![“[A woman] was contemplating a temple marriage to a man whose eternal companion had died. She would be a second wife. She asked this question: would she be able to have her own house in the next life, or would she have to live with her husband and his first wife? I just told her to trust the Lord... You should be worried about whether you will get to [kingdom of glory]. Concentrate on that. If you get there, all of it will be more wonderful than you can imagine.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, “Trust in the Lord”, October 2019 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Dallin-H-Oaks-second-wives-of-eternal-polygamy-just-trust-the-lord-worry-about-get-to-heaven-will-be-more-wonderful-than-you-can-imagine.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
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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Erin Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Erin’s story is one many will recognize—rooted in faith, family, and a deep desire to do what’s right. Born in the heart of Mormon culture and raised in a devout, active household, she embraced the church with her whole heart. From the joy of girls camp and EFY to the dedication of serving a mission …
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Sermon on the Mount in Book of Mormon vs Joseph Smith’s Inspired JST Revisions
One of the most well-known teachings of Jesus comes from the Sermon on the Mount. As part of this sermon, Jesus declares, “I never knew you” to those who profess to follow Him in word but not in deed. This powerful statement appears in the King James New Testament book, Matthew 7:23, and is repeated …
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Anachronistic Quotes from The Book of Mormon
There was an email sent in the Mortdale Stake referencing a pilot program of informed consent. It was dismissed by the stake as a fake email, and their system had been hacked, but the email contained many troubling facts that members struggle with, similar to the CES Letter. This post highlights a point in the …
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Brian Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Brian’s story is one of courage, complexity, and personal truth. A vibrant personality, Brian embraced his life as a Mormon with sincerity, believing 100%, and even serving a mission in London at the age of 19. He faithfully followed the teachings, made sacrifices, and lived with conviction, while also navigating the unique challenges of being …
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Biddy Mason – From Enslaved Mormon Pioneer to Free Philanthropist
Biddy Mason’s life is a powerful testimony of perseverance, resilience, and quiet resistance. Born into slavery in Georgia in 1818, she was never given a choice about the course of her life—but she made powerful choices when finally given the chance. Her story intersects with the early Mormon Church in a way that many today …
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John Taylor’s Hidden 1886 Polygamy Revelation
In 1886, then-LDS Church president John Taylor claimed to receive a direct revelation from God reaffirming that plural marriage was an eternal, unchangeable law. This divine directive—written in his own hand—declared that the New and Everlasting Covenant (a.k.a. polygamy) could never be revoked, even under government pressure. But just a few years later, in 1890, …
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Joseph Smith on Slavery
In recent years, LDS apostle Quentin L. Cook has claimed that early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were persecuted because they were abolitionists and anti-slavery. Today leaders promote the narrative that latter-day saints of the day were driven out of Missouri in significant part because they were opposed to slavery. …
Leadership Suppress Dissenfecting Light – The Nauvoo Expositor
On June 7, 1844, a bold and short-lived newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor published its first—and only—issue in Nauvoo, Illinois. It was created by former Mormon insiders who could no longer remain silent. They leveled charges against Joseph Smith, including abuse of power, political tyranny, and most explosively, his secret polygamy. The Nauvoo Expositor printed …
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Green Flake, The Man and Slave Labor The Church Accepted as Tithing
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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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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Jane Manning James: Faithful Servant, Denied Sisterhood, Sealed into Slavery
Jane Elizabeth Manning James was a remarkable woman who exemplified deep faith and resilience, despite the racism and systemic exclusion she endured within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Born free in Wilton, Connecticut, in the early 19th century. As a child, she worked as a domestic servant in a prosperous white household. …
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Oaks, On Young Women Becoming Pornography
LDS Apostle Dallin H. Oaks spoke to the global church about pornography. He warned that pornography was evil, that it “impairs one’s ability to enjoy a normal emotional, romantic, and spiritual relationship with a person,” and “erodes the moral barriers that stand against inappropriate, abnormal, or illegal behavior,” and patrons find their “conscience is desensitized” …
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Mormon Women Belong in the Pew—Not at the Pulpit
Jared Halverson, Assistant Processor of Ancient Scripture at BYU, former CES Teacher, shares Come Follow Me, or LDS Sunday school curriculum, insights on his Unshaken Saints channel. He recently expressed concern over a surprising trend in religion: for the first time in recent history, more women are leaving the church than men. He speaks of …
