Author: Aaron Shafovaloff
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The Grace Club
My daughter took The Not Even Once Club book off my shelf and wanted me to read it as a bedtime story. I can’t blame her: it has fun and inviting pictures. I told her it was not a book I agreed with. “Why not?” We read through it slowly together. Here were my follow-up discussion…
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Facing the Judgment (John Widtsoe)
The following is an excerpt from pp. 80-89 of Understandable Religion (circa 1944), by John Widtsoe, Mormon apostle and popular church educator. In it he teaches that getting what we earn is “a universal principle, valid from economics to religion, on earth or in heaven… The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in…
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Hearken O Ye Latter-day Saints, August 23, 1865 (Rebuke of Orson Pratt)
From James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75), 2:, p.229-235 1865-August 23-Millennial Star 27:657-663 (October 21, 1865) § HEARKEN, O Ye Latter-day Saints, and all ye inhabitants of the earth who wish to be Saints, to whom…
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A Response to Greg Trimble’s Blog “51 Answers”
51 Answers that Might Lead You Away from Mormonism & Into True ChristianityA Reponse to Greg Trimble’s blog post titled “51 Questions That Might Lead You to Mormonism” By Cory Anderson
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Joseph Smith Should be Held to a Higher Standard than Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David
We rightly expect more integrity and imitable behavior of church pastors and deacons today than was expected of prophets 3500 years ago. We rightly expect better theology of our teachers today than we do the Early Church Fathers. That said, if you claim to be a prophet or a teacher today, you are expected to…
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In 1912 Some Mormon Leaders Doubted Both the Content and Reliability of the King Follett Sermon
In 1912 some Mormon leaders doubted both the content and reliability of The King Follett Sermon. Mormon apostle George Albert Smith wrote: “Sometime ago I received an invitation, mailed from the Liahona office, to contribute to a fund for the purpose of mailing copies of King Follet’s[sic] funeral sermon. At the time I was somewhat…
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The Lorenzo Snow Couplet’s Subordination & Dependence Dilemma for Mormons
Given both halves of the Lorenzo Snow couplet: “As man now is, God once was. As God now is, man may be.” (a) If we will forever be dependent on and subordinate to our God, then it stands to reason that God himself remains dependent on and subordinate to his own God (our Heavenly Grandfather).…
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James Talmage: Almost Charged With Apostasy for Writing That The Holy Ghost was a Person
Excerpted from James P. Harris’ foreword to The Articles of Faith (First Edition): Another theme that occupied Talmage’s attention was related to the Holy Ghost. Talmage wrote: Met with Theological Class Committee and [First] Presidency in lecture work. The subject of “The Holy Ghost” formed the topic. Pres. [George Q.] Cannon in commenting on the…
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Why I Wish Mormonism Would Excommunicate or Disfellowship All of Its Unfaithful or Unbelieving Members
When Mormonism excommunicates or disfellowships people who aren’t faithful to Mormonism or believing in Mormonism, it helps both Mormons and evangelicals. It adds clarity to identity and worldview. It contributes to religious integrity. It speeds up the process of people re-evaluating their beliefs. We’re better off interacting with Mormons as Mormons, agnostics as agnostics, and…
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Responding to the King Follett Discourse: “It Is the Voice of a God, Not of a Man”
Early Mormon leader Joseph Fielding responded to the King Follett Discourse (April 7, 1844): “I never felt more delighted with his discourse than at this time. They said at his oration, it is the voice of a god not of a man.” (Journal of Joseph Fielding, quoted in “The King Follett Discourse: Joseph Smith’s Greatest…
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Mormonism and the “Great Machine”
Mormonism’s “eternal law” is the creed of multiverse. Transcending all gods. Governed by no ultimate Persons. Impersonal. Cold. “Without body, parts, passions.” Incromprehensible. “Unknown and unknowable—formless, passionless, elusive, ethereal, simultaneously everywhere and nowhere.” All the gods must submit to it, abide by it, conform to it. “We were there and then (say) born in the express…
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The Mormon Logic of Lost Books and Its Implication for Prophetic Accountability
When talking to some Mormon missionaries in March I encountered an interesting line of thinking. One of the elders gave the standard claim that the Bible is missing books that should have been included. I asked, “Which ones?” He answered: Works that the Bible makes mention of. So I asked, “So, mere mention of a work…
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Only Jesus did his best
What do people mean when they say, “their best”? “I did my best to make it on time.” “I did my best to get good grades.” “I do my best to be a good person.” Normally, this functions as hyperbole or socially acceptable exaggeration. It is often feel-good language for moral failure. When pressed, people…
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New LDS.org Gospel Topic Articles Were Submitted to the “Presiding Quorums of the Church and the First Presidency for Approval”
I am already hearing of BYU professors mocking the new LDS.org gospel topic articles as non-official. Elder Steven E. Snow, LDS Church Historian and Executive Director of the Church History Department, explains that each of the articles was submitted to the “presiding Quorums of the Church and the First Presidency for approval”: “How does the…
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A Counter-Creed to “Practical Mormonism Atheism”
Practical Mormon Atheism The Contraries 1 Even if Mormonism is false, it is still worth believing and ought not be refuted. Mormonism, if false, ought not be “left alone”, but ought to be refuted and engaged and deconstructed. 2 Faith is ultimately irrational. Faith is partly but vitally rooted in evidence that can be publicly…
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Book Review: Claiming Christ: A Mormon-Evangelical Debate
While I don’t agree with everything McDermott writes, what makes the book worth reading is his articulate, thoughtful theology combined with a cordial attitude.
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Why Truth and Discernment are Important to Distinguish
Wicked vs. righteous prayer Related articles: Praying About the Book of Mormon – Is it Biblical?, Searching for Answers or Seeking Confirmation? Feelings are fallible Related article: Are Feelings a Good Source for Truth? Test of a prophet Related article: True and false prophets Test the spirits Be like the Bereans “Study it out in your mind”
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Ask Mormons to Define “Evangelists” When They Quote Ephesians 4:11
A Mormon friend appealed to Ephesians 4:11 as the supposed basis for modern LDS Church structure. I asked him to camp out on the passage with me instead of quickly moving on to another. There is a little-known, very awkward LDS Church interpretation of “evangelists” in Ephesians 4:11 that not even many Mormons know about:…
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Conversation Starters
This is 5-part series was played on Viewpoint on Mormonism in 2011. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
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Redefiniendo el nacimiento virginal: La concepción natural de Jesús según el Mormonismo
Compilado por Bill McKeever y Aaron Shafovaloff Quizás piense que la gente Mormona celebra la navidad como lo hacen las denominaciones cristianas. No obstante, existe un asunto doctrinal que históricamente les impide a muchos Mormones apreciar el significado Cristiano de la navidad. De hecho, es un asunto que les impide tener una relación con el…