I launched this website in September, 2008. A year and a month later, New Liberty Standard bought 5,050 Bitcoin for $5.02 in what was the first purchase of Bitcoin using fiat money. That would be worth $321M today, give or take a few hundred thousand. Over the next five years I wrote 172 posts. Then … Read more
A commenter on this site asked how is it that the LDS Church, which has a well-regarded habit of detailing its every move and decision, not know how the policy about Blacks not being able to hold the Priesthood was started or came about? As the commenter states, “The peculiar assertion that the Mormon Church itself … Read more
As I read in 1 Nephi 17 this morning I’m struck by how dumb the children of Israel who were led by Moses through the wilderness appear to be. As Nephi says in verse 30: And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving … Read more
In my studies yesterday I came across this scripture which seems applicable to discussions I’ve had with anti-Mormons, as well as honest truth-seekers. These are the words of Lehi as he speaks to his rebellious sons Laman and Lemuel: For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save … Read more
If something is temporary does it matter? I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and it has been on my mind a bit more the past 24 hours as my brother in law lies in a hospital bed in an induced coma after a terrible motorcycle accident. I’ll warn you ahead of time the … Read more
This is not in response to those who seek to invalidate the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith as a prophet by attempting to show that the Book of Mormon was not a perfect translation and therefore Joseph Smith was not a prophet, the LDS Church is not true, etc. I’m not trying to start … Read more
I recently read The Power Of Everyday Missionaries by Harvard Business School professor and bestselling author Clayton Christensen. Up until this point, I was not a very good missionary in terms of talking to my neighbors and friends about the gospel. Christensen’s book helped me realize that I was making it too hard on myself. … Read more
A few years ago I was introduced to libertarianism. I had always shied away from libertarians because I associated them with hippies, a lack of bathing, marijuana, beards, and other bad things. Not that I gave libertarians much thought at all. Then came the 2008 election cycle, and suddenly I couldn’t just vote for everyone … Read more
This past week I had the privilege of preparing a lesson to be taught in the elders quorum of the branch I attend with my family here in Hong Kong. I did not have the privilege of teaching the lesson I had prepared, as there was some confusion and someone else got up to teach … Read more
There are some who, in an attempt to tear down the LDS Church, point to the shortcomings and faults of those who manage the Church, particularly the prophets and apostles. Their reasoning seems to be that the true church of God must be run by perfect or near perfect men. I can accept this logic … Read more
Because Mormons practice posthumous baptism for those who have passed on to the next life, more commonly known as baptisms for the dead, some people take this as evidence that Mormons believe in second chances and that it doesn’t really matter what you do in this life because you can be baptized in the next … Read more
This post is not an answer to the broader and really altogether different question “Do Mormons baptized dead people?” which I’ve already answered here. Rather it’s a question I’m asking. In recent years there has been some controversy over posthumous baptisms being performed by Mormons on behalf of deceased Jewish persons, including Anne Frank. I’ve … Read more
1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, … Read more
It’s hard not to judge others, especially in matters of religion. It’s one thing to judge someone as being lazy or shiftless (whatever that means…I guess it’s the opposite of shiftful) and therefore someone you don’t want to hire to mow your lawn or do your tax preparation, and it’s another thing to judge someone … Read more
Doing some mid-summer cleaning, or updating, around the blog. Things have been busy for me lately and I haven’t had the time to comment or post much here for most of the past year. I just moved my family to Hong Kong, my business is busy, and that about covers it. I can’t guarantee much … Read more
This is a survey. If you consider yourself an active, faithful member of the LDS Church please do not comment on any of the responses unless you are seeking clarification, and then only seek clarification and no more. I will do the same. This is just for me to learn, although I may use what … Read more
“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.” — Joseph Smith If there were any single, brief quote I could share that explains Mormonism, … Read more
Over the years I’ve come across a similar story from many who have left the LDS Church, and it goes something like this: I really wanted to know if the Church was true, if the Book of Mormon was true, and if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. I went to church, studied the Book … Read more