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The 2015 Boise Rescue Transcript: An Attempt to Rein in Apostasy
On June 13, 2015, a special multi-stake fireside or devotional was held in Boise, Idaho, featuring Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Assistant Church Historian Richard E. Turley Jr. The event, now colloquially known as the “Boise Rescue,” was organized in response to a wave of local concerns over …
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Mormon Apologist Handbook: Argument does not Create Conviction, Lack of it Destroys Belief
Latter-day Saint apologetics—through institutions like FARMS, FAIR, and now the Interpreter Foundation—have largely operated on a defensive crouch, crafting arguments not to generate genuine conviction, but simply to keep belief from crumbling. Their aim isn’t to persuade the outsider or satisfy the seeker; it’s to keep the disillusioned member tethered, just barely. But Farrer warns …
Lance Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
A journey from orthodoxy to authenticity, Lance grew up in a large, orthodox Mormon family—the seventh of eleven children—and was fully committed to the faith he was raised in. From serving a full-time mission in Wisconsin, marrying in the temple, and raising a young family, to holding multiple leadership callings, Lance did everything the church …
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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](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orson-Pratt-laws-against-plurality-of-wives-unconstitutional-narrow-contracted-bigoted-customs-go-to-Utah-where-people-have-the-right-to-marry-as-many-wives-as-they-please.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
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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How to Let Religion Sabotage Your Life: A Deconstructing Mormon Perspective on Jim Palmer’s 16 Steps
Jim Palmer, a former pastor turned spiritual critic and trauma-informed coach, outlines 16 stark observations in his piece How to Let Religion Sabotage Your Life. For those deconstructing Mormonism, these steps feel less like satire and more like a checklist of lived experience: 1. Begin with the premise that there is something hopelessly and incurably …
Facsimile Problems with the Book of Abraham Translation Theory of Papyri as Catalyst
Apologists for the LDS Church have proposed a theory, the Catalyst Theory, to explain the translation of the Book of Abraham. This theory suggests that the Egyptian papyri Joseph Smith obtained were merely a spiritual trigger, or “catalyst,” for receiving inspired scripture. In other words, the physical texts weren’t actually translated in the traditional sense; …
LDS Leadership on Appearances: “Put on a little lipstick,” “Even a barn looks better painted”
Sexism, Patriarchy, and the Lingering Legacy of Polygamy in the LDS Church Two statements made by high-ranking LDS church leaders reveal more than just outdated social attitudes—they expose the deeply entrenched gender roles and patriarchal frameworks that continue to shape the church’s view of women. In a devotional, President David O. McKay once said, “Even …
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 …
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, …
Painted into a Corner: Prophets, Revelation, and the Mormon Church’s Integrity Crisis
The Mormon Church has painted itself into a theological and historical corner. Its unwavering position—that all teachings and policies come from direct revelation from God through a living prophet—has created a system resistant to introspection and allergic to correction. For nearly 200 years, this stance may have worked for the institution. But in the age …
Kirton McConkie’s Abuse Helpline Protocol
This internal “Protocol for Abuse Help Line Calls” document reveals a deeply troubling reality about how the LDS Church handles sexual abuse cases—one that stands in stark contrast to its public claims that the Abuse Help Line exists solely to protect children and “has nothing to do with cover-up”. The Help Line The Abuse Hotline …
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Shane Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Meet Shane—a thoughtful seeker whose faith journey led him into the Mormon Church in his early 30s after years of sincere engagement with the missionaries. For a time, he embraced the LDS faith and fully identified as a Mormon. But like many others, Shane’s trust began to unravel when the SEC’s investigation into the church’s …
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Mormon Abuse Helpline
In 2022, an Associated Press (AP) investigation revealed that officials of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints failed to prevent or report the sexual abuse of children by a church member in Arizona over seven years. The report detailed how church leaders were informed of the abuse but did not notify law enforcement, …
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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Steven Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Steven’s story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and finally—freedom. Raised between worlds, with a non-religious mother who distrusted the church and grandparents deeply embedded in it, Steven was surrounded by conflicting messages about Mormonism from a young age. His early life was marked by both devotion to the church and personal trauma, making his eventual …
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Church Reveals What To Do With Disturbing Anti-Mormon Literature?
This Q&A from the 2007 New Era is a revealing example of how the LDS Church attempts to control the flow of information to its members—particularly the kind that might prompt questions or critical thought. The recommendation is clear: if you find literature critical of the Church “disturbing,” it’s a sign you shouldn’t read it. …
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