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Editors This page is a project list of articles that need to be created or completed. Article titles in red have not been created. Titles in blue are "mature" articles (ready for use, but still can be improved). Titles with the [needs work] tag have been started, but need additional attention before they are ready for use. To add an article to this list, edit this page. To create an article on a topic in the list, click the link and begin editing. Click this symbol: to edit lists What is "apologetics"? Why are you apologizing? Why are you apologizing? We are not apologizing for our beliefs: Our objective is to defend the faith against those who would attempt to destroy it. An apologist is someone who defends a position or explains it. Apologetics is the branch of theology that defends and explains Christian doctrine. To learn more: FAIR FAQ Gary Bowler, "What is FAIR, and Why Are You Apologizing?" PDF link If FAIR is not officially representing the church, why not? Reviews and FAIR projects Contradictions in LDS scripture? Many anti-Mormon protestants use a list of supposed "contradictions" between the Book of Mormon and other LDS scripture. This table reviews and rebuts each. Craig Blomberg's "Top Ten Things Jesus Would Say to Mormons" Evangelical scholar Dr. Craig Blomberg has spoken of ten things he believes Jesus would tell the Mormons. This review demonstrates that Dr. Blomberg's list would be better thought of as "Ten Things Jesus Would Say If He Were An Evangelical Protestant." Reviews of DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography (Rod Meldrum) A series of review papers on a DVD/fireside presentation. Questions All Mormons Should Ask Themselves Another list of questions which anti-Mormon ministries think Mormons haven't asked themselves and can't answer. Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions Answers to 50 questions which anti-Mormon ministries think are difficult for members of the Church to answer. Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith: Search for the Truth DVD Review and resources for anti-Mormon video released on 24 March 2007 FAIR Journal Follow this link to receive our free monthly e-mail newsletter for defenders of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can unsubscribe at any time. FAIR Errata: Updates and corrections for previous FAIR publications. FAIR Blog: FAIR joins the Blogernacle: Check out the newest addition to FAIR's on-line presence, and read up-to-the-minute commentary and discussion on a wide range of apologetic topics. FAIR Videos Forthcoming!: Rough cuts of a forthcoming FAIR video on the Book of Mormon have been uploaded to YouTube! Click the link above for a list.

FAIR Wiki Topical Guide

• Topical Guide

Latter-day Saint scripture canon

Overview of Latter-day Saint scripture

• Index—
  An index of subjects related to specific Latter-day Saint scripture passages. (Link)

Completeness of Latter-day Saint scripture canon

• Open canon vs. closed canon—
  Critics claim that the Church is in error because Christianity requires a "closed canon" (no more authoritative revelation) instead of the Church's "open canon" (potential for more binding revelation). The Bible is an important record of God's message to humanity. However, the Bible—or any other written text—cannot be the focus of the Christian's life or faith. Only One deserves that place: God. (Link)
• Completeness of the Bible—
  Critics claim the Bible contains all necessary or essential knowledge to assure salvation. Therefore, things like modern prophets or additional scripture (such as the Book of Mormon) are unnecessary or even blasphemous. (Link)
• Lost scripture mentioned in the Bible—
  There are several references to lost scripture mentioned in the Bible. What does the Book of Mormon mean when it says that "plain and precious" things have been taken out of the bible? What is this about, and what implications does it have for the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy and sufficiency? (Link)

Consistency of Latter-day Saint scripture canon

• Supposed contradictions—
  Critics present two or more scriptures from LDS scripture, and insist that the scriptures contradict each other. This article examines the supposed contradictions, presents the scriptures cited in context, and demonstrates that claims of contradiction rest on: 1) a misinterpretation of LDS scripture, 2) comparing two verses which are speaking about different things or 3) reading Protestant meanings into scriptural terminology. (Link)

Interpretation of Latter-day Saint scripture

• Interpretation—
  A collection of quotes from Latter-day Saint leaders related to the interpretation of scripture. (Link)
• Critical proof text—
  These articles address specific scriptures used by critics as proof-texts. (Link)

The Bible as part of Latter-day Saint canon

Bible overview

• Basics—
  Latter-day Saints consider the Bible to be holy scripture. (Link)

Biblical accuracy

• Inerrancy and the Bible—
  Critics claim the Bible texts, at least in their pristine form, were inerrant. Therefore, it is incorrect for Joseph Smith to teach that the Bible contains errors, mistakes, or omissions. (Link)
• Textual criticism—
  What can textual criticism tell us about the Bible? Does it have anything to say about the Bible being without error, as some Christians claim? (Link)
• Translations—
  The Church insists on using the Authorized ("King James") Version as its official Bible, even though more modern translations are easier to read, are more accurate, and include more recent manuscript discoveries. Critics sometimes complain that the eight Article of Faith about believing the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly," implies that Bible translators are trying to hide God's truth. (Link)
• Transmission versus translation—
  Critics try to show that by the term translation in the eighth Article of Faith, we really mean transmission. (Link)
• Trustworthy?—
  Critics claim that Latter-day Saint leaders diminish the Bible as untrustworthy. (Link)

Biblical completeness

• Completeness and sufficiency—
  Critics claim the Bible contains all necessary or essential knowledge to assure salvation. Therefore, things like modern prophets or additional scripture (such as the Book of Mormon) are unnecessary or even blasphemous. (Link)
• "Adding to" or "taking away" from the Bible—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be true because nothing should be "added to" or "taken away from" the Holy Bible. (Link)
• Biblical inerrancy—
  Does the Bible teach that it is "inerrant"? Is this an idea with any meaning? (Link)
• Insufficient?—
  Critics interpret a statement by Orson Pratt to mean that Latter-day Saints believe that the Bible is "insufficient." (Link)
• Lost scripture—
  I've heard about "lost scripture" mentioned in the Bible. What does the Book of Mormon mean when it says that "plain and precious" things have been taken out of the bible? What is this about, and what implications does it have for the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy and sufficiency? (Link)
• Open canon vs. closed canon—
  Critics claim that the Church is in error because Christianity requires a "closed canon" (no more authoritative revelation) instead of the Church's "open canon" (potential for more binding revelation). (Link)

Biblical interpretation by Latter-day Saints and critics

• Being "born again"—what does the Bible mean?—
  When the Bible talks about being "born again," what does this mean? How did the first Christians understand this concept? (Link)
• Christianity is a mystery—
  Members of the Church believe that the gospel of Christ has been known since the days of Adam. Critics claim that the New Testament teaches that the Gospel of Christ was a mystery unknown until the advent of Christ. (In defense of this claim, they often cite such scriptures as Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7, 1 Cor. 4:1; Eph. 3:1-10; Col. 1:25-27). (Link)
• Cosmology of the Bible—
  What do we know about how Bible authors viewed the earth and the universe? (Link)
• Genealogy, condemnation of—
  Critics of Mormonism charge that the Bible condemns genealogy, and therefore the Latter-day Saint practice of compiling family histories is anti-Biblical, often citing 1 Timothy 1:4 or Titus 3:9. (Link)
• "Eternal" commands in the Bible that were changed by later revelation.—
  Critics of Mormonism attack Joseph Smith for altering things that were "eternal," while ignoring other matters labeled "eternal" that were later changed by biblical prophets. (Link)
• Hebrews 7 and the Aaronic Priesthood—
  Hebrews 7 states that the Aaronic/Levitical Priesthood was "changed" to the unique priesthood "after the order of Melchizedek" held by Jesus Christ. Why then do Latter-day Saints still use the Aaronic Priesthood? (Link)
• On-going divine revelation not necessary—
  Critics of Mormonism claim that there is no need for on-going divine revelation today; some even charge that claims of visions from God or revelations to a modern prophet is a blasphemous idea. (Link)
• Three degrees of glory not biblical—
  Critics of Mormonism claim that the doctrine of three heavens has no basis in the Bible. (Link)
• Textual criticism—
  What can textual criticism tell us about the Bible? Does it have anything to say about the Bible being without error, as some Christians claim? (Link)
• Translations—
  What are the merits of various biblical translations? (Link)
• Transmission versus translation—
  LDS doctrine expresses belief in the Bible "as far as it is translated correctly." Does translated have a broader sense than the modern one? (Link)
• Trustworthy?—
  Do LDS regard the Bible as "untrustworthy"? (Link)
• Old Testament practices (Link)

Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible

• Joseph Smith Translation—
  A collection of articles responding to criticisms related to the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. (Link)

Relationship of the Bible to the Book of Mormon

• Isaiah, multiple authors of—
  The "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. The critical issue raised is that the Brass Plates of Laban quote from sections of Isaiah that this theory ascribes to Deutero-Isaiah, so how could the Nephites have these writings if they weren't written until after they left Jerusalem? (Link)

Science and the Bible

• Archaeology and the Bible—
  Sectarian critics who accept the Bible, but not the Book of Mormon, sometimes claim that the Bible has been "proven" or "confirmed" by archaeology, and insist that the same cannot be said for the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• Flood, global or local—
  Modern scientific knowledge regarding the diversity of species, language and evidence of continuous human habitation does not support the Biblical story that a global flood wiped out most life as recently as 4,400 years ago (Link)

Book of Mormon

• Book of Mormon basics—
  What is the Book of Mormon? This article orients new readers to the nature and content of this volume of scripture. (Link)
• List of editions (Link)

Translation of the Book of Mormon

• Translation—
  What do we know about the method used to translate the Book of Mormon? Were the plates sometimes not in the room while Joseph was translating them? Critics claim that each sentence and word in the 1830 Book of Mormon "had supposedly come directly from God." (Link)
• Witnesses—
  The world was not left with Joseph Smith's testimony alone. The Book of Mormon provided multiple official and unofficial witnesses who corroborated aspects of Joseph's account.Critics have long tried to dismiss or destroy the witnesses' witness. This page links to subpages which discuss various attacks in detail. (Link)
• Urim and Thummim and seer stones—
  Joseph Smith used the Nephite Interpreters as well as his own seer stone (both of which were later referred to as "Urim and Thummim") to translate the Book of Mormon. (Link)

Publication of the Book of Mormon

• Author and proprietor listed as Joseph Smith—
  Joseph Smith is listed as the "Author and Proprietor" of the first edition of the Book of Mormon. Critics use this to claim that Joseph wrote the book himself, despite that fact that the following page clearly states that he translated the book. (Link)
• Attempt to sell Book of Mormon copyright in Canada—
  David Whitmer claimed that Joseph Smith received a revelation and prophesied that Oliver Cowdery and Hiram Page should go to Canada where they would find a man willing to buy the copyright to the Book of Mormon. When they failed to sell the copyright, Whitmer states that Joseph admitted that the revelation had not come from God. (Link)
• Printing timeframe—
  "I've heard that the rate at which the first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed could only have occurred miraculously. Is there anything to this claim?" (Link)

Secular authorship theories to explain the Book of Mormon

• Authorship theories—
  An overview of the various authorship theories that critics have created to explain the existence of the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• B.H. Roberts and "Studies of the Book of Mormon—
  B.H. Roberts produced several critical examinations of the Book of Mormon. These were later published after his death under the title Studies of the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• B.H. Roberts' testimony—
  Critics claim that B.H. Roberts lost his testimony of the Book of Mormon as the result of his work on the material contained in Studies of the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• An analysis of early critical reaction—
  Early critical reaction to the Book of Mormon is instructive, both because of what it did say (e.g., Joseph Smith could not have produced it unaided) and what it did not say. (Link)
• Early claims about Joseph Smith as author—
  Some early critics claimed Joseph was clearly the Book of Mormon's only author; others felt it was clear he could not have written it. (Link)
• Plagiarism accusations—
  Joseph Smith is often accused of creating the Book of Mormon by plagiarizing various contemporary sources such as the Spalding Manuscript or Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews. (Link)

Language used in the Book of Mormon

• As a "familiar spirit"—
  Critics ask why, if the words "familiar spirit" in Is. 29:4 refer to the Book of Mormon (as used in 2_Ne. 26:16, why does "familiar spirit" always refer to occult practices such as channeling and necromancy everywhere else in the Old Testament? (Link)

Revisions to the Book of Mormon

• Textual changes—
  The claim is often heard that there are more than 4000 changes to the Book of Mormon text. The majority of these are typographical. Few of the changes are significant. We examine the more noteworthy changes. (Link)

Completeness of the Book of Mormon

• As the most correct book—
  Critics claim that since Joseph stated that it was "the most correct book," that the Book of Mormon should not have contained any errors. Yet, Mormon himself states in the preface that any mistakes contained therein are the mistakes of men. (Link)
• Contains the fulness of the gospel—
  If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the gospel," then why are certain ordinances such as baptism for the dead and eternal marriage not mentioned? (Link)

Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

• Archaeology—
  Critics charge that what is known about ancient American archaeology is not consistent with the Book of Mormon account. Sectarian critics often add the claim that the Bible has been "proven" true by archaeology, unlike the Book of Mormon. (Link)

Anachronisms claimed to exist in the Book of Mormon

• Anachronisms—
  Critics point to some items or concepts in the Book of Mormon which they claim are not consistent with what is known about ancient American geography, history, or anthropology. They claim that these "errors" prove that Joseph Smith was producing the Book of Mormon in the 19th century, and that the Book of Mormon is therefore not an ancient record. (Link)
• Deutero-Isaiah in the Book of Mormon?—
  The "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. This theory claims that there were three individual authors, whose works were later compiled together under the name of the first author Isaiah (referred to as "Proto Isaiah"). The critical issue raised is that the Brass Plates of Laban quote from sections of Isaiah that this theory ascribes to Deutero-Isaiah, so how could the Nephites have these writings if they weren't written until after they left Jerusalem? (Link)
• Dead Sea Scrolls and their relationship to the Book of Mormon—
  Mistranslations of the King James version of Isaiah have been corrected using the Isaiah version found with the Dead Sea scrolls. Why is it that the quotes from Isaiah contained in the Book of Mormon have the same translation errors contained in the King James version instead of matching the original ancient text? (Link)
• Demographics and population numbers—
  Do Book of Mormon population numbers grow too rapidly? (Link)

Doctrinal issues related to the Book of Mormon

• Plain and precious doctrines—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon is nothing more than a "bad copy of the Bible"; that anyone could have churned out such pedestrian, warmed-over ideas by borrowing liberally from the Bible and his own personal experiences. (Link)
• Great and abominable church—
  What is the "great and abominable church" referred to in the Book of Mormon? Critics claim that Latter-day Saints believe that the scriptural terms "church of the devil," the "great and abominable church," and the "whore of all the earth" refer to a specific religion. Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches that "all mainstream Christians fall into the world system know as the devil's church (or Satan's kingdom)." (Link)
• Nephi's killing of Laban—
  How can Latter-day Saints point to Nephi's killing of Laban as an example of a positive example of a Book of Mormon character? Wasn't this cold-blooded murder? And doesn't this passage then justify the killing of "the wicked" by anyone who feels that God has told them to do so? (Link)

Book of Mormon Geography

• Geography—
  The geographical setting of the Book of Mormon has been the subject of serious study and casual speculation since before the book was first published. We describe the various theories and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each. (Link)
• Location of the Hill Cumorah—
  If Mormon chapter 6 is a literal description of the destruction of the Nephites by the Lamanites — approximately 100 thousand were killed by swords and axes — why hasn't any evidence of the battle been found at the site that was traditionally identified as the hill Cumorah in western New York state? (Link)

Historicity of the Book of Mormon

• Calendar—
  The Book of Mormon calendar is not identical to the calendar used by modern peoples. Learn about Nephite calendar(s) here. (Link)
  • Was the idea of a "week" unknown in the Americas?—Despite claims to the contrary, there is evidence for a seven-day week among the early Maya, though the Book of Mormon does not require such a correlation. (Link)
• Historicity—
  Several efforts have been made to "prove" that what the Book of Mormon has to say about the history of the new world cannot possibly have been the case. (Link)
• Warfare in the Book of Mormon—
  Some criticisms of Book of Mormon warfare are anachronistic; other elements of Book of Mormon warfare contain authentic ancient elements about which Joseph Smith could not have known. (Link)
• Evidences—
  Summary page for evidences supporting the Book of Mormon (Link)
• Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon—
  The Book of Mormon does indeed have authentic Semitic constructions in it, but LDS need to tread cautiously in establishing them. Each must be evaluated on its own merits. Hebraisms that could have been known to Joseph Smith may still be authentic, and may still enhance our appreciation of the text, but they are weak evidence for Book of Mormon antiquity. (Link)
  • If-and conditionals—The first edition of the Book of Mormon contained several examples of a grammatical structure not known in English, but common in Hebrew: the so-called if/and conditional. (Link)
  • Names: authentic Old World names in the Book of Mormon (Link)
  • Chiasmus—A literary structure known as "chiasmus" exists in the Book of Mormon. Critics claim that the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the Doctrine and Covenants or other 19th century writing. (Link)
  • Sami Hanna on the Book of Mormon—I have read a talk written by Elder Russell M. Nelson in which he discusses a friend of his who translated the Book of Mormon back into Arabic. What are the facts behind this story and the talk? (Link)

Lamanites and the Book of Mormon

• DNA evidence—
  DNA samples taken from modern Native Americans do not match the DNA of modern inhabitants of the Middle East. Critics argue that this means the Book of Mormon's claim that Native Americans are descended from Lehi must be false, and therefore the Book of Mormon is not an ancient record as Joseph Smith claimed. (Link)
• Lamanites (Link)

Book of Mormon textual analysis

• Wordprint studies—
  What are wordprints? What do they have to do with the Book of Mormon? (Link)

Truthfulness of the Book of Mormon

• Moroni's promise—
  Critics claim that praying about the Book of Mormon is not an objective standard for determining if the book is true or not, and should therefore not be trusted. They claim that many people have read and prayed about the Book of Mormon and have either received no answer, or that they have received an answer from God that it is false. (Link)
• Stick of Ephraim—Erastus Snow statement—
  How is it that the prophesy of the sticks found in Ezekiel 37 is fulfilled in the Book of Mormon if Lehi and Nephi are descendants of Manasseh and not of Ephraim? (Link)

Claimed anachronisms and other KJV text issues in the Book of Mormon

• Malachi text in the Book of Mormon—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work because it quotes Malachi hundreds of years before Malachi was written (i.e, they claim that Mal. 4:1 is quoted in 1 Nephi 22:15). However, the Book of Mormon claims to be a "translation." Therefore, the language used is that of Joseph Smith. Joseph could choose to render similar (or identical) material using King James Bible language if that adequately represented the text's intent. The translation language may resemble Malachi, but the work is not attributed to Malachi. Only if one presumes that the Book of Mormon is a fraud at the outset is this proof of anything. If one accepts that it is a translation, then the use of Bible language tells us merely that Joseph used biblical language. (Link)
• New Testament text?—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work because it contains material that is also found in the New Testament. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus quotes a paraphrase of Moses' words found in Acts 3:22-26. (Link)
• Deutero-Isaiah—
  The "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. This theory claims that there were three individual authors, whose works were later compiled together under the name of the first author Isaiah (referred to as "Proto Isaiah"). The critical issue raised is that the Brass Plates of Laban quote from sections of Isaiah that this theory ascribes to Deutero-Isaiah, so how could the Nephites have these writings if they weren't written until after they left Jerusalem? (Link)
• Firstling sacrifices—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon report that Nephites offered burnt offerings of the firstlings of their flocks is not consistent with Jewish law or practice. While firstlings were not used for every sacrifice, they certainly did have a role in the sacrificial practices of Israel. The critics have misunderstood the Bible on this point. (Link)
• Holy Ghost—
  Why is the Holy Ghost mentioned so many times in the Book of Mormon prior to the time of Christ (e.g., 1 Nephi 10:17) and yet in the Old Testament there is hardly any mention of the Holy Ghost, especially with regard to his mission of bearing witness of the truth? (Link)
• Jeremiah in prison—
  Critics claim that Nephi's mention of Jeremiah being put into prison (1 Nephi 7:14) is anachronistic, since Jeremiah would not have been in prison when Lehi left Jerusalem. (Link)
• Jerusalem as site of Jesus' birth—
  Critics point out that Alma 7:10 says that Jesus would be born "at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers." Yet, every schoolchild knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They claim that this is a mistake, and evidence that Joseph Smith forged the Book of Mormon. However, it is important to note what Alma's words were. He did not claim Jesus would be born in the city of Jerusalem, but "at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers." Bethlehem is located only five miles from Jerusalem. Thus, the Book of Mormon makes a distinction here between a city and the land associated with a city. (Link)
• Josephites and Jerusalem—
  Critics claims that the fact that Lehi was not of Judah, but of the tribe of Joseph, makes it absurd for him to have been living in Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity: "The tribe of Joseph at Jerusalem! Go, study scripture-geography, ye ignorant fellows, before you send out another imposition, and make no more such foolish blunders." (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Book of Mormon plagiarized from Bible? (Link)
• Mainly altered italics in the KJV? (Link)
• Book of Mormon "translation errors" from KJV?—
  Critics wonder why many of the quotes from Isaiah in the Book of Mormon are identical to the King James version. The Book of Mormon incorporates text which seems to be taken from the King James Version, including passages which are now considered to be mistranslations in the King James Version. If the Book of Mormon is an accurate translation, critics claim that it shouldn't contain these translational errors. (Link)
• Book of Mormon translation (Link)
• Book of Mormon and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Link)

