Author: Bill McKeever
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As Transparent as They Know How To Be
NOTE: This article was published in the January/February 2025 Mormonism Researched newsletter, a free publication. To subscribe, please visit the registration site. On November 19, 2017 apostles M. Russell Ballard and Dallin H. Oaks (later to become a member of the First Presidency) addressed an audience of young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of…
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Moroni and LDS temples
The golden statue of an angel atop many Latter-day Saint temples, now widely recognized as Moroni—the angel who allegedly revealed the gold plates to Joseph Smith—first appeared as an unnamed figure on the Nauvoo Temple and evolved into a symbol of Moroni with the Salt Lake Temple in 1893, though its inclusion has waxed and…
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Jesus as Husband
In his 1854 General Conference address, Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde asserted that Jesus Christ was married, citing Mary’s affectionate response at the tomb and claiming He was the bridegroom at Cana, despite John 2:2 stating Jesus was merely invited.
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What an “Exalted” Mormon Will Never Be Able To Say
Note: The following was originally printed in the July/August 2024 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Published 9/26/2024 When the attributes of the God of the Bible are examined, it can be done within the context of “always.” For example, when Hebrews 6:18 says “it is impossible for God to lie,”…
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Divided by a Blanket or “Thick Curtain”
Note: The following was originally printed in the April 2024 edition of MRM Update, a special edition given to supporters of Mormonism Research Ministry. In our Book of Mormon display at the Utah Christian Research Center is a table with a 19th century-style hat on top. In the hat is a rock that looks very similar…
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The Book of Mormon and New World Geography
Note: The following was originally printed in the March/April 2024 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. It was back in 1969 when an LDS archaeologist named Dee. F. Green responded to what he called a “myth” regarding Book of Mormon archaeology. Writing for the periodical Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought,…
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Copying What Is Believed To Be Sacred
If you’ve ever shared the Gospel with Latter-day Saints, you’ve probably run into the “how do we know that verse is correct?” response. This is common after a Christian has shared a passage that seemingly runs counter to a theological position held by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many times Mormons appeal…
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Is Mormonism the “Faith” That Jude Speaks Of?
Note: The following was originally printed in the September/October 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. When Jude, “the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,” penned his general epistle, he admonished his Christian readers to “earnestly contend for the faith.” He stated in Jude 1:3: Beloved, while I was…
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How Wide Is That Covenant Path?
Note: The following was originally printed in the July/August 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Certina, a former Mormon and contributing author to the mormonscholar.org website (mormonscholar.org/the-covenant-path), wrote in 2018: Since its introduction into the Mormon vocabulary in 2005 and General Conference in 2007, the term “covenant…
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How to Insult an Ex-Mormon
Note: The following was originally printed in the May/June 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched, sent bimonthly to financial supporters of MRM. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Not only have I had the honor of serving our gracious Lord as a missionary to the LDS people for over 40 years, but I…
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What Happened to the Joseph Smith Mummies?
Under the date of July 3, 1835, the Documentary History of the Church (2:235) states that a man named Michael Chandler visited Kirtland, Ohio “to exhibit some Egyptian mummies. There were four human figures, together with some two or more rolls of papyrus covered with hieroglyphic figures and devices.” Speaking in the first person,…
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The Friction Between Isaac Hale and His Son-in-Law Joseph Smith
Note: The following was originally printed in the February 2023 edition of MRM Update., sent bimonthly to financial supporters of MRM. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Isaac and Elizabeth Hale were married in 1790 and raised their family in an area then known as Harmony, Pennsylvania, located about 17 miles from…
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Age Disparity Among LDS Polygamists
Note: The following was originally printed in the January/February 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Polygamist Samuel Bateman was raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), and though this organization is not associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints headquartered in Salt…
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Oftentimes, it’s what they don’t say
For two weeks in July, Eric and I were able to visit several prominent historical sites pertaining to the Latter-day Saint movement. Traveling with us was our friend Trevor Wolfe who works with Haven Ministries in Denver, CO. Trevor has been a big help to Eric over the past few years when ministering at LDS…
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The Clever Joseph Smith
Note: The following was originally printed in the May/June 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. The best of con men try their best to come up with stories that are difficult to falsify. In this area I give credit to Joseph Smith. Have you ever noticed how Smith was able…
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Why Are LDS Members Applauded for Being Deceptive?
Posted 4/28/22 Note: The following was originally printed in the March/April 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Seventeenth President Nelson announced on August 16, 2018 how the Lord “impressed on my mind the importance of the name he has revealed for his church.” Speaking in general conference a few months…
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The “Gift” of Salvation is Not Free
Note: The following was originally printed in the January/February 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Discussing the topic of salvation with a Latter-day Saint can sometimes be confusing since the word salvation is given two distinct definitions in Mormonism. General salvation, or resurrection from the dead, is something all humans will…
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Worthiness and Flawlessness: A Look at Bradley Wilcox’s October 2021 GC Message
Bradley R. Wilcox is a popular speaker with Latter-day Saints. According to the counter on YouTube, his June 12, 2011 devotional talk titled “His Grace is Sufficient” at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University has topped 1 million views. Although Wilcox is not a general authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he…
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Does Temple Participation Offer “Assurance”?
Posted October 7, 2021 Note: The following was originally printed in the September/October 2021 edition of the Mormonism Researched, a bimonthly periodical of MRM that is free upon request. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Speaking at general conference on April 3, 2021, Henry B. Eyring, second counselor to 17th President Russell…