Tag Archives: truth

Conformity with fact or reality. Central question: Are LDS truth claims actually true?

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 …

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A Loving God?

When deconstructing religious beliefs, examining whether the God we’ve been taught to worship and admire is indeed as loving as we think is on the table for many. Christianity teaches that “God is Love,” but examining scriptural narratives reveals inconsistencies in this portrayal, especially concerning God’s actions as a parental figure. Here are several examples …

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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. …

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The next day being Sunday, I sat down, instead of going to meeting, and wrote the conversation, and gave it to my sister, who was not a little surprised; but she said it would be best to go to meeting in the afternoon. We went, and Young administered the sacrament. After it was over, I was passing out, and Young stopped me, saying, 'Wait, Martha, I am coming.' I said, 'I cannot; my sister is waiting for me.' He then threw his coat over his shoulders, and followed me out, and whispered, 'Have you made up your mind, Martha?' 'Not exactly, sir,' said I; and we parted. I shall proceed to a justice of the peace, and make oath to the truth of these statements... - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842 | wasmormon.org
The next day being Sunday, I sat down, instead of going to meeting, and wrote the conversation, and gave it to my sister, who was not a little surprised; but she said it would be best to go to meeting in the afternoon. We went, and Young administered the sacrament. After it was over, I was passing out, and Young stopped me, saying, 'Wait, Martha, I am coming.' I said, 'I cannot; my sister is waiting for me.' He then threw his coat over his shoulders, and followed me out, and whispered, 'Have you made up your mind, Martha?' 'Not exactly, sir,' said I; and we parted. I shall proceed to a justice of the peace, and make oath to the truth of these statements... - Martha H. Brotherton, Brigham Young & Joseph Smith, Brotherton Affidavit, July 13, 1842

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 …

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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 …

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I still grieve at times for what I once hoped the church was. I sometimes miss the community, which is the greatest strength of the church. Finding out that this thing that I built my life around was based on a fundamentally deceptive premise has been the most difficult struggle of my life. Having to find purpose on my own, after having outsourced it to the church, is still a work in progress. But it's getting better. As I anticipated, my resignation has also caused pain to those that love me. It has made relationships with friends and family more difficult. Even though I have renounced my former faith, I still have a basic faith that truth matters; and that embracing it, as I learn more of it, will lead to a better life. And in some ways, it already has. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I still grieve at times for what I once hoped the church was. I sometimes miss the community, which is the greatest strength of the church. Finding out that this thing that I built my life around was based on a fundamentally deceptive premise has been the most difficult struggle of my life. Having to find purpose on my own, after having outsourced it to the church, is still a work in progress. But it's getting better. As I anticipated, my resignation has also caused pain to those that love me. It has made relationships with friends and family more difficult. Even though I have renounced my former faith, I still have a basic faith that truth matters; and that embracing it, as I learn more of it, will lead to a better life. And in some ways, it already has. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
In the wake of the sociopolitical tumult following the 2016 election, and especially the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to put some emotional distance between myself and the church, which allowed me to be more objective about why I continued to believe in a “Plan of Happiness” that wasn’t making me happy. Watching two formerly faithful friends, whom I had never guessed would leave the church - and did - emboldened me even more. But I also felt conflicted about the positive experiences I had in the church - to say nothing of the spiritual experiences I had, which I then believed constituted proof of the church’s truth claims. I spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking and pondering, anticipating how much I had to lose if I decided to part ways with the church, and especially how much it would hurt my wife, who I loved very much. Months passed as I let all of this marinate. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
In the wake of the sociopolitical tumult following the 2016 election, and especially the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to put some emotional distance between myself and the church, which allowed me to be more objective about why I continued to believe in a “Plan of Happiness” that wasn’t making me happy. Watching two formerly faithful friends, whom I had never guessed would leave the church - and did - emboldened me even more. But I also felt conflicted about the positive experiences I had in the church - to say nothing of the spiritual experiences I had, which I then believed constituted proof of the church’s truth claims. I spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking and pondering, anticipating how much I had to lose if I decided to part ways with the church, and especially how much it would hurt my wife, who I loved very much. Months passed as I let all of this marinate. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/