Joseph Smith Translation (JST) articles

• Joseph Smith Translation as a restoration of the original Bible text—
  If the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) is Joseph Smith's 'correction' of Biblical errors, why do these corrections not match known Biblical manuscripts? (Link)
• As the Church's official Bible—
  Why don't Latter-day Saints use the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible as the "official" Bible instead of the King James Version. (Link)
• JST an embarrassment to leaders?—
  Critics claim that the Church is "embarrassed" by the Joseph Smith Translation. (Link)
• Relationship of the JST to the Book of Mormon—
  Some passages from the Bible (parts of Isaiah, for example) were included in the Book of Mormon text. However, the same passages were later revised for the Joseph Smith Translation of the Holy Bible. In some cases these passages are not rendered identically. Critics claim that if the JST was an accurate translation, it would match the supposedly more 'pure' Isaiah text possessed by the Nephites. (Link)

Book of Mormon: Claimed anachronisms

Animals

• Animals—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon mentions animals which do not belong in a pre-Columbian New World. They cite this as evidence for Joseph Smith 'slipping up,' and revealing his forgery. Often attacked examples include: the ass (donkey), bees, the cow, the elephant, the horse, silkworms, and swine (pigs). Some sport is also had at the expense of two unknown animals, which are given untranslated names cureloms and cumoms (Link)
  • Jaredites added to explain New World animals—Critics charge the the story of the Jaredites, as described in the Book of Ether, was added by Joseph Smith as an "afterthought" in order to account for the variety of animals present in the New World at the time of arrival of Lehi's group. Critics suggest that the Book of Ether was simply an "afterthought" added by Joseph Smith to the Book of Mormon in order to explain the presence of a wide variety of animals in the New World at the time of the arrival of Lehi's party. (Link)
• Serpents and drought (Link)

Claimed anachronisms and other KJV text issues in the Book of Mormon

• Malachi text in the Book of Mormon—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work because it quotes Malachi hundreds of years before Malachi was written (i.e, they claim that Mal. 4:1 is quoted in 1 Nephi 22:15). However, the Book of Mormon claims to be a "translation." Therefore, the language used is that of Joseph Smith. Joseph could choose to render similar (or identical) material using King James Bible language if that adequately represented the text's intent. The translation language may resemble Malachi, but the work is not attributed to Malachi. Only if one presumes that the Book of Mormon is a fraud at the outset is this proof of anything. If one accepts that it is a translation, then the use of Bible language tells us merely that Joseph used biblical language. (Link)
• New Testament text?—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work because it contains material that is also found in the New Testament. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus quotes a paraphrase of Moses' words found in Acts 3:22-26. (Link)
• Deutero-Isaiah—
  The "Deutero-Isaiah" theory is the claim that parts of Isaiah were written later than others. This theory claims that there were three individual authors, whose works were later compiled together under the name of the first author Isaiah (referred to as "Proto Isaiah"). The critical issue raised is that the Brass Plates of Laban quote from sections of Isaiah that this theory ascribes to Deutero-Isaiah, so how could the Nephites have these writings if they weren't written until after they left Jerusalem? (Link)
• Firstling sacrifices—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon report that Nephites offered burnt offerings of the firstlings of their flocks is not consistent with Jewish law or practice. While firstlings were not used for every sacrifice, they certainly did have a role in the sacrificial practices of Israel. The critics have misunderstood the Bible on this point. (Link)
• Holy Ghost—
  Why is the Holy Ghost mentioned so many times in the Book of Mormon prior to the time of Christ (e.g., 1 Nephi 10:17) and yet in the Old Testament there is hardly any mention of the Holy Ghost, especially with regard to his mission of bearing witness of the truth? (Link)
• Jeremiah in prison—
  Critics claim that Nephi's mention of Jeremiah being put into prison (1 Nephi 7:14) is anachronistic, since Jeremiah would not have been in prison when Lehi left Jerusalem. (Link)
• Jerusalem as site of Jesus' birth—
  Critics point out that Alma 7:10 says that Jesus would be born "at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers." Yet, every schoolchild knows that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They claim that this is a mistake, and evidence that Joseph Smith forged the Book of Mormon. However, it is important to note what Alma's words were. He did not claim Jesus would be born in the city of Jerusalem, but "at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers." Bethlehem is located only five miles from Jerusalem. Thus, the Book of Mormon makes a distinction here between a city and the land associated with a city. (Link)
• Josephites and Jerusalem—
  Critics claims that the fact that Lehi was not of Judah, but of the tribe of Joseph, makes it absurd for him to have been living in Jerusalem before the Babylonian captivity: "The tribe of Joseph at Jerusalem! Go, study scripture-geography, ye ignorant fellows, before you send out another imposition, and make no more such foolish blunders." (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Book of Mormon plagiarized from Bible? (Link)
• Mainly altered italics in the KJV? (Link)
• Book of Mormon "translation errors" from KJV?—
  Critics wonder why many of the quotes from Isaiah in the Book of Mormon are identical to the King James version. The Book of Mormon incorporates text which seems to be taken from the King James Version, including passages which are now considered to be mistranslations in the King James Version. If the Book of Mormon is an accurate translation, critics claim that it shouldn't contain these translational errors. (Link)
• Book of Mormon translation (Link)
• Book of Mormon and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Link)

Climate

• Snow (Link)

Culture

• Calendar—
  The Book of Mormon calendar is not identical to the calendar used by modern peoples. Learn about Nephite calendar(s) here. (Link)
  • Was the idea of a "week" unknown in the Americas?—Despite claims to the contrary, there is evidence for a seven-day week among the early Maya, though the Book of Mormon does not require such a correlation. (Link)
• Olive culture (Link)
• Legal codes and concepts (Link)

DNA

• DNA issues—
  DNA samples taken from modern Native Americans do not match the DNA of modern inhabitants of the Middle East. Critics argue that this means the Book of Mormon's claim that Native Americans are descended from Lehi must be false, and therefore the Book of Mormon is not an ancient record as Joseph Smith claimed. Few criticisms of the Church have received as much media attention as this criticism, with so little thought and science being applied to the question. DNA attacks against the Book of Mormon account fail on numerous grounds. (Link)

Doctrine

• Modalism—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches the trinitarian heresy of modalism or Sabellianism. This reading misinterprets some Book of Mormon verses, and ignores Book of Mormon texts which clearly contradict this reading. (Link)
• Pre-Christian Christianity—
  Critics claim that it is an anachronism that the Book of Mormon teaches that Christians existed before Christ’s birth. (Link)
• Temple in the New World—
  Critics attack the presence of an Israelite temple built by the Nephites. They do so on one or more of the following grounds: 1) They claim that Israelites considered the Jerusalem temple the sole legitimate site of worship, and so would not have reproduced it. 2) They claim that the Nephite population would have been too small to match the work required to built a temple "like unto Solomon's temple" (2 Nephi 5:16). 3) They claim that the temple built was "similar in splendor" to Solomon's temple. 4) They claim that the sacrifices and rituals as presented are not consistent with Jewish ritual. (Link)
• Two natures of Christ (Link)

Events

• Shiz struggles to breathe (Link)
• Three days of darkness (Link)

Geography

• Bethabara—
  Alexander Campbell, an early Book of Mormon critic, complained that the Book of Mormon "makes John [the Baptist] baptize in the village of Bethabara." The Book of Mormon, however, uses the same term as the King James Bible: "These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing." (John 1:28) (Link)
• River runs into a fountain (Link) ^{[needs work]}

Government

• Democracy—
  Critics claims that the fact that the Nephite reign of the judges is a thinly-disguised version of nineteenth-century American republicanism. (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• Legal codes and concepts—
  Do the legal concepts in the Book of Mormon better match Joseph Smith's day, or the ancient world? (Link)
• Republicanism (Link)

Items

• Chariots—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon mentions "chariots" which they claim must be a "wheeled vehicle." They also note that no draft animals existed to pull such chariots. 3 Nephi 3:22 notes that the Nephites "had taken their horses, and their chariots" to a central fortified area for protection against robbers. It should be noted that we are not told if these chariots served a purpose in riding, or if they were for transport of goods, or if they had a ceremonial function. One assumes some sort of practicality or ritual importance in war, since they brought chariots to the siege. Conspicuously absent is any role of the chariot in the many journeys recorded in the Book of Mormon. Nor do horses or chariots play any role in the many Nephite wars; this is in stark contrast to the Biblical account, in which the chariots of Egypt, Babylon, and the Philistines are feared super-weapons upon the plains of Israel. (Link)
• Coins—
  Critics claim that Book of Mormon references to Nephite coins is an anachronism, as coins were not used either in ancient America or Israel during Lehi's day. However, the word "coins" was only added to the chapter heading of Alma 11 much later, and the text of the Book of Mormon itself does not mention coins. The pieces of gold and silver described in Alma 11:1-20 are not coins, but a surprisingly sophisticated system of weights and measures that is entirely consistent with Mesoamerican proto-monetary practices. (Link)
• Compass—
  Critics charge that the description of the Liahona as a "compass" is anachronistic because the magnetic compass was not known in 600 B.C. However, believing it was called a compass because it pointed the direction for Lehi to travel is the fault of the modern reader, not the Book of Mormon. As a verb, the word "compass" occurs frequently in the King James Version of the Bible; and it generally suggests the idea of surrounding or encircling something (Link)
• "Gold" plates?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith, Jr. manufactured some metal plates out of tin, copper, or some other metal in order to trick witnesses into thinking he had gold plates. Gold plates of the dimensions described by the witnesses would be too heavy (on the order of 200 lbs) to be realistically lifted and carried as Joseph and others described. This assumption, however, assumes a solid block of gold in the dimensions described, and does not account for the fact that pure gold would have been too fragile to form the thin leaves necessary for engraving. (Link)
  • Plates too heavy for Joseph to run with—How heavy were the plates? Could Joseph have run with them as described despite his boyhood operation? (Link)
• Gunpowder!—
  Some critics claim that the Book of Mormon mentions "gunpowder," and "pistols and other firearms," which are clearly anachronisms. The claim is false. There is no mention of "gunpowder" or firearms, or anything like them, in the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• Temple in the New World—
  Critics claim that Israelites would not have built a temple in the New World outside of Jerusalem. This ignores Israelite temples built in the Old World outside Jerusalem. (Link)
• Windows—
  Critics claim that the mention of "windows" implies the existence of glass in Book of Mormon times. (Link)

Language

• Language—
  Claimed anachronisms related to language used in the Book of Mormon. (Link)
  • "Adieu"—Jacob 7:27 ends with the phrase, "Brethren, adieu." Critics claim that because adieu is French, it shows that Joseph Smith composed the Book of Mormon, and not an ancient author. There are at least three problems with the adieu argument against the Book of Mormon. 1) Critics overlook the fact that the word adieu was not on the plates. 2) The translator of a work can use words from any language he chooses in order to convey the meaning of the text to his readers, so that even if "adieu" had been a foreign word (e.g., French) to Joseph Smith, there is nothing either unusual or problematic with his choosing that word in his translation. 3) Critics mistakenly think the word "adieu" is not used as an English word. (Link)
  • And it came to pass—Critics have often complained about the frequent repetition of "and it came to pass" in the Book of Mormon.[1] Mark Twain famously joked that if the phrase were omitted, Joseph would have published a pamphlet instead of a book. As it turns out, however, this much-maligned phrase is actually evidence of the Book of Mormon's authentic antiquity. (Link) ^{[needs work]}
  • Greek words: alpha and omega?—Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be an ancient work because it contains "Greek words" ("alpha and omega"). However, the Book of Mormon claims to be a translation. Therefore, the language used is that of Joseph Smith. Joseph could choose to render similar (or identical) material using King James Bible language if that adequately represented the text's intent. (Link)
  • Modern phrasing—Critics maintain that Book of Mormon phrases or language is too "modern" to be of ancient origin. The Book of Mormon is a translation. As such, it may well use phrases or expressions that have no exact ancient counterpart. Modern Bible translations use similar expressions or phrases, and yet remain translations of ancient documents. (Link)
  • Hebrew and Native American languages—Is there any evidence that Old World languages (such as Hebrew) had an influence on the languages of the New World? Critics claim that the Book of Mormon provides too short a time for the disappearance of the Nephite/Lamanite Hebrew language. (Link)
  • Red Sea vs Reed Sea—Critics cast doubt on Moses' miraculous parting of the Red Sea by asserting that this belief arose due to a mistranslation of the Hebrew phrase yam sûp. The critics argue that the phrase should read "the Reed Sea," and that the Israelites actually just crossed a marshy inlet while the Egyptians' chariots got stuck in the mud. Having "proved" that the popular understanding of the KJV is inaccurate, the critics then conclude that the Book of Mormon's use of "Red Sea" is evidence that Joseph was not producing an inspired translation, but simply copying from the (mistaken) King James text. (Link)
  • Reformed Egyptian—Critics claim that Jews or Israelites (like the Nephites) would not have used the language of their slave period — Egyptian — to write sacred records, that there is no evidence in Egyptology of something called "reformed Egyptian," and that the Book of Mormon's claim to have been written in this language is therefore suspect. However, the claim that Israelites would not use Egyptian is clearly false. By the ninth to sixth centuries before Christ, Israelites used Egyptian numerals mingled with Hebrew text. The Papyrus Amherst 63 contains a text of Psalms 20:2-6 written in Aramaic (the language of Jesus) using Egyptian characters. This text was originally dated to the second century B.C., but this has since been extended to the 4th century B.C. (Link)
    • Egyptian would not be shorter than Hebrew on the plates—Critics claim that Egyptian would be too lengthy and bulky on the plates to account for the Book of Mormon [Egyptian would take] "perhaps four times, or even more than four times, as much room as the English, and it is quite certain that, as the Book of Mormon is 600 pages thick, it would take at least a thousand plates to hold in the Egyptian language, what is there written." (Link)
• Names—
  Critics claim some Book of Mormon names are used improperly or in an inappropriate context. Examples include using "Alma" as a man's name, rather than a woman's name and using names of Greek origin, such as "Timothy" (Link)
  • Comoros Islands and Moroni—Comoros is a small nation made up of three islands off the southeast coast of Africa. Its capital city is Moroni. Some critics have claimed that Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon names Cumorah and Moroni by copying them from a map of the Comoros islands. (Link)
• Synagogues (Link)

Masonry

• Gadianton Robbers as Masons?—
  Critics claim that the Gadianton robbers are thinly disguised references to the anti-Masonic panic of Joseph Smith's era. Joseph's contemporaries did not embrace the "obvious" link between the Book of Mormon and masonry. Proponents or opponents of Masonry simply tended to blame their opponents for Mormonism. Given Joseph Smith's long family involvement with the institution of Freemasonry and the fact that he would, in 1842, become a Mason himself, it seems unlikely that anti-Masonry was the "environmental source" of the Gadianton robbers found in the Book of Mormon. The members of his day likewise had little enthusiasm for anti-Masonic sentiments. (Link)

Materials

• Cement—
  Critics claim that the Nephites in the land northward building out of cement in Helaman 3:7-11 (circa 47 B.C.) is not valid. As critic John L. Smith put the claim, "There is zero archaeological evidence that any kind of cement existed in the Americas prior to modern times" (John L. Smith, "What about those Gold Plates?" The Utah Evangel 33:6 (September 1986): 8.) In this case, however, an attack on an 'absence of evidence' backfired. Cement is not anachronistic. The Book of Mormon places it in exactly the right spot and time period for Mesoamerican use of this building material. (Link)
• Metals—
  Critics attack the Book of Mormon's mention of metal and metalworking in the Americas: 1) they claim no metal use occurred in the Americas prior to A.D. 900, and 2)they claim certain metals mentioned in the Book of Mormon were not available in the Americas. (Link)
• Metal Plates (Link)

Plants

• Plants—
  Critics claim that plants mentioned in the Book of Mormon are not found in the New World, and are thus evidence that Joseph fabricated the text based upon his own cultural background. (Link)

Population

• Demographics—
  Critics charge that the initial Lehite colony is too small to produce the population sizes indicated, and that Lehi's group was sent to a land which was kept from the knowledge of other nations, therefore, according to the Book of Mormon, there could not have been "others" present. A superficial reading of the Book of Mormon leads some to conclude that the named members of Lehi's group were the only members of Nephite/Lamanite society. However, the Book of Mormon contains many mentions of "others" that made up part of both societies; indeed, many Book of Mormon passages make little sense unless we understand this. (Link)

Science

• Sweat and skin pores (Link)

Text

• Chapter divisions—
  Critics claims that the fact that the Book of Mormon has chapters demonstrate that it is a modern production. The table of contents was a modern insertion; it had no counterpart in the dictated text of the Book of Mormon. It was added just as it is in modern Bibles. However, the first edition of the Book of Mormon did contain chapters (though much longer than the modern chapters), and chapter markers were part of Joseph's dictated text. (Link)

Warfare and weapons

• Warfare (Link)
  • Swords (Link)

Book of Mormon authorship and plagiarism issues

The following contemporary sources are claimed by various critics to be sources for the Book of Mormon.

