From the Times and Seasons, 4:194 (1843): 1 Sir:-Through the medium of your paper, I wish to correct an error among men that profess to be learned, liberal and wise; and I do it the more cheerfully, because I hope sober-thinking and sound-reasoning people will sooner listen to the voice of truth, than be led astray … Read more
Excerpt from Alexander Campbells ‘Delusions an analysis of the Book of Mormon‘, Pub. 1832: 1 “This prophet Smith, through his stone spectacles, wrote on the plates of Nephi, in his book of Mormon, every error and almost every truth discussed in N. York for the last ten years. He decides all the great controversies — … Read more
Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 5, Pg. 336: 1 “The Prophet On The Second Coming Of The Christ. The question has been asked, can a person not belonging to the Church bring a member before the high council for trial? I answer, No. If I had not actually got into this work and … Read more
Excerpt from Wikipedia, topic: Illusory Truth Effect: 1 “The illusory truth effect (also known as the truth effect or the reiteration effect) is the tendency to believe information to be correct after repeated exposure. This phenomenon was first identified in a 1977 study at Villanova University and Temple University. When truth is assessed, people rely … Read more
William McLellin, Letter to Joseph Smith III, July 1872, Community of Christ Archives: 1 “Now Joseph I will relate to you some history, and refer you to your own dear Mother for the truth. You will probably remember that I visited your Mother and family in 1847, and held a lengthy conversation with her, retired … Read more
Excerpt from a 2017 YSA Face to Face with Russell Ballard and Dallin Oaks:1 MALE HOST:“…we have a lot of questions in the YSA about their friends dealing with doubts. A question from Utah asks what advice/guidance would you give for answering tough questions about church history when we are asked about them by someone … Read more
Footnote 31, ‘Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham’, LDS Gospel Topic Essay: 1 “31. John Whitmer, History, 1831–ca. 1837, 76, in Karen Lynn Davidson, Richard L. Jensen, and David J. Whittaker, eds., Histories, Volume 2: Assigned Historical Writings, 1831–1847, vol. 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean … 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 a 2007 interview with Apostle M. Russell Ballard:1 You will not get to know it [whether the Book of Mormon is true] by trying to prove it archaeologically, or by DNA, or by anything else…Religious truth is always confirmed by what you feel. And that’s the way heavenly father answers prayers. From … Read more
Excerpt from the ‘Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo’, LDS Gospel Topic Essay:1 “When God commands a difficult task, He sometimes sends additional messengers to encourage His people to obey. Consistent with this pattern, Joseph told associates that an angel appeared to him three times between 1834 and 1842 and commanded him to proceed with … Read more
Excerpt from BYU professor/LDS apologist Daniel Peterson, ‘Can there be any valid criticisms of the church?’ (September 4, 2017): 1 Since the Church is ex hypothesi true, there can be no genuine evidence that it is false. There can be seeming evidence against its claims, evidence that reasonable people might well regard as genuine and … Read more
Image: LDS Apostle Orson Hyde – December 27, 1847 – April 10, 18751 A Lecture by President Orson Hyde, Delivered at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854:2 “This is brought up as a great argument against the position the Latter-day Saints have taken. In olden times they might … Read more
Image: Portrait of Emma Smith, wife of Joseph Smith Jr. *Post with commentary* The polygamy revelation in D&C 132 1 has been a ‘hot potato’ the LDS church has had to constantly juggle. Discard it—you lose a pillar of celestial marriage doctrine. Keep it—you canonize an abusive practice. This year’s (2017) official Sunday School lesson … Read more
Image: Kerry Muhlestein is an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.1 Defending Exclusive Truth Claims: LDS Apologetics video. 2 The Book of Abraham and Unnoticed Assumptions, 2014 Fair Mormon Conference:3 Crash Course: The Book of Abraham and Unnoticed Assumptions, 2014 Fair Mormon Conference (video) – Fair Mormon Defending Exclusive Truth … Read more
Image: Melvin Russell Ballard, Jr. is an American businessman and religious leader who has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1985. From the October 2016 talk To Whom Shall We Go? by M. Russell Ballard If any one of you is … Read more
Image: Screenshot from It’s a Miracle (1984). Gary B. Lundberg’s video adaptation of Douglas and Janice Kapp Perry’s 1981 stage musical about a young man’s tough decision to go to on a mission. Truth is most often used to mean being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard. Truth … 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: Joseph Smith Jr. ‘Address of the Prophet [Joseph Smith Jr.] — His Testimony Against the Dissenters at Nauvoo.’, History of the Church1 President Joseph Smith read the 11th Chap. 2 Corinthians. My object is to let you know that I am right here on the spot where I intend to stay. I, like Paul, … Read more
From the first account of the first vision in 1932, 12 years after the experience: At about the age of twelve years, my mind become seriously impressed with regard to the all-important concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul, which led me to searching the scriptures—believing, as I was taught, that they contained the … Read more
From the first account of the first vision in 1932, 12 years after the experience: At about the age of twelve years, my mind become seriously impressed with regard to the all-important concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul, which led me to searching the scriptures—believing, as I was taught, that they contained the … Read more
Frances Ward (“Fanny”) Alger Custer (September 30, 1816 – November 29, 1889) is generally considered as Joseph Smiths first plural wife. Although undocumented, the marriage of Fanny and Joseph most likely took place in Kirtland, Ohio sometime in 1833 (before sealing authority had been restored). She would have been sixteen years old at the time. Joseph kept … Read more
Image: Facsimile #3 from the modern printing of the Pearl of Great price with corrective translations by Egyptologists handwritten in. From Gospel Principles, Chapter 31, Honesty:1 “There are many other forms of lying. When we speak untruths, we are guilty of lying. We can also intentionally deceive others by a gesture or a look, by … Read more