As I see it, there are three ways a person comes to the truth of the gospel: 1. His desires happen to match up with what the truth is. 2. He is determined to live by the truth, regardless of what it is. 3. He is forced to know what the truth is. I find a … Read more
One of the perks I enjoy of being a Mormon is the expanded enjoyment I get from the world of science. Members of other religions may feel their beliefs conflict with science, or vice versa, and perhaps some Mormons may feel this way. I can understand how some members of other religions would feel there … Read more
These are not rhetorical questions, nor questions designed to get someone into a debate/argument. I’m just curious as to what answers people might have, because as a Mormon I don’t have to disbelieve in the concept of evolution. Could man have evolved from lower life forms and the gospel still be true? I don’t see … Read more
One of the older criticisms of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith is that the Book of Mormon was plagiarized, or at least inspired, by the 1825 book View of the Hebrews by Ethan Smith…hey, they’ve even both got the last name! One more suspicious circumstance… From Wikipedia: View of the Hebrews is an 1823 … Read more
Mormons have frequently been decried as racists. These claims seem to come from three sources: 1. Apparently racist statements from the 2nd President and prophet of the Church, Brigham Young. 2. The policy of the LDS Church excluding blacks from holding the Priesthood until 1978. 3. Passages from the Book of Mormon regarding two peoples, … Read more
This question was recently put to me by a reader DMT on this website: In 2 Nephi 3:24 it reads: “And there shall rise up one mighty among them”.. The Book of Mormon today has in the footnote for this verse “Joseph Smith” as being the one who will rise up, however, earlier versions of … Read more
I’ve heard the LDS Church and Mormons generally come under condemnation by some for not mentioning Christ more in lessons, talks, books, etc. One person on this blog told me they were going to visit a Mormon church meeting and count how many times Christ was mentioned by name, skeptical that the number would be … Read more
There’s an interesting story in the Deseret News entitled A simple explanation works best for the Restoration. I’ve included the first bit here, but read it in its entirety and let me know what you think. We left off last week with the notion that the Book of Mormon was plagiarized from a manuscript written … Read more
There are many who believe the Book of Mormon is true. There are many who believe it is false. Most people have never heard of it or don’t care one way or the other. If you fall into one of the latter two camps of thought, I’d be interested to know your opinion on what … Read more
I’ve noticed that a lot of anti-Mormons fall into the trap of saying the exact same things every other anti-Mormon says. Now, you might say “Well, that’s cause we’re all correct in the same way, and Mormons are wrong in the same way, so why shouldn’t we be saying the same stuff?” That’s all well … Read more
As asked in a comment thread on this blog… Q: “I find it interesting that the day before he was killed that Joseph Smith drank wine and don’t Mormons have to be temple worthy to worship in the temple and one of the things that make them temple worthy is that they can’t drink alcohollic … Read more
I’ve carried on a few rather extensive conversations on this blog regarding the matter of a testimony of what the LDS Church teaches to be true. Some of the people with whom I’ve been discussing this topic are former members of the LDS Church who have left. Similarly, I’ve had family members, friends, and friends … Read more
Ugh, if you’ve ever tried to tell a Mormon they don’t believe in the Bible, you know how frustrating it can be. The main problem, of course, is that they think they believe it! Getting past this can be a real challenge. You tell them they don’t believe it, they say they do, you tell … Read more
In response to a question asked in the “Ask a Mormon Anything” section. Q: Mormons think the fall was necessary to bring about God’s plan, so why would Satan encourage the fall? Wouldn’t that be helping to bring about God’s plan? Wouldn’t he have tried to get Adam and Eve NOT to eat of the … Read more
As asked in the “Ask Me Questions” portion of this website: Q: How do Mormons explain Isaiah 44:6? This verse says that God does not even know of another god. Now if Mormons believe that God the Father is married to multiple mother goddesses, who He would clearly know of if He was, then how … Read more
Ha, it’s a trick question because there are no good Mormons, they’re just a bunch of anti-Christ-Joseph-Smith-worshipping-cult-polygamist-freakazoids! Ok, now that I’ve said it, nobody needs to plug up the comments section with irrelevant rants. Today Mormons in the United States are overwhelmingly Republican. It’s not unusual to get into a political discussion with a group … Read more