• Apocrypha—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith created the story of Nephi and Laban by plagiarizing concepts and phrases from the story of Judith and Holofernes in the Apocrypha. It is also claimed that Joseph Smith copied the name "Nephi" from the Apocrypha. (Link)
• The King James Bible—
  Critics of the Book of Mormon claim that major portions of it are copied, without attribution, from the Bible. They present this as evidence that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon by plagiarizing the Authorized ("King James") Version of the Bible. (Link)
• The Golden Pot—
  Former LDS Church Education System (CES) teacher Grant Palmer argues that Joseph Smith developed his story of visits by Moroni and the translation of a sacred book from The Golden Pot, a book by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann. (Link)
• The Westminster Confession—
  Critics claim that the content of Alma Chapter 40 derived from a Presbyterian document called The Westminster Confession (Link)
• The Wonders of Nature and Providence Displayed—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith plagiarized Josiah Priest's The Wonders of Nature and Providence Displayed in order to write portions of The Book of Mormon. Critics also claim that Joseph Smith plagiarized Shakespeare. (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• The Spalding manuscript—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith either plagiarized or relied upon a manuscript by Solomon Spaulding to write the Book of Mormon. There is a small group of critics who hold to the theory that the production of the Book of Mormon was a conspiracy involving Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and others. These critics search for links between Spalding and Rigdon. Joseph Smith is assumed to have been Rigdon's pawn. (Link)
• View of the Hebrews—
  Critics claim that a 19th century work by Ethan Smith, View of the Hebrews, provided source material for Joseph Smith's construction of the Book of Mormon. Critics also postulate a link between Ethan Smith and Oliver Cowdery, since both men lived in Poultney, Vermont while Smith served as the pastor of the church that Oliver Cowdery's family attended at the time that View of the Hebrews was being written. (Link)
• North American place names—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith is clearly the author of the Book of Mormon because many Book of Mormon place names supposedly have clear evidence of "borrowing" from geographic locations in the United States and Canada. (Link)
• The Comoros Islands—
  Comoros is a small nation made up of three islands off the southeast coast of Africa. Its capital city is Moroni. Some critics have claimed that Joseph Smith created the Book of Mormon names Cumorah and Moroni by copying them from a map of the Comoros islands. (Link)
• Joseph Smith, Sr.'s dream—
  Critics point to similarities between a Lucy Mack Smith's account of a dream Joseph Smith's father had and Lehi's dream of the tree of life as evidence that Joseph wrote the Book of Mormon based on his own experiences. (Link)
• History of Mexico—
  Critics theorize that Joseph Smith could have used details from Ixtilxochitl's History of Mexico to write the Book of Ether. (Link)

Book of Mormon evidences

• Olive culture in the Book of Mormon—
  Does the Book of Mormon's account of olive culture in Jacob 5 match what we know about this subject? The Book of Mormon provides a remarkably accurate portrait of olive horticulture. There are two points at which the allegory/parable deviates from the known principles of growing olives; in both cases, the allegory's characters draw the reader's attention to these deviations with some amazement. Thus, these 'mistakes' play a dramatic role in demonstrating the allegory/parable's meaning. (Link)
  • Book of Mormon geography in the Old World—A discussion of the Arabian, or Old World, geography of the Book of Mormon enjoys many advantages over discussion of New World matters. Chief among these is the fact that we know we certainty where the story begins—in Old World Jerusalem. The details of Lehi's desert travels had been extracted from the text by the 1970s. It is important to note how early these models were developed; current-day critics sometimes charge that LDS scholars have "retrofitted" their models to accommodate chance discoveries like "Nahom," but this is false. (Link)
• Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon—
  The Book of Mormon does indeed have authentic Semitic constructions in it, but LDS need to tread cautiously in establishing them. Each must be evaluated on its own merits. Hebraisms that could have been known to Joseph Smith may still be authentic, and may still enhance our appreciation of the text, but they are weak evidence for Book of Mormon antiquity. (Link)
  • Chiasmus—A literary structure known as "chiasmus" exists in the Book of Mormon. Critics claim that the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the Doctrine and Covenants or other 19th century writing. (Link)
  • Sami Hanna on the Book of Mormon—I have read a talk written by Elder Russell M. Nelson in which he discusses a friend of his who translated the Book of Mormon back into Arabic. What are the facts behind this story and the talk? (Link)
• Plain and Precious Book of Mormon doctrines

Book of Mormon Geography

Topics

The geographical setting of the Book of Mormon has been the subject of serious study and casual speculation since before the book was first published. The Church has been neutral when it comes to issues relating to Book of Mormon geography, as is FAIR. The articles linked below will describe the various theories and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each.

• Old World—
  Old World or Arabian, geography - this considers the journey from Jerusalem to Old World Bountiful, where Nephi constructed the ship. (Link)
• New World—
  New World geography - location of the majority of the Book of Mormon narrative, in the "promised land"—somewhere in the western hemisphere. (Link)
  • Hemispheric geography theory (HGT)—The Hemispheric Geography Theory (or HGT) is the traditional understanding of the Book of Mormon. It postulates that the events in the book took place over North and South America, with the Isthmus of Panama as the narrow neck of land. (Link)
  • Limited geography theory (LGT)—The Limited Geography Theory (or LGT) is a non-traditional interpretation of the text, but one that has gained wide acceptance among the Book of Mormon scholars and readers over the last 60 years. It is based on a close reading of the text, which indicates that the lands inhabited by the Lehites could be traversed on foot in only a few weeks, making the area no larger than present-day California. (Link)
  • Hill Cumorah (New York) archaeology—What do we know about the archaeology of the drumlin from which Joseph Smith recovered the plates? (Link)
• Statements—
  Statements made by Church leaders, members, and publications about Book of Mormon geography issues (Link)
  • No revealed geography—A collection of statements indicating that there is no revealed geography for the Book of Mormon (these quotes are also in the collections below, by date). (Link)
  • Statements by Hugh Nibley—LDS scholar Hugh Nibley is sometimes cited out of context by advocates of a geography theory who wish to claim his support for their ideas. They do this to disguise that Nibley argued for Mesoamerican involvement in the Book of Mormon. All of Nibley's statements should be considered if one wishes to know what he thought. (Link)
• Models—
  Book of Mormon geographical models (Link)
• Disdaining Joseph?—
  Do LDS scholars "disdain" the statements of Joseph Smith related to Book of Mormon geography? (Link)
• "Continent"—
  With regard to the location of Book of Mormon lands, it is sometimes claimed that "[t]here's a North American continent and a South American continent in Noah Webster's [1850] dictionary," and that this means that all references to "this continent" must refer to North America. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines a ""continent"" as follows: "1. In geography, a great extent of land, not disjoined or interrupted by a sea; a connected tract of land of great extent; as the Eastern and Western continent. It differs from an isle only in extent. New Holland may be denominated a continent. Britain is called a continent, as opposed to the isle of Anglesey." Therefore, Webster's definition of a "Eastern and Western continent" is equivalent to today's definition of "Eastern and Western hemisphere." (Link)
• Location of Zarahemla—
  It is claimed that the location of the city of Zarahemla was provided to Joseph Smith through revelation and that it was located on the Mississippi River opposite where Nauvoo is located today. (Link)
• Borders of the Lamanites—
  Critics claim that the proposal of a Mesoamerican limited geographical Book of Mormon setting contradicts D&C 54:8, which discusses the "borders of the Lamanites" being in North America. (Link)
• Hoaxes related to Book of Mormon geography—
  Sometimes falsified artifacts are used to promote a Book of Mormon geography (Link)

• • Bat Creek Stone—The "Bat Creek Stone" purports to a stone written in Paleo-Hebrew reading "for the Jews". A preponderance of the evidence available argues that the stone is a modern forgery. (Link)
  • Burrows Cave artifacts—The Burrows Cave collection is a group of "artifacts" supposedly found in a Cave in Illinois, named after Russell Burrows, the person who initially found the cave. To this day, Burrows Cave enthusiasts have never demonstrated the existence of the cave. The artifacts contain many obvious hallmarks of modern manufacture, including the so-called "mystic symbol" found on artifacts in the Michigan artifacts collection. This is offered as evidence that the hoaxers deliberately meant to associate these artifacts with the Michigan collection. Some LDS people have fallen prey to those who push these artifacts as genuine. (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
  • Michigan artifacts—The "Michigan Artifacts" or "Michigan relics" are a group of "artifacts" produced by hoaxers in the late 19th century and around the turn of the 20th Century from Michigan. They wanted to produce "proof" of the existence of the ancient civilization known in 19th century lore as the Mound Builders. Many contain scenes from biblical stories. Some LDS members have been misled into believing that the artifacts are genuine. Not surprisingly, advocates of the Michigan artifacts also push the Burrows Cave collection. (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
  • Newark Decalogue Stone—These items, which were presented to the public in 1860, have Hebrew writing on them. Some have used them as evidence for the Book of Mormon, but this is problematic on two grounds: (1) the items may be modern forgeries; and (2) even if authentic, the writing dates to around AD 100-300, which is too late to represent the 600 BC Lehi colony. (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• No maps in the Book of Mormon—
  Critics claim that the Church has no official position on geography of the Book of Mormon because the lands in the Book of Mormon never existed. (Link)
• Transoceanic Crossing—
  The Book of Mormon, in 1 Nephi chapters 17 and 18, recounts that Nephi built a ship in which the Lehi colony sailed from the old world to the new. In June 2010 the History Channel aired a documentary, "Who Really Discovered America?" which claims that it would have been impossible for a ship (such as that made by Nephi) to have successfully carried the people and necessary supplies in a transoceanic crossing. (Link)

Book of Mormon Witnesses

Topics

• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "Three Witnesses"—
  Wikipedia's treatment of the Three Witnesses is controlled by a Protestant editor, and is crafted to discredit the Witnesses by emphasizing the negative and diminishing the positive. (Link)

• What was the character of the witnesses?—
  Critics charge that the witnesses cannot be trusted, or are unreliable, because they were unstable personalities, prone to enthusiasm and exaggeration. Evidence amply demonstrates that the formal witnesses of the Book of Mormon were men of good character and reputation, and were recognized as such by contemporary non-Mormons. (Link)
  • Martin Harris repeatedly sought empirical proof—Critics claim that Martin Harris was a gullible believer in the supernatural. But, in fact, Martin repeatedly performed empirical tests to confirm Joseph Smith's claims. He came away convinced. (Link)
• Description of the plates and stone box in which they were found.—
  A collection of all statements regarding the physical appearance, dimensions, and character of the plates and other items associated with them. (Link)
• Description of translation method and circumstances—
  Friendly and unfriendly accounts of those who witnessed and heard about the translation of the Book of Mormon (Link)
• Did the Book of Mormon witnesses ever recant?—
  Critics have tried to argue that some or all of the Witnesses recanted concerning their testimony. They were all faithful to their testimonies to the end of their lives, even though many of them had personal disagreements with Joseph Smith that caused them to leave the Church. (Link)
• Did Joseph hypnotize the Book of Mormon witnesses?—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon witnesses may have been sincere in their testimony, but were actually the victims of 'hallucination' or 'hypnosis' induced in them by Joseph Smith. The accusation that Joseph Smith was somehow able to hypnotize the witnesses—not individually, but en mass—is simply too preposterous to be true. This accusation vastly overstates the nature of hypnotism and the abilities of those able to practice it. (Link)
• Did God tell David Whitmer to leave the Church?—
  David Whitmer, one of the Book of Mormon's Three Witnesses, said "If you believe my testimony to the Book of Mormon; if you believe that God spake to us three witnesses by his own voice, then I tell you that in June, 1838, God spake to me again by his own voice from the heavens, and told me to "separate myself from among the Latter Day Saints, for as they sought to do unto me, should it be done unto them." Critics argues that if members accept Whitmer's witness of the Book of Mormon, then they must also accept that God wanted David to repudiate the Church as false. Critics distort the historical record to make it appear that David Whitmer left the Church because he was told to, when it fact he was excommunicated prior to claiming any revelation to do so. The command to leave, if it was a true revelation, involved David's physical safety and not his membership in the Church, which he had already renounced. (Link)
• Eight witnesses—
  Critics have tried to argue that the Eight witnesses only claimed a 'spiritual' or 'visionary' view of the plates, not a literal, physical one. The witnesses left concrete statements regarding the physical nature of the plates. There were others besides the eleven who saw and felt the plates, and testified that they were real. (Link)
• "Eye of Faith" and "Spiritual Eye" statements by Martin Harris—
  Martin Harris frequently told people that he did not see the golden plates and the angel with his natural eyes but rather with “spiritual eyes” or the “eye of faith.” (Link)
• Other Book of Mormon witnesses—
  Are there any other witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates besides the Three and Eight witnesses? (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• Strangite parallels—
  Critics claim that break-off sects like James Strang's produced eyewitnesses of buried records, so Joseph's ability to do so is neither surprising nor persuasive. The Strangite witnesses were not all faithful, and some recanted and described the nature of the fraud perpetuated by Strang. (Link)
• Were the experiences of the witnesses spiritual or literal?—
  Some critics suggest that the witnesses’ encounter with the angel and the plates took place solely in their minds. They claim that witnesses saw the angel in a “vision” and equate “vision” with imagination. (Link)
  • Only handled when covered by a tow frock?—Some critics claim that the witnesses said they only handled the plates covered in a "tow frock." Critics do not reveal that this report is from William Smith, one of Joseph's brother who was not a Book of Mormon witness. They also fail to tell us that William insisted in the same statement that he was convinced Joseph was not lying about the plates. William also dismissed the Spalding hypothesis as nonsense, but critics do not mention that either. (Link)
• Was it true the viewing the gold plates would result in death?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith said that the penalty for viewing the gold plates was death, and that this was just a way for Joseph to hide the fact that the plates didn't actually exist. (Link)
• Oliver Cowdery joined the Methodists after leaving the Church—
  Why did Oliver Cowdery join the Methodists if all other churches had been "condemned of God"? (Link)
• All were "interested" since they followed Joseph Smith—
  Critics claim that because the witnesses are "interested"—i.e., they were members of the Church and believers in Joseph's mission—they are therefore not reliable, since they cannot be "neutral" or "disinterested." (Link)

DNA and the Book of Mormon

• Relationship of Amerindians to "Lamanites"—
  Who are the Lamanites? When asked about the Church’s official position on this matter by a writer, a Church spokesman said: "As to whether these were the first inhabitants…we don't have a position on that. Our scripture does not try to account for any other people who may have lived in the New World before, during or after the days of the Jaredites and the Nephites, and we don't have any official doctrine about who the descendants of the Nephites and the Jaredites are. Many Mormons believe that American Indians are descendants of the Lamanites [a division of the Nephites], but that's not in the scripture."^[1] Note that this reply pre-dates any publication of DNA criticism. (Link)
  • Statements—A collection of various statements from Church leaders about Amerindian origins/identity (Link)
  • Are the Maya and the Olmec the Lamanites and the Jaredites?—A common criticism is that LDS associate the Nephites and/or Lamanites with the Maya, and the Jaredite civilization with the Olmec. It is easy, based upon typical artistic representations used by the Church, to see why LDS typically associate the Nephites or Lamanites with the Maya. The assumption by critics that LDS associate the Nephites and the Lamanites with "the Maya" is an oversimplification of the facts. Most Church members view "the Maya" as a single, homogeneous group of people whom they associate with the magnificent ruins of the Classic Mayan civilization found in Mesoamerica. However, the Classic period occurs after Book of Mormon times. LDS research has focused on identifying the characteristics of the Preclassic Mayan culture, which does indeed cover the time period addressed by the Book of Mormon. (Link)
  • Statements by Church leaders related to the identity of the Lamanites—A collection of all known statements made by Church leaders regarding the identity of the Lamanites (Link)
    • 19th century statements—A collection of statements made by 19th-century Church leaders regarding the identity of the Lamanites. (Link)
    • 20th century statements—A collection of statements made by 20th-century Church leaders regarding the identity of the Lamanites. (Link)
    • 21st century statements—A collection of statements made by 21st-century Church leaders regarding the identity of the Lamanites. (Link)
  • Is Lehi the exclusive ancestor or among the ancestors of Amerindians?—LDS leaders have expressed a variety of opinions regarding whether or not all Amerindians are literal descendants of Lehi. Population genetics indicate that Lehi can likely be counted among the ancestors of all native Americans—a position that the Church has reinforced by changing the 1981 Book of Mormon introduction from "principal ancestors" to "among the ancestors." (Link)
• Relationship to Polynesians (Link)
  • Statements—A collection of various statements from Church leaders about Polynesian origins/identity (Link)
• Geography issues—
  A variety of geographic models have been suggested for the Book of Mormon. Some geographic models introduce other difficulties for the DNA attacks. (Link)
  • Haplogroup X2a—Some have tried to use a genetic group called haplotype X2a as proof of the Book of Mormon, but the science at present cannot support this. (Link)
• Are all Amerindians "Lamanites"?—
  Critics have claimed that DNA tests mean that all Amerindians cannot be "Lamanites," and even some Church authors have conceded this point too readily. (Link)
• What is Lehi's ancestry?—
  Genetic attacks on the Book of Mormon focus on the fact that Amerindian DNA seems closest to Asian DNA, and not DNA from "the Middle East" or "Jewish" DNA. However, this attack ignores several key points, among which is the fact that the Book of Mormon states that Lehi and his family are clearly not Jews. (Link)
• How does one identify "Jewish" or "Middle Eastern" DNA?—
  Identifying DNA criteria for Manasseh and Ephraim may always be beyond our reach. But, even identifying markers for Jews—a group that has remained relatively cohesive and refrained from intermarriage with others more than most groups—is an extraordinarily difficult undertaking. (Link)
  • Lemba and Cohen modal haplotype—Some critics use the "Lemba" as an example of a group proven to be Jewish via DNA testing as proof that such a testing should be possible for Book of Mormon people. But, this example is misleading. The Lemba were identified as Jewish because of a marker called the "Cohen modal haplotype." This marker is carried by about half of those who claim descent from Aaron, Moses' brother, and only 2-3% of other Jews. But, the Book of Mormon does not suggest—and in fact seems to exclude—the idea that Levites (the priestly family of Aaron) were among the Lehi party. (Link)
• What methods of DNA tests are available?—
  DNA issues can be complex for the non-specialist (especially those who were in high school more than twenty years ago, before much of the modern understanding of DNA was available). In this article we review the methods of DNA testing that are available, along with their strengths and their limitations. (Link)
• New World death rate after European contact—
  Approximately ninety percent of the Amerindian population died out following contact with the Europeans; most of this was due to infectious disease against which they had no defense.^[2] Since different genes likely provide different resistances to infectious disease, it may be that eliminating 90% of the pre-contact gene pool has significantly distorted the true genetic picture of Lehi's descendants. (Link)
• Jaredite influence—
  Critics often over-look the Jaredites, and assume (as in the hemispheric models that the Jaredites can have contributed nothing of consequence to the Lehite DNA picture. But, it is not clear that this must be the case. Some LDS have believed in a total eradication of the Jaredites, others have argued that Jaredite remnants survived and mixed with the Lehites. Bruce R. McConkie, while believing that the majority of Amerindian descent was from Israel (i.e. Lehi, Ishmael, and Mulek) nevertheless wrote: "The American Indians, however, as Columbus found them also had other blood than that of Israel in their veins. It is possible that isolated remnants of the Jaredites may have lived through the period of destruction in which millions of their fellows perished." (Link)
• Fundamentalist "suicide bombing"—
  It should be remembered too that many sectarian critics use DNA science in a sort of "suicide bombing" attack on the Church.^[3] The fundamentalist Christian critics are happy to use DNA as a stick to beat the Book of Mormon, but do not tell their readers that there is much stronger DNA evidence for concepts which fundamentalist Christian readers might not accept, such as evolutionary change in species, or human descent from other primates. (Link)

Subtopics

• Holy Ghost an anachronism?—
  Why is the Holy Ghost mentioned so many times in the Book of Mormon prior to the time of Christ (e.g., 1 Nephi 10:17) and yet in the Old Testament there is hardly any mention of the Holy Ghost, especially with regard to his mission of bearing witness of the truth? (Link)
• Legal codes in Book of Mormon—
  Do the legal concepts in the Book of Mormon better match Joseph Smith's day, or the ancient world? (Link)
• Could Satan have deceived Nephi?—
  Critics charge that the story of Nephi being told by God to slay Laban (found in 1 Nephi 4:5-18) is problematic because the angel which came to Nephi could have been a demonic "angel of light" sent to deceive him; It is suggested that Nephi was listening to "a voice in his head" telling him to kill Laban; this could be psychosis or delusion. (Link)
• Amount of blood loss?—
  Since Nephi beheaded Laban, wouldn't there be a large amount of blood afterward? How could Nephi use Laban's clothes and armor to disguise himself? (Link)

Doctrine and Covenants

Textual changes

• Textual changes—
  Joseph Smith and others made revisions, additions, and deletions to his early revelations when preparing them for publication. Critics claim that revelations from God are inerrant and should never be changed, and this proves that Joseph Smith did not receive revelation. (Link)
• Oliver Cowdery and the "rod of nature"—
  Critics claim that a revelation received by Joseph praised Oliver Cowdery's gift of using divining talents. It is claimed that the revelation was published in the Book of Commandments in its original form, then subsequently modified in the Doctrine and Covenants in order to hide the reference to the "rod of nature." Therefore, Joseph attempted to "cover up" Oliver Cowdery's work with a divining rod by changing a revelation. (Link)
• Direct quotation from God?—
  Is the wording of the D&C revelations a direct word-for-word quotation from God? Critics note that if the Doctrine and Covenants contained quotations from God, why would Joseph Smith later edit God's words? (Link)

