Category Archives: Authority and Doctrine

Was the Mormon ban against blacks holding the priesthood before 1978 racist?

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Eric Johnson
Posted in Authority and Doctrine, Civil Liberties, LDS Church | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Policy or Doctrine?
The Mormon Church ban of blacks before 1978

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Eric Johnson
Posted in Authority and Doctrine, Civil Liberties, LDS Church | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 58 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

Can Mormons Trust Their Prophets?

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Sharon Lindbloom

The topic of “Mormon folklore” seems to be a popular one right now, following on the heels of the racially offensive comments made by BYU Professor Randy Bott last week (see “Did the Mormon Church ever discriminate against black people?” … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine | Tagged , | 125 Comments

Do “Official” Mormon Sources Exist?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Sharon Lindbloom

How do you know?

Posted in Authority and Doctrine | Tagged , | 30 Comments

Plausible Deniability: The Mormon Panacea

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Aaron Shafovaloff

Enjoy the satire as well as three Viewpoint on Mormonism MP3s: Plausible Deniability – Part 1 (Tue, Nov 08, 2011) Plausible Deniability – Part 2 (Wed, Nov 09, 2011) Plausible Deniability – Part 3 (Thu, Nov 10, 2011) Also see the related article … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine | 28 Comments

Should one limit consideration of “Mormonism” to what minimalists deem “official” and “binding”?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Aaron Shafovaloff

When comparing and contrasting Biblical Christianity with Mormonism, should one limit consideration of “Mormonism” to what minimalists deem “official” and “binding”? I answer “NO” for a number of reasons: Mormons, even minimalist Mormons, disagree amongst themselves over what constitutes “official” … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine | 39 Comments

Classic Mormonism

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Sharon Lindbloom

I’ve been reading The Plan of Salvation: Understanding Our Divine Origin and Destiny by Matthew B. Brown (Covenant Communications, 2007). I’m not finished reading it yet, but the opening section, “Where Did I Come From,” favorably impresses me. Identified on … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine | Tagged , , | 37 Comments

Source of Truth

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Sharon Lindbloom

The African Ex-Mormon Foundation recently published an article in The Inquirer Online newspaper (Liberia, West Africa). Seeking to address the question, “Is Mormonism The Same As Biblical Christianity?,” the article forms an interesting argument: “The most important issue with any … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine, Christianity, Mormon Scripture, Salvation, Truth, Honesty, Prayer, and Inquiry | 21 Comments

Six Reasons I Take a Cautious Approach to Seeming Changes

Posted on July 31, 2009 by Aaron Shafovaloff

When some changes to Gospel Principles were publicized, the Mormon response was varied. Some of the more intellectual Mormons with quaint positions (such as a denial of vivaporous spirit birth, denial of the past progression of God from mere mortality … Continue reading →

Posted in Authority and Doctrine, Truth, Honesty, Prayer, and Inquiry | 164 Comments