What do Mormons really believe? This website is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka "Mormons") in any way, shape, or form, other than that the author of this website, Joshua Steimle, happens to be a practicing member of it.

MormonDNA.org is a collection of my commentary, musings, and answers to sundry questions about the LDS Church, it's doctrines, quirks, and history. I am by no means a scholar, historian, or expert on any of this, I'm merely somebody who is interested in learning more about his own religion, responding to criticism, and fostering productive dialogue. I invite you to read through the various posts on this website and if you feel so inclined, to join the conversation by posting your own comments.

22
Jul

Do Mormons Believe in More than One God?

It depends what you mean by the question. If the question is do Mormons worship more than one God, the answer is a definitive “no”. If the question is do Mormons believe more than one God exists, the answer is “yes”.

Are there passages in the Bible that lead one to believe there is only one God, and no other can exist? Sure, but it depends on your interpretation and assumptions. But as long as we’re in the business of discussing such things, feel free to post all your opinions, thoughts, interpretations, and assumptions and let’s discuss them. As usual,…

10
May

Is There Anything That Could Convince You That Mormonism is Not True?

From a question asked by John on 10 May, 2010 here:

And, what, if anything would lead you to the conclusion that Mormonism’s foundational stories, personalities and writings are not what they claim to be?

Yes, there is. What leads me to believe they are true is God telling me so, and so the way I figure it, the only thing that could convince me otherwise would be for God to tell me that what he has already told me is not true. But that’s a bit like the age-old question “Could God microwave a burrito so hot that…

10
May

Am I Mormon Just Because I Was Born Into it?

From a question asked by John on 10 May, 2010 here:

You and I were both born into the church to LDS families. If Mormonism is the one true church, wow…..we really hit the jackpot. Extremely lucky, right? Out of the billions and billions of humans that have come and gone over the last 50,000 years, and the tens of thousands of organized religions, not to mention the other tribal/pagan/animist beliefs, we were so unimaginably fortunate to have been born into the Creator of the Universe’s own special organization on earth.

We could have been born into any other

12
Apr

Do I Really Believe? And if So, Why?

A friend of mine left the LDS Church a few years ago. He’s not an anti-Mormon, or even a motivated “ex-Mormon”. Maybe you could say that he’s Mormon the same way Jerry Seinfeld’s character on his TV show was Jewish. Mmmm, no, I don’t think that’s exactly accurate either. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. He was raised Mormon, went on a mission, got married and all that jazz, but now he doesn’t go to church anymore, and he doesn’t believe the LDS Church is what it claims to be. But the real point is that I’ve never run into someone who…

09
Apr

Secrets of Mormonism Unveiled…for One Easy Payment of $37 plus Shipping and Handling.

http://www.secretsofmormons.com

I know for some of you the first question will be “Why are you giving this guy extra publicity?” I don’t know how to answer that other than to say that; 1) I don’t think this guy is hurting the Mormon cause, and 2) I thought the website was hilarious.

I found this site when I did a search that included the word “mormon” in it. A link to this site came up in Google’s pay per click ads and I thought “Heck, why not check it out?” Then I was taken to a landing page that looks like…

29
Mar

What do Mormons Think About Ron Paul?

As associate of mine wrote a post a few years ago entitled Why Do Latter-day Saints Ignore Ron Paul? I’d like to chime in with my own opinion, having only recently been introduced to Ron Paul’s writings via The Revolution and End the Fed. I cannot, of course, speak for all Mormons, but give my own perspective on the matter.

The first issue of why Mormons ignore Ron Paul can most likely be answered by looking at how most people approach politics–they don’t. Most people in the United States do not vote. Of those who do vote, many of…

29
Mar

Why Do Mormons Use the King James Version of the Bible Instead of the Joseph Smith Translation?

That’s a darn good question. For those of you who don’t know, “A revision or translation of the King James Version of the Bible begun by the Prophet Joseph Smith in June 1830. He was divinely commissioned to make the translation and regarded it as “a branch of his calling” as a prophet. Although the major portion of the work was completed by July 1833, he continued to make modifications while preparing a manuscript for the press until his death in 1844, and it is possible that some additional modifications would have been made had he lived to publish the…

29
Mar

Smithsonian Institute Statement Regarding the Book of Mormon

As stated at MRM.org:

Some Latter-day Saints, in their zeal to give tangible authenticity to the Book of Mormon, have told prospective converts that the Smithsonian Institution has used the Book of Mormon to verify sites in the New World. In response to numerous requests on this subject, the Smithsonian has issued the following paper detailing their position on the matter.
Information from the National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560

Statement Regarding the Book of Mormon

1. The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian

12
Mar

Why Did Utah Vote Against Prohibition?

Politically, Utah as a whole is more or less controlled by Mormon culture. Salt Lake City itself is not, but the rest of the state outvotes the more liberal-leaning SLC. When the 18th Amendment became law, outlawing the sale of alcohol in the United States, you could easily argue that Utah was much more under Mormon control. And yet when the 18th Amendment was repealed a short while later, it was ironically Utah, the Mormon state, that provided the 36th vote which overturned Prohibition. This, despite public statements by LDS Church leaders pleading with residents to keep Prohibition in…

01
Nov

David Eccles Hardy – Letter to Elder Boyd K. Packer on Mormon Homosexuals

Question:

Do you think Bruce Hafens, treating different, and less than with shunning, or high voltage electro shock Mormon aversion therapy would have best solved the following situation?


Dear Elder Packer:

Although we have met briefly before, it is through the context of my family that you would be able to place me.  I am the younger brother of Ralph W. Hardy, Jr. and Clare Hardy Johnson, and the son of Ralph W. Hardy, Sr. and Maren Eccles Hardy.  I most recently served as bishop of the Salt Lake University 29th Ward, Salt Lake University 5th