Criticism of the Doctrine and Covenants

• Contradiction between Section 132 and Jacob 2—
  Critics note that D&C 132 speaks favorably about some Old Testament practitioners of plural marriage, while Jacob 2 is negative. Critics claim that this discrepancy is a contradiction, suggesting that Joseph Smith's ideas about plural marriage changed, and the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants are not inspired. (Link)
• D&C 84 states that God cannot be seen without priesthood—
  How could Joseph Smith has seen God the Father and Jesus Christ during the First Vision if he had not yet received the priesthood? (Link)

Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon geography

• References to Lamanites in the D&C—
  Since in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to American Indians in North America as "Lamanites" (e.g., DC 28:8-9,14, DC 30:6, DC 32:2, DC 54:8), does this cause problems for the Limited Geography Theory (LGT) or issues of Amerindian genetic data? (Link)

Polygamy

• 1835 Doctrine and Covenants denies polygamy—
  The 1835 edition of the D&C contained a statement of marriage which denied the practice of polygamy. Since this was published during Joseph Smith's lifetime, why might the prophet have allowed it to be published if he was actually practicing polygamy at that time? (Link)

Lectures on Faith

Teachings contained within

• Is the Father embodied or a spirit?—
  When the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants was published in 1835 it portrayed God the Father as a personage of spirit whereas Jesus Christ was portrayed as a personage of tabernacle, or one having a physical body. Yet the official LDS First Vision story portrays the Father as a physical Being. Critics claim that this is evidence of an evolution of story; and that the evolution of this story is evidence of fraud. (Link)
• God a personage of spirit?—
  Lectures on Faith, which used to be part of the Doctrine and Covenants, teach that God is a spirit. Joseph Smith's later teachings contradict this. More generally, critics argue that Joseph Smith taught an essentially "trinitarian" view of the Godhead until the mid 1830s, thus proving the Joseph was "making it up" as he went along. (Link)

As part of the Doctrine and Covenants

• Lectures on Faith removed from Doctrine and Covenants—
  Critics argue that the Lectures on Faith were "quietly" removed from the Doctrine and Covenants without general church membership consent, that the Lectures on Faith are not available to the general Church membership through Church sources, and that they can only be obtained through non-LDS sources (despite their availability at Deseret Book). (Link)

Book of Moses

Topics

• Textual changes ^{[needs work]}
• Book of Enoch ^{[needs work]}
• Book of Moses ^{[needs work]}
• Plan of salvation/Premortal existence

Book of Abraham

The Book of Abraham. An inspired translation of the writings of Abraham. Joseph Smith began the translation in 1835 after obtaining some Egyptian papyri. The translation was published serially in the Times and Seasons beginning March 1, 1842, at Nauvoo, Illinois.
—Introduction, Pearl of Great Price (2013 edition). off-site

Production of the Book of Abraham

• Timeline—
  A timeline of events related to the Book of Abraham and Kirtland Egyptian Papers (Link)
• "By his own hand"—
  Critics claim that the Book of Abraham's claim to have been written by Abraham's "own hand upon papyrus" is falsified since the papyrus dates to after the Abrahamic period. (Link)
• Joseph Smith Papyri—
  Joseph Smith had in his possession three or four long scrolls, plus a hypocephalus (Facsimile 2). Of these original materials, only a handful of fragments were recovered at the Metropolitan Museum. The majority of the papyri remains lost, and has likely been destroyed. (Link)
• Book of Abraham plagiarism accusations—
  Critics claim that contemporary sources were used by Joseph Smith as sources for the Book of Abraham. (Link)

Content of the Book of Abraham

• Astronomy and the Book of Abraham—
  The Book of Abraham makes several references to astronomy which draw criticism. These articles address specific issues related to Book of Abraham astronomical concepts. (Link)

Evidences of the Book of Abraham

• Evidence for antiquity—
  What did the Book of Abraham get right that Joseph couldn't have known? (Link)

Joseph Smith's First Vision

Primary sources

• Primary sources—
  Original text of Joseph's accounts of the First Vision (Link)

Wikipedia treatment of Joseph Smith's First Vision

• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "First Vision"—
  FAIR analyzes the Wikipedia treatment of the First Vision. (Link)

Did the Church hide accounts of the First Vision?

The claim is sometimes made by critics that the LDS Church hides the various accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision that are not in its official canon. The following chronological database (compiled by FAIR volunteer Edward Jones) demonstrates conclusively that this is simply not the case. The various accounts of the First Vision have been widely acknowledged in LDS-authored sources throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

• LDS-Authored Publications (1910-1968)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1910-1968) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1969-1978)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1969-1978) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1979-1983)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1979-1983) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1984-1989)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1984-1989) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1990-1997)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1990-1997) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1998-2003)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1998-2003) (Link)

Events leading up to the First Vision

• Early Smith family history (Link)
• Methodist camp meetings in the Palmyra area—
  Critics claim that any association Joseph had with Methodism did not occur until the 1824-25 revival in Palmyra, and that his claim that the "unusual excitement" started with the Methodists in 1820 is therefore incorrect. (Link)
• Joseph became "partial to the Methodist sect" in 1820—
  Critics claim that Joseph didn't become "partial to the Methodist sect" until at least 1823, after Alvin's death, or as late as 1838, rather than in 1820 as he claimed in his 1838 First Vision account. (Link)
• Were there revivals in 1820?—
  Critics claim that there were no religious revivals in the Palmyra, New York area in 1820, contrary to Joseph Smith's claims that during that year there was "an unusual excitement on the subject of religion...indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it" (Link)
• Smith family place of residence in 1820—
  Critics claim that there are discrepancies in Joseph's account of his family's early history, which make his 1820 and subsequent revelations impossible, and that there is no evidence that the Smith family was in the Palmyra area in 1820 for the religious excitement and First Vision which Joseph reported. (Link)

The Vision

• Joseph's accounts of the First Vision—
  Joseph Smith gave several accounts of the First Vision. Critics charge that differences in the accounts show that he changed and embellished his story over time, and that he therefore had no such vision. (Link)
• Discrepancies in Paul's account of his vision—
  Paul the apostle gave more than one account of his vision of the resurrected Lord while on the road to Damascus. Like Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision, Paul's accounts differ in some details but agree in the overall message. (Link)
• Do Greek scholars solve the discrepancies in Paul's vision accounts?—
  The Church's sectarian critics accept Paul's account as true despite the Bible containing apparently frank contradictions in its accounts, while refusing to give Joseph Smith the same latitude. Members of the Church have long pointed out that this is a clear double standard, designed to bias the audience against Joseph from the beginning. Perhaps because of the force of this argument, some critics have begun to argue that no contradiction exists between the versions of Paul's vision. (Link)
• D&C:84 says God cannot be seen without priesthood—
  Critics argue that Joseph Smith claimed that he saw God in 1820 and also claimed that he received the priesthood in 1829. But in a text which he produced in 1832 (DC 84:21-22) it is said that a person cannot see God without holding the priesthood. Therefore, critics claim that Joseph Smith contradicted himself and this counts as evidence against his calling as an authentic prophet of God. (Link)
• Was Joseph Smith told that "all the churches of the day were an abomination?"—
  Some critics claim that Joseph Smith stated that during the First Vision that he was told that "all the churches of the day were an abomination." (Link)

Events occurring after the First Vision

• Joseph Smith's early conception of God—
  Some critics claim that Joseph began his prophetic career with a "trinitarian" idea of God, and only later developed his theology of the Godhead. What do we know about Joseph and the early Saints' views on God? (Link)
• No reference to First Vision in 1830s publications—
  Critics claim that there is no reference to the 1838 canonical First Vision story in any published material from the 1830s, and that nothing published in this period mentions that Joseph saw the Father and Son. They also assume that it would have been mentioned in the local newspapers at the time. (Link)
• Seldom mentioned in LDS publications before 1877 (short version)—
  Critics charge, “Before the death of Brigham Young in 1877 the first vision was seldom mentioned in Mormon publications.” This evidence implies that the general membership of the LDS Church was not familiar with the First Vision story until late in the nineteenth century. (Link)
• No mention in non-LDS literature before 1843?—
  There is no mention of the First Vision in non-Mormon literature before 1843. If the First Vision story had been known by the public before 1840 (when Orson Pratt published his pamphlet) the anti-Mormons “surely” would have seized upon it as an evidence of Joseph Smith’s imposture. (Link)
• Missionaries 1830 statement about Joseph seeing "God"—
  Critics have claimed that just because LDS missionaries were teaching around 1 November 1830 that Joseph Smith had previously seen “God” personally it cannot be assumed that this was a reference to God the Father since the Book of Mormon (completed ca. 11 June 1829) refers to Jesus Christ as “the eternal God” (title page; 2 Nephi 26:12). The argument is made that since this evidence indicates that Joseph Smith understood Jesus Christ to be “God” the statement by the missionaries may have simply meant that Joseph Smith had seen the Savior; not necessarily the Father. (Link)
• No published reference to Father and Son vision until 1838?—
  Critics claim that there is no mention of Joseph Smith seeing the Father and Son in any “contemporary” newspaper, diary, LDS publication, or writing of any kind until the year 1838. (Link)
• Joseph Smith did not know if God existed in 1823?—
  Critics claim that according to a historical document published in Kirtland, Ohio in 1835 the Prophet Joseph Smith did not know if God existed in the year 1823. This text, therefore, provides evidence that Joseph Smith simply made up the story about the First Vision happening in the year 1820. (Link)
• Lucy Mack Smith and the Presbyterians—
  Critics claim that since there was a religious revival in Palmyra, New York in 1824-25 which appears to match details of Joseph Smith's official Church history, he must have mistakenly mixed this event in with his narrative about what happened in 1820, and that the Prophet's mother joined the Presbyterian church after Alvin Smith died in late 1823. This contradicts Joseph's statement that she joined in 1820, thereby dating Joseph's First Vision to no earlier than 1823. (Link)
• Did Joseph join other churches contrary to commandment in vision?—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith joined the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches between 1820 and 1830—despite the claim made in his 1838 history that he was forbidden by Deity (during the 1820 First Vision experience) from joining any denomination. (Link)
• Contradiction about knowing all churches were wrong—
  In his 1832 account of the First Vision, Joseph Smith said, “I found [by searching the scriptures] that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatized from the true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.” But in the 1835 account he said, “I knew not who [of the denominations] was right or who was wrong.” Critics claim that thus counts as evidence that the First Vision story evolved over time. (Link)
• First Vision fabricated to give "Godly authority?"—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith decided after he released the Book of Mormon to the public that he needed 'authority from God' to justify his claims as a religious minister. Therefore, it is claimed that he fabricated the First Vision story in order to provide himself with a more prestigious line of authority than that of the "angel" who revealed the golden plates. (Link)
• First Vision story became more detailed and colorful after 1832?—
  Some claim that Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision grew more detailed and more colorful after he first recorded it in 1832. (Link)
• 1838 account modified to offset leadership crisis?—
  Critics claim that in 1838 Joseph Smith revised his personal history to say that his original call came from God the Father and Jesus Christ rather than an angel. His motive for doing this was to give himself a stronger leadership role because an authority crisis had recently taken place and large-scale apostasy was the result. (Link)
• Persecution after the vision?—
  Some claim that there is no evidence that Joseph or his family were persecuted because of the First Vision. They argue that this means that Joseph invented the story later. (Link)

Additional First Vision issues

• D&C 121:28 contradicts vision?—
  In 1839 Joseph Smith received a revelation from God in which it was stated that the time would come "in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods they shall be manifest" (D&C 121:28). This was an "unnecessary revelation," since according to the official LDS Church First Vision account Joseph Smith supposedly knew that there was more than one God since 1820. This information counts as evidence that the Prophet's story was fraudulent. (Link)
• Father: Spirit vs. Embodied—
  When the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants was published in 1835 it portrayed God the Father as a personage of spirit whereas Jesus Christ was portrayed as a personage of tabernacle, or one having a physical body. Yet the official LDS First Vision story portrays the Father as a physical Being. (Link)
• Personages seen by Joseph—
  A list of known personages who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith or who were seen by him in vision. (Link)
• Brigham Young and the First Vision—
  Critics claim either that Brigham never taught about the First Vision, or that he taught that the Lord did not appear to Joseph. Both claims are false. (Link)

Joseph Smith: Other visionary experiences

Topics

• Moroni's visit (summary) (Link)
  • Nephi or Moroni in 1823? (Link)
  • Moroni as an "angel of Satan" (Link)
• Joseph Smith's early conception of God (Link)
• Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith (Link)
• Swedenborg and three degrees of glory (Link)

---

Mormonism and the nature of God

Characteristics of God

• Unchanging—
  Does the Book of Mormon refute Joseph Smith on the nature of God? Critics point out that the Book of Mormon never says God was once a mortal. In fact, it teaches that God was always God. Take for instance Moroni 8:18. It says God is "unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." Joseph Smith, however, taught, "We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity, I will refute that idea, and take away the veil so that you may see." (Link)
• Was God once a sinner?—
  If God was once like us, do Mormons believe that God was once a sinner? (Link)
• Corporality—
  Critics attack the LDS doctrine of God the Father and Jesus Christ being corporeal beings—i.e., having physical bodies. They claim that this doctrine is not Biblical. (Link)
• Elohim and Jehovah—
  Some critics assert that Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai and other similar Old Testament Hebrew names for deity are simply different titles which emphasize different attributes of the "one true God." In support of this criticism, they cite Old Testament scriptures that speak of "the LORD [Jehovah] thy God [Elohim]" (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:2; 4:35; 6:4) as proof that these are different titles for the same God. (Link)
• Foreknowledge—
  Most Latter-day Saints hold to unlimited foreknowledge. This has been the traditional view of most Christians since the post-New Testament period, and it is one doctrine that Joseph Smith didn't seem to question, as there are no revelations that address it. Indeed, it appears that most LDS leaders and scholars simply haven't questioned its veracity. (Link)
• "God is a man"—
  Critics object to the LDS position that God has a physical body and human form by quoting scripture which says that "God is not a man" (e.g. Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Hosea 11:9). (Link)
• God is a Spirit?—
  Critics object to the LDS position that God has a physical body by quoting John 4:24: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (Link)
  • Lecture of Faith 5 teaches the Father is "a personage of spirit"—Lectures on Faith, which used to be part of the Doctrine and Covenants, teach that God is a spirit. Joseph Smith's later teachings contradict this. More generally, critics argue that Joseph Smith taught an essentially "trinitarian" view of the Godhead until the mid 1830s, thus proving the Joseph was "making it up" as he went along. (Link)
• Hinckley downplaying the King Follett Discourse—
  Critics claim that, in an effort to appear more "mainline" Christian, the Church is downplaying the importance of some doctrines taught late in Joseph Smith's lifetime. Prominent among these is the doctrine of human deification. To bolster their argument, critics usually quote from a 1997 Time magazine interview with President Gordon B. Hinckley: "I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it ... I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don't know a lot about it, and I don't think others know a lot about it." Critics have claimed that this means that President Hinckley has admitted to altering LDS doctrine, or discarding a teaching from the past. (Link)
• "Celestial sex"—
  Critics claim that Latter-day Saints believe in a practice called "Celestial sex," and that this is the manner in which "spirit children" are formed. (Link)

Early teachings about God in the Book of Mormon, from Joseph Smith, and among Church members

• Joseph Smith's early conception of God—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith initially taught standard Nicene trinitarianism. The early documents tell a different story, however. (Link)
• Modalism in the Book of Mormon?—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches the trinitarian heresy of modalism or Sabellianism. This reading misinterprets some Book of Mormon verses, and ignores Book of Mormon texts which clearly contradict this reading. (Link)
• Lecture on Faith 5 and the nature of God the Father—
  Lectures on Faith, which used to be part of the Doctrine and Covenants, teach that God is a spirit. Joseph Smith's later teachings contradict this. More generally, critics argue that Joseph Smith taught an essentially "trinitarian" view of the Godhead until the mid 1830s, thus proving the Joseph was "making it up" as he went along. (Link)
• Early LDS beliefs about God—
  Critics attempt to show that the LDS idea of deification is unbiblical, unchristian and untrue. They seem to think that this doctrine is the main reason why the LDS reject the Psychological Trinity. (Link)

Exaltation of Man

• Deification of man—
  Critics claim that the doctrine of human deification is unbiblical, false, and arrogant. Related claims include: 1) Mormons believe they will 'supplant God', 2) Belief in theosis, or human deification, implies more than one "god," which means Mormons are "polytheists," 3) The Mormon concept of "human deification" is a pagan belief derived from Greek philosophy. (Link)
  • Gods of their own planets—Critics claim that Mormons believe that they can push themselves higher in a type of 'celestial pecking order.' This is often expressed by the claim that Latter-day Saint men wish to become "gods of their own planets." (Link)

Understanding of God

• Trinity—
  A collection of articles that address the Latter-day Saint view of the concept of the Trinity. (Link)
• Theodicy—
  This page discusses the problem of evil—can one believe in a good, just, loving God when one considers all the suffering and evil in the world? (Link)
  • Noah's flood—Would a good, just God destroy children, such as in Noah's flood? (Link)
• Holy Ghost—
  Articles which discuss the third member of the trinity. (Link)

• Adam-God—
  Brigham Young taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. Latter-day Saints have struggled to know the meaning of President Young's remarks, and a variety of approaches have been taken by faithful LDS to interpret his words. Regardless of which approach the reader prefers to accept, the Church's official position on Adam-God is clear: as popularly understood, Adam-God (i.e., "Adam, the first man, was identical with Elohim/God the Father") is not the doctrine of the Church. (Link)

Worship of God

• Graven images—
  Critics claim that the Church violates the Biblical command against "graven images" because it displays sculptures of Christ, statues of the angel Moroni on the spires of our temples, or paintings showing scriptural scenes, within temples, chapels, visitors' centers, and publications. (See Exodus 20:3-4.) (Link)
• Heavenly Mother—
  Do Latter-day Saints believe in a female divine person, a "Heavenly Mother" as counterpart to God, the Heavenly Father? Are we allowed to pray to our "Heavenly Mother?" Critics claim that LDS belief in a "queen of heaven" is a pagan belief, and that the concept of a "Heavenly Mother" has no support in LDS scripture. (Link)

Multiplicity of Gods

• Infinite regress of Gods—
  Is it true that LDS doctrine teaches a "genealogy of gods," in which God the Father had/has a God, and this God had a God, and so forth? If so, how does LDS doctrine deal with the problem of an "infinite regress" of "great-great-grandfather Gods"? (Link)
• Polytheism—
  Some non-LDS Christian claim that Latter-day Saints are polytheists because we don't believe the Nicene Creed. Others say Mormons are polytheists because they believe humans can become gods. Is this an accurate characterization of LDS belief? (Link)
• "No God beside me"—
  Mainstream Christian critics claim that the Mormon doctrine of the Godhead and belief in theosis are not compatible with multiple statements in Isaiah that "beside [the Lord] there is no God." These passages include Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6,8; Isaiah 45:5-6; Isaiah 45:21-22; and Isaiah 46:9-10. (Link)

Interaction with God

• No man has seen God—
  Critics claim that the Bible teaches that God cannot be seen by mortals, and so claims by Joseph Smith and others to have seen God the Father or Jesus Christ must be false. The most commonly used Biblical citation invoked by the critics is probably John 1:18, which reads “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (Link)

Repudiated concepts

• Adam-God theory—
  Brigham Young taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. Since this teaching runs counter to the story told in Genesis and commonly accepted by Christians, critics accuse Brigham of being a false prophet. Also, because modern Latter-day Saints do not believe Brigham's "Adam-God" teachings, critics accuse Mormons of either changing their teachings or rejecting teachings of prophets they find uncomfortable or unsupportable. (Link)
  • Ancient of Days—If the Adam-God doctrine isn't true, how come DC 27:11 calls Adam the Ancient of Days which is clearly a title for God in Dan. 7: (Link)

Articles of Faith

Textual changes

• Differing versions?—
  There is a version of the 13th Article of Faith that originally contained this phrase: "But an idle or lazy person cannot be a Christian, neither have salvation. He is a drone, and destined to be stung to death and tumbled out of the hive." (Link)

Joseph Smith, Jr.

