Mormonism Research Ministry

Category: Mormonism

  • The Faith of Brigham Young

    Bill McKeever

    Compiled by Bill McKeever

  • Aliens? LDS Leaders Insist "We are Not Alone"

    Bill McKeever

    For whatever reason, science fiction has definitely made a comeback in American culture. Filmmakers have found that movies depicting aliens from space are big money makers. Interestingly enough, Hollywood is not the only one touting the phrase, “We are not alone.” Long before black and white film captured plastic rocket ships hanging by a string, leaders of…

  • The Great Apostasy

    Aaron Shafovaloff

    Since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded in 1830, it has maintained that Christ’s church fell into what has been described as a complete apostasy. Though LDS leaders cannot agree as to when this actually happened, they do agree that it must have happened. Many LDS leaders have made reference to…

  • Nepotism and Church Leadership – It’s All In The Family

    Lane Thuet

    By Lane Thuet

  • Mormonism’s "Bait & Switch" Television Ads

    Bill McKeever

    By Bill McKeever For years the general public has been bombarded by commercials extolling the virtues of the Book of Mormon. “Personal” testimonies by well-groomed actors and actresses, along with Bible verses taken out of context, entice listeners to call the toll free number in order to have a copy of Joseph Smith’s novel hand-delivered…

  • Is It Just a Small Group of Evangelicals Who Have a Problem with Mormonism?

    Bill McKeever

    Is It Just a Small Group of Evangelicals Who Have a Problem with Mormonism? By Bill McKeever In 1998, LDS Apostle Boyd Packer complained about those who questioned the Christianity of the LDS Church. “It is one thing to say we are not their kind of Christians,” he said, “It is quite another to characterize…

  • Are “We Evangelicals” Guilty of Bearing False Witness When It Comes to Explaining Mormon Doctrine?

    Bill McKeever

    By Bill McKeever It is a rare event when a Christian theologian/philosopher is allowed to speak in the Mormon Tabernacle on Temple Square, but on November 14, 2004, Dr. Ravi Zacharias was given such an opportunity as he addressed the topic of Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Unfortunately, much of what…

  • Book Review: Early Mormonism and the Magic World View

    Eric Johnson

    Author: D. Michael Quinn Signature Books, 1998 Reviewer: Eric Johnson Introduction

  • Book Review: Under the Banner of Heaven

    Eric Johnson

     By Jon Krakauer Reviewed by Eric Johnson Well-known author Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air, Into the Wild) originally wanted to write a book titled History and Belief that would focus “on the uneasy, highly charged relationship between the LDS Church and its past.” In this not-yet-written book, he planned to see “how does a critical…

  • Movie Review: Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

    Bill McKeever

    Reviewed by Bill McKeever  Despite the fact that Article 13 in the LDS Articles of Faith states that Mormons are to be honest, the LDS Church refuses to be completely truthful when it comes to its history, especially when the subject is Joseph Smith. As part of its celebration of the 200th anniversary of the…

  • Bruce McConkie’s Letter of Rebuke to Professor Eugene England

    Bill McKeever

    Introduction The following is a letter written by LDS Apostle Bruce R. McConkie and sent to a BYU Professor by the name of Eugene England. The purpose of McConkie’s letter was to let Dr. England know that he was very displeased with certain ideas he was espousing publicly. These included teachings taught in the past…

  • The King Follett Discourse

    Bill McKeever

    Introduction  The King Follett Discourse was a funeral sermon preached by Joseph Smith on behalf of Elder King Follett, an early convert to Mormonism, who, on March 9, 1844, was crushed to death when a bucket of rocks fell on him as he was walling up a well. According to the “Documentary History of the…

  • Painesville Telegraph – Friday, December 21, 1832

    Aaron Shafovaloff

    Introduction Many members of the LDS Church have looked to Doctrine and Covenants 87 as one of many proofs for the divine calling of Joseph Smith as a latter-day prophet. This section, said to be given to Joseph Smith on Christmas Day in 1832, seemingly prophesies the coming War Between the States; a war that…

  • Bruce McConkie’s Seven Deadly Heresies Speech (Unedited)

    Bill McKeever

    Introduction Bill McKeever

  • Brigham Young’s Rise to Power

    Lane Thuet

    By Lane Thuet

  • Is J.R.R. Tolkien Also Among the Prophets?

    Bill McKeever

    By Bill McKeever Among the many “proofs” Mormons like to use to authenticate the Book of Mormon is to point out that Joseph Smith was far too young to dream up the theme found in the Book of Mormon. They also point out that this book contains many unique words and that Joseph Smith could…

  • Did Joseph Smith Have Sex With His Wives? (And Other Questions Answered)

    Bill McKeever

    Joseph Smith’s first wife was Emma Hale (1804-79) the daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Lewis) Hale. They were married on January 18, 1827 in South Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York. Smith’s marriage to Louis Beaman is considered by some to be his first official plural marriage since it is the first for which there is…

  • Did Joseph Smith Correctly Predict the American Civil War?

    Bill McKeever

    By Bill McKeever  According to 15th President Gordon B. Hinkley:

  • Is It Fair to Compare Joseph Smith with the Prophet Jonah?

    Eric Johnson

     By Eric Johnson We at Mormonism Research Ministry and other like-minded groups have adamantly maintained that Joseph Smith was a false prophet based on his prophecies which did not take place as he said they would. One common LDS response which we have repeatedly hear is: “If Joseph Smith was a false prophet, then the…

  • Joseph Smith’s First Vision: Fact or Fiction?

    Aaron Shafovaloff

    By Wesley Walters