Mormonism Research Ministry

Category: General Authorities

  • LDS Apostle Names the Most Remarkable Thing in the History of the World

    Sharon Lindbloom

    M. Russell Ballard, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently gave an address to church members and missionaries in Canada. Church News reports that in his talk, President Ballard identified “the most remarkable thing in the history of the world.” As a self-identified apostle…

  • Is Divine Revelation Like Milk That Spoils?

    Is Divine Revelation Like Milk That Spoils?

    Aaron Shafovaloff

    Aaron critiques Allen D. Haynie’s view that ancient prophets are not superior to modern ones, emphasizing that for Christians, the teachings of ancient prophets, rooted in God’s unchanging and inerrant word, grow sweeter over time, in contrast to Mormonism’s fluctuating and evolving doctrines.

  • Mormon Prophets Are Not Perfect

    Sharon Lindbloom

    18 January 2023 At a BYU-Hawaii devotional event last November (2022), inspirational speaker Sherri Dew, from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, focused her remarks on the prophets, seers, and revelators that lead her church. “Prophets can see around corners,” she said. Her overarching message was that prophets can see (via revelation) what’s…

  • Statue of Joseph Smith Joins 54 Other “Messiahs of Peace” at India’s World Peace Dome

    Sharon Lindbloom

    In Pune, India stands the World Peace Dome, the “world’s largest dome” described as “an epitome of architectural magnificence.” Beneath the dome is the World Peace Prayer Hall, where up to 3,000 people may gather for “meditation and introspection” while surrounded by “the statues of the world’s greatest philosophers and scientists,” called “Messiahs of Peace.”…

  • The Clever Joseph Smith

    Bill McKeever

    Note: The following was originally printed in the May/June 2022 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. The best of con men try their best to come up with stories that are difficult to falsify. In this area I give credit to Joseph Smith. Have you ever noticed how Smith was able…

  • LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson and Oskar Schindler Have Something in Common

    Sharon Lindbloom

    25 October 2022 Nearly thirty years ago the film Schindler’s List was released to American audiences. The film depicts real-life German businessman Oskar Schindler who was able to keep more than 1,000 Jewish refugees alive and out of concentration camps during the Holocaust of WWII. Oskar Schindler placed himself in great danger and spent his…

  • Joseph Smith vs. Joseph Smith

    Sharon Lindbloom

    by Sharon Lindbloom 1 September 2022 Steven Harper is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Last week (23 August 2022) Dr. Harper published an article in the online edition of LDS Living Magazine titled, “Starting right—how…

  • 10 Questions I’d Like to Ask President Russell M. Nelson

    Eric Johnson

    Posted June 14, 2022 Imagine if a media representative from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints phoned me one afternoon for a personal invitation to interview 17th President Russell N. Nelson! All I would need to do is bring my impromptu questions–she insists I would not have to give them to the president’s…

  • Dead Prophets vs. Living Prophets

    Bill McKeever

    According to sixth LDS president Joseph F. Smith: The Latter-day Saints hold as a principle of their faith, that . . . the President of the Church is recognized as the only person through whom divine communication will come as law and doctrine to the religious body; that such revelation may come at any time,…

  • LDS Prophets Always Speak the Truth?

    Sharon Lindbloom

    7 February 2022 On January 23rd (2022) the Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted a short video: “A Summary of President Nelson’s Remarks for Latter-day Saints in Europe.” This video contains highlights from a virtual broadcast that went out to Latter-day Saints living in 48 countries across Europe. The current…

  • An LDS Prophet and His Fish Stories

    Sharon Lindbloom

    11 August 2021 In the mid-1970s Russell M. Nelson, the current prophet/president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a passenger on a small plane that was in trouble. An engine exploded, flaming oil gushed across the outside of the aircraft, and the plane began to dive. “We were spinning down to…

  • M. Russell Ballard Gets His Day in Utah–July 23, 2021

    M. Russell Ballard Gets His Day in Utah–July 23, 2021

    Eric Johnson

    July 23, 2021 has been declared M. Russell Ballard Day in Utah by Gov. Spencer Cox. Ballard, 92, is the current President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who was honored on July 22, 2021 at the state capitol where he was presented with the day’s designation. Source  At the ceremony, Ballard was credited…

  • Trivializing the Unbiblical Core of Mormonism

    Sharon Lindbloom

    26 April 2021 In mid-April (2021) Mormonism LIVE! hosts RFM (Radio Free Mormon) and Bill Reel broadcast a program on which LDS apologist, Kwaku El, was their guest. In taking calls from the audience, Mr. El was asked how he knows that Joseph Smith was really acting under God’s direction when he engaged in polygamy,…

  • LDS Prophet Disparages Doubting Mormons

    Sharon Lindbloom

    During the Sunday morning session of the April 2021 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, church President Russell M. Nelson gave an address about finding hope and help for all the problems (“mountains”) we face, through having increased faith in Jesus. In identifying doubt as one of the “mountains” people…

  • Joseph Smith’s Gift

    Sharon Lindbloom

    In a virtual devotional earlier this week (on 7 March 2021), LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland spoke to young adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As he encouraged these young adults to get involved in the church’s Institute, a religious education program for college-aged Latter-day Saints, Mr. Holland recounted a story…

  • Is Joseph Smith Your Prophet?

    Sharon Lindbloom

    January 2021 saw the launch of a new global youth-based magazine published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For the Strength of Youth is aimed at young members of the church, ages 11-18. One aspect of the publication is to “provide additional content that complements the church-supported, home-centered teachings of ‘Come, Follow…

  • Plural Marriage and Joseph Smith: A PR Nightmare

    Eric Johnson

    November 2015 Publicly mention the religion of Mormonism and the first thought to come to mind is “polygamy” or, as it is also called, plural marriage. This common perception linking Mormonism with the practice of one man marrying two or more women has caused the public relations department of The Church of Jesus Christ of…

  • For Mormons, Christmastime Is for Honoring Jesus – and Joseph Smith

    Sharon Lindbloom

    17 December 2020 ‘Tis the season. Christmastime is here, the holiday celebrated all around the world by Christians and non-Christians alike. The December issue of Ensign, the official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, celebrates the Christmas season with a few holiday-related items. One is a reproduction of the oil painting,…

  • A Mormon Prophet’s Remedy for “The Ills That Plague Our World”

    Sharon Lindbloom

    In mid-November there was a lot of chatter about a then-upcoming online event promoted by the LDS church. One example of many: “Global faith leader Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shares a simple way you can find hope and healing—no matter your circumstances. Next Saturday, tune in…

  • Were the Apostle Paul and Joseph Smith Two Peas in a Pod?

    Were the Apostle Paul and Joseph Smith Two Peas in a Pod?

    Eric Johnson

    Introduction In the History of the Church 6:408-409, Joseph Smith bragged about his greatness when he said, Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man…