Character of Joseph Smith

• Early Smith family history (Link)
• Character—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith was a disreputable person. (Link)
• Con man—
  Some claim that Joseph was a con man. Yet, his behavior does not match the typical behavior of those consciously deceiving others for gain. Some of this claim relies on a misrepresentation of a 1826 court hearing. (Link)
• The Hurlbut affidavits—
  Many critics cite a collection of affidavits from Joseph Smith’s neighbors which claim that the Smith family possessed a number of character flaws. Many of Joseph Smith’s friends and neighbors signed affidavits that accused him and his family of being lazy, indolent, undependable treasure-seekers. (Link)
• "Amusing recitals" and "Tall Tales?"—
  Joseph Smith's mother reported that he told "amusing recitals" about the ancient inhabitants of the American continent well before he translated the Book of Mormon. Does this indicate that Joseph was simply a teller of "tall tales?" (Link)
• Land speculation in Nauvoo—
  Did Joseph Smith engage in "land speculation" in Nauvoo? (Link)
• Personality and temperament—
  Critics point to what they perceive as personal failings of Joseph Smith, such as his allegedly short temper, as evidence that he was not a true prophet of God. (Link)
• Boastful about the Church?—
  Why did Joseph Smith say that he had "more to boast of than ever any man had" and that he was the only man who had been "able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam?" (Link)
• Joseph taught Porter Rockwell 'it was right to steal'?—
  Did Joseph really teach Orrin Porter Rockwell that "it was right to steal?" (Link)
• Psychobiographical analysis—
  Is it possible to deduce Joseph Smith's thoughts and dreams years after his death? Some critics think so. (Link)
• Joseph Smith's alleged narcissism—
  Critics quote Joseph Smith as saying such things as: "I am learned, and know more than all the world put together," "I combat the errors of ages; I meet the violence of mobs; I cope with illegal proceedings from executive authority; I cut the Gordian knot of powers, and I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth . . . diamond truth; and God is my ‘right hand man.’” They use these quotes to portray Joseph as egomaniacal, proud, and narcissistic. (Link)

Treasure seeking, money digging and Joseph Smith, Jr.

• Treasure seeking—
  Was Joseph Smith's engagement in "money digging" or looking for buried treasure a blot on his character? (Link)
• Practitioner of occultism and magic?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith's spiritual experiences began as products of "magic," the "occult," or "treasure seeking," and that only later did Joseph describe his experiences in Christian, religious terms: speaking of God, angels, and prophethood. (Link)
• Joseph's early work as a farmhand—
  Critics wish to prioritize the role that treasure-seeking played in Joseph's like by claiming that it took precedence over any other work that he may have done, such as working as a hired farmhand. (Link)

Joseph Smith's First Vision

• Joseph Smith's First Vision (Link)

Joseph Smith, occultism and magic

• "Magic" in Mormon history (Link)
  • Jupiter talisman—Critics claim that Joseph Smith had a Jupiter Talisman on his person when he was martyred and cite this as proof of his fascination with the occult. (Link)
  • The magician Walters as a mentor to Joseph Smith?—Did a "vagabond fortune-teller" named Walters who became popular in the Palmyra area pass his "mantle" to Joseph Smith? (Link)

Joseph Smith as a translator

• Joseph as a translator—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith claimed to translate other texts or items, which can be checked against modern academic translations. They claim that this "cross-checking" proves that Joseph could not have translated the Book of Mormon or other ancient texts. (Link)
• Joseph as seer and his use of seer stones—
  What do we know about Joseph's seer stone? What is its relation to the "Urim and Thummim"? Did Joseph place his seer stone in his hat while he was translating the Book of Mormon? (Link)
• Joseph and the Greek psalter—
  Did Joseph Smith misidentify an ancient text of Greek psalms (a "psalter") as containing "reformed" Egyptian hieroglyphics? (Link)
• Book of Abraham (Link)
• The Joseph Smith "translation" of the Bible and its relationship to the Book of Mormon—
  Some passages from the Bible (parts of Isaiah, for example) were included in the Book of Mormon text. However, the same passages were later revised for the Joseph Smith Translation of the Holy Bible. In some cases these passages are not rendered identically. Critics claim that if the JST was an accurate translation, it would match the supposedly more 'pure' Isaiah text possessed by the Nephites. (Link)

Joseph Smith and miracles

• Healings and miracles—
  Do we have any record of Joseph Smith performing healings or other miracles by the power of Christ's priesthood? (Link)
• Walking on water—
  Did Joseph pretend to walk on water? (Link)

Joseph Smith as a priesthood holder

• Date of the restoration of the Melchizedek priesthood—
  Critics claim that the restoration of the priesthood was "back dated" later by Joseph Smith to justify his desire to dominate the Church. Critics claim that no one seems to know "when or how" Joseph Smith received the Melchizedek priesthood. (Link)

Joseph Smith as a prophet

• No more prophets after Christ?—
  Most of Christianity today claim that there are not supposed to be any more prophets after Christ's day. (Link)
• Alleged false prophecies—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith was not a true prophet, and that he made "false prophecies." (Link)
• Personages who appeared to Joseph Smith—
  A list of known personages who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith or who were seen by him in vision. The list does not include instances where he only heard supernatural voices. (Link)
• Joseph Smith: Status in LDS belief—
  Do members worship Joseph Smith or treat him as more than a man? Critics charge that since Joseph claimed (or it was claimed in his behalf) the right to "approve whether or not someone gets into heaven," this arrogates to a mortal a right properly reserved for God and Jesus Christ. Some critics have even charged that "Mormons worship Joseph Smith." (Link)

Joseph Smith and legal issues

• Legal issues—
  What can you tell me about Joseph Smith's problems with the law? (Link)

Joseph Smith and finance

• Kirtland Safety Society—
  Joseph established the Kirtland Safety Society, which later failed. Many left the Church because they thought that Joseph's involvement and his calling as a prophet would guarantee its success. When the bank failed, many thought that Joseph was a fallen prophet. (Link)

Joseph Smith, politics and government

• Politics—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith's decision to run for President of the United States in 1844 shows him to be either a megalomaniac bent on amassing ever more power, or a fanatic with delusions of grandeur. (Link)
• City of Nauvoo (Link)

Joseph Smith and polygamy

• Joseph Smith and polygamy (Link)

Death of Joseph Smith

• Martyrdom (Link)
  • Joseph fired a gun—Was Joseph Smith actually not a martyr because, while in jail, he had a gun and he had the temerity to defend himself? Did Joseph kill two men by firing at the mob? (Link)

Other critical claims related to Joseph Smith

• Joseph Smith and the "office of the Holy Ghost"—
  Did certain Church leaders say that Joseph Smith was the Holy Ghost or that he "held the office of Holy Ghost?" (Link)
• What is Joseph Smith's role in LDS belief?—
  Did Church leaders claim that Joseph had the right to "approve whether or not someone gets into heaven," rather than Jesus Christ? Do Latter-day Saints worship Joseph Smith, as critics claim? (Link)
• Joseph Smith and inhabitants of the moon—
  Did Joseph claim that the moon was inhabited? (Link)
• Garden of Eden in Missouri—
  Is it true Mormons believe the original Garden of Eden was located in Missouri? What can you tell me about this? (Link)

Summary conclusion

Concluded one author at a FAIR conference:

Joseph Smith was persecuted in courts of law as much as anyone I know. But he was never found guilty of any crime, and his name cannot be tarnished in that way.^[4]

Joseph Smith legal issues

• D&C 98 teaches Saints to disobey secular law?—
  According to historian D. Michael Quinn, Joseph received a revelation which "established the primacy of religious law over secular law...and not only authorized but commanded Mormons to disobey secular law and civil leaders not conforming to the commandments of God." This interpretation, however, is Quinn's own. The revelation is not telling the Saints to "disobey secular law and civil leaders"—it is telling them to "befriend" the law of the land, and seek to support "honest men and wise men" as leaders. (Link)
• Joseph Smith and legal trials (Link)
  • 1826 trial for "glasslooking"—Joseph Smith was brought to trial in 1826 for "glasslooking." Didn't Hugh Nibley claim that if this trial record existed that it would be "the most damning evidence in existence against Joseph Smith?" (Link)
    • Was Joseph found guilty of being a "con man"?—Critics claim that Joseph was a "con man," and that he was found guilty of being such in a court of law. This refers to the 1826 trial. (Link)
• Kirtland Safety Society—
  Critics attack Joseph Smith over the Kirtland Safety Society (KSS) on multiple grounds: 1) they claim the KSS was a "wildcat bank," 2) they claim that the bank was illegal, and that the Church broke the law by founding it, 3) they claim it was a money-making scheme for Joseph, and 4) they claim its failure proves Joseph was not a prophet (Link)
  • False charges against Warren Parrish?—Critics claim that Joseph Smith lied about Warren Parrish, falsely charging him with financial misconduct, and trying to shift the blame. An examination of surviving Kirtland Safety Society notes provides concrete evidence for Joseph's charge. (Link)
  • Money boxes filled with sand?—Critics claim that Joseph Smith misled investors in the Kirtland Safety Society by collecting boxes full of sand with money placed on top, in order to make it appear that the bank had more hard money than it did. (Link)
  • Notes from KSS to be "as good as gold"?—Critics make light of Joseph Smith's claim that Kirtland Safety Society notes would be "as good as gold." (Link)
• Nauvoo city charter—
  What was unique about the city of Nauvoo's charter? Why did it anger some non-Mormons? (Link)
  • Habeas corpus—This writ is a judicial order “to a prison official ordering that an inmate be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not that person is imprisoned lawfully and whether or not he should be released from custody.” Thus, one obtains such a writ so that a local judge can rule on whether or not an arrest warrant is legal or appropriate. The purpose of habeas corpus is to prevent prisoners from being transported long distances on insufficient charges, or held for long periods without trial. (Link)
  • Usurpation of power?—Critics charge that the Mormon's use of the Nauvoo city charter to invalidate writs from other jurisdictions was improper. Carlin, the governor of Illinois at the time, characterized it as an "extraordinary assumption of power….most absurd and ridiculous…[a] gross usurpation of power that cannot be tolerated." (Link)
• Nauvoo Expositor—
  Did Joseph violate the law by ordering the Nauvoo Expositor destroyed? Critics claim that Joseph "could not allow the Expositor to publish the secret international negotiations masterminded by Mormonism’s earthly king." (Link)
  • Nauvoo Expositor Full Text—The Nauvoo Expositor had a single issue published. The events surrounding its publication lead to the martyrdom. The full text is provided for study. (Link)

• Deuteronomy 18 as a prophetic test—
  Critics point to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 as a 'test' for a true prophet: (Link)

Accusations of false prophecy

Specific accusations of Joseph Smith having uttered "false prophecy" are treated in the following wiki articles:

• Can't kill Joseph within 5 years of August 1843?—
  Sarah Scott's claim that Joseph Smith said on 27 August 1843 that nobody could kill him "till the Temple would be completed." (Link)
• Civil War prophecy—
  Joseph Smith made an 1832 prophecy of the Civil War. Critics use a variety of tactics to dismiss this prophetic "hit." (Link)
  • Alexander Doniphan and destruction in Missouri—Immense destructions in Missouri preceding the Second Coming, so extensive that “not a yellow dog will be left to wag his tail.” (Link)
  • Attitude of Saints to Civil War prophecy—One critic claims that the horrors of the Civil War actually brought the Saints "some degree of emotional satisfaction and comfort," since it fulfilled Joseph's prophecy. (Link)
• David Patten to serve a mission—
  Joseph Smith, under the inspiration of the Lord, issued a call for David Patten to go on a mission the following spring. Since Patten died before fulfilling this mission, critics claim that this is a failed prophecy. (Link)
• Forged prophecy about Saints in Rocky Mountains?—
  Critics Jerald and Sandra Tanner claim that a prophecy from Joseph about the Saints' move to the Rocky Mountains was forged after the fact and inserted into the History of the Church. (Link)
  • Tanners' use of sources—An examination of the sources used by the Tanners and how they do not support the critical claim. (Link)
• Government to be overthrown and wasted—
  Since it is more than 150 years since this prophecy was uttered, and because the US government still exists, critics claim that this is a false prophecy. (Link)
• Independence temple to be built "in this generation"—
  Critics point to Joseph Smith's prophecy that the Independence, Missouri temple "shall be reared in this generation" as an example of a failed prophecy (Link)
• The Saints had to leave Missouri before the temple was built in Independence—
  Despite the fact that the Saints were forced to leave Missouri around a year after the "prediction" was given to build a temple in Independence, Missouri, they still hoped to return and see the prophecy come to fruition. (Link)
• Joseph and Orson Hyde to drink of wine in Palestine?—
  Critics claim that 1) Joseph uttered a false prophecy in telling Orson Hyde that he would drink wine with him in Palestine, and 2) Joseph showed his disregard for the Word of Wisdom by promising to drink wine. (Link)
• Notes from Kirtland Safety Society to be "as good as gold"?—
  Critics make light of Joseph Smith's claim that Kirtland Safety Society notes would be "as good as gold." (Link)
• Prophetic test in Deuteronomy—
  Critics point to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 as a 'test' for a true prophet: (Link)
• Queens to pay respect to Relief Society within ten years?—
  A record exists of Joseph prophesying that queens would pay their respects to the Relief Society within ten years of its formation. That no queens did so is held up as a sign of false prophecy. (Link)
• Second Coming in 1890 (56 years)—
  Is it true that Joseph Smith prophesied Jesus Christ's return in 1890? (Link)
• Stephen A. Douglas prophecy—
  Critics assert that a "forged prediction" was added to the history of the Church related to the political career of Stephen A. Douglas.) (Link)
• Ten tribes return and wicked swept away?—
  Critics claim that Joseph prophesied that the wicked "of this generation" would be swept from the face of the land and the Lost Ten tribes would be gathered within Joseph Smith's generation. (Link)
• Thomas B. Marsh to be "exalted"—
  Thomas B. Marsh was told that he would be "exalted," and that he would preach "unto the ends of the earth." (See DC 112:.) Critics claim that this prophecy was "unfulfilled," given Marsh's apostasy. (Link)
• United Order everlasting, immutable, and unchangeable?—
  Critics claim that Joseph gave a false prophecy when he described the United Order in revelation as "everlasting," "immutable and unchangeable," "until I [Jesus] come." (Link)
• Zion redeemed by September 1836?—
  Joseph predicted that Zion would be redeemed by September 1836. (Link)
• Are prophets infallible?—
  Critics insist that any statement by any LDS Church leader at any point in time represents LDS doctrine and is thus something that is secretly believed, or that should be believed, by Latter-day Saints. (Link)

Fulfilled prophecies

• Biblical Keys for Discerning True and False Prophets (Link)
• The Word of Wisdom states that it is given in part because of the "evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days" (DC 89:4). Modern developments have vindicated this prophetic warning.
• A list of some examples of fulfilled prophecies can be found here:
  • Jeff Lindsay, "Fulfilled Prophesies of Joseph Smith," off-site

Joseph Smith

• Joseph Smith—
  Claims and questions about Joseph Smith, first prophet of the restoration (Link)

Post-Joseph Smith and non-Joseph Smith prophecies

• Revelation after Joseph Smith—
  If every President of the Church is a prophet, seer, and revelator, why have so few revelations after Joseph Smith been added to the Doctrine and Covenants? Revelations used to be printed in Church periodicals such as the Times and Seasons and the Evening and Morning Star. Why are revelations no longer published on an ongoing basis? (Link)
  • Must all apostles literally see Christ?—Must a man see Christ literally in order to be called as an apostle? (Link)
  • Post-Joseph Smith accounts of divine manifestations—This article contains accounts of divine manifestations to later 19th-century and modern (i.e., 20th and 21st century) apostles and prophets. (Link)
  • Prophecy fulfillment may extend into the Millennium—The fulfillment of prophecy does not end with death--blessings, promises, and fulfillment extend into the Millennial years of the Lord. (Link)

Oliver Cowdery

• Orson Hyde ordination blessing: altered in History of the Church?—
  Critics claim that the ordination blessing given to Orson Hyde is an example of false prophecy. They also claim that Hyde's blessing was altered in the History of the Church for propaganda reasons. (Link)
• Lyman Johnson to live until gathering accomplished—
  Critics claim that the ordination blessing given to Lyman Johnson of the Twelve was a false prophecy: "...that he shall live until the gathering is accomplished." (Link)
• William Smith to remain on the earth until Christ comes—
  Critics claim that the ordination blessing given to William Smith, is an example of false prophecy. (Link)

Martin Harris

• Heber C. Kimball - stand until the coming of the Lord—
  Critics claim that the ordination blessing given to Heber C. Kimball is an example of false prophecy. (Link)

Parley P. Pratt

• Parley P. Pratt's reply to Sutherland—
  Parley P. Pratt replied to an anti-Mormon author and made a prophecy about the world's end that did not come to pass. What can you tell me about this? (Link)

Joseph Smith, Sr.

