Category: Mormon Coffee Blog (2007-2019)
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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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Liberty University and the Glenn Beck Saga (Part 2)
Liberty University’s controversial decision to invite Glenn Beck, a Mormon, as a convocation speaker raised concerns regarding the institution’s reputation and potential confusion among students about religious beliefs, prompting calls for a reassessment of speaker policies.
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Liberty University and the Glenn Beck Saga (Part 1)
Eric, a parent of a Liberty University graduate, discusses Glenn Beck’s controversial appearance at a recent convocation, arguing it may confuse students and compromise the university’s message on faith and openness amidst public criticism.
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“What Many People Called Sin Is Not Sin” Part II
During a Church Court in 1850, Joseph E. Johnson claimed that he was aware of what he called “the first frigging” of Joseph Smith and Johnson’s mother-in-law, Mary Heron Snider. For details about this incident, see Part I. The reason that the Church Hierarchy in 1850 may not have been overly surprised by this account…
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An Open Response Letter to Glenn Beck…From a “Monster”
An open letter response to an article on Glenn Beck’s website titled “A Land of Monsters’: Beck Fires Back at Those Attacking Liberty University for Inviting Him to Speak,” which he posted on May 20, 2014.
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“What Many People Called Sin Was Not Sin” Part I
A Church Court is convened. A man is accused of committing adultery and fathering a child with another man’s wife. One of the presiding elders speaks to those assembled about the offender and says that, “This matter was bro[ugh]t before Council … [and] his Priesthood was required to be laid down until he came here—……
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Only Jesus did his best
What do people mean when they say, “their best”? “I did my best to make it on time.” “I did my best to get good grades.” “I do my best to be a good person.” Normally, this functions as hyperbole or socially acceptable exaggeration. It is often feel-good language for moral failure. When pressed, people…
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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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Who Is Your Proxy?
Mormons believe in doing baptisms for the dead for a number of reasons. Primary to these is the belief that people must be baptized in order to be saved. According to Mormonism, baptism was not an option to many of history’s populations; they were utterly unable to fulfill this requirement. In life they did not…
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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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New LDS.org Gospel Topic Articles Were Submitted to the “Presiding Quorums of the Church and the First Presidency for Approval”
I am already hearing of BYU professors mocking the new LDS.org gospel topic articles as non-official. Elder Steven E. Snow, LDS Church Historian and Executive Director of the Church History Department, explains that each of the articles was submitted to the “presiding Quorums of the Church and the First Presidency for approval”: “How does the…
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What’s In A Name?
This is kind of a dual subject post, so bear with me. We sometimes place a lot of importance on names. For example, the Mormon Church places a lot of importance on the name of the Church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But more recently, with the advent of the internet, “handles” or…
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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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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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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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Mormonism, the Bible, and God the Father
The January 2014 Ensign magazine includes an edited version of a General Conference talk given in 1986 by (now deceased) Gordon B. Hinckley of Mormonism’s First Presidency. The 2014 “Gospel Classic” is titled, “The Divine Godhead.” In it Mr. Hinckley explains what he believes about God the Father and relates an experience he had while…
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Why Truth and Discernment are Important to Distinguish
Wicked vs. righteous prayer Related articles: Praying About the Book of Mormon – Is it Biblical?, Searching for Answers or Seeking Confirmation? Feelings are fallible Related article: Are Feelings a Good Source for Truth? Test of a prophet Related article: True and false prophets Test the spirits Be like the Bereans “Study it out in your mind”
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Going After Historical Issues
In an article found in an LDS Church manual (The Pearl of Great Price Teacher Manual Religion 327, pp. 54-55) that gives instructions to the LDS instructors comes this amazing statement: Joseph Smith—History. Overview Have students read the five italicized summary statements that are found throughout Joseph Smith—History and list the major events that are…