Category: Mormon Coffee Blog (2007-2019)
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What is Mormonism?
Last week it was discovered that when Google search engine users typed, “What is Mormonism?” into the search box, the answer provided was this: “Mormonism is a religion that denies the deity of Jesus Christ. In this religion, He is demoted to being a mere mortal, a true offspring of Elohim and an equal to…
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Member Inactivity in the Mormon Church
On Tuesday (23 September 2014) the blog nearing kolob took a look at recent Mormon missionary reports regarding localized Church inactivity. What follows is a summary of nearing kolob’s research findings (that they gleaned unscientifically from reading Mormon missionary blog posts). While this information is likely troubling to LDS leaders, and perhaps encouraging to critics…
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Reading between the lines on the issue of perfection (Part 2)
In Monday’s post, I quoted from an article found in the July 2014 Ensign magazine titled “Becoming Perfect in Christ” that was written by Seventy Gerrit W. Gong. When Gong’s words are put next to the teachings of the LDS leaders, there seems to be a disconnect. I will continue to quote from the section…
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Ballad of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
On September 11, 1857, a Mormon mob perpetrated the Mountain Meadows Massacre, killing 120 travelers in Utah. A ballad by Pete Moore recounts this tragic event, highlighting the betrayal and brutality experienced by the victims.
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Why I Wish Mormonism Would Excommunicate or Disfellowship All of Its Unfaithful or Unbelieving Members
When Mormonism excommunicates or disfellowships people who aren’t faithful to Mormonism or believing in Mormonism, it helps both Mormons and evangelicals. It adds clarity to identity and worldview. It contributes to religious integrity. It speeds up the process of people re-evaluating their beliefs. We’re better off interacting with Mormons as Mormons, agnostics as agnostics, and…
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“Love Thy Neighbor”: Mormonism’s Second Prophet Explains What Jesus Meant
On Sunday, February 8, 1857 Brigham Young took the stand at the Great Salt Lake City Tabernacle to deliver a discourse to his congregation. On this occasion, Mormonism’s second prophet included some expositional preaching on Jesus’ command found in Matthew 19:19 (also in Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, 33, and Luke 10:27), “Thou shalt love thy…
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Responding to the King Follett Discourse: “It Is the Voice of a God, Not of a Man”
Early Mormon leader Joseph Fielding responded to the King Follett Discourse (April 7, 1844): “I never felt more delighted with his discourse than at this time. They said at his oration, it is the voice of a god not of a man.” (Journal of Joseph Fielding, quoted in “The King Follett Discourse: Joseph Smith’s Greatest…
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Mormon Missionaries Do Not Teach the Gospel
The Mormon-themed Meridian Magazine posted an article last week titled, “Baptized Too Soon?” In it, author Joni Hilton confessed her proclivity toward blaming the missionaries when new Mormon converts fall away, wondering if “…the missionaries were too hasty, and scheduled a baptism before the investigator really understood the gospel. Do they even have a testimony…
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A Simple Correlation: The Apostle Paul and Mormon General Conference
As defined at Wikipedia, the Mormon Church’s priesthood correlation program is “a program designed to provide a systematic approach to maintain consistency in its ordinances, doctrines, organizations, meetings, materials, and other programs and activities.” The Church began its correlation efforts in the early 1960s, to bring all aspects of the Church under one large umbrella…
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“The Law Is Not of Faith”
There is a difference between seeking justification* before God by faith or by the law. Some think we must combine the two, relying both on faith and individual works of obedience. Is this what God requires? Galatians 3 has the answer. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for…
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Mormonism and the “Great Machine”
Mormonism’s “eternal law” is the creed of multiverse. Transcending all gods. Governed by no ultimate Persons. Impersonal. Cold. “Without body, parts, passions.” Incromprehensible. “Unknown and unknowable—formless, passionless, elusive, ethereal, simultaneously everywhere and nowhere.” All the gods must submit to it, abide by it, conform to it. “We were there and then (say) born in the express…
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John Walker’s Key Opens Book of Mormon Names
The wise biblical King Solomon wrote, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Researcher Rick Grunder has provided a great latter-day example of “What has been is what will be.” In his massive work, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source, Mr. Grunder provides readers with an interesting look at names found in the Book…
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The Mormon Logic of Lost Books and Its Implication for Prophetic Accountability
When talking to some Mormon missionaries in March I encountered an interesting line of thinking. One of the elders gave the standard claim that the Bible is missing books that should have been included. I asked, “Which ones?” He answered: Works that the Bible makes mention of. So I asked, “So, mere mention of a work…
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Mormon Church’s “Bees” Are Swarming…
Last week the threat of excommunication for Kate Kelly became a reality. Ms. Kelly is the founder of Ordain Women, a Mormon group advocating for gender equality in the Mormon priesthood. She was found guilty of apostasy. Her bishop explained: “. . . our determination is that you be excommunicated for conduct contrary to the…
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Citizen Smith
In the late afternoon of that sticky June day, Joseph Smith lay broken and bleeding beside the foundation of the Carthage Jail. Though few people knew he held the secret, self-imposed scepter of king, the fact that he had been in the race for the United States presidency was common knowledge. But Joseph Smith did…
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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…