• Joseph Smith, Jr., to continue in the priest's office until Christ comes—
  Critics claim that the father's blessing given to Joseph Smith, Jr., in which Joseph Sr. "declar[ed] that I should continue in the Priest's office until Christ comes," is an example of a false prophecy. (Link)

Joseph Fielding Smith

• Joseph Fielding Smith claimed that man would never walk on the Moon—
  Critics claim that Joseph Fielding Smith taught or "prophesied" than man would never walk on the moon. Because of this, critics insist that Pres. Smith was a false prophet, or that nothing he taught can be replied upon. (Link)

David Whitmer

• Brigham Young ordination blessing—
  FAIR has found no criticism about the blessing given to Brigham Young upon his ordination as an apostle. His blessing is referenced by at least one other blessing, however, and so is included here for reference. (Link)

Wilford Woodruff

• Destruction of New York, Albany, and Boston—
  Wilford made a prophecy that included the destruction of New York by earthquake, Albany by fire, and Boston by flood. Brigham Young confirmed this as a true revelation. Since no earthquake, fire, or flood has yet destroyed them, does this make both Woodruff and Young guilty of false prophecy? (Link)

Others

• John Taylor 1886 revelation—
  Did John Taylor receive a revelation on September 27, 1886 that promised that “polygamy would never be abandoned?” (Link)
• Joseph F. Smith on revelation at Smoot hearings—
  Critics claim that at the Smoot hearings, Joseph F. Smith said that he never received revelation. (Link)
• Missouri myths?—
  Will members "walk back to Jackson County" before the second coming of Christ? Will the whole Church return to Jackson county before the second coming? (Link)
  • Walk back to Missouri?—Myth #1: We’re going to walk to Missouri to prepare for the Second Coming. (Link)
  • Return to Jackson County, Missouri?—Myth #2: The entire Church will be gathered to Missouri. (Link)
  • Heber C. Kimball–"dead yellow dog"—Myth #3: Destruction in Missouri. Did early leaders prophesy destruction against Jackson County before the second coming of Christ? (Link)
• Wilford Woodruff's 1889 revelation—
  Did Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation on November 24, 1889 the said that the Church would prevail against the Government effort to seize the Church's assets? (Link)

Other related issues and claims

• LDS prophets don't prophesy?—
  Some critics say that Latter-day Saint prophets aren't really "prophets" because they don't prophesy by foretelling unknown events. They commonly issue challenges such as, "If Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet, tell me one event that he's prophesied." Do LDS prophets "prophesy"? (Link)
• Prophetic inerrancy?—
  Critics sometimes impose absolutist assumptions on the Church by holding inerrantist beliefs about scriptures or prophets, and assuming that the LDS have similar views. Critics therefore insist, based upon these assumptions, that any statement by any LDS Church leader represents LDS doctrine and is thus something that is secretly believed, or that should be believed, by Latter-day Saints. (Link)
• Mormonism and prophets—
  Critics claim that General Authorities are very silent about some issues, and that the Maxwell Institute takes their place (Link)

Mormonism and doctrine

Sub-articles

"Essentials" or Core doctrine

• Official or "core" doctrine—
  What constitutes official or "core" doctrine of the Church? Joseph Smith defined our fundamental core doctrine: "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121.) (Link)

New doctrine

• Establishing new doctrine—
  How is new doctrine established in the Church? (Link)
• Changing doctrine—
  Is LDS doctrine constantly changing? Critics claim that Mormon doctrine is very elusive - very little is claimed to be official, which makes it easy to repudiate certain doctrines when they become unpleasant or unfashionable. (Link)
• Church publications as doctrine—
  Are Church publications considered doctrine? Critics claim that anything that is, or ever was, officially published by the Church at any time ought to represent doctrine, thus define what Latter-day Saints really believe. However, just as Brigham Young taught principles that applied to the 19th-century saints, modern prophets teach us what we need for our particular time. (Link)
• Official Church publications—
  Critics claim that some publications are official Church publications when in reality they are not. Conversely, some critics claim that some publications are not official Church publications when in reality they are. (Link)

Past doctrine

• Statements by past prophets—
  Are statements of past prophets considered doctrine? Critics claim that anything that is, or ever was, officially published by the Church ought to represent doctrine. (Link)
• Prophets are not infallible—
  Are prophets considered infallible? Critics sometimes impose absolutist assumptions on the Church and hold inerrantist beliefs about scriptures or prophets. Critics therefore insist that any statement by any LDS Church leader represents LDS doctrine and is thus something that is secretly believed, or that should be believed, by Latter-day Saints. (Link)
• Repudiated concepts—
  Some teachings previously considered doctrinal have since been repudiated by the Church. (Link)

</noinclude>

Eschatology

Topics

• Rapture and LDS theology—
  What is the "Rapture"? Do Latter-day Saints believe in this or a similar doctrine? (Link)

Miscellaneous doctrinal issues

• Obedience—
  Mormons believe in being obedient to God and His servants. Critics sometimes characterize such obedience as the product of authoritarianism, or intrusion of leaders into members' lives. This misunderstands the doctrines of agency and obedience. (Link)
• 17 Points of the True Church (Link)
• Angels—
  What is the LDS understanding of the nature of angels? (Link)
• Animal sacrifice taught by Joseph?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith favored "Old Testament practices" including "teaching animal sacrifice." (Link)
• Anti-Mormon—
  Some critics of the Church object to the use of the term "anti-Mormon." They do not like to be referred to as "anti-Mormons," and deny that their books, speeches, blogs or videos are "anti-Mormon." Such critics often insist that the term "anti-Mormon" is unfair because they are not "against" Mormons, but only write and act as they do because they "love" Mormons or Mormon investigators and want to bring them to the truth. (Link)
• Apologetics—
  Many people are not familiar with "apologetics," and raise a variety of questions. (Link)
  • Does the Church discourage reading critical material?—Does the Church forbid the reading of "anti-Mormon" criticisms, or discourage its members from considering such matters? (Link)
• Mormon Church is a cult—
  Critics claim that the Church is "a cult." (Link)
• Graven Images—
  Critics claim that the Church violates the Biblical command against "graven images" because it displays sculptures of Christ, statues of the angel Moroni on the spires of our temples, or paintings showing scriptural scenes, within temples, chapels, visitors' centers, and publications. (Link)
• Deification of man / theosis—
  Critics claim that the doctrine of human deification is unbiblical, false, and arrogant. (Link)
  • Downplaying the King Follett Discourse—Critics claim that, in an effort to appear more "mainline" Christian, the Church is downplaying the importance of some doctrines taught late in Joseph Smith's lifetime. Prominent among these is the doctrine of human deification. To bolster their argument, critics usually quote from a 1997 Time magazine interview with President Gordon B. Hinckley. (Link)
• Excommunication and Church discipline (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Sons of Perdition (Link)
  • Eventual fate—Today in our Sunday School class an individual expressed the belief that the sons of perdition would be given another chance to achieve celestial glory. Could you direct me to any specific reference on this topic? (Link)
  • Will Sons of Perdition be resurrected?—Will sons of perdition be resurrected? (Link)
  • Women as "sons of perdition"?—Are there women who would be among those cast into outer darkness? Are there female 'Sons of Perdition'? (Link)
• Feelings and emotions as the basis of a testimony—
  Critics complain that the LDS appeal to "revelation" or a "burning in the bosom" is subjective, emotion-based, and thus unreliable and susceptible to self-deception. Sectarian critics also belittle appeals to spiritual experiences, comparing them to "warm fuzzies," or merely something "felt by simply watching a Hollywood movie." (Link)
• Flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven—
  Critics attempt to use 1 Cor. 15:50 to demonstrate that a resurrected being with a physical body cannot enter into heaven, therefore excluding a God with a body as well as resurrected mortals. (Link)
• Free will and science—
  Science demonstrates that all interactions of matter--including all events in the human brain--are sufficiently caused by previous events. If we know enough about the laws that govern these interactions and the current state of the universe, we would be able to exactly predict any future event. Does this mean that the doctrine of "agency" or "free will" is false, since all human choices are predetermined by the laws of physics? (Link)
• Government during the Millennium—
  During the millennium, will there be a secular government in addition to Christ's reign? It seems that I had heard that there will be a "government headquarters" in a different location to the "church headquarters". Do we know where they will be located? (Link)
• Location of Lost Ten Tribes?—
  Can you tell me something about the location of the lost ten tribes of Israel? I heard they might be under the polar ice cap. (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Myths about Mormons (Link)
• Progression between kingdoms of glory—
  Is there progression between the three degrees of glory? (Link)
• Prophets don't prophesy—
  Some critics say that Latter-day Saint prophets aren't really "prophets" because they don't prophesy by foretelling unknown events. They commonly issue challenges such as, "If Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet, tell me one event that he's prophesied." Do LDS prophets "prophesy"? (Link)
• Sabbath changed to Sunday—
  The Old Testament commands men to rest on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Why do Mormons then follow the practice of most Christians by resting and worshiping on Sunday? (Link)
• Satan's dominion over waters—
  I know I was told in the MTC that missionaries were not to ever swim because Satan had dominion over the waters. So what is the actual Church doctrine on this subject? (Link)
• How is tithing calculated?—
  I've been told by critics of the Church that the Church expects or teaches its members to tithe on gross income. What can you tell me about how tithing it taught in the Church? (Link)

</noinclude> </noinclude>

Joseph Smith's First Vision

Primary sources

• Primary sources—
  Original text of Joseph's accounts of the First Vision (Link)

Wikipedia treatment of Joseph Smith's First Vision

• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "First Vision"—
  FAIR analyzes the Wikipedia treatment of the First Vision. (Link)

Did the Church hide accounts of the First Vision?

The claim is sometimes made by critics that the LDS Church hides the various accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision that are not in its official canon. The following chronological database (compiled by FAIR volunteer Edward Jones) demonstrates conclusively that this is simply not the case. The various accounts of the First Vision have been widely acknowledged in LDS-authored sources throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

• LDS-Authored Publications (1910-1968)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1910-1968) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1969-1978)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1969-1978) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1979-1983)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1979-1983) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1984-1989)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1984-1989) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1990-1997)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1990-1997) (Link)
• LDS-Authored Publications (1998-2003)—
  Mentions of the various accounts of the First Vision in LDS publications (1998-2003) (Link)

Events leading up to the First Vision

• Early Smith family history (Link)
• Methodist camp meetings in the Palmyra area—
  Critics claim that any association Joseph had with Methodism did not occur until the 1824-25 revival in Palmyra, and that his claim that the "unusual excitement" started with the Methodists in 1820 is therefore incorrect. (Link)
• Joseph became "partial to the Methodist sect" in 1820—
  Critics claim that Joseph didn't become "partial to the Methodist sect" until at least 1823, after Alvin's death, or as late as 1838, rather than in 1820 as he claimed in his 1838 First Vision account. (Link)
• Were there revivals in 1820?—
  Critics claim that there were no religious revivals in the Palmyra, New York area in 1820, contrary to Joseph Smith's claims that during that year there was "an unusual excitement on the subject of religion...indeed, the whole district of country seemed affected by it" (Link)
• Smith family place of residence in 1820—
  Critics claim that there are discrepancies in Joseph's account of his family's early history, which make his 1820 and subsequent revelations impossible, and that there is no evidence that the Smith family was in the Palmyra area in 1820 for the religious excitement and First Vision which Joseph reported. (Link)

The Vision

• Joseph's accounts of the First Vision—
  Joseph Smith gave several accounts of the First Vision. Critics charge that differences in the accounts show that he changed and embellished his story over time, and that he therefore had no such vision. (Link)
• Discrepancies in Paul's account of his vision—
  Paul the apostle gave more than one account of his vision of the resurrected Lord while on the road to Damascus. Like Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision, Paul's accounts differ in some details but agree in the overall message. (Link)
• Do Greek scholars solve the discrepancies in Paul's vision accounts?—
  The Church's sectarian critics accept Paul's account as true despite the Bible containing apparently frank contradictions in its accounts, while refusing to give Joseph Smith the same latitude. Members of the Church have long pointed out that this is a clear double standard, designed to bias the audience against Joseph from the beginning. Perhaps because of the force of this argument, some critics have begun to argue that no contradiction exists between the versions of Paul's vision. (Link)
• D&C:84 says God cannot be seen without priesthood—
  Critics argue that Joseph Smith claimed that he saw God in 1820 and also claimed that he received the priesthood in 1829. But in a text which he produced in 1832 (DC 84:21-22) it is said that a person cannot see God without holding the priesthood. Therefore, critics claim that Joseph Smith contradicted himself and this counts as evidence against his calling as an authentic prophet of God. (Link)
• Was Joseph Smith told that "all the churches of the day were an abomination?"—
  Some critics claim that Joseph Smith stated that during the First Vision that he was told that "all the churches of the day were an abomination." (Link)

Events occurring after the First Vision

• Joseph Smith's early conception of God—
  Some critics claim that Joseph began his prophetic career with a "trinitarian" idea of God, and only later developed his theology of the Godhead. What do we know about Joseph and the early Saints' views on God? (Link)
• No reference to First Vision in 1830s publications—
  Critics claim that there is no reference to the 1838 canonical First Vision story in any published material from the 1830s, and that nothing published in this period mentions that Joseph saw the Father and Son. They also assume that it would have been mentioned in the local newspapers at the time. (Link)
• Seldom mentioned in LDS publications before 1877 (short version)—
  Critics charge, “Before the death of Brigham Young in 1877 the first vision was seldom mentioned in Mormon publications.” This evidence implies that the general membership of the LDS Church was not familiar with the First Vision story until late in the nineteenth century. (Link)
• No mention in non-LDS literature before 1843?—
  There is no mention of the First Vision in non-Mormon literature before 1843. If the First Vision story had been known by the public before 1840 (when Orson Pratt published his pamphlet) the anti-Mormons “surely” would have seized upon it as an evidence of Joseph Smith’s imposture. (Link)
• Missionaries 1830 statement about Joseph seeing "God"—
  Critics have claimed that just because LDS missionaries were teaching around 1 November 1830 that Joseph Smith had previously seen “God” personally it cannot be assumed that this was a reference to God the Father since the Book of Mormon (completed ca. 11 June 1829) refers to Jesus Christ as “the eternal God” (title page; 2 Nephi 26:12). The argument is made that since this evidence indicates that Joseph Smith understood Jesus Christ to be “God” the statement by the missionaries may have simply meant that Joseph Smith had seen the Savior; not necessarily the Father. (Link)
• No published reference to Father and Son vision until 1838?—
  Critics claim that there is no mention of Joseph Smith seeing the Father and Son in any “contemporary” newspaper, diary, LDS publication, or writing of any kind until the year 1838. (Link)
• Joseph Smith did not know if God existed in 1823?—
  Critics claim that according to a historical document published in Kirtland, Ohio in 1835 the Prophet Joseph Smith did not know if God existed in the year 1823. This text, therefore, provides evidence that Joseph Smith simply made up the story about the First Vision happening in the year 1820. (Link)
• Lucy Mack Smith and the Presbyterians—
  Critics claim that since there was a religious revival in Palmyra, New York in 1824-25 which appears to match details of Joseph Smith's official Church history, he must have mistakenly mixed this event in with his narrative about what happened in 1820, and that the Prophet's mother joined the Presbyterian church after Alvin Smith died in late 1823. This contradicts Joseph's statement that she joined in 1820, thereby dating Joseph's First Vision to no earlier than 1823. (Link)
• Did Joseph join other churches contrary to commandment in vision?—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith joined the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches between 1820 and 1830—despite the claim made in his 1838 history that he was forbidden by Deity (during the 1820 First Vision experience) from joining any denomination. (Link)
• Contradiction about knowing all churches were wrong—
  In his 1832 account of the First Vision, Joseph Smith said, “I found [by searching the scriptures] that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatized from the true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament.” But in the 1835 account he said, “I knew not who [of the denominations] was right or who was wrong.” Critics claim that thus counts as evidence that the First Vision story evolved over time. (Link)
• First Vision fabricated to give "Godly authority?"—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith decided after he released the Book of Mormon to the public that he needed 'authority from God' to justify his claims as a religious minister. Therefore, it is claimed that he fabricated the First Vision story in order to provide himself with a more prestigious line of authority than that of the "angel" who revealed the golden plates. (Link)
• First Vision story became more detailed and colorful after 1832?—
  Some claim that Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision grew more detailed and more colorful after he first recorded it in 1832. (Link)
• 1838 account modified to offset leadership crisis?—
  Critics claim that in 1838 Joseph Smith revised his personal history to say that his original call came from God the Father and Jesus Christ rather than an angel. His motive for doing this was to give himself a stronger leadership role because an authority crisis had recently taken place and large-scale apostasy was the result. (Link)
• Persecution after the vision?—
  Some claim that there is no evidence that Joseph or his family were persecuted because of the First Vision. They argue that this means that Joseph invented the story later. (Link)

Additional First Vision issues

• D&C 121:28 contradicts vision?—
  In 1839 Joseph Smith received a revelation from God in which it was stated that the time would come "in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods they shall be manifest" (D&C 121:28). This was an "unnecessary revelation," since according to the official LDS Church First Vision account Joseph Smith supposedly knew that there was more than one God since 1820. This information counts as evidence that the Prophet's story was fraudulent. (Link)
• Father: Spirit vs. Embodied—
  When the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants was published in 1835 it portrayed God the Father as a personage of spirit whereas Jesus Christ was portrayed as a personage of tabernacle, or one having a physical body. Yet the official LDS First Vision story portrays the Father as a physical Being. (Link)
• Personages seen by Joseph—
  A list of known personages who appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith or who were seen by him in vision. (Link)
• Brigham Young and the First Vision—
  Critics claim either that Brigham never taught about the First Vision, or that he taught that the Lord did not appear to Joseph. Both claims are false. (Link)

• Joseph Smith and legal trials—
  Concluded one author at a FAIR conference: "Joseph Smith was persecuted in courts of law as much as anyone I know. But he was never found guilty of any crime, and his name cannot be tarnished in that way." (Link)
  • 1826 trial—Joseph Smith was brought to trial in 1826 for "glasslooking." What is the background to the trial? Why is the 1971 discovery of the Neely and De Zeng bills significant? Didn't Hugh Nibley claim that if this trial record existed that it would be "the most damning evidence in existence against Joseph Smith?" (Link)
• Joseph Smith and money digging—
  Critics insist that Joseph Smith's engagement in "money digging" or looking for buried treasure shows itself as a blot on his character. Furthermore, critics argue that Joseph's initial religious experiences were related to "treasure seeking," and only later did he "retrofit" a religious explanation. (Critics argue, for example, that Moroni was originally conceived of as a treasure guardian by Joseph, and only later came to be seen as a divine messenger, an angel.) (Link)
• Joseph Smith and the "occult" or "magick"—
  Citing Joseph Smith's experiences with folk magic, treasure seeking and seer stones, critics claim that Joseph Smith's spiritual experiences were originally products of magic and the occult. Critics charge that only much later did Joseph retrofit his experiences in Christian, religious terms: speaking of God, angels, and prophethood rather than in terms of magic, treasure guardians and scrying. Critics also claim that a "vagabond fortune-teller" named Walters became popular in the Palmyra area, and that when Walters left the area, "his mantle fell upon" Joseph Smith. (Link)
  • Early members believed in "witchcraft"—Critics claim that early members of the Church believed in witchcraft. They use this to imply or argue that this supports their view of Joseph Smith as involved in "the occult." (Link)
  • Book of Mormon recovered on autumnal equinox—Critics claim that Joseph Smith's preoccupation with "magick" is supported by the fact that meetings with Moroni and the recovery of the Book of Mormon occurred on the autumnal equinox, a date with astrological and magical significance. (Link)
  • Joseph influenced by Kabbalah?—Critics claim that Joseph Smith's religious ideas derived in part from Kabbalah, a type of (usually Jewish) mysticism. (Link)
  • Lucy Mack Smith on "faculty of Abrac" and "magic circles"—Critics claim that Lucy Mack Smith's discussion of the "faculty of Abrac" and "magic circles" is evidence for the strong role which "magick" played in the Smith family's early life. (Link)
  • Jupiter talisman—Critics claim that Joseph Smith had a Jupiter Talisman on his person when he was martyred and cite this as proof of his fascination with the occult. (Link)
  • Magician Walters as a mentor?—Critics claim that a "vagabond fortune-teller" named Walters became popular in the Palmyra area, and that when Walters left the area, "his mantle fell upon" Joseph Smith. (Link)
  • Magick parchments—Critics claim that the Smith family owned "magic parchments," suggesting their involvement in the "occult." (Link)
  • Mars dagger—Critics claim that the Smith's owned a magic dagger that was among Hyrum Smith's heirlooms. They cite this as proof of the Smith family's deep involvement in ritual magick. (Link)
• Seer stones, use of—
  What can you tell me about Joseph's seer stone? What is its relation to the "Urim and Thummim"? Did Joseph place his seer stone in his hat while he was translating the Book of Mormon? (Link)

The Mormon Reformation

History of the Mormon Reformation

• Historical background (Link)

Doctrine taught during the Reformation

• Blood atonement—
  Critics claim that during the administration of Brigham Young apostates were secretly put to death. They claim this is in line with the teachings of LDS leaders at the time that apostasy was the unforgivable sin, and that the only thing an apostate could do to redeem himself was to give his own life, willingly or unwillingly. (Link)
• Brigham Young's preaching style—
  Critics have often misunderstood or misrepresented Brigham Young's (and others LDS preachers') preaching style (Link)

Critical claims related to the Reformation

• 19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"—
  Critics expand to idea of blood atonement to include a long list of crimes that were alleged to be "worthy of death." (Link)
• Brigham Young: "bowie knife" (JD 1:83) (Link)
• Brigham Young: "cut their throats" (JD 2:311) (Link)
• Brigham Young: "cutting off from the earth" (JD 4:53) (Link)
• Brigham Young: "killing the evil doers" (JD 3:50} (Link)
• Brigham Young: "meanest devils" (JD 6:176) (Link)
• Brigham Young: murder unfaithful Mormons to save souls? (JD 4:219-20) (Link)
• Brigham Young: dictator? (JD 14:205) (Link)
• Brigham Young: President of the US? (Link)
• Danites (Link)
• Surveyor general David H. Burr threatened with death (Link)