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 …

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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 …

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Retrofitting the Priesthood Restoration into the Doctrine and Covenants Revelation

The church narrative states the priesthood was restored to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry in 1829. There are a few Revelations used to tell this narrative. There are problems with these priesthood restoration claims, and specifically these revelations, they aren’t contemporary to the stories, and the few that are the closest, have been changed. Doctrine …

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The racist behavior and malicious leanings of many members in Utah made me question my belief in the "religion" and God. How could a God just sit there and watch all the injustice, racism, and misleading information (done in his name) and do nothing? Discussions about those topics went nowhere and many just provided mental gymnastics. Those apologists puzzled me. They made me realize that "truth" was never the goal. - Luis' "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/elnene/
The racist behavior and malicious leanings of many members in Utah made me question my belief in the "religion" and God. How could a God just sit there and watch all the injustice, racism, and misleading information (done in his name) and do nothing? Discussions about those topics went nowhere and many just provided mental gymnastics. Those apologists puzzled me. They made me realize that "truth" was never the goal. - Luis' "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/elnene/
Believers view faith through at least one of three philosophical lenses: as True, Good, or Useful. These perspectives help explain why some remain committed, others wrestle with doubts, and some eventually step away. Each of our paths is shaped by how we experience the Church's truth claims, moral impact, or practical role in our lives. | wasmormon.org
Believers view faith through at least one of three philosophical lenses: as True, Good, or Useful. These perspectives help explain why some remain committed, others wrestle with doubts, and some eventually step away. Each of our paths is shaped by how we experience the Church's truth claims, moral impact, or practical role in our lives.
As the Savior concluded the Sermon on the Mount, He emphasized the eternal truth that “only by doing the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtainable.” ... Our understanding of this episode is enlarged as we reflect upon an inspired revision to the text. Significantly, the Lord’s phrase reported in the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you,” was changed in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye never knew me.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle, “If Ye Had Known Me”, General Conference, October 2016 | wasmormon.org
As the Savior concluded the Sermon on the Mount, He emphasized the eternal truth that “only by doing the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtainable.” ... Our understanding of this episode is enlarged as we reflect upon an inspired revision to the text. Significantly, the Lord’s phrase reported in the King James Version of the Bible, “I never knew you,” was changed in the Joseph Smith Translation to “Ye never knew me.” - David A. Bednar, LDS Apostle, “If Ye Had Known Me”, General Conference, October 2016
The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark do not contain Mark 16:9–20, and the style of the Greek language used in these verses differs from the rest of Mark. This suggests that these concluding verses might not have been written by Mark, but rather by scribes who added accounts of the Savior’s appearances after His Resurrection to bring the ending of Mark’s Gospel more in harmony with the writings of Matthew, Luke, John, and Acts. Whatever the reasons for the manuscript variations, the Church accepts all of Mark 16 as inspired scripture. Its value is based not on which human being wrote it, but on its inspired testimony of truth - LDS New Testament Institute Student Manual, Chapter 14 | wasmormon.org
“The most reliable early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark do not contain Mark 16:9–20, and the style of the Greek language used in these verses differs from the rest of Mark. This suggests that these concluding verses might not have been written by Mark, but rather by scribes who added accounts of the Savior’s appearances after His Resurrection to bring the ending of Mark’s Gospel more in harmony with the writings of Matthew, Luke, John, and Acts. Whatever the reasons for the manuscript variations, the Church accepts all of Mark 16 as inspired scripture. Its value is based not on which human being wrote it, but on its inspired testimony of truth.” - LDS New Testament Institute Student Manual, Chapter 14

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. …

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