Author: Sharon Lindbloom
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Mormon Church Kicks the Beehive
Last week (June 11, 2014) The New York Times reported that the Mormon Church is threatening two highly visible members with excommunication. Kate Kelly, the founder of Ordain Women (which seeks to bring about change in the Mormon Church’s priesthood restrictions) and John Dehlin, the man behind Mormon Stories Podcast (which features discussions of interest…
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Adam-God: A Doctrine God Revealed to Brigham Young
Charles Harrell is an associate professor at Brigham Young University. In his 2011 book, This Is My Doctrine: The Development of Mormon Theology, he discusses many issues not normally found in a typical LDS-authored book. One such issue is the “Adam-God Doctrine.” Dr. Harrell explains, “The Adam-God doctrine, which according to available evidence was introduced…
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Litigation and the Mormon Church
A couple of months back grindael mentioned a trademark lawsuit that was brewing between the Mormon Church and a dating service called Mormon Match. The Church is claiming trademark infringement in Mormon Match’s use of the word “Mormon” and is seeking to force the dating service to change its name. Intellectual Reserve, Inc. (the holding…
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How Good is Good Enough?
About a week after the April 2014 General Conference of the Mormon Church the (Provo, Utah) Daily Herald published an article by correspondent Steve Densley titled, “How Good is Good Enough?” Mr. Densley began, “The semiannual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to a close last week. I watched intently…
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Joseph Smith and Romans 4:5
Joseph Smith revised the Bible. Some say he “corrected” it. The resulting volume is known as the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) or the Inspired Version. My Mormon edition of the King James Version of the Bible (1989) includes seventeen pages of JST “excerpts too lengthy for inclusion in footnotes” at the back of the book.…
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What Do Mormon Missionaries Teach?
In the FAQ section at Mormon.org is found the question, “What will the [LDS] missionaries talk about when they visit my home?” The answer, as provided by the Mormon Church: “Missionaries share a message about Jesus Christ and His Atonement for all people. They teach about our Heavenly Father’s great plan of salvation, which allows…
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Being Nice to Mormons — Let’s Just All Get Along
Blogger Matt Walsh has been taking some heat these days. Or, to be more accurate, Matt takes heat every day. Matt stands strong on important issues, and Matt does not mince words. In response to the sorts of comments he gets on his blog, he has written a provocatively-titled article: “Jesus didn’t care about being…
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Mormons and Muslims Similar in Many Ways
Back in 2005 Robert Velarde and Eric Johnson co-wrote an article for the CRI Journal comparing Mormons and Muslims. The authors looked at four areas of differences (i.e., views of Creation, God, Jesus, and humankind’s final state) and four areas of similarities (i.e., origins, scripture, restoration, and the human condition). In 2008 the Los Angeles…
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“What Do Mormons Believe About the Bible?”
The Mormon Church appears to be updating its FAQ section at Mormon.org. I’ve received several Google Alerts highlighting specific Frequently Asked Questions and their official answers. One recent Alert pointed me to the FAQ section on the Bible, to the question, “Do Mormons regard the Bible as Holy Scripture and the word of God?” Another…
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The Elijah Abel Controversy
Sweeping the past under the rug as something immaterial to the LDS Church today is a strategy that is leaving many people dissatisfied−Mormons included. In an effort to rescue their church from the charge of racism, Mormons like to bring up the earliest black Mormon priesthood-holder, Elijah Abel. What’s the story behind this man? Find…
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Josiah Quincy’s Visit to Nauvoo
Josiah Quincy’s Visit to Nauvoo By Sharon Lindbloom The following was originally printed in the Sept-Oct 2011 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here.
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Joseph Smith’s Aberrational Marriage Habits
The following was originally printed in the Nov-Dec 2010 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith introduced the doctrine of polygamy to his followers, and led the way by example, wedding over 30 females. According to LDS author and researcher Todd Compton, the ages of Smith’s wives…
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Critics of Mormonism Are All the Same
The feminist Mormon group Ordain Women explains on its website: “Ordain Women aspires to create a space for Mormons to articulate issues of gender inequality they may be hesitant to raise alone. As a group we intend to put ourselves in the public eye and call attention to the need for the ordination of Mormon…
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Thomas Monson’s Explanation of Luke 9:23-26
Thomas Monson’s explanation of Luke 9:23-26 By Sharon Lindbloom The following was originally printed in the May-June 2010 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here.
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To be a Mormon Woman
The following was originally printed in the February 2008 edition of MRM’s Update, a special edition mailed to financial supporters who also receive the publication Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription of Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Mormonism is structured as a patriarchal society. The highest positions of leadership are held by men; and only men…
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Were Mormons Ever Expelled From the United States?
The following was originally printed in the March-April 2009 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Mormonism has a history of changing history. From the written history of the LDS Church to its recorded revelations, changes are ever-present. Today a new spin on a historical LDS event is in the air. Credo, a…
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What do Christians and Mormons say about Priesthood Powers?
The following was originally printed in the June 2010 edition of MRM’s Update, a special edition mailed to financial supporters who also receive the publication Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription of Mormonism Researched, please visit here. The letter is presented exactly as it was sent. A Reader Asks: I grew up Mormon, but…
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“Why Don’t You Take Your Ministry of Hate…”?
“Why don’t you take your ministry of hate…”? An angry writer believes that MRM is unfair by targeting Mormons rather than other religious groups and demands to know why we run a “ministry of hate.” MRM’s Sharon Lindbloom provides a succinct and gentle answer. This exchange was originally printed in the June 2008 edition of…