Events related to the Reformation

• Castration of sinners in Utah?—
  I have read about a group of men (LDS) that went around castrating immoral men (who were also LDS) with the express permission of local church leaders. These events supposedly happened during the Brigham Young's administration. It is claimed that Brigham was aware of and approved of this and may have given the order. What can you tell me about this? I read that missionaries who selected plural wives from female converts before allowing church leaders to select from them first were castrated. (Link)
• Mountain Meadows Massacre—
  In September 1857 a group of Mormons in southern Utah killed all adult members of an Arkansas wagon train that was headed for California. Critics charge that the massacre was typical of Mormon "culture of violence," and claim that Church leaders—possibly as high as Brigham Young—approved of, or even ordered the killing. (Link)
• Oath of vengeance—
  In nearly every anti-Mormon discussion of the temple, critics raise the issue of the "oath of vengeance" that existed during the 19th century and very early 20th century. These critics often misstate the nature of the oath and try to use its presence in the early temple endowment as evidence that the LDS temple ceremonies are ungodly, violent, and immoral. (Link)

Brigham Young and the Mountain Meadows Massacre

• Brigham Young ordered Mountain Meadows Massacre?—
  Critics claim that Brigham Young ordered the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (Link)
  • Amerindians as instrument of vengeance?—Critics claim that nineteenth-century Mormons saw Indians as a divine weapon given them to wreak vengeance on their persecutors. These beliefs, it is claimed, led to the Church and Brigham Young using the Indians for the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (Link)
  • Huntington diary says Indians to "raise allies" for the planned massacre?—Will Bagley claims that Dimmick Huntington's journal discusses Indians raising "allies" to help in the massacre at Mountain Meadows which he claims Brigham is orchestrating. (Link)
  • Indian chief Arapeen given booty from Massacre?—Brigham Young is claimed to have given the Indian chief Arapeen spoils from the Mountain Meadows Massacre (Link)
  • Indian chiefs Tutsegabit and Youngwuds sent by Brigham to Mountain Meadows? (Link)
  • Indian chief Tutsegabit "rewarded" for massacre with priesthood ordination?—The author claims that Brigham met with two Indian chiefs (Tutsegabit and Youngwuds) on 1 September, who then participated in the massacre and later "rewarded" Indian chief Tutsegabit for his role in the massacre by ordaining him to the priesthood. (Link)
  • Brigham's letter mysteriously lost?—Critics charge that Brigham Young's letter telling Mormons in southern Utah to leave the immigrants alone is of dubious providence. (Link)
  • Brigham Young ordered MMM memorial demolished?—Critics claims that when Brigham Young visited the site in 1860 and saw the monument, he "ordered the monument and cross torn down" and demolished. (Link)
  • Brigham Young and the prosecution of Mountain Meadows Massacre (Link)
    • Church blocked prosecution?—Critics charge that actions of the institutional Church and/or local Mormons prevented federal officials from prosecuting those guilty of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (Link)
    • Church interference in trials?—Critics charge that Brigham Young blocked prosecution of those who committed the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (Link)
    • Deal with Brigham Young for massacre prosecution?—Critics charge that only a corrupt "deal" with Brigham Young allowed prosecutors to charge and convict anyone with the Mountain Meadows Massacre. (Link)
    • Frank Lee evidence?—Blood of the Prophets tells us that William Bishop, Lee's attorney, claims that he had an agreement with local church authorities to select particular persons as jurors (p. 302). If Bishop asserts, which he really does not, that local church leaders agreed with him to dictate to jurors the outcome of the case, Bishop would be admitting to a crime at the most and grounds for disbarment at the least. (Link)
    • John D. Lee scapegoated? (Link)
    • Judge and the deal? (Link)
    • Prosecutors bribed? (Link)
    • Prosecution dictated to jurors? (Link)
    • Witnesses told what to say? (Link)
    • Orders to starve Gentiles? (Link)
    • Rape by Albert Hamblin?—Critics claim that Jacob Hamblin's son Albert raped two women at the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and Jacob was later to blame these on John D. Lee. (Link)
• September Dawn film (2007)—
  Does the film about the Mountain Meadows Massacre accurately portray the historical events? (Link)
• Brigham and the Mormon Reformation—
  Similar charges against Brigham Young stem from the Mormon Reformation period. (Link)

Brigham Young and Polygamy

• Brigham Young and polygamy (Link)
• Brigham said polygamist go 'beyond normal bounds'? (Link)
• Boasted could get more wives? (Link)
• Brigham Young 8 October 1861 discourse on plural marriage (Link)
• Emma Smith and Brigham Young (Link)
• Hiding history—does the Church try to hide Brigham's polygamy? (Link)
• Polygamy required for exaltation? Brigham Young in Journal of Discourses 11:269 (Link)
• Brigham Young: Women not to meddle? (Link)

Reviews of works about Brigham Young

• Will Bagley
  • Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows (Link)
• George D. Smith
  • Nauvoo Polygamy (Link)
• Carol Whang Shutter
  • September Dawn (film) (Link)

Teachings of Brigham Young

• Brigham taught that the moon and sun were inhabited—
  Critics claim that Brigham Young taught that the moon and sun were inhabited, and that this is proof he was a false prophet. (Link)
• Was Brigham Young a racist?—
  Why did past prophets make racist statements? God had already revealed to Peter that he should not call anything "common" that God had cleansed (Acts 10:9-16), yet some modern-day prophets thought that blacks were inferior to whites; why is that? (Link)
• The "curse of Cain" and "curse of Ham"—
  Don't Latter-day Saints believe and teach that blacks are descendents of Cain, and that they are cursed? (Link)
• Do LDS leaders claim that blacks go to heaven as slaves?—
  Elder Mark E. Peterson said, " If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get a celestial resurrection. He will get a place in the celestial glory." Therefore, do Mormons consider God to have an "equal heaven" for all races? (Link)
• Death the penalty for race mixing?—
  "...Brigham Young said race mixing was punishable by death." (Link)
• Brigham says his sermons are "scriptures"?—
  Critics sometimes impose absolutist assumptions on the Church. Some critics hold inerrantist beliefs about scriptures or prophets, and assume that the LDS have similar views. Critics therefore insist, based upon the assumptions above, that any statement by any LDS Church leader represents LDS doctrine and is thus something that is secretly believed, or that should be believed, by Latter-day Saints. (Link)
• Quote mining JD 13:95 on sermons as scripture (Link)
• Brigham Young on need to know for ourselves (Link)
• Brigham Young as Young Earth Creationist?—
  Critics try to portray Brigham Young as a "young earth creationist" (YEC). This is someone who believes the earth was created in the recent past, usually 6-7,000 years ago, based upon a literal and fundamentalist reading of Genesis. They hope that by making Brigham appear uninformed about scientific matters, they can challenge his status as a prophet. (Link)
• Did Brigham Young think too much education was damaging?—
  Did Brigham Young state that too much education would be damaging to children? Brigham stated: "We should never crowd and force the minds of our children beyond what they are able to bear. If we do we ruin them for life." (Link)

Miscellaneous Brigham Young topics

• Counterfeiting by Brigham Young and other apostles at Nauvoo? (Link)
• Brigham announced his own death and resurrection? (Link)
• Threats against early federal officials? (Link)
• Women not to meddle? (Link)
• Whistling and whittling brigades (Link)
• Urban legend: Was Brigham's hearse used at Disneyland? (Link)

Mormonism and polygamy

Polygamy in Latter-day Saint scripture

• 1835 Doctrine and Covenants denies polygamy—
  The 1835 edition of the D&C contained a statement of marriage which denied the practice of polygamy. Since this was published during Joseph Smith's lifetime, why might the prophet have allowed it to be published if he was actually practicing polygamy at that time? (Link)
• Book of Mormon condemns the practice—
  Critics of Mormonism use the Book of Jacob to show that the Book of Mormon condemns the practice of polygamy. Critics go on to claim that Joseph Smith ignored this restriction by introducing the doctrine of plural marriage. (Link)

Polygamy in the 19th Century

• Deseret News 7 Nov 1855 - Polygamy never to go away—
  Critics claim that some Church leaders taught that plural marriage was a practice that would persist forever. Jerald and Sandra Tanner wrote that "Brigham Young" said that polygamy would never go away in Deseret News of 7 November 1855. (Link)
• Divorce in the 19th century—
  Some members of the Church remarried without obtaining a formal legal divorce. Critics of the Church try to make this seem dishonest and adulterous, when it was in fact the norm for the period, especially on the frontier and among the poor. Critics are not honest about the legal realities faced by nineteenth century Americans. (Link)
• Did early Church leaders speak of plural marriage difficulties?—
  Critics claim that early Church leaders "admitted" that there were many difficulties with plural marriage that caused "problems" and "great sorrow." (Link)
• Divine manifestations to plural wives and families—
  Did those who entered into plural marriage do so simply because Joseph Smith (or another Church leader) "told them to"? Is this an example of "blind obedience"? No, they bore witness that only powerful revelatory experiences convinced them that the command was from God. (Link)
• Lamanites to become "white and delightsome" through polygamous marriage—
  Critics claim that the Church “suppressed” a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1831 which encouraged the implementation of polygamy by intermarriage with the Indians in order to make them a “white and delightsome” people. (Link)
• Practiced after the Manifesto—
  limited number of plural marriages were solemnized after Wilford Woodruff's Manifesto of 1890 (Official Declaration 1). Some of these marriages were apparently sanctioned by some in positions of Church leadership. Critics claim that this demonstrates that the Manifesto was merely a political tactic, and that the "revelation" of the Manifesto was merely a cynical ploy. They also claim that Post-Manifesto marriages demonstrate the LDS Church's contempt for the civil law of the land. (Link)
• Prevalence of in Utah—
  What was the prevalence of polygamy in Utah? How many wives did most polygamist males have? (Link)
• Purpose of plural marriage—
  Why would the Lord have commanded the 19th century Saints to implement plural marriage? What purpose(s) did polygamy accomplish? (Link)
• Requirement for exaltation—
  Some Church leaders taught that plural marriage was a requirement for those wishing to enter the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. Because the Church does not currently practice plural marriage, critics claim this means that either the leaders were wrong, or that current members are not destined for exaltation. (Link)
• The Law of Adoption—
  Critics point to the early practice of sealing men and women as children to prominent LDS leaders as an example of changes in LDS belief. (Link)
• Brigham Young and polygamy (Link)
• Brigham Young said that the only men who become gods are those that practice polygamy—
  Since Brigham Young said "The only men who become Gods, even the sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Journal of Discourses 11:269), does this mean plural marriage is required for exaltation? (Link)
• Remarrying without civil divorce—
  Some critics like to emphasize that some LDS members did not receive civil divorces before remarrying—either monogamously or polygamously. They either state or imply that this shows the Saints' cavalier attitude toward the law. (Link)
• Parley P. Pratt's marriage and murder—
  Some critics claim that Parley P. Pratt's practice of polygamy was responsible for his murder, partly because he married a woman who hadn't been divorced from her first husband. What can you tell me about this? (Link)
• Leaders worried missionaries take best plural wives—
  Critics claim that nineteenth century Church leaders worried that missionaries would "take all the best" convert women as plural wives before they got to Salt Lake. (Link)

Polygamy in the 20th Century

• Relationship to the modern Church—
  Critics or ill-informed commentators often try to make it appear as if modern polygamist groups continue to have Church connections. Some often call upon the Church to "stop" the polygamist activities of such groups. (Link)

Polygamy as practiced anciently

• Early Christians on plural marriage—
  There is extensive, unequivocal evidence that polygamous relationships were condoned under various circumstances by biblical prophets, despite how uncomfortable this might make a modern Christian. Elder Orson Pratt was widely viewed as the victor in a three-day debate on this very point with Reverend John P. Newman, Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, in 1870. (Link)

Joseph Smith and polygamy

Implementation of plural marriage

• Initiation of the practice—
  When and how did plural marriage begin in the Church? (Link)
• Works of Abraham—
  D&C 132 tells Joseph and others to "do the works of Abraham." What are the "works of Abraham?" (Link)
• Claims that polygamy is not Biblical—
  The criticism that polygamy is irreligious appeals to western sensibilities which favor monogamy, and argues that polygamy is inconsistent with biblical Christianity or (ironically) the Book of Mormon itself. (Link)
• Does the Book of Mormon condemn polygamy?—
  Critics use the Book of Jacob to show that the Book of Mormon condemns the practice of polygamy, and go on to claim that Joseph Smith ignored this restriction by introducing the doctrine of plural marriage. (Link)
• Early Christians on plural marriage—
  There is extensive, unequivocal evidence that polygamous relationships were condoned under various circumstances by biblical prophets, despite how uncomfortable this might make a modern Christian. Elder Orson Pratt was widely viewed as the victor in a three-day debate on this very point with Reverend John P. Newman, Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, in 1870.^[5] (Link)
• Claims that polygamists are allowed to go beyond normal "bounds"—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young admitted that the practice of polygamy meant they were "free to go beyond the normal 'bounds'" and "the normal rules governing social interaction had not applied to" Joseph. (Link)

Critics' claimed motivations for Joseph's implementation of plural marriage

• Did Joseph have "lustful motives" for practicing polygamy?—
  Neutral observers have long understood that this attack is probably the weakest of them all. One might reasonably hold the opinion that Joseph was wrong, but in the face of the documentary evidence it is laughable to argue that he and his associates were insincere or that they were practicing their religion only for power and to satisfy carnal desires. Those who insist that “sex is the answer” reveal more about their own limited perspective than they do of the minds of the early Saints. (Link)
• Critical claims that Joseph had a youthful struggle with unchastity—
  Some critics charge that Joseph Smith had youthful struggles with immoral actions. They claim that these are what eventually led him to teach the doctrine of plural marriage. (Link)
• Early womanizer—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith had a long history of "womanizing" before practicing plural marriage. This chapter includes Eliza Winters and Marinda Nancy Johnson. (Link)

Keeping plural marriage a secret

• Hiding the truth about polygamy—
  It is true that Joseph did not always tell others about plural marriage. He did, however, make some attempt to teach the doctrine to the Saints. It is thus important to realize that the public preaching of polygamy—or announcing it to the general Church membership, thereby informing the public by proxy—was simply not a feasible plan. Critics of Joseph's choice want their audience to ignore the danger to him and the Saints. (Link)
• Illegal to practice polygamy?—
  Polygamy was certainly declared illegal during the Utah-era anti-polygamy crusade, and was arguably illegal under the Illinois anti-bigamy statutes. This is hardly new information, and Church members and their critics knew it. Modern members of the Church generally miss the significance of this fact, however: the practice of polygamy was a clear case of civil disobedience. (Link)
• Did Joseph write secret "love letters" to any of his polygamous wives?—
  Critics claim that on 18 August 1842 Joseph Smith wrote a “love letter” to Sarah Ann Whitney requesting a secret rendezvous or "tryst." Joseph had been sealed to Sarah Ann three weeks prior to this time. What does this letter actually say? (Link)

Entering into plural marriage

• Plural wives of Joseph Smith, Jr.—
  Critical claims related to specific plural wives of Joseph Smith, Jr. (Link)
• Why was Joseph sealed to young women?—
  Critics argue that Joseph Smith's polygamous marriages to young women are evidence that he was immoral, perhaps even a pedophile. (Link)
• Fanny Alger and William McLellin—
  With a lone exception, there is no account after Joseph’s death of Emma admitting Joseph’s plural marriages in any source. The reported exception is recorded in a newspaper article and two letters written by excommunicated Latter-day Saint apostle William E. McLellin. The former apostle claimed to have visited Emma in 1847 and to have discussed Joseph’s relationship with Fanny Alger. McLellin also reported a tale he had heard about Joseph and Fanny Alger in which they were allegedly observed by Emma together in the barn. (Link)
• Women locked in a room—
  Were women locked in a room while Joseph attempted to persuade them? (Link)
• Did women turn Joseph down?—
  Some critics have claimed that significant pressure was put on women to practice plural marriage in Nauvoo. Did any of these women resist or refuse? What were the consequences of doing so? (Link)

Complex plural marriages

• Joseph Smith and polyandry—
  Joseph Smith was sealed to women who were married to men who were still living. Some of these men were even active members of the Church. (Link)

How Emma Smith dealt with plural marriage

• What was Emma's reaction to Joseph's practice of polygamy?—
  Critics contend that Emma Hale Smith either did not approve of the Prophet Joseph Smith having plural wives or know of the revelation concerning celestial marriage(s). (Link)

Consequences of plural marriage

• Did Joseph have any children through polygamous marriages?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith fathered children with some of his plural wives, and that he covered up the evidence of pregnancies. They also claim that Joseph Smith had intimate relations with other men’s wives to whom he had been sealed, and that children resulted from these unions. DNA testing has so far proven these allegations to be false. (Link)

Other issues related to the practice of polygamy

• Sealing brother and sister together—
  Critics announce that Joseph "sealed" brothers and sisters together, perhaps hoping that readers will conclude that brothers and sisters were thus married and engaging in incestuous relationships. (Link)

The Mormon Reformation

History of the Mormon Reformation

• Historical background (Link)

Doctrine taught during the Reformation

• Blood atonement—
  Critics claim that during the administration of Brigham Young apostates were secretly put to death. They claim this is in line with the teachings of LDS leaders at the time that apostasy was the unforgivable sin, and that the only thing an apostate could do to redeem himself was to give his own life, willingly or unwillingly. (Link)
• Brigham Young's preaching style—
  Critics have often misunderstood or misrepresented Brigham Young's (and others LDS preachers') preaching style (Link)

Critical claims related to the Reformation

• 19th century crimes alleged to be "worthy of death"—
  Critics expand to idea of blood atonement to include a long list of crimes that were alleged to be "worthy of death." (Link)
• Brigham Young: "bowie knife" (JD 1:83) (Link)
• Brigham Young: "cut their throats" (JD 2:311) (Link)
• Brigham Young: "cutting off from the earth" (JD 4:53) (Link)
• Brigham Young: "killing the evil doers" (JD 3:50} (Link)
• Brigham Young: "meanest devils" (JD 6:176) (Link)
• Brigham Young: murder unfaithful Mormons to save souls? (JD 4:219-20) (Link)
• Brigham Young: dictator? (JD 14:205) (Link)
• Brigham Young: President of the US? (Link)
• Danites (Link)
• Surveyor general David H. Burr threatened with death (Link)

Events related to the Reformation

• Castration of sinners in Utah?—
  I have read about a group of men (LDS) that went around castrating immoral men (who were also LDS) with the express permission of local church leaders. These events supposedly happened during the Brigham Young's administration. It is claimed that Brigham was aware of and approved of this and may have given the order. What can you tell me about this? I read that missionaries who selected plural wives from female converts before allowing church leaders to select from them first were castrated. (Link)
• Mountain Meadows Massacre—
  In September 1857 a group of Mormons in southern Utah killed all adult members of an Arkansas wagon train that was headed for California. Critics charge that the massacre was typical of Mormon "culture of violence," and claim that Church leaders—possibly as high as Brigham Young—approved of, or even ordered the killing. (Link)
• Oath of vengeance—
  In nearly every anti-Mormon discussion of the temple, critics raise the issue of the "oath of vengeance" that existed during the 19th century and very early 20th century. These critics often misstate the nature of the oath and try to use its presence in the early temple endowment as evidence that the LDS temple ceremonies are ungodly, violent, and immoral. (Link)

Mormonism and priesthood

Restoration

• Restoration—
  Critics claim that no restoration of priesthood authority was required, and that the "laying on of hands" is not necessary in order to receive priesthood authority. Some critics claim that the concept of priesthood authority and ordinations came from Sidney Rigdon. (Link)
• Women and priesthood (Link)

Criticisms

• Christians don't need a mediating priesthood—
  Sectarian Protestant critics claim that Christians do not need a mediating priesthood since it has been "fulfilled in Christ." (Link)
• Non-transferable—
  Critics claim that only Jesus held the priesthood, and that such priesthood was not 'transferable' to members of the Church. (Link)
• Is there a "Priesthood of All Believers"—
  Critics of Mormonism assert that there is no need for unbroken lines of priesthood authority since the Bible teaches that all believers hold the priesthood. (Link)
• What does the Bible teach—
  What does the Bible teach about priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ? (Link)
• Miracles in other faiths—
  Many Christian believers report miraculous healings and the like, which they claim are done by God's power. How can the Church claim to possess the only valid priesthood in light of these miraculous blessings? (Link)

