A recent commenter claimed that my blog and it’s ‘webmaster’ present information about Mormonism “negatively and with a distinct bias against the church and it’s history.” While there is truth in his statement— I mostly blog about the less than flattering portions of Mormonism— I take exception to the bias comment. If I am biased [...]
Since Jeffrey R. Holland’s conference talk the name Ethan Smith has been more active across the blogosphere than normal. Unfortunately not many people know who he was (or Solomon Spaudling for that matter). LDS who know the name often don’t understand how Pastor Smith really plays into the narrative around the Book of Mormon— and [...]
I accidentally deleted a comment from a reader asking what my source was for Richard Bushman’s Introduction at the 2008 CES summer seminar, “Joseph Smith and His Critics,” given July 29, 2008 (at BYU I believe). I first saw the text on the Recovery From Mormonism Bulletin board and then found it posted on a [...]
Alright— let’s get the story straight. Despite all of the talks and assertions to the contrary Thomas B. Marsh did not leave the Church in Missouri over some dispute over milk. I’ve heard the story told a number of times— mostly told by General Authorities or read out of some lesson manual and it’s always [...]
I have been slowly responding to the text of a presentation that Richard Bushman gave discussing Church members who have learned new facts about Mormonism— facts they find disconcerting. I have addressed 3 of the 4 characteristics he lists for a “revived Latter-Day Saint— someone who manages to still believe in Mormonism despite discovering a [...]
After my 4 posts about why Mormonism and polygamy are forever intertwined, I found this polygamy documentary— Lifting The Veil Of Polygamy— on YouTube. While I don’t necessarily approve of the christian proselytizing in this film, it gives a lot about of information about Mormon polygamy. Take a look (the first 2/3 or so is [...]
Lately the LDS Church has been troubled by the association of the terms “polygamy” and “Mormonism” in the media. Leaders in Salt Lake think that the association is unwarranted and is the result of sloppy reporting that doesn’t distinguish between the mainstream church and fundamentalist groups. In America however, people will always consider polygamy a Mormon [...]
Or at least that’s what I’m being told.
I recently had a discussion with a family member about Mormonism— he’s a believing member. He acknowledged that Joseph Smith was wrong in his prophecies regarding the Kirtland Bank but said that it was okay for God’s spokesmen to get some things wrong. “See,” he says “prophets like [...]
Robert Kirby is my hero. He manages to remain Mormon (something I am having a hard time doing) while still being thoughtful and open minded. I find him funny as hell too. Today’s column on the Big Love debacle is right on the money and cuts through all of the hypocrisy surrounding this “controversy”. Please [...]
2. They also don’t believe he was led by revelation in every detail. They see him as learning gradually to be a prophet and having to feel his way at times like most Church members. In between the revelations, he was left to himself to work out the methods of complying with the Lord’s commandments. Sometimes [...]
