Category Archives: Early Mormonism

Beloved rescue story is a myth. Say it ain’t so.

During this time of year, many Mormon youth have the opportunity to spend 4 days pulling handcarts through rugged terrain. This “pioneer trek” is a type of reenactment of the early Mormon pioneer treks across the American plains to Utah … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Mormon History, Truth, Honesty, Prayer, and Inquiry | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Joseph Smith “carried off my daughter”

Over the years, much has been written about the heartbreak caused by Mormon weddings. The oft-cited cause of this heartbreak is the sacred, exclusive LDS temple wedding that necessarily excludes “unworthy” friends and family from attending. According to Mormonism, marriages … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Mormon History | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

How was Joseph Smith’s seer stone like a smart phone?

I know the headline sounds like a lead-in to a joke, but in fact, Mormon apologist Daniel Peterson wrote a “Defending the Faith” column for Deseret News in which he suggested that, though “some critics of Joseph Smith mock the … Continue reading

Posted in Book of Mormon, Early Mormonism, LDS Church, Mormon History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration

It’s Throwback Thursday! The following blog article originally posted at Mormon Coffee on May 3, 2006. This year, 2015, marks the 10th anniversary of the original release of the Mormon Church-produced film discussed in this post. Please note: the original film … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon Culture, Mormon History, Mormon Missionaries, Nauvoo, Prophets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

A Mormon “Detective Story”

[The following is a guest post written by a friend of Mormonism Research Ministry – a former Mormon who wishes to remain anonymous to keep family peace.] I’m submitting for your consideration a “detective story” from my family history that raises … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Mormon History, Polygamy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Saving Mormonism: Divorcing Faith from Fact

The Salt Lake Tribune published an article earlier this month: “New Mormon mission: How to teach members the messy part of LDS history, theology.” Written by Peggy Fletcher Stack, the article looks at the need for the Mormon Church to … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, LDS Church, Mormon History, Mormon Leaders, Mormon Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Mormonism and Its First Level Truths

On February 6, 2015 LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland gave a public address titled, “An Evening with Jeffrey R. Holland” (see video here). He directs his remarks primarily to Church Educational System teachers and leaders, encouraging them to teach their Mormon … Continue reading

Posted in Authority and Doctrine, Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon Leaders, Prophets | Tagged , , , , , , | 31 Comments

What About Those Essays?

When asked by the New York Times why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided to post several “Gospel Topics” essays on its official web site, church historian Steven E. Snow said, “There is so much out there … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon History, Nauvoo, Polygamy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Faithful Mormons Respond to News of Joseph Smith’s Polygamy

Shock waves continue to move across the globe as Mormons discover their Church’s recent admissions regarding Joseph Smith’s polygamy. There is much distress evident among Mormons who have always believed (been told) that the kinds of things now disclosed in … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon Culture, Mormon History, Polygamy, Truth, Honesty, Prayer, and Inquiry | Tagged , , , , | 51 Comments

Mormon Church Posts Essays on Joseph Smith’s Polygamy

It’s all over the news. The Mormon Church has finally “admitted” long-buried facts about Joseph Smith’s polygamy. The new Church essays were actually posted at lds.org sometime around October 22nd (2014), but for some reason the news only hit the … Continue reading

Posted in Early Mormonism, Family, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon History, Nauvoo, Polygamy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments