Category: Mormon Coffee Blog (2007-2019)
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Brigham Young In His Own Words
Bart Pascoal at MormonInfographics.com has been producing and posting short videos of dramatic readings of Brigham Young. Watching an actor deliver these words from Brigham Young’s sermons adds a whole new dimension to such statements as: “I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will unsheath my bowie knife, and conquer or die.…
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“Absolutes” About the Mormon Gospel
In 1999 James E. Faust, member of the Mormon Church’s First Presidency, counseled new mission presidents at the annual Mission Presidents Seminar in June of that year. According to LDS Church News, “The word gospel means ‘good news’ and missionaries ought to be radiant and upbeat as they reach out to share the gospel, said…
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The Late War and the Book of Mormon
A 19th century book, The History of the Late War Between the United States and Great Britain, has been mentioned before now as a possible source for the Book of Mormon, most notably by Rick Grunder in his 2008 work, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source. But the suggestion that Joseph Smith may have used this…
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The Teachings of Joseph Smith and His Apostles
The following illustration is found in the Instructor’s Guide for the current Mormon Institute manual, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, (Rel 211-12)” [The posted scan is from the print edition, page 110]. Found in a section of the manual that is discussing 2 Peter and “Partaking of the Divine Nature of…
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Do Mormons Really Believe They Have the Truth?
This past summer I was in Nauvoo, Illinois to distribute Christian information and answer questions about my faith and how it differs from Mormonism. This I did each evening for a week, standing adjacent to the outdoor Nauvoo Pageant grounds as pageant-goers arrived to enjoy the night’s performance. The majority of people who attended the…
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Horrific Tragedy in Mormon History
In two days, on October 30, 2013, the 175th anniversary of a very dark day in American history will pass mostly unnoticed. On this date in 1838, 18 men and boys were murdered at Haun’s Mill on the western Missouri frontier. Of the 18 victims, 17 were Mormons – mercilessly shot and killed by a…
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Flying First-Class — Mormon Style
In reading the July 2013 Ensign, I came across a thoughtful story written by Bonnie Marshall in the Latter-day Saint Voices section of the magazine. Mrs. Marshall tells of a long flight she and her husband took when they returned to Utah from their mission at BYU-Hawaii. Because Mrs. Marshall’s husband was a large man,…
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Mormonism and Its “Vital Revelations Flowing in a Never-Ending Stream”
John Taylor, the third prophet of the Mormon Church, explained: “We require a living tree—a living fountain—living intelligence, proceeding from the living priesthood in heaven, through the living priesthood on earth. … And from the time that Adam first received a communication from God, to the time that John, on the Isle of Patmos, received…
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There Are Two Fathers in Heaven. Which One Is Yours?
Everyone has a heavenly father. Which one do you have? There are two. One tells you who are here to be tested, the other tells you who are here to love and be loved. One encourages you to eat of the forbidden fruit, the other encourages you to wait and trust. One is the “god…
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True Mormonism
On September 24th Mormon Apostle D. Todd Christofferson spoke to students at BYU-Idaho during the school’s weekly devotional. About halfway through his talk, “The Prophet Joseph Smith,” Mr. Christofferson explained, “Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling is key to our religion. Without his commission from the Father and the Son, without his priesthood ordinations and the keys…
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Martin Harris: A Sincere Book of Mormon Witness
Mormon defender Daniel Peterson recently published an article about Book of Mormon witness Martin Harris. Appearing in the LDS-owned Deseret News, Dr. Peterson’s article, “Defending the Faith: Martin Harris: ‘Native honesty’ and life-long testimony,” is summarized: “A recently republished document written by a man who disliked Mormonism but knew Martin Harris testifies yet again to…
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Mormons and Evangelicals, “So Very Unchristian.”
Jana Riess recently wrote about her dismay over the direction the comment thread took when she had posted a review of Lynn Wilder’s new book, Unveiling Grace. Dr. Riess wrote, “From the first comment forward, it was not the blog post or even the memoir on trial, but the Mormon religion itself. Once that inaugural…
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“Punishing” Mormon Newlyweds?
There seems to be continuing dissatisfaction among Mormons over the workings of their church. In addition to the “wear pants to church” movement, the “give women the priesthood” movement, and the “pull The Not Even Once Club off the bookstore shelves” movement, Slate magazine recently published an article about the exclusivity of temple sealings (weddings).…
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Atheism Is Just Another Blue Pill
We already live in Narnia. We live in a universe that had a beginning. Indeed, something exists rather than nothing (this alone is amazing). We live among embodied souls who have intrinsic dignity, beauty, and moral culpability. We live in a universe of real aesthetics, of music and design and order and mathematics and right…
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Mormonism: The Not Even Once Club
An interesting movement is afoot in the Mormon world. Wendy Nelson, wife of Mormon apostle Russell M. Nelson, has written a children’s book on the topic of covenant-keeping. This sounds like a good fit for Mormon kids, but LDS adults are petitioning for The Not Even Once Club to be removed from the shelves of…
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When a Mormon is Deceived…
Honesty is the best policy. Aesop knew it. In the 6th century B.C. he chose that to be the moral of his fable, “Mercury and the Woodcutter.” George Washington knew it. He said in his Farewell Address, “I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the…
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From the Mailbag (Isaiah and Idols)
Hello Sharon, Now, Isaiah 43:10-11. It looks so simple and clear when you read it, but can it have MORE than one LOGICAL interpretation? If you ask me, I will tell you that YES!…in the Bible gods sometimes mean people, sometimes idols or false gods. Israelites had a history to make false gods/golden calf/, other…
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How Mormon Beliefs Chiefly Perpetuate
What was once explicitly taught and instilled often only needs implicit, suggestive support to perpetuate. If I tell my daughter a hundred times, “Daddy loves ice cream!”, and then every week after I say, “Let’s go to Leatherby’s and get Rocky Road”, she will reasonably understand that as a continuation and extension of my original…
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The Adam-God Challenge
Once upon a time I was a member of the Mormon Church. I was converted at age 14 and ardently followed the teachings and lifestyle of Mormonism. I went to Church every Sunday, read the Book of Mormon, and had an active and productive Mormon lifestyle. In High School, I went to Seminary, and when…
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