Author: Bill McKeever
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An Account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre as Described by John D. Lee
The testimony of Lee given to his attorney, William W. Bishop that describes the events leading to, and during, the Mountain Meadows massacre of 1857.
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The First Vision’s Slow Entrance Into the LDS Story
When addressing the subject of Joseph Smith’s personal encounter with God the Father and Jesus Christ, Gordon B. Hinckley, the fifteenth president of the LDS Church, stated, “There’s no other event in all recorded history that compares with it, not even at the baptism of the Savior” (“Testimony of the First Vision,” Church News, July 1,…
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"Mercy Cannot Rob Justice" — The Need for Mormons to Merit Exaltation
Listen I recall listening on the news to some of the eulogy given at the funeral of a Mormon murder victim. It was not unlike many funeral messages I’ve heard. Much of it dealt with the positive aspects of the deceased’s personality and achievements. It also included a hopeful message that the deceased was experiencing…
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‘Raising the Bar’ at Mormon Coffee
When Mormon Apostle M. Russell Ballard called on members of the LDS Church to defend their faith on the Internet, I immediately thought to myself that this will probably end up badly. It seems that I am not the only one who has noticed. In December 2007, Ballard bemoaned what he saw as an abundance…
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A Response to the Mysterious "Paul Allen" Letter on Mormons
By Bill McKeever For several years now, Mormons have been circulating an email allegedly written by NFL owner Paul Allen that they feel supports the claim that Mormons are Christians. First of all, there was a letter written by a Paul Allen that praised the Mormons that was printed in a Santa Clarita, California newspaper,…
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Regarding an Open Canon
Speaking at the 178th semi-annual General Conference in Salt Lake City (April, 2008), Mormon Apostle Jeffrey Holland gave what he called his defense against those who “erroneously” claim that the LDS Church is not Christian. In this talk Holland discussed what he called the “bold assertion that God continues to speak His word and to reveal His truth. Revelations…
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Tom Hanks, the Mormons, and Prop 8
By Bill McKeever Actor Tom Hanks angered many in the LDS community when he accused Mormons who helped fund the passage of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California, of being “un-American.” In his controversial comment, Hanks said: “There are…
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Family Entertainment Network and Mormonism
In 1988, Family Entertainment Network (FEN), a company out of Dallas, Texas, produced a series of animated Bible video tapes which immediately became popular within Christian circles. Titles included “The King is Born,” “John the Baptist,” “The Prodigal Son,” and “He is Risen,” among others. As part of FEN’s marketing strategy, several prominent Christian personalities…
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Don’t Stereotype Mormons
Bill McKeever talks about inconsistency and diversity within Mormonism and the value of asking questions to the individual Mormon you are speaking with. 1920×1080 MP4, 640×360 MP4
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Struggling With A Loss of Faith?
Struggling in the aftermath of religious betrayal? We hope to offer some understanding and direction.
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Movie Review: Twilight
Reviewed by Bill McKeever Let me begin this review by making two confessions. 1) I haven’t read any of the books by Stephenie Meyer, and 2) had Meyer not been LDS, I doubt if I would have ever had any desire to see Twilight, a film based on the first of her four novels (The others…
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Prop 8, Hate Speech, and Plural Marriage
Eight years ago, 61 percent of California voters passed Proposition 22, the “California Defense of Marriage Act.” The proposition read very simply: “Only marriage between a man and woman is valid or recognized in California.” No doubt many Californians thought that because the people had spoken, the issue was over. But this was not to…
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Movie Review: Emma Smith: My Story
Reviewed by Bill McKeever When I first saw the billboards along Interstate 15 advertising Emma Smith: My Story, I wondered how much of “Emma’s story” was going to actually be told. When the trailers for the film started airing on local Salt Lake television stations and I saw that much of the film appeared to…
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Anti-Mormon: The Mormon N-Word
By Bill McKeever
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What is "Celestial Polygamy"?
By Bill McKeever The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seems to be engaged in an uphill battle in its effort to convince the public that they no longer practice polygamy. An LDS Newsroom release posted on September 7, 2007, stated:
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A Look at Fundamentalism Mormonism
By Bill McKeever The practice of plural marriage had been the center of controversy for Joseph Smith and his fledgling church ever since rumors began circulating about an extra marital affair he had while living in Kirtland, Ohio. According to George D. Smith:
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"As God" or "Like God"?
By Bill McKeever The ability to attain godhood in the next life is one of the more unique (and blasphemous) teachings associated with Joseph Smith and the LDS Church he founded. Brigham Young mixed no words when he said,
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So Why Is Abortion a Sin?
According to the Guttmacher Institute, more than 42 million legal abortions have been performed in the U.S. between 1973 and 2002. That averages out to nearly 1.45 million abortions per year. The Mormon Church touts itself as a “pro-life” church although, like many teachings coming out of Salt Lake City, consistency regarding the topic of…
