Tag: Mormon Church
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Mormon Endowment Ceremony Origins
One hundred eighty years ago this month (June 2017) W.A. Cowdery, the Mormon editor of the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, told readers about ancient Greece. He explained, “The history of Greece for a period of three hundred years preceding the Trojan war, is intermixed with fables; but contains, notwithstanding, many facts entitled to…
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The Supreme God of Mormonism
In its “Until We Meet Again” feature, the April 2017 issue of the LDS Church’s Ensign magazine includes an article titled, “The Power of God.” This is a 500-word excerpt from a longer (2300-word) General Conference address titled, “The Doctrine of the Priesthood.” Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie delivered this address in April 1982 during…
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Inaccurate Presentations of Mormon History Persist
On Sunday (7 May 2017), LDS General Authority Kim B. Clark of the Seventy addressed young adult members of the Mormon Church in a Worldwide Devotional. Within his talk, Elder Clark spoke a great deal about the history surrounding the Book of Mormon translation. To augment his talk, Elder Clark introduced dramatic video clips, saying,…
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The Creator-Gods of Mormonism
The LDS Church has recently released new scripture-themed coloring and activity books for children. One is an updated version of an older Book of Mormon coloring book, while the other is based on the Mormon scripture volume, Pearl of Great Price. Both are available to download for free. The books are intended to not only…
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Perfect Mormonism
At a blog site titled “Relationship Refinery,” Mormon blogger Kate wrote about her “Lifelong Wrestle with Mormonism.” In her article, Kate writes that there is one factor to which she attributes “any lasting peace or happiness” she has experienced. “that, unequivocally, has come from fully living my religion. And I mean, the real religion. “One issue is that…
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“Additional Perspectives and Insights” on Joseph Smith’s First Vision?
The LDS Church released a new video of Joseph Smith’s First Vision a few weeks ago (an explanation of this Vision can be found here). “Ask of God: Joseph Smith’s First Vision” begins with the explanation that, as there are “at least nine accounts” of this visionary experience recorded by Joseph Smith and “some of…
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Only “After All We Can Do”
LDS author and blogger Mette Ivie Harrison recently addressed the question, “Can Christ Love Me In My Sins?” From a traditional Mormon perspective, the answer would be “No.” But Ms. Harrison is not a traditional Mormon. For her, unlike many other Latter-day Saints who actually hold to the teachings of the Mormon Church, the answer…
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Leaving Nauvoo, 1846
Last week the Fort Madison [Iowa] Daily Democrat reported on the LDS commemoration of the 171st anniversary marking the start of the Mormon pioneer trek from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. Beginning in early February 1846, Mormons left Nauvoo for a new home in the west. Every year since 1996 a gathering of…
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Two Sets of Official Book of Mormon Witnesses
In his continuing effort at “Defending the [LDS] Faith,” BYU professor Daniel Peterson has recently tackled the testimonies of the eleven Book of Mormon witnesses. He notes that the two signed testimonies appearing in the front of each Book of Mormon (one signed by three witnesses, the other signed by eight witnesses) are “distinctly different…
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Mormon Business: Paying the Church’s Unpaid Clergy
Last week MormonLeaks (formerly MormonWikiLeaks) posted documents related to the salaries the LDS Church pays its full-time top leaders. These documents include several bi-weekly paystubs for LDS apostle Henry B. Eyring (dating to the year 2000), as well as a 2014 notice to LDS Seventy Bruce Porter confirming that he, along with all the Church’s…
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An Alarming Misunderstanding of Joseph Smith’s Significance to Christianity
An article appeared online this week with a title that grabbed my attention. In “The Alarming Truth Behind Anti-Mormonism,” LDS author Dustin Phelps tells his readers, “I intend to expose what anti-Mormonism is and what its objectives really are.” What follows is a lengthy argument against Atheism; it’s the way Mr. Phelps ties Atheism…
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Why Does Mormon History Matter?
Though the LDS Church claims disillusioned members are not “leaving [the Church] in droves,” talks and articles about stemming the exiting tide continue to appear in the news. This week, Mormon-themed Meridian Magazine published “8 Things That Can Pull You Away From the Church” by Gary and Joy Lundberg. In this article, the Lundbergs explain,…
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Mormonism’s Splendid Sins
Last week LDS blogger Christopher Cunningham posted an article with the provocative title, “21 reasons It Doesn’t Matter if The Church is True.” Mr. Cunningham clarifies that “the title is clearly meant to attract an audience,” because of course it matters if the Mormon Church is true. However, he explains, “This article isn’t to combat noisy…
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“Many People Have Wondered if Mormons Are Christians.”
The LDS Daily website (“Not an official website of the true church”) provides Mormon readers with Family Home Evening lesson ideas. This week Aleah Ingram suggests a lesson titled, “Are Mormons Christian?” She writes, In her lesson, Ms. Ingram includes the words of LDS Hymn #134, “I Believe in Christ.” This song speaks highly of…
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The Real Threat of Mormonism
Over the years I have encountered many misperceptions that Mormons have about Christians and Christianity. One of note is found in a little book published in 1998 by LDS author Scott Marshall. In an effort to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, Mr. Marshall wrote, “THE TRINITY CREATION. They believe in the trinity…
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“Because Joseph Smith was a prophet…”
Mormonism was in the news a lot last weekend. Saturday and Sunday were the days of the LDS Church’s October General Conference. During the Church’s semiannual conferences, leaders of the Church are understood to encourage, challenge, and educate Mormons with inspired spiritual talks. Last Saturday morning the talk by Craig C. Christensen (of the…
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What a Charred Lump of a 2,000-Year-Old Scroll Can Tell Us About Mormonism
In June of 1843 Mormonism’s founder, the Prophet Joseph Smith, told his followers, “There are many things in the Bible which do not, as they now stand, accord with the revelations of the Holy Ghost to me.” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 310. See also History of the Church 5:425) Four…
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Mormonism’s “Near Deification” of Joseph Smith
Mormon blogger Mette Ivie Harrison posted an intriguing article on August 23rd at Huffington Post. She titled it, “Do Mormons Worship Joseph Smith?” In the article Ms. Harrison expressed her dismay that some non-Mormons might misunderstand the way modern Mormons feel about the faith’s first prophet and wrongly conclude that Mormons worship Joseph Smith. Latter-day…
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“President Monson’s knowledge is unique and superior on ‘any subject, at any time.’”
Beginning circa 1950, the Mormon Church promoted an “Indian Student Placement Program” for young Native American Mormons. According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “The Indian Student Placement Services was established among native americans by the LDS Church in part to fulfill the obligation felt by the Church to help care for the Indians in the…