders bemoan those who leave the church and then refuse to leave the church alone. Despite the ethical duty many ex-members feel to expose fraud when they see one or the training they have received to “always be converting” as missionaries. What about the hypocrisy when the church commonly talks about those who …

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Misleading Mormon Thoughts On The First Vision Since 1970

"Here printed for the first time is a report on eight different accounts of the First Vision." - Eight Contemporary Accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision- What Do We Learn from Them? By Dr. James B. Allen, The Improvement Era, 1970 April (No. 4)

Leaders and apologists like to reference an article from 1970 where the church addresses multiple first vision accounts. This is that article, which unsurprisingly, is the same apologetic nonsense as the Gospel Topic Essays. However, the church still wants to use this as proof that the church has never ever hidden anything from members. The …

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Other First Visions, Which are Not of This Fold

"I turned and bent my course toward the woods, feeling that I must be alone, and away from all human eyes and ears, so that I could pour out my prayer to God... I attempted to pray I found that my heart would not pray... when I came to try, I was dumb... In attempting to pray I would hear a rustling in the leaves..." Charles Grandison Finney, Upstate New York, 1821

The First Vision of Joseph Smith is told today as an original exact story detailing the unique experience that sets the foundation for Mormonism and the restoration movement. We’ve discussed that even though one version of the story is canonized in Joseph Smith History as the “official” version, there are multiple versions of the first …

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Orson Pratt Wouldn’t Have Left the Mormon Church Alone

If false, [The Book of Mormon] is one of most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the word of God, and will suppose themselves securely built upon the rock of truth until they are with their families into hopeless despair. - Orson Pratt, Mormon Apostle

Orson Pratt was an early Apostle of the church. He believed and proclaims that the Book of Mormon is inspired and true. He has some pointed criticisms of the book though if it turns out not to be true. If false, [The Book of Mormon] is one of most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever …

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