Category: Mormonism
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Why did President Hinckley use the word “blasphemy”?
The importance of the “First Vision” that Joseph Smith had of God the Father and Jesus is considered a cornerstone historical event in Mormonism. Should belief in this event be a deal-breaker for Mormons who want to be called “Christian”?
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Should Mormonism’s leaders be compared to the apostle Peter?
Converse with Latter-day Saints in recent years and you will very likely be told how they ought to be considered Christian. This is true, they say, because they hold Christ as their Savior. They may also claim to believe in salvation by grace and other doctrines accepted by Evangelical Christians.
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A Testimony in whom? Or what?
In the October 2025 general conference, several speakers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—including two general authorities—emphasized the efficacy of placing complete trust in the church’s leaders. Should trusting in human leaders be the best way to discern truth?
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Mormonism Is the Same As Christianity? 7 Questions To Ask
Regularly Latter-day Saints are making a claim that Mormonism is the same as Chrsitianity. Often, they do this by softening the doctrines so they are more appealing to Evangelical Christians. Here are 7 questions we can ask to make it clear that the teachings of the LDS Church do actually contradict biblical Christianity in important…
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Who Do General Conference Speakers Cite? Apologists or Authorities?
Many Latter-day Saints will defer to their apologists when they are discussing their faith with nonbelievers. Yet, when it comes to the church leadership at general conference, who are they more likely to cite: apologists or other general authorities?
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Sally Chase and Joseph Smith
Sally Chase was a young woman living near the Smith family in New York, who served as a village “glass-looker” or seer using a green glass stone.
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Q&A: Joseph Smith’s “Sermon in the Grove”
Printed in History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 473-479. Meeting in the Grove, east of the Temple, June 16, 1844. President Joseph Smith read the 3rd chapter of Revelation, and took for his text 1st chapter, 6th verse—"And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father: to Him be glory and…
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Obituary: Jeffrey R. Holland
Jeffrey R. Holland, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and later its president, passed away on December 27, 2025, due to kidney disease.
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Jonah Barnes: Another LDS Apologist Goes Rogue
Jonah Barnes, a controversial figure in Latter-day Saint apologetics, has sparked growing controversy with his recent claims. Increasingly, voices within the LDS community are questioning his credibility.
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Statement on the Grand Blanc LDS Chapel Tragedy
We at Mormonism Research Ministry are deeply grieved by this horrific act of violence. Our hearts ache for the lives cut short, the wounded who now suffer, and the families left shattered in its wake.
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17th LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson, 101, Passes Away
Russell M. Nelson (9/9/1924-9/27/2025) passed away at his Salt Lake City home on Saturday night, September 27, 2025. He will be replaced by 93-year-old First Counselor of the First Presidency Dallin H. Oaks (born August 12, 1932), most likely at the October General Conference scheduled for this weekend. Nelson served as President of the Quorum…
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Q&A: John Taylor’s 1886 Revelation on Polygamy
On September 27, 1886, John Taylor received a revelation on the permanence of the doctrine of plural marriage. In 1933 the First Presidency denied its existence and called the “purported text” for it a “pretended revelation.” The LDS Church finally conceded its existence on June 14, 2025.
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3 Absolute Imperatives
NOTE: This article was published in the March/April 2025 Mormonism Researched newsletter, a free publication. To subscribe, please visit the registration site. Over the years, Latter-day Saint leaders have been very bold when it comes to some non-negotiable imperatives regarding the truthfulness of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The argument goes, and I…
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As Transparent as They Know How To Be
NOTE: This article was published in the January/February 2025 Mormonism Researched newsletter, a free publication. To subscribe, please visit the registration site. On November 19, 2017 apostles M. Russell Ballard and Dallin H. Oaks (later to become a member of the First Presidency) addressed an audience of young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of…
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The Presiding Patriarch Problem
In October 1979, Eldred G. Smith, the patriarch of the LDS Church, was summoned to the office of President Spencer W. Kimball in Salt Lake City. For more than three decades, Eldred Smith had served as a general authority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his tenure, he gave “Patriarchal Blessings”…
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Why Can’t the Mormon’s Testimony Be a Valid Proof That the LDS Religion Is True?
Many Latter-day Saints insist that their personal testimony is valid even when what is believed is contrary to the Bible. In this article, taken from Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson’s book Answering Mormons’ Questions, a closer look at this topic is considered.
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The Boast of Joseph
Joseph Smith has been portrayed by LDS Church leaders as a humble man. Yet was the Mormon founder as humble as he has been made out to be? Actually, Smith said that he has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world” than anyone. Let’s take a closer look at…
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Joseph Smith’s Most Famous Sermon: The King Follett Discourse
The King Follett Discourse is Joseph Smith’s most famous, well-recorded, and controversial sermon. It was the last General Conference talk Joseph gave before his death, and its teachings on the nature of God and man are among the most controversial things Joseph ever taught.
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Q&A: The King Follett Discourse
The sermon “is widely recognized as his single most important preaching event and perhaps the most important Mormon sermon of all time.”