A January 5, 1965 address at BYU by Spencer W. Kimball, ‘Love vs. Lust’: 1 “My beloved young people: While this is a grave responsibility, and not an easy one, I am eager to discuss with you some matters of grave importance. I love youth. I rejoice when they grow up clean and stalwart and … Read more
Excerpt from a Mormon Discussions podcast episode with LDS Historian Richard L. Bushman: 1 “I think right now the Book of Mormon is a puzzle for us, even people who believe it hardily in every detail, it’s a puzzle. To begin with we have the puzzle of translation: translating the book without the plates even … Read more
2 Maccabees 1, Apocrypha, King James Bible: 1 34 Then the king, inclosing the place, made it holy, after he had tried the matter. 35 And the king took many gifts, and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratify. 36 And Neemias called this thing Naphthar, which is as much as to say, a … Read more
The Book of Judith, Apocrypha, King James Bible: 1 Chapter 8 26 Remember what things he did to Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in Mesopotamia of Syria, when he kept the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother. Chapter 13 2 And Judith was left alone in the tent, and … Read more
Ether 8:8-12, the Book of Mormon: 1 8 Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father. 9 Now the daughter of Jared was exceedingly fair. And it came to pass that she did talk … Read more
King James Bible passages in the Book of Mormon: 1 Note: Isaiah chapters 40+2, Malachi, and the verses from the New Testament were written after Lehi left Jerusalem in the Book of Mormon narrative. When entire verses are verbatim or near verbatim copies (as is often the case), only the references to the corresponding scriptures are … Read more
Excerpt from the article ‘Prophecies in the Bible about Joseph Smith’, published in the Ensign, January 1989: 1 Critics might argue that the Joseph Smith Translation contains references to Joseph Smith because he himself translated it. From the Joseph Smith Inspired translation of the bible. Italicized words were added to the King James Version … Read more
Excerpt from ‘History of Joseph Smith by his mother’, Lucy Mack Smith, Pub. 1853. Pg. 58, 59: 1 In 1811, we moved from Royalton Vermont, to the town of Lebanon New Hampshire. Soon after arriving here, my husband [Joseph Smith Sr.] received another very singular vision, which I will relate: “I thought,” said he, “I … Read more
Excerpt from a January 30, 2015 interview with Dallin H. Oaks and the Salt Lake Tribune, ‘We all can be more civil on LGBT issues, Mormon leader says’:1 “I know that the history of the church is not to seek apologies or to give them,” Oaks said in an interview. “We sometimes look back on … Read more
An article in the Juvenile Instructor by George Q. Cannon, ‘The Worship of Female Deities’, May 15 1895 : 1 In the days of Jeremiah the prophet the worship of “the queen of heaven,” a feminine deity, was very common. The people of Judah attributed great power to this female deity, so much so that … Read more
Mormon 9:22–24, the Book of Mormon: 1 22 For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; 23 And he that believeth … Read more
Doctrine and Covenants 110:12, 13: 1 12 After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed. 13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken … Read more
Excerpt from the BYU Journal of Undergraduate Research, A Recently Recovered Source: Rethinking Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation (March 16, 2017): 1 “Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible has attracted significant attention in recent decades, drawing the interest of a wide variety of academics and those who affirm its nearly canonical status in the LDS scriptural … Read more
Excerpts from Mark Twain’s 1872 ‘Roughing It’: 1 “All men have heard of the Mormon Bible, but few except the “elect” have seen it, or, at least, taken the trouble to read it. I brought away a copy from Salt Lake. The book is a curiosity to me, it is such a pretentious affair, and … Read more
Matthew 6:1, King James Bible: 1 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” ‘President Eyring Offers Support in the Caribbean After Hurricane Irma’, Mormon Newsroom. 2 References[+] References 1 Matthew 6:1, King James Bible … Read more
On February 4, 1852 an ‘Act of Relation to Service’ was passed in the Utah territory, making slavery legal. 1 Several weeks later, the ‘Act for the Relief of Indian Slaves and Prisoners’ was passed on March 7, 1852, specifically dealing with Indian slavery. 2 … A speech by Governor Brigham Young in Joint Session … Read more
Excerpt from an April 1969 General Conference address by Apostle Mark E. Petersen, The Dangers of the So-called Sex Revolution: 1 “That law is irrevocable and inescapable and applies to all, whether we believe in God or not. Everyone is subject to its penalties, no matter how they may try to ignore them, The wage … Read more
Excerpt from ‘The Flood and the Tower of Babel’ published in the January 1998 Ensign:1 There is a third group of people—those who accept the literal message of the Bible regarding Noah, the ark, and the Deluge. Latter-day Saints belong to this group. In spite of the world’s arguments against the historicity of the Flood, … Read more
Image:Tyrannosaurus, Frankfurt Museum. Age: approximately 70 million years. From the current (2017) publication of the LDS Bible Dictionary. Topic: ‘Death’: Latter-day revelation teaches that there was no death on this earth before the Fall of Adam. Indeed, death entered the world as a direct result of the Fall (2 Ne. 2:22; Moses 6:48). 2 Nephi 2:22: 22 … Read more
Image: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecture. In Mark Twain’s book titled Roughing It (1872), he gives a review of the Book of Mormon: All men have heard of the Mormon Bible, but few … Read more
Image: Richard Lyman Bushman (born June 20, 1931) is an American historian and Gouverneur Morris Professor of History emeritus at Columbia University. He was the Howard W. Hunter Visiting Professor in Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University from 2008 to 2011. He also serves as one of three general editors of the Joseph Smith Papers. … Read more
Excerpt from the January 1998 Ensign article, The Flood and the Tower of Babel – January 1998 Ensign Still other people accept parts of the Flood story, acknowledging that there may have been a local, charismatic preacher, such as Noah, and a localized flood that covered only a specific area of the world, such as … Read more
From the Bible, 1 Peter 2:18:1 18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. Crash Course: Prelude to the National “Defense of Marriage” Campaign: Civil Discrimination Against Feared or Despised Minorities – D. Michael Quinn Blacks and the Priesthood – Mormon Think … Read more