Category: Mormon Coffee Blog (2007-2019)
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Is It Wrong Say Mormonism Embraces a “Different Jesus”?
Mormon bishop Nate Sharp wrote a blog article aimed at “Dispelling 5 More Myths About Mormons.” I want to take a look at the first ”myth” he tackled: “Myth #1: Mormons believe in a ‘different Jesus.’ “One myth about Mormons is the notion that we believe in a ‘different Jesus.’ In reality, of course, there…
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He is Risen! A message from the Garden Tomb
The most important holiday for Christians all over the world comes this Sunday. MRM’s Eric Johnson shares what this holy-day means for him.
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The Translation of the Book of Mormon plates
Chip Thompson from Solid Rock Cafe uses the illustration of the translation of the Book of Mormon plates for some fascinating discussions.
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Joseph Smith Should be Held to a Higher Standard than Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David
We rightly expect more integrity and imitable behavior of church pastors and deacons today than was expected of prophets 3500 years ago. We rightly expect better theology of our teachers today than we do the Early Church Fathers. That said, if you claim to be a prophet or a teacher today, you are expected to…
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Saving Mormonism: Divorcing Faith from Fact
The Salt Lake Tribune published an article earlier this month: “New Mormon mission: How to teach members the messy part of LDS history, theology.” Written by Peggy Fletcher Stack, the article looks at the need for the Mormon Church to shift its “simple” historical narrative to something that comports more with truth. She writes, “These…
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Mormon Church Does Not Require “Bloodletting”
Last week the Utah Senate voted to reinstate death by firing squad as one of the state’s options in carrying out a judiciously imposed penalty of capital punishment. The bill awaits the signature of Utah’s governor before it can become law. As the bill is written, the firing squad alternative would be required if lethal…
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Mormon Leadership Not Appropriate at a Christian Event
In a blog post on Monday (March 9, 2015) Jana Riess told readers about the recent cancellation of a Christian retreat at which Dr. Riess was scheduled to speak. The reason the retreat was cancelled: Christian church leaders deemed that, due to Dr. Riess’ Mormon faith, she is “not an ‘appropriate’ person to be a…
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Joseph Smith’s Grandiloquent Assertion: “I Am the Only Man That Has Ever Been Able To Keep a Whole Church Together”
In 1844, while the Mormon Church was in the middle of a crisis involving dissention in the Church, The Prophet Joseph Smith preached a Sunday morning sermon in which he exclaimed, “In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil—all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye…
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The False Necessity of LDS Water Baptism
Guest Contributor In his February 2015 Ensign article entitled, “The Gate Called Baptism” (45-47), Elder Devn Cornish of the Second Quorum of the Seventy said that “…baptism, a holy sign of a covenant between God and His children, is required for our salvation” (45). Christians would say that baptism is not essential for salvation, but according to…
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Mormonism and Its First Level Truths
On February 6, 2015 LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland gave a public address titled, “An Evening with Jeffrey R. Holland” (see video here). He directs his remarks primarily to Church Educational System teachers and leaders, encouraging them to teach their Mormon students mindfully and thoroughly. Mr. Holland spends a few minutes speaking to the issue of…
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How Do You Like Your Mormon Temple Garments?
The Mormon Church is asking its members to answer an online questionnaire about temple garments in order to assist the Church in “providing for the needs of members worldwide.” The questions focus on things like garment fit, style, and fabric. According to Fox13 News, “[Church] Officials are looking for changes or improvements that could be…
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Jesus Came to Save Sinners
While reading the October 2014 General Conference addresses, I was interested to read that Mormon apostle D. Todd Christofferson said, “So God does not save us ‘just as we are,’ first, because ‘just as we are’ we are unclean, and ‘no unclean thing can dwell…in his presence.’ [Moses 6:57]” (“Free Forever, to Act for Themselves,”…
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Are Christian Pastors Called of God? This Mormon Doesn’t Think So.
According to The Spectrum, a news source out of St. George, Utah, columnist “Joe Kent Kerby has a Ph.D. from Columbia University in economics, is a former professor and published author, as well as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” From all of these listed qualifications, I can only see…
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“I thought I knew the Church was true.”
On October 16, 2014 LDS Meridian Magazine published an article by Ted Gibbons titled, “The Fallacy of Rewriting Your Personal History.” Mr. Gibbons relates the story of one of his former missionary companions who, sometime after his mission, was excommunicated from the Church and came to disbelieve Mormonism. This former Mormon subsequently edited his missionary…
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New Mormon Temple In the News
As the Mormon Church gears up for the opening of its new temple in Carmel, Indiana, local news sources are letting residents know what to expect once they have a Mormon temple in their region. I’m guessing that the Church put out a new press release because last Wednesday (January 14, 2015) two of these…
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“Worthy to Enter” Mormon Temples
April Young Bennett needed to renew her temple recommend. Her brother was soon to be married in a Mormon temple and she wanted to be there. As many of you know, Latter-day Saints who do not hold a current temple recommend are not allowed to enter Mormon temples. They must be “worthy to enter.” “Once…
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Mormons Study a New Testament in 2015
On Monday (January 12, 2015) I wrote, The Mormon Church’s Sunday School course of study for 2015 is the New Testament. Accordingly, Gig Harbor, WA newspaper columnist Alfred Gunn (LDS) wrote a column for The Peninsula Gateway titled, “The Bible as a treasured course of personal study.” For the most part, the article seems aimed…