Category: Mormon Theology
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Mormonism’s Eternal Sealings: A Complex Story
3 June 2024 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints devotes considerable resources to seeking after its dead (as the faith’s founder Joseph Smith put it). This includes the genealogical research the church is somewhat famous for, used to first identify deceased people and then provide them with Mormonism’s “saving ordinances” done vicariously for…
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Does James Contradict Sola Fides (Salvation by Faith Alone)? A Closer Look at James 2:14–26
To listen to a Viewpoint on Mormonism podcast on this topic that aired May 6-10, 2024, go to the following: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 This article includes a verse-by-verse analysis of James 2:14-26. In doing this, we will compare the King James Version (the official version of The Church…
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A 3-Minute Explanation on Christianity’s Living Prophet
Note: The following was originally printed in the September/October 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. If only I had that proverbial nickel for every time a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asked, “So who’s your living prophet?” The question is certainly a tongue-in-cheek reference to…
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The LDS Church at Christmas: A Cautionary Tale
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented its 2023 First Presidency Christmas Devotional on December 3rd. This event featured The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and comments by several LDS church leaders. Though church President Russell M. Nelson was present at the event, his address to…
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How Wide Is That Covenant Path?
Note: The following was originally printed in the July/August 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Certina, a former Mormon and contributing author to the mormonscholar.org website (mormonscholar.org/the-covenant-path), wrote in 2018: Since its introduction into the Mormon vocabulary in 2005 and General Conference in 2007, the term “covenant…
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Is Jesus Worshiped in Mormonism?
Note: The following was originally printed in the July/August 2023 edition of Mormonism Researched, sent bimonthly to financial supporters of MRM. To request a free subscription to Mormonism Researched, please visit here. Over the years, many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have pled with Evangelical Christians to accept them as fellow Christ-followers.…
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Jeffrey R. Holland’s Mischaracterization of Christianity’s Sacred Symbol
Jeffrey R. Holland, the fourth highest ranking LDS Church leader based on seniority, gave a talk at the October 2022 general conference titled “Lifted Up Upon the Cross” (Liahona, November 2022, 77-80). In his 13-minute address, Holland diminished those who believe the cross should be a cherished Christian symbol. As we approach Holy Week during…
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Rendezvousing With Spirits of the Dead
Note: The following was originally printed in the November/December 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Most of the work done in the 170+ temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located around the world is performed by faithful Mormons on behalf of those who are no longer…
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How Jesus and Lucifer Are Related to Humans
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon) teaches unique doctrines contrary to biblical Christianity. One such belief is that Jesus, Lucifer, and all humans are literally spirit brothers and sisters from a previous existence. To understand the teaching, we must consider what a variety of LDS teachers have said throughout the years. The…
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Did Jesus forgive the adulterous woman?
Note: The following was originally printed in the September/October 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. The story of Jesus and the adulterous woman recorded in John 7:53-8:11 is well-known by many Bible readers because it exemplifies the essence of the Savior. If you remember, a woman who had been caught…
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President Nelson speaks on “The Everlasting Covenant”: A Review of Liahona 10/2022
For a 5-part Viewpoint on Mormonism podcast series on “Russell M. Nelson and the Everlasting Gospel” that aired October 3-7, 2022, click Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Posted 9/30/22 In the October 2022 Liahona–the official magazine for English-speaking adults of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–an article from President Russell M. Nelson…
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“The Covenant Path: The Way to Eternal Life” (Adeyinka A. Ojediran, April 2022)
Posted June 9, 2022 For a series of Viewpoint on Mormonism podcasts that aired June 20-25, 2022, click the following links: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Seventy Adeyinka A. Ojediran (pronounced “oh-head-er-an”) gave a Sunday afternoon talk in general conference titled “The Covenant Path: The Way to Eternal Life”; it was recorded…
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“Covenants with God” (Jean B. Bingham, April 2022): Review
Posted June 6, 2022 Listen to Viewpoint on Mormonism form June 9-10, 2022 on this review: Part 1 Part 2 In the Saturday evening “women’s session,” Jean B. Bingham, the Relief Society General President, gave a talk titled “Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory.” The talk, printed in the May 2022 Liahona…
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The “Covenant Path”–The Same Old Same Old
Posted May 24, 2022 Many have argued that the views of Mormonism’s leaders are inching closer to an Evangelical perspective that teaches how salvation comes by grace and not by works. Sometimes general conference talks given by leaders have seemed to encourage individual Latter-day Saints to think this way, including: However, in the past few…
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Heavenly Mother: Apostle Renlund Wishes He “Knew More” About This Basic LDS Tenet
In a general conference address given at the women’s session on Saturday evening April 2, 2022, Apostle Dale Renlund discussed the doctrine of Heavenly Mother, one that is rarely ever addressed by the all-male general authority members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Renlund pointed to the church’s short 627-word Gospel Topics…
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Is Jesus the Only Redeemer? In Mormonism, It Depends.
In the April 2022 issue of the LDS magazine For the Strength of Youth, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Russell M. Nelson, commented, “Jesus Christ’s Atonement was infinite. He saved all humankind from never-ending death. He suffered intensely, beyond what any mortal could suffer. His suffering was for all people…
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The “Gift” of Salvation is Not Free
Note: The following was originally printed in the January/February 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Discussing the topic of salvation with a Latter-day Saint can sometimes be confusing since the word salvation is given two distinct definitions in Mormonism. General salvation, or resurrection from the dead, is something all humans will…
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Worthiness and Flawlessness: A Look at Bradley Wilcox’s October 2021 GC Message
Bradley R. Wilcox is a popular speaker with Latter-day Saints. According to the counter on YouTube, his June 12, 2011 devotional talk titled “His Grace is Sufficient” at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University has topped 1 million views. Although Wilcox is not a general authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he…
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Baptism After the Age of 8 Makes the Individual a “Convert”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints keeps careful track of coverts to the church. Whereas the church was growing by more than 4% in the late 1980s, the rate has dropped to less than 1.5% from 2015-2019. In 2020, that figure dropped to under 1%. Church leaders announce general membership numbers every April…
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Was Brigham Young a “Jerk”?
Brad R. Wilcox, a BYU professor and the second counselor in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Young Men general presidency, gave a fireside talk on Sunday, February 6, 2022 to church congregations in Alpine, UT. He claims that members have complained to him about how Mormonism’s authoritative priesthood was not given to…