Author: Eric Johnson
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Are the Gospel Topics Essays Helping or Hurting LDS Membership?
When the Gospel Topics Essays were first posted on the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (lds.org), the intention of the leadership was to calm the concerns that many members had about their church’s more controversial history and doctrine. However, the essays have caused mixed reactions. Naturally, some members have welcomed…
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¿Está bien que un Cristiano visite un servicio de iglesia Mormón?
Si pasa por una capilla Mormona, verá lo siguiente escrito en el muro cerca de la entrada: “Bienvenidos Visitantes”. Lo seguro es que todo aquel que conoce a un Mormón ha recibido una invitación de leer el Libro de Mormón o asistir a un servicio. Si este es el caso, ¿debería el Cristiano aceptar la…
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The New and Everlasting Covenant: A Review
Link to the December 2015 article by Seventy Marcus B. Nash: The New and Everlasting Covenant Listen to an 8-part podcast series that aired January 18-27, 2016: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Note: This article—repeated word-for-word here—was written by Seventy Marcus B. Nash and printed in the December 2015 Ensign magazine…
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Review of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter
During 2016 LDS members studied Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter. What follows is a chapter-by-chapter evangelical review. The manual Chapter reviews Check out a 4-part Viewpoint on Mormonism podcast series that originally aired from from January 5-8: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 To see reviews of each chapter of other “Teachings” manuals,…
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Our Relationship with the Lord, by Bruce McConkie
Speech given by Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie on March 2, 1982 at BYU. I shall speak of our relationship with the Lord and of the true fellowship all Saints should have with the Father. I shall set forth what we must believe relative to the Father and the Son in order to gain eternal…
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Review: “Understanding the Handbook” (2015)
The LDS Church has received a firestorm of criticism for adding a new section to its Handbook 1 (16.13) that prohibits children living in homes with homosexual parents from being able to participate in naming/blessing rites or baptism at the age of 8. For more on that and to better understand my comments found in…
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Quotes on the Family from the August/September 2015 Ensign Magazines
Using the 1995 Proclomation on the Family as a catalyst, the August and September 2015 Ensign magazines featured more than half a dozen articles related to youth and family. Here are some of the key quotes culled from those issues. August President Thomas S. Monson: “Stand as a Light” (pp. 4-5) “I plead with parents…
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Understanding Just What Is “Official” in Mormon Doctrine
By Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson Note: The following article is a portion taken out of Chapter 18 (“The Church and Its Leadership”) found in our latest book Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker, 2015), available wherever Christian books are sold. This section is found on pages 310-315. One of the main ways that…
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Gospel Topics Essay: Joseph Smith’s Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women
Gospel Topics Essay: Joseph Smith’s Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women To see an introduction to the Gospel Topics essays, click here. The entire essay is printed below, underlined, with my commentary included throughout. Because I will try to be short and to the point as much as possible, a number of sites (many from MRM) to…
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Gospel Topics Essay: Mother in Heaven
To see an introduction to the Gospel Topics essays, click here. The entire essay is printed below, underlined, with my commentary included throughout. Because I will try to be short and to the point as much as possible, a number of sites (many from MRM) to support my disagreement are included. I encourage interested readers to consider…
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Johnson Farm Pictures
Photos from the Johnson Farm in Ohio, a place where Joseph Smith headed his church from September 1831 to March 1832. Pictures taken June 2015.
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The Newell Whitney Store
The Newell Whitney store in Kirtland, OH. Photos taken in June 2015 by Eric Johnson.
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Kirtland (Ohio) Temple
The Kirtland (Ohio) temple is the first LDS temple ever built and used by the Mormon people. For a story on the demise of the LDS Church in Kirtland, go here. Photos taken June 2015 by Eric Johnson.
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Gospel Topics Essay: Peace and Violence among 19th-Century Latter-day Saints
Gospel Topics Essay: Peace and Violence among 19th-Century Latter-day Saints To see an introduction to the Gospel Topics essays, click here. The entire essay is printed below, underlined, with my commentary included throughout. Because I will try to be short and to the point as much as possible, a number of sites (many from MRM) to support…
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MRM’s Short Introduction to the Gospel Topics Essays
To see all of the reviews and podcasts MRM has done on the Gospel Topics Essays, click here. In an attempt to deal with several vital historical issues propagated by the LDS Church throughout the years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produced a series of 13 essays between 2013-2015. On January 18,…
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Gospel Topics Essay: Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah
Gospel Topics Essay: Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah To see an introduction to the Gospel Topics essays, click here. The entire essay is printed below, underlined, with my commentary included throughout. Because I will try to be short and to the point as much as possible, a number of sites (many from MRM) to support…
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Gospel Topics Essay: The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage
Gospel Topics Essay: The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage To see an introduction to the Gospel Topics essays, click here. The entire essay is printed below, underlined, with my commentary included throughout. Because I will try to be short and to the point as much as possible, a number of sites (many from MRM)…
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Are You Keeping the Whole Law?
Emblazoned on the east wall of the Salt Lake City Temple (and other LDS temples as well) are the words “Holiness to the Lord.” This passage, taken from Exodus 28:36, portrays the Latter-day Saints as a people who strive to live a moral code above that of others in the world today. While such a…
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Richard G. Scott Obituary (1928-2015)
Richard G. Scott, an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away on September 22, 2015, at 86.