Category Archives: Mormon Scripture

Joseph Smith’s Gold Plates

Joseph Smith, the first Mormon Prophet, claimed he was divinely guided to a set of gold plates that were buried near his home in the state of New York. After taking possession of these plates, according to the official LDS … Continue reading

Posted in Book of Mormon, Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Mormon History | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Why Mormon Art Sometimes Misrepresents Mormon History

Assistant BYU professor, author, and artist Anthony Sweat created the “feature image” for a new book (From Darkness Unto Light, by Michael Hubbard MacKay and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat) that depicts the translation of the Book of Mormon. His painting includes … Continue reading

Posted in Book of Mormon, Early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, LDS Church, Mormon History, Mormon Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Are you ready to engage Mormons for Christ?

The Mormonism Research Ministry website is filled with resources to help people gain a broader understanding of the Mormon Church, including its doctrines and history. The website also offers resources to help Christians prepare to reach out to Mormons or those … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C and Pearl of Great Price, Friendship, Interaction, and Evangelism, Mormon Scripture, Nature of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 32 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

Do Mormons Have Faith in the Bible?

The Mormon Church recognizes four books as scripture: The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and the Bible. And yet, as noted at the MRM website, Joseph Smith said [of the Bible], “Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Mormon Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

How “official” is the Mormon First Presidency?

In 1973, five years before the Mormon Church lifted its ban on Blacks holding the LDS priesthood and participating in Mormon temple ordinances, Wendell J. Ashton, the Mormon Church’s director of Public Affairs, appeared on “1973 Special News Report: When … Continue reading

Posted in Authority and Doctrine, LDS Church, Mormon History, Mormon Leaders, Mormon Scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Mormonism’s “different Jesus”

On Monday I blogged about my disagreement with Mormon bishop Nate Sharp’s implication that because there is “one and only one Jesus Christ” the idea that Mormons believe in a “different Jesus” is a myth. Today I want to look again … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Jesus Christ, LDS Church, Misconceptions, Mormon Leaders, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

What a Mormon Seventy Finds in the Book of Isaiah

In February (2015) the Charlotte Observer, in its Voices of Faith section, asked its religious columnists to answer the question, “Why is Isaiah your favorite prophet?” The newspaper published two responses — one from a Unity Temple reverend, and one from a … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Great Apostasy, LDS Church, Prophets | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 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

Millions of Mormons Testify of the Book of Mormon

The October 2014 Ensign magazine included a sidebar quote from President Ezra Taft Benson, the Mormon Church’s 13th President. The article in which the quote appeared was about how a testimony of the Mormon gospel is intertwined with a testimony … Continue reading

Posted in Book of Mormon, Mormon Scripture, Truth, Honesty, Prayer, and Inquiry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments