Category: Mormonism
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Is Joseph Smith Your Prophet?
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…
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Membership Growth in 2020 Down by Almost 50% As Decline Continues
For a 4-part Viewpoint on Mormonism series on this topic airing February 15-18, 2021, click these links: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Note: This article was modified on April 4, 2021 Over the first weekend of April, LDS Church leaders announced their lowest baptismal convert rate number in many decades due…
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A Notion of Truth for Questioning Mormons
In the Bible, Pilate famously asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). If he had asked that same question of LDS historian Richard Bushman, Pilate would have been told that truth is whatever works to bring any given individual to what they themselves consider “a good life.” In an interview published in The Salt Lake…
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Plural Marriage and Joseph Smith: A PR Nightmare
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…
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Should Mormons be Considered “Christian?”
The question of whether Mormons are Christians is an admittedly sensitive issue. It’s not one I normally bring up in a conversation with Latter-day Saints because it can too easily turn into a “Yes they are!” and “No they’re not!” back and forth dispute that can lead to frayed feelings. Mormons like to insist that…
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For Mormons, Christmastime Is for Honoring Jesus – and Joseph Smith
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,…
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The Torment of Mormonism’s Uncertainties
The November (2020) issue of Ensign, an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contains the church’s October General Conference addresses. One address, given by LDS apostle Dale Renlund, caught my attention. In “Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” Mr. Renlund explains what it is to be Christlike,…
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Book of Mormon Translation: Though Questions Persist, One Thing is Clear
How was the Book of Mormon translated from the Reformed Egyptian found on the gold plates into English? Despite available eyewitness accounts and an official position stated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints itself, Mormons don’t seem to know the answer. The process Joseph Smith used to produce the Book of Mormon…
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Mormon Rejection of an Important Aspect of the New Testament Church
LDS scholar Dan Peterson noted in his August 31st (2020) blog, “Attacking Other Faiths,” that his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, differs from evangelical Christian churches in the way it approaches non-LDS faiths. While Dr. Peterson does not define what he believes constitutes the “attacking” of other faiths, he does point…
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Were the Apostle Paul and Joseph Smith Two Peas in a Pod?
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…
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Effectively Sharing With Someone From the Community of Christ
By Trevor Wolfe from Haven Ministries Check out an article on the overall history and doctrine of the Community of Christ by clicking here My approach to witnessing to followers belonging to the Community of Christ (CoC) is different than when I witness to Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day…
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Splinter Group: The Community of Christ
Summary The Community of Christ is the largest church following Joseph Smith after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). This is a religion that does not place much emphasis on theology as much as it does on social justice issues, including an emphasis on striving for world peace, feeding the hungry,…
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4 Important Reasons Why Nobody Should Pray About a Personal Testimony…Ever
There appears to be nothing more important to a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than having a personal “testimony” confirming the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and, ultimately, the LDS religion itself. Some refer to receiving this personal testimony as a “burning in the bosom.” The term comes from…
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Ex-Mormonism’s Five Doctrines: An Alternate List
Mette Harrison, an ex-member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently posted an article on Religion News Service titled, “The five doctrines of ex-Mormonism.” Mette writes about ex-Mormon get-togethers she has attended and how she has noticed that, in her opinion, ex-Mormons have traded one set of dogma for another. They still…
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Splinter Group: Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)
Viewpoint on Mormonism did a three-part series on the FLDS that aired on September 2-4, 2020, including an interview with missionary Brodie Olson who lives among the FLDS people. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Introduction The face of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) has changed dramatically since Warren Jeffs,…
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Splinter Group: Apostolic United Brethren
Updated 5/21/2025 Check out a 2-part Viewpoint on Mormonism series that originally aired September 28-29, 2020 Part 1 Part 2 Church Name Apostolic United Brethren. Other names include “Allred Group,” “AUB,” “The Work,” “The Group,” and “The Priesthood” Founder Rulon C. Allred (1906-1977) in 1954 Current Leader Lynn A. Thompson (1940-2021) was the leader from…
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Splinter Group: Church of Christ (Hedrickites, Temple Lot)
For a Viewpoint on Mormonism 2-part series on this religion that aired August 31-September 1, 2020, click the following: Part 1 Part 2 Church Name Church of Christ (Temple Lot). Most local congregations include “(Temple Lot)” after “Church of Christ” to distinguish it from other “Church of Christ” denominations. Founder Granville Hedrick (1814-1881)—the church claims…
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Splinter Group: Latter Day Church of Christ (Davis County Cooperative Society, United Order)
Summary One of the most controversial splinter groups of Mormonism, the Latter Day Church of Christ, has been led by members of the Kingston family since it was founded in 1935. The church has received notoriety in two main areas: 1) A polygamous lifestyle and emphasis on arranged incestuous marriages between close relatives, and 2)…
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If the LDS Church Is Not True, Which One Is?
The following is from chapter 7 in Answering Mormons’ Questions (Kregel, 2013). To get additional help in answering LDS questions, we recommend purchasing the book. Click here to see more. In a fall 2011 general conference address, Tad R. Callister, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, said, “Have you ever wondered why there are…