It’s interesting how many anti-Mormons try to prove a negative, but then react angrily when called out on it. If you’re going to make a claim be prepared to back it up, and since negative claims are incredibly difficult to prove, it’s best not to use them. Here are a few examples: There is no … Read more
Many anti-Mormons unwittingly strengthen the beliefs of the Mormons they are arguing against by the things they say and the way they say them. This happens when the words and arguments they use end up being almost verbatim what can be found in the Book of Mormon, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than … Read more
As the first in a series of posts dedicated to helping anti-Mormons focus their time more effectively, allow me to start by pointing out the futility of trying to convince Mormons that they are not Christians or that they don’t believe in Christ. The problem with this mode of attack is that Mormons sincerely believe … Read more
It is with great fanfare, or at least the greatest fanfare I can be called upon to muster for such a thing, that I announce a new section of this website, where I will dole out tips for anti-Mormons. You see, there are people out there in the world who are quite motivated to work … Read more
In responding to comments on another post I did quite a bit of research on the question of whether Mormons worship Joseph Smith, so I thought it was worthy of it’s own post. The question seems to arise due to the amount of praise and attention heaped on Joseph Smith by Mormons. I won’t deny … Read more
This question is sparked in response to a statement from Church President Brigham Young, who said “that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of … Read more
No, not this Judgment Day, this one. Although Mormons don’t believe in judging others, I think it’s safe to say the makers of the film starring Mario Van Peebles will have some things to answer for in the next life. But seriously, Mormons don’t believe in making “eternal judgments” or “final judgments” about others, although … Read more
I have commonly been asked, in light of my defense of LDS doctrine, what proof I have that what I believe is true. Recently I have gone through an extended and extensive discussion with a fellow on this matter, which has clarified some thoughts for me, which I now present for your consideration. First, let’s … Read more
This post is in response to comments left by two website visitors in another post. And as stated by one visitor “there is nothing to support the early-Christ church myth of Mormonism or leadership keys of Roman-Catholic tradition. Jesus did not start a church. Paul was the greatest recorded of all the early evangelical fathers, … Read more
If you spent more than 15 minutes last month trying to convince someone who is not a family member or friend that some aspect of the Mormon faith isn’t true, then I’m labeling you an anti-Mormon. I just throw that out there so you can understand the definition I’m using for the purpose of this … Read more
Does anyone know how much anti-Mormon material is out there? When I was a missionary back in 1995, I taught a man in a remote city in Brazil. He had been looking for “the right religion” to join for years. He had gone to every church he could find, even the one that drank something … Read more
Mormons are predominantly Republican, and Mitt Romney is a Republican presidential candidate as well as a Mormon, so you might wonder if this will give Romney a boost in the primaries as well as the general election. Oh yeah, there is that other Mormon who’s running, Huntsman, but I think Stephen Colbert has already effectively … Read more
This is a bit of a follow-up to my recent post We All Believe What We Want to Believe. Today at church we had an activity wherein everyone sat in a circle. We were given notecards and pencils and instructed to take 60 seconds to look around the room and memorize everything we could see … Read more
In talking with various people who have left the LDS faith I’ve heard a common remark that has caught my attention. Nobody has given it as the reason, or even a reason, for leaving the Church, but many of them have brought it up. “I hate it when someone stands up and says ‘I know … Read more
The award-winning Broadway play called “The Book of Mormon”, created by the minds behind the extremely funny and raunchy animated show Southpark, has put an additional spotlight on Mormons when there would already seem to be enough, given that there are two Presidential candidates who are Mormon. So how do Mormons feel about the Broadway … Read more
Why do we believe what we believe? Within the past few months I’ve had family members leave the LDS Church, friends and family who were struggling with their testimonies, and countless encounters with persons on this blog who have told me why they’ve left the Church, why they’ve stayed in it despite not having testimonies … Read more