Author: Sharon Lindbloom
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The Heart of Mormonism
Townhall.com posted an article on April 15 (2012) titled, “The Truth About Mormonism.” The article is a basic rehash covering some social aspects of Mormonism that are sometimes misunderstood/misrepresented in the media. Nothing much in the article caught my attention, but as I skimmed through the comments one jumped out at me. For longtime Mormon…
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Mormonism “fell a heap of ruins.”
Stephen Burnett became a Mormon in November of 1830. In 1831 he was ordained to the office of High Priest, and in 1832 he became a Mormon missionary. He was a faithful Mormon for many years, but what he witnessed in Kirtland, Ohio, did in his faith. Historian Dan Vogel explains, “By late 1837 [Burnett]…
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LDS Apostle Discusses Pre-1990 Mormon Temple Death Penalties
British reporter John Sweeney made a documentary about Mormonism that aired on BBC on Tuesday (3/27/12. See film clip below). According to The Guardian, before the documentary aired, representatives of the Mormon Church hand-delivered a letter to BBC2 “complaining about The Mormon Candidate.” The Guardian reports, “The letter complained about an interview which Sweeney conducted…
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Are Any Non-Mormons Christian?
Howard P. Kainz at First Things wrote a blog last week titled, “Mormons and Christianity: Asking the Right Questions.” Dr. Kainz reminds his readers about an article written a dozen years ago by the late Richard John Neuhaus in which Fr. Neuhaus “discussed the issue of Mormon claims to be Christian in considerable detail.” Dr.…
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The Smithsonian Institution and the Book of Mormon
I recently came across an undated online Q&A wherein Mormon Robert Starling at the Book of Mormon Archeological Forum responded to a question regarding the Smithsonian Institution’s position on the Book of Mormon (Mr. Starling’s response is undated, but content elsewhere in his letter indicates that it was written after 2007). Mr. Starling quotes a…
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Mormons and the Bible
In a discussion with an older Mormon missionary, Sister G learned that I had prayerfully read the Book of Mormon but had not found it to be the word of God. In her effort to discover what obstacle stood between me and Mormonism, we talked about a lot of different doctrinal issues. We discussed contradictions…
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Did the Mormon Church Ever Discriminate Against Black People?
Jason Horowitz of The Washington Post explored “The Genesis of a church’s stand on race” on Tuesday (2/28/12). Looking at the long-standing Mormon Church’s “ban on blacks in the priesthood,” which came to an end via revelation in 1978, Mr. Horowitz investigated the origins of the ban. He writes: “More than three decades later [after…
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Mormonism’s Secret History
In 1851 Mormon apostle Erastus Snow completed overseeing the production of a Danish translation of the Book of Mormon. It was the first non-English edition of the book ever published. When Deseret News provided an overview of the history of this translation work earlier this week, it reminded me of an old book about Mormonism…
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Mormon Temples are Sacred
If this had been the full extent of the Deseret News headline, I would have agreed. Mormons hold their temples (and what goes on inside) to be sacred. That is, “regarded with the same respect and reverence accorded holy things; venerated; hallowed” (Webster’s New World Dictionary). But the February 9 (2012) headline didn’t stop there.…
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Mormons Still Baptizing Deceased Holocaust Victims
This should come as no surprise. Researcher Helen Radkey has recently discovered records in the Mormon Church’s genealogical database indicating that proxy baptisms for deceased holocaust victims continues, despite promises—and even formal agreements—consented to by the LDS Church. The latest controversy is over the posthumous baptisms of the parents of famous holocaust victims’ advocate Simon…
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To Hell with My Friends
In studying Revelation chapter 14 recently I have taken some time to think about the contrast between heaven and hell. John’s vision presents a heaven filled with a multitude of redeemed people—together. They are portrayed as resting from their labors, singing a new song and, all together as one, following the Lamb wherever He goes.…
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Miscategorizing Mormonism
In an opinion piece that recently appeared in The Salt Lake Tribune (1/28/12), LDS authors David Paulsen and Hal Boyd sought to answer the question, “How do we categorize Mormons?” They state: “Brigham Young put it this way, ‘We, the Latter-day Saints, take the liberty of believing more than our Christian brethren: we not only…
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Promises Mormons Make
On January 22 (2012) on Fox News Sunday Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney answered a question from Chris Wallace regarding Mr. Romney’s generous financial gifts (tithing) to the Mormon Church. Mr. Romney said, “This is a country that believes in the Bible, the Bible speaks about providing tithes and offerings, I made a commitment to my church…
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How to Spend Eternity With Heavenly Father
I stumbled across a pro-Mormon YouTube channel (a Vlog) called inZionTV. On January 6th (2012) inZionTV posted a video (embedded below) in which two Mormon missionaries answer the question, “What do we need to do to live with Heavenly Father after we die?” The 10 minute and 40 second video provides a pretty detailed answer…
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Past and Present: Rooting Out Sin Among the Mormons
Last week the Salt Lake Tribune reported on a recent shake up among members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Observers say an unprecedented number — up to 1,500 members — of the polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs were barred from the group’s church after being told over the weekend…
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Silencing Christian Critics of Mormonism
A crusade (of sorts) is moving across Facebook. It is targeting pages that are critical of Mormonism. Who the crusaders are is unknown, but it seems reasonable to suggest that they may be Latter-day Saints. The crusade is aimed at silencing those who disagree with Mormonism. In a broad sense (and from the perspective of…
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Understanding James 2:26
In the course of a study on Ephesians, Tabletalk magazine discusses the relationship between a person’s good works and his justification before God. Examining James 2:14-26 (“faith without works is dead”), the magazine offers good insight into James’ teaching. Since Mormons regularly misappropriate this Bible passage as a proof-text to support the LDS doctrine of…
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The Book of Mormon: The Keystone of Mormon Doctrine
The October 2011 Ensign magazine was a special issue, dedicated entirely to the topic of the Book of Mormon. LDS apostle Todd Christofferson’s article explained how to study the Book of Mormon and quoted past LDS prophet Ezra Taft Benson’s top three reasons that people should make study of the Book of Mormon “a lifetime…
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From the Mailbag (10/24/2011)
Thank you for taking the time to document exactly what it is Mormons believe verses the Bible. I am married to a Mormon. I am a Christian and stand firm by the tenets of the Faith exactly as you have listed them. What seems clear to me is like talking to someone from a foreign…
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