Author Archives: Aaron Shafovaloff

Joseph Smith’s Violence to Kingdom-Growth Parables

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

There are at least three parables in the Bible on the gradual growth of the kingdom unto maturity: 1. Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31–32, Mark 4:30–32, and Luke 13:18–19) 2. Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-30,36-43) … Continue reading →

Posted in Great Apostasy | 17 Comments

The Perfection of Beauty

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

Mormon neighbors, please join us in worshiping the MOST High God, not the relatively-more-high-than-you god. (HT: Jordan B.)

Posted in Nature of God | 15 Comments

Jesus never entered the temple in Jerusalem

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

‎”Jesus never entered the temple itself. He could not enter the temple because He was not of the family tribe of Aaron, nor was he a Levite. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah.” (Chip Thompson) A simple but amazing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 115 Comments

Limiting “Mormonism” to “official” doctrine is counter-productive

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

There is an idea in LDS folk theology that if you knew how glorious the bottom two kingdoms of heaven were, you would want to commit suicide to get there. Mormons sometimes even claim that Joseph Smith taught this, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine | 19 Comments

Do Mormons feel bound to Mormonism, even if it is false?

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

Do LDS members feel married to the Mormon religion, irrespective of whether it is true? Or put this way: If you found out that Mormonism was false, would you still feel married to the religion and that going elsewhere would … Continue reading →

Posted in Truth, Honesty, Prayer, and Inquiry | 33 Comments

Is Jesus’ body in a place right now?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

I’ve had more than a few Mormons ask about this, so I’d like to share the two basic evangelical views. While Jesus has a permanent human nature, between now and the Second Coming he either (1) has temporarily “exited this … Continue reading →

Posted in Jesus Christ | 52 Comments

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff
Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Does the lack of clear and exact boundaries mean the collapse of all meaningful distinctions?

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

On a public Facebook thread I asked the Great Pumpkin question. A Mormon responded with the following: Aaron, by going to an extreme and wondering about the absurd belief in a great pumpkin, I understand that you are attempting to draw … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity | 21 Comments

Can a Christian believe that the Father is a great pumpkin in the sky?

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Aaron Shafovaloff

Is a Christian someone who believes in a person named “Christ”, no matter what attributes they think of this person or his Father having? This will sound like a silly and irreverent thought-experiment, but hear me out, as this is … Continue reading →

Posted in God the Father, Jesus Christ | 43 Comments

New Mormon manual promotes doctrine that “has no functioning place” in present day Mormonism

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Aaron Shafovaloff

What Gordon B. Hinckley said is “just a couplet”…      What BYU professors say is a thing of the past…           What Richard Mouw says we should apologize over… Is what the new 2012 Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society Sunday Curriculum manual … Continue reading →

Posted in Lorenzo Snow, Nature of Man | Tagged , , | 17 Comments