Author: Eric Johnson
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I Am a Christian Who Has Never Been Mormon. Why Should I Care About Sharing My Faith With Latter-Day Saints?
“Why do you care about Mormons when you have never been one?” This might be the most common question I get asked in public by curious Latter-day Saints. They explain to me how they do not understand why I, as a Bible-believing Christian, should have any interest in dedicating my time to studying Mormonism (and…
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Do Nicknames for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Offend Jesus?
In 2018, Russell M. Nelson, the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, claimed that Jesus is offended whenever shortcut terms are used in reference to the church, its teachings, or its people. The “style guide” was also revised to advise against using the terms “LDS,” “Mormon,” and “Mormonism.” Speaking at…
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7 Ways Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2020 Conference Talk Attacks Christianity and its Followers
For a 3-part Viewpoint on Mormonism series that aired August 26-28, 2020, click these links: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Most of the talks delivered at the April 2020 General Conference focused on the bicentennial of Joseph Smith’s “First Vision” of God the Father and Jesus, the Book of Mormon, and a series of…
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Book Review: The Divine Gift of Forgiveness by Apostle Neil L. Andersen
The Divine Gift of Forgiveness and The Miracle of Forgiveness: Changing Mormon Theology? Or Just More of the Same? A closer look at two books written by two LDS apostles five decades apart Reviewed by Eric Johnson Article Summary Over the years some Latter-day Saints have expressed their disapproval with The Miracle of Forgiveness–one of…
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The Door to Eternal Life According to Spencer W. Kimball
Note: The following was originally printed in the January/February 2020 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hope for eternal life. Christians also hope for eternal life. And while Mormonism and Christianity define eternal life differently, there is one aspect that is…
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Book Review: Jesus’ Resurrection and Joseph’s Vision: Examining the Foundations of Christianity and Mormonism
Authored by Robert M. Bowman Reviewed by Eric Johnson Listen to a 5-part Viewpoint on Mormonism podcast as Bill and Eric interview the author from July 27-31, 2020: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 A disclaimer should be included on the first page of a 2020 book written by Dr. Robert Bowman,…
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1972 Family Home Evening Journal
Here is the entire page of the “Mommy + Daddy = You” graphic.
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10 Reasons Why the Jesus of Mormonism is Not the Same as the Jesus of the Bible
In 2 Corinthians 11:4, the apostle Paul declared that it was possible for a religion to have a “different Jesus” than the Jesus of the Bible. He explained, For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel,…
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Joseph Smith’s Testimony Against the Dissenters in Nauvoo
The following was a message given by Joseph Smith on Sunday, May 26, 1844. As the title states, Smith used this occasion to respond to those he perceived were persecuting him. Ironically, Smith’s brother Hyrum, two days prior, cautioned Smith “against speaking so freely about my enemies, &c., in such a manner as to make…
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Is the Lord Your Shepherd?
Photo by Eric Johnson near Beersheba, Israel, March 2020. I have found that one of the biblical passages most often cited at funerals is Psalm 23, regardless of whether or not the person in the casket was a Christian believer. In the King James Version (the version I used many years ago to memorize this…
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Quotations for The House of the Lord by James E. Talmage
The following quotes come from the book The House of the Lord, authored by Apostle James E. Talmage, that was originally published by the Deseret Book Company in 1912. This leather Christmas gift edition uses the original 1912 edition and we given away by the First Presidency in 2013. To visit the site with all…
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The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Short Rebuttal to President Nelson’s New Proclamation
On Sunday morning, April 5, 2020–the final day of the spring General Conference–President Russell M. Nelson announced a new “proclamation” called “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.” This is the sixth proclamation issued by church leaders, with the others coming in 1841 (for church…
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Crash Course Mormonism: First Vision
The First Vision is a crucial event that must be historical if Mormonism should be considered a true religion. According to LDS Church teaching, founder Joseph Smith, Jr. was 14 years old in the spring of 1820 when a Christian revival took place in the area of upstate New York where he lived during the…
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10 Reasons to Reject the First Vision of Joseph Smith
The historical First Vision is for Mormonism’s case. If the First Vision did not occur, then Mormonism is nothing more than fiction, as attested to by these important leaders. However, there are problems with the First Vision account, as summarized in the following 10 reasons. 1. It is impossible for anyone to see God the…
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Quotations from Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley Vols. 1 & 2
The following quotes come from the book Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, volumes 1 and 2. These were employee gifts at Christmas by the First Presidency in 2004 and 2005. To visit the site with all of the books and quotes from these, go here. Abortion “Abortion is an ugly thing, a debasing thing,…
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8 Questions Every Latter-day Saint Needs to Answer about the First Vision
Do you believe in the official “First Vision” account of God the Father and Jesus appearing to Joseph Smith, Jr. in the spring of 1820? Do you believe it was a historical event? Most Latter-day Saints can answer “yes” to both questions. It’s important, they say. The account is emphasized in the church from Primary…
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Who Are You To Judge? A Look at the Impossibility of Following Through on This Statement
Note: The following was originally printed in the July/August 2019 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Many people in today’s society know very little about the Bible and its teachings. However, if there is one verse everyone knows, it has to be Matthew 7:1. In this verse Jesus says, “Judge…
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Responding to the Claim that God was Once a Man
Note: The following was originally printed in the December 2019 edition of the MRM Update. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Question: “How do we explain to Latter-day Saints that God is not a man, but is far greater? Answer: First of all, Numbers 23:19 tells us very plainly that “God…
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Why can’t they see? Latter-day Saints who are unable to fathom the Gospel
By Eric Johnson This was originally printed in Mormon Coffee on January 24, 2013. If you are like me, one of the most frustrating things in sharing your Christian faith is having the message rejected, sometimes even “in your face.” Recently I had a pair of Mormon missionaries come over to my house, unannounced. We…