Author: Eric Johnson
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Anti-Mormon (Definition)
Anti-Mormon. The term first appeared in 1833 in an article by the Louisville (Kentucky) Daily Herald (“The Mormons and Anti-Mormons”). Mormon J.
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Ancient of Days (Definition)
Ancient of Days. Adam. Joseph Smith stated, “Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 157). According to 10th President Joseph Fielding Smith, “When Adam was placed on this earth all his former knowledge was taken away.
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Agency (Definition)
Agency. The ability to choose right from wrong, which goes back to man’s pre-existence. “Agency makes our life on earth a period of testing to see whether we are worthy to become like our Heavenly Father…. Without the gift of agency, we would have been unable to show our Heavenly Father whether we would do all…
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Adam-Ondi-Ahman (Definition)
Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Supposedly taken from the “pure Adamic language” meaning “the place or land of God where Adam dwelt.” Mormonism teaches Adam-Ondi-Ahman was located in Daviess County, Missouri (Mormon Doctrine, p. 20), showing that Adam lived on the North American continent.
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Adam-God (Definition)
Adam-God. First taught openly in a conference message by second President Brigham Young on April 9, 1852, Young claimed that Adam was Michael the Archangel, the Ancient of Days, and that Eve was “one of his wives.” Young also said Adam “is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do” (Journal of…
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Age of Accountability (Definition)
Age of Accountability: Begins at age eight, when Mormon children are allowed to be baptized. Before then, children are considered to be innocent.
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Adam (Definition)
Adam – Known in the pre-existence as Michael. Adam “sat in the council of the gods in the planning of the creation of this earth” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 16). According to Joseph Smith, Adam participated in the creation of the earth and occupied a position of authority next to Jesus Christ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,…
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Aaronic Priesthood (Definition)
Aaronic priesthood. Known as the lesser of two priesthoods held by Mormon males (Priesthood and Church Government, p. 106). It is taught that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by John the Baptist on the bank of the Susquehanna River on May 15, 1829; he laid hands on them and ordained them to the…
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Review of Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith
This is a review of the LDS Church manual (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith) that LDS members studied during 2012. The format involves quoting the majority of the paragarphs, with analysis from an Evangelical Christian worldview.
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Billy Graham and the “Cult” Fiasco
When presidential candidate Mitt Romney spent some private time on Oct. 11 with famous Christian evangelist Billy Graham, few could have expected the uproar that was about to take place.
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Mormonism and Depression
Utah has the unfortunate reputation of being “the runaway leader in antidepressant use.” In February of 2002 the Los Angeles Times reported the findings of a study which showed how “antidepressant drugs are prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average.” Utah’s high usage was cited by one…
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Answering Mormons’ Questions Leader’s Guide
Answering Mormons’ Questions (Kregel, October 2012) by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson deals with 36 common questions that Mormons ask Christians about faith. In this book, which is scheduled to be released in the middle of October, we provide material–including hundreds of original quotes from LDS sources and plenty of stories from our own experiences–…
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A Case of Not Willing To Listen
Richard Mouw is probably best known for his seven-minute speech at the Mormon Tabernacle a few years ago that preceded a talk by Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. Using half of his fifteen minutes of fame, Mouw apologized to the Mormons for ill treatment over the years by the Christian community. Meanwhile, his words upstaged the…
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Journal of Discourses Gems
The Journal of Discourses provides an excellent window into the actual Mormonism of 19th century Utah. Whether or not you agree with their views of Brigham Young, John Taylor, and many other LDS general authorities, there is no doubt that what they believed and taught, authoritatively, was believed by the vast majority of Latter-day Saints.…
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Does John 9:1-3 prove the preexistence is true?
In John 9:1-3 the disciples passed by a man blind from birth and asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answers, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Some Mormons have used this…
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“Evangelical Hostility Toward Mormons”?
In a recent article applauding how more Evangelical Christians are apparently accepting the Republican presidential candidate in spite of his Mormonism, Dr. Richard J. Mouw—who recently announced that he’s stepping down as president of Fuller Theological Seminary—explained that “anti-Mormon sentiment runs strong among evangelicals. We differ on this from mainline Protestants and Catholics. Those two…
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Mormon Doctrine and How It Is Established: An Official Explanation?
At the April (2012) General Conference of the Mormon Church, Apostle D. Todd Christofferson told the congregation, “…we must admit there has been and still persists some confusion about our doctrine and how it is established. That is the subject I wish to address today.” In his remarks, Apostle Christofferson explained, “The President of the…
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Mormonism’s Growth Figures—What Can You Believe?
Screaming front page headline in Wednesday, May 2, 2012’s Salt Lake Tribune (in bold, no less): “Multiplying Mormons expand into new turf” Subhead 1: “2010 census: LDS Church is fastest-growth Christian faith in 30 states, report shows” Subhead 2: “Only Muslims, with 67% jump from 2000-2010, outpaces 45% LDS increase.” Anyone picking up the paper…
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Beit Lei: Another “Proof” for the Book of Mormon?
In 1961, Israeli military engineers working on a road about twenty-two miles away from Jerusalem near Israel’s border with Jordan uncovered a burial tomb. Inside were drawings and inscriptions on the walls, including the Hebrew name for God (YHWH) and Jerusalem. There were also pictures of boats on the walls.Because the cave resides near the…
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A Real Crisis
Two articles have come out this past week that show the LDS Church is a bit concerned with its people finding out the true history of the church. Marlin Jensen, a general authority who is going to be leaving his position as Church Historian and Recorder, was quoted in two different articles. While different, both…