Blacks and the priesthood

• Origin of the priesthood ban?—
  The origin of the priesthood ban is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Its origins are not clear, and this affected both how members and leaders have seen the ban, and the steps necessary to rescind it. The Church has never provided an official reason for the ban. (Link)
• Understanding pre-1978 statements by members and leaders of the Church—
  Critics frequently parade justifications for the ban by past General Authorities that are considered quite racist by today's standards. While these have not been officially renounced, there is no obligation for current members to accept such sentiments as the "word of the Lord," and they most certainly do not reflect the Church's current position and teachings. (Link)
• LDS scriptures cited in support of the ban?—
  Critics claim that the LDS scriptures link a person's skin color to their behavior in the pre-existence, and that the Book of Mormon is racist and promotes the idea that the "white" race is superior. Some contend that even though the doctrinal impact of pre-1978 statements have been greatly diminished, the LDS scriptures still retain the passages which were used for proof-texts for the ban and hence cannot be easily dismissed. A parallel can be drawn between Protestant denominations that have historically reversed their scriptural interpretations supporting slavery and a modified LDS understanding of their own scriptures that relate to the priesthood ban. Through more careful scripture reading and attention to scientific studies, many Protestants have come to differ with previous interpretations of Bible passages. A similar rethinking of passages unique to the LDS scriptures, such as Abraham 1:26-27, can be made if one starts by discarding erroneous preconceptions. (Link)
• Lifting the Priesthood ban—
  Critics claim that the Church has never produced a copy of the revelation granting Blacks the ability to receive the priesthood. (Link)
• Did social pressure play a role in lifting the ban?—
  Critics try to raise doubts about the authenticity of the 1978 revelation by claiming that it was dictated by social or governmental pressure. (Link)
• Repudiated ideas—
  There exist previously taught ideas which have been repudiated by Church leaders since the ban. Among these are the notion that Blacks were somehow not as "valiant" in the pre-existence, and that interracial marriage is forbidden. (Link)
  • Less valiant or neutral in the pre-existence during the "war in heaven"—Critics claim that LDS scripture states that those with lighter skin color "are favored because of what they did as spirits in a pre-earth life." Critics note that some Church leaders taught that people who were born with dark skin were "neutral" in the pre-existence. (Link)
  • Inter-racial marriage—Even prior to rescinding the priesthood ban, the Church advised against inter-racial marriages only because such marriages might have more difficulties in being successful. Leaders lumped such advice together with advising married partners to seek those of the same culture and socio-economic level. The counsel was specifically stated not to be absolute, but merely general advice for maximizing marital success. (Link)
• Joseph Fielding Smith's racial reference in LOOK Magazine in 1963—
  Critics point to a 1963 statement by Joseph Fielding Smith LOOK Magazine in which he used the word "Darkies" as representative of the Church's racism. These critics, however, are applying a double standard to the Church in 1963. Not one article, photo, or ad in a full 154 pages of this colorful oversized magazine interrupts its perky Caucasian landscape by featuring an African-American. They are not to be seen in ads, Catholic schoolrooms, or even on a featured college football team. Looking at this slice of life from the sixties, the only reason one would have to think blacks even lived in the United States is one photo on page 118 where a few blacks are pictured as the recipients of charity. The patronizing hypocrisy of examining one small church's "attitude toward Negroes" in this sort of environment has, of course, not yet settled into the mainstream of American consciousness. (Link)
• The "curse of Cain" and "curse of Ham"—
  We often hear that Latter-day Saints believe and teach that blacks are descendents of Cain, and that they are cursed. In fact, on some occasions prior to 1978, blacks were denied access to temple open houses because they carried the “mark of Cain.” What critics never point out, however, is that the "curse of Cain" is a Protestant invention that was created in order to justify slavery in the 1800's. One would get the impression listening to critics that the Latter-day Saints originated the idea of the curse, and they point to the priesthood ban as evidence of such, while ignoring that fact of segregated congregations in Protestant churches of that era. (Link)
• Policy or doctrine (Link)
• Statements—
  A compilation of statements made by Church leaders both before and after the rescinding of the priesthood ban in 1978. (Link)
• Banned from temple open houses—
  Were blacks banned from visiting temples prior to dedication, while other non-members were welcomed? (Link)

Temple worship

• Refusing baptisms for the dead—
  I don't want proxy baptisms or other LDS temple work performed for my deceased family. What can I do to "undo" such baptisms and temple work? In the case of individuals who have recently died, members are encouraged to be considerate of the feelings of the closest living relatives: "If the person was born within the last ninety-five years, obtain permission for the ordinances from the person’s closest living relative. This relative often wishes to receive the ordinances in behalf of the deceased or designate someone to receive them. In some instances, the relative may wish to postpone the performance of the ordinances. Also, be aware that acting in conflict with the wishes of the closest living relative can result in bad feelings toward you and the Church." There is no ceremony for "undoing" a proxy baptism for the dead. (Link)
• Template work as a form of "ancestor worship"—
  Jerald and Sandra Tanner claim that Church members' "obsession with the dead approaches very close to ancestral worship." In support of this, they quote Elder Adney Y. Komatsu, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, Ensign May 1976, p.102. (Link)

Mormonism and temples

Baptism for the dead

• Baptism for the dead—
  What is baptism for the dead? Is there any evidence baptism for the dead is an authentic ancient Christian practice? (Link)

Endowment

• Endowment—
  A number of criticisms are related to the Latter-day Saint Endowment ceremony. Latter-day Saints consider the ceremony to be sacred in nature. Note that as members of FAIR, we are fully committed to keeping our temple covenants, and we will not discuss certain details related to the ceremony. There are, however, criticisms that we can respond to. This set of articles addresses criticisms related to the Endowment. (Link)
• Garments—
  Hostile critics of the Restoration often mock the LDS practice of wearing temple garments. They refer to these ritual items of clothing as "magic underwear" in order to shock, ridicule and offend. (Link)

Ordinances

• Ordinances revealed—
  Critics claim that the LDS temple ordinances were either made up by Joseph Smith or borrowed, by him, from an earthly source. (Link)
• Second anointing—
  FAIR often receives questions about a temple ordinance called "the second anointing." The questions usually revolve around the following issues: 1) "What is the second anointing?" and 2) "Is this account of the second anointing that I've seen accurate?" (Link)

Symbolism

• Symbols on the Nauvoo Temple—
  I've heard there are some strange symbols on the Nauvoo and Salt Lake temples. My non-member friend claims these have an "occult" significance. Some people are of the opinion that they are Masonic. (Link)
• Inverted Stars on LDS Temples—
  Some critics of the LDS Church claim that the inverted five-pointed star on some of its temples are a symbol of evil and thereby demonstrate that Mormonism is not really a Christian religion. (Link)

Miscellaneous

• The role of the Independence temple—
  What role will the temple to be built in Independence, Missouri fill in the Church? (Link)
• Reports of Drunken Behavior at the Kirtland Temple Dedication—
  Were there really spiritual manifestations attending the dedication of the Kirtland temple? I have heard allegations that it was in fact a drunken orgy. (Link)
• Why does the Church build expensive temples?—
  Why does the church spend so much money on temples when children are dying of starvation in other parts of the world? Wouldn’t the money spent on these buildings be better used in feeding the hungry? (Link)
• Work for Holocaust victims—
  In 1995, after it was learned that a substantial number of Holocaust victims were listed in the Church's temple records as having been baptized, an agreement was signed between the Church and leading Jewish authorities which officially ended baptizing Jewish Holocaust victims posthumously. (Link)
• Worthiness to enter—
  This article addresses criticisms directed at worthiness requirements to enter the temple. (Link)
• Temples made with hands—
  Critics claim that Acts 17:24-25 teaches that the idea of temple worship is foreign to Christianity, when Paul says: "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." (Link)
• Do temples always face east?—
  Do LDS temples always face east? The front of the temple is the elevation where the phrase "House of the Lord" is found. Temples face whatever direction is most practical and artistically pleasing for the site they are on. (Link)
• Elias and Elijah at the Kirtland Temple—
  Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery reported a vision in the Kirtland Temple on 3 April 1836 (see DC 110:1-16). They reported that they received priesthood keys from three angelic messengers: Moses (verse 11), Elijah (verse 12), and Elias (verses 13-16) Critics points out that "Elias" is merely the Greek name of the Hebrew prophet "Elijah." Thus, they charge, Joseph Smith made a fatal error by having Elias and Elijah be two different people, when they are in fact one and the same. (Link)

Emma Smith

• Emma Smith—
  Critics contend that Emma Hale Smith either did not approve of the Prophet Joseph Smith having plural wives or know of the revelation concerning celestial marriage(s). (Link)
• Eliza R. Snow and the stairs—
  Some charge that Eliza R. Snow, one of Joseph's plural wives, was pregnant by Joseph. According to the claim, a furious Emma pushed Eliza down the stairs, resulting in a miscarriage. (Link)
• Emma to be annihilated—
  In the revelation contained in D&C 132 Emma was promised "annihilation" if she did not accept plural marriage. (Link)
• Sealing—
  Critics contend that although Emma Hale Smith was Joseph's first wife, that Joseph was sealed to other wives before being sealed to Emma. The assumption follows that Emma was not in a position to consent to Joseph's other marriages, since she was not longer the "first wife." (Link)
• Emma Smith and Brigham Young—
  Why did Emma and Brigham Young seem to not get along? (Link)

Forgeries related to Mormonism

Documents

• Oliver Cowdery's 1839 Defence in a Rehearsal of my Grounds for Separating Myself from the Latter Day Saints—
  Although this document purports to have been published in 1839 by Oliver Cowdery, the earliest copies in existence are dated 1906. The document was "discovered" by the Reverend R. B. Neal, who was a leader in the American Anti-Mormon Association. No references to this document exists prior to 1906. This document was believed to be authentic for many years, until it was discovered that it consists primarily of a selection of Cowdery's phrases taken from various issues of the Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate that were removed from their original context and placed in a different context. A number of talking points appear to have been reworded from David Whitmer's 1887 An Address to All Believers in Christ. Historians now agree that this document is a forgery. (Link)
• Mark Hofmann—
  Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the First Presidency, purchased several apparently nineteenth-century documents from Mark Hofmann. They later turned out to be forgeries. Critics say that if Gordon B. Hinckley were a true prophet, he would not have been fooled into buying the forgeries. (Link)
  • Church reaction to the Hofmann forgeries—Critics claim that the Church behaved itself improperly with regard to the Salamander letter. They argue that the Church acquired the letter with the intent of 'suppressing' it, or 'hiding history.' However, the historical record is clear that the Church did nothing to hide the Hofmann "Salamander Letter," even though to some it appeared to pose problems for the Church's story of its origins. (Link)
• Metinah Papers—
  The Mentinah Papers claim to be a history of a people called the Nemenhah. They claim to be translations of papers found in the mountains around Manti, Utah (Sanpete County) in the 1800s. They claim that they have been translated by wise men speaking languages descended from the languages at the time of the Book of Mormon. The papers have never been made publicly available, but the translations have been published both on the internet and in book form. As genuine records from a people connected to the Nephites, the papers cannot be taken seriously. In addition to the numerous points in which they are not consistent with the Book of Mormon, there are theological or procedural problems. If there were to be such scripture revealed at this time, it would come through the proper channels of priesthood authority. It would come from the current Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not from obscure individuals who claim support from unnamed apostles. (Link)
• "Lost 116 pages"—
  The author claims to have been commanded to translate the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, as well as the lost 116 pages. As part of his 'prophetic call,' the author produced what he claims is a translation of the lost 116 pages, or "Book of Lehi." This portion of Mormon's abridgement (from Lehi to King Benjamin, roughly) was lost by Martin Harris after the manuscript was loaned to him by Joseph Smith (See D&C 3, D&C 10). (Link)

Artifacts

• Bat Creek stone (Link)
• Burrows Cave—
  The Burrows Cave collection is a group of "artifacts" supposedly found in a Cave in Illinois, named after Russell Burrows, the person who initially found the cave. To this day, Burrows Cave enthusiasts have never demonstrated the existence of the cave. The artifacts contain many obvious hallmarks of modern manufacture, including the so-called "mystic symbol" found on artifacts in the Michigan artifacts collection. This is offered as evidence that the hoaxers deliberately meant to associate these artifacts with the Michigan collection. Some LDS people have fallen prey to those who push these artifacts as genuine. (Link)
• Kinderhook Plates—
  A set of small plates, engraved with characters of ancient appearance, were purported to have been unearthed in Kinderhook, Illinois, in April 1843. The so-called "Kinderhook plates" have been something of an enigma within the Mormon community since they first appeared. While there are faithful LDS who take a number of different positions on the topic of these artifacts, most have concluded that they were fakes. This article summarizes some key information that critics often exclude from their discussion of the Kinderhook plates, and the extent of Joseph Smith's involvement. (Link)
• Jordan Lead Codices—
  The Jordanian lead codices are a collection of metal books bound by rings that were discovered in Jordan as reported in the news media in March 2011. They created some excitement in the Mormon community as they appeared to be an analog to the Book of Mormon plates. But, it was soon reported by scholars that the Jordan lead codices were forgeries. (Link)
• Los Lunas stone (Link)

Personalities

• Terrill R. Dalton, Geody M. Harman and the Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven—
  In about 1999, in Magna, Utah, Terrill Dalton supposedly started having intense spiritual manifestations. At first he claimed to have knowledge of the time of the Second Coming of Jesus, and his claims were not very spectacular. But from about 2001 to 2002, he started claiming that he was going to be the prophet of the Church, but kept those claims to himself mostly, and he was forming a secret group of followers over the Internet. Finally, in 2004, Dalton was excommunicated from the Church. He and his partner, Geody M. Harman (another former member of the LDS Church), claimed to be the Two Witnesses that are to be slain in Jerusalem at the Second Coming of Christ. They formed the Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven. Dalton's claims got more and more grandiose. In 2005, he claimed to have secret meetings with President Gordon B. Hinckley, and that President Hinckley considered him a "secret prophet." He claims to be the incarnation of the Holy Ghost, as well as the Father of Jesus Christ, and has the keys to time travel. Thus he claims that he is able to be in spirit form as the Holy Ghost, as well as the Holy Ghost incarnate at the same time, because he went back in time to be born. This group has come up with a bunch of fraudulent writings purporting to be Holy Scripture, such as the Sacred Stone, The Record of Romanicus, and so forth. Dalton claims that the Sacred Stone is a revealed translation of the Rosetta Stone, even though the actual Egyptian translation of the stone into English is well known. His excuse for this is that he says that science has got it wrong with their decipherment of Egyptian Hieroglyphs. He uses the Book of Abraham Translation controversy as an excuse for his frauds. Dalton and Harman moved their group from Magna, Utah to Idaho in 2009, and then later to Montana. Now Dalton and Harman are facing charges of sexual assault.^[6]

• Ben Fuchs—
  On 14 January 1976, President Spencer W. Kimball and other Church leaders were told that a London man named Ben Fuchs had informed some LDS missionaries that he had artifacts which belonged to the Church. Investigation showed that Fuchs had some small and large ring-bound brass plates (weighing about 150 lbs), some strange spectacles, and a sword with gems in the hilt. Fuchs claimed he had received the items from his grandfather, who had gotten them from South America. Fuchs said that he was to give the plates to the church whose missionaries came to his door and said certain words. Fuchs and his family were baptized, and eventually came to Salt Lake City where they were sealed. Paul Cheesman of BYU retrieved the artifacts, and studied them closely. Anomalies in Fuch's story became evident, and the supposedly ancient 'plates' were determined to be of modern manufacture. The 'gems' in the sword hilt were made of glass. Fuchs "seemed motivated by material gain" and was excommunicated.^[7]
• Bishop John H. Koyle and the Dream Mine—
  This mine has been alternately called the Dream Mine, or the Relief Mine. Bishop John H. Koyle of Salem, Utah claimed that in 1894, an angel appeared to him and showed him a Nephite gold mine, just to the east of Salem. He claimed that he was commanded to tunnel into that mountain. Many years were spent in vain searching for the Nephite Gold, and he gathered a following. Koyle claimed that the purpose of the gold in the mine was to save the Church in some future time of need. He claimed to have prophetic gifts and revelations. Even at one point, Elder James Talmage warned Koyle and his followers that they had been deceived, and that by virtue of the fact that he was a geologist, he said there were no precious metals in the side of that mountain where they were digging. Koyle fooled many people into buying stock in the mine. He was persuaded to sign a statement in 1947 that was published in the Deseret News in which he repudiated his claims. His followers claim that he signed it under duress. Later, he backtracked from that statement, and was excommunicated in 1948. Some people still believe in that mine to this day, and some even still own stock in the mine. No gold has ever been found in that mountain, just as Elder Talmage stated it would not be, according to his knowledge, expertise and training, as well as his apostolic calling.^[8]

• Christopher Marc Nemelka—
  Former employee of Church security (and sometime self-professed atheist) Christopher Marc Nemelka has announced that he has been called to translate the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon plates. He has also produced a text purporting to be from the large plates of Nephi, which was lost by Martin Harris as the well-known "Lost 116 pages." (Link)

• William Saunders Parrot—
  In the 19th century, forged metal plates and took them to Salt Lake City. His intent was to prove that Mormonism was a fraud. His daughter, F. Phyllis Parrot, donated the plates to the Bath library in England in 1975. Mr. Parrot also wrote two anti-Mormon pamphlets. Future forger Mark Hofmann displayed great interest in the plates during his LDS mission to England.^[9]

Hugh Nibley

• Charges of abuse—
  One of Nibley's daughters charged him with sexual abuse. The claim does not stand up to examination. (Link)
• Faked footnotes?—
  Critics have claimed that many/most of Nibley's footnotes are invented or inaccurate. The claim is shown to be false. (Link)

Mormonism and politics

Social issues

• Abortion—
  What is the Church's stance on abortion? Is abortion murder? Members of the Church regard families as the foundation of heaven. Bearing children is thus a source of joy and great responsibility. Prophets of God have taught that abortion is a grave sin, save where the health of the mother is endangered, or where the pregnancy is the product of rape or incest. Even in these exceptional cases, members should seek an abortion only after counseling with the Lord (Link)
• California Proposition 8—
  The passage of California Proposition 8 during the November 2008 election has generated a number of criticisms of the Church regarding a variety of issues including the separation of church and state, the Church's position relative to people who experience same-sex attraction, accusations of bigotry by members, and the rights of a non-profit organization to participate in the democratic process on matters not associated with elections of candidates. (Link)
• Equal Rights Amendment—
  Critics assume that because the Church opposed the proposed "Equal Rights" Amendment, that the Church opposed equal rights for women. In fact, the Church did not oppose equal rights for women, but rather was opposed to other potential consequences of the ERA. Church leaders felt that the ERA would have a negative impact on women's rights and families. Furthermore, the Church felt that the Constitution already prohibited sex discrimination and that an amendment was unnecessary. (Link)
• Gay marriage / Same sex marriage (Link)
• Immigration reform in the U.S.A.—
  What is the Church's stance on illegal immigrants in the United States? (Link)
• Economics of LDS immigration—
  It is claimed that LDS missionaries to England "capitalized on the intolerable social and economic conditions" in order to gain converts. (Link)

Church's approach toward politics

• Church involvement—
  Why does the Church speak out on political matters? Church leaders encourage members to be active in politics and to exercise their right to vote. The Church does not, however, specify how members should vote or which political party they ought to belong to. Occasionally, however, the First Presidency issues a letter which is read over the pulpit urging members to act upon some political matter. (Link)

Other Church history

Miscellaneous issues in Mormon history

• Authorship of History of the Church (Link)
  • History of the Church is "the most correct" of any history? (Link)
• B.H. Roberts' testimony of the Book of Mormon (Link)
  • Use of sources—Roberts and the Book of Mormon in Abanes' Becoming Gods (Link)
• Garden of Eden in Missouri? (Link)
• Graven images and statues of angel Mormoni (Link)
• Hyrum Smith (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Modern prophets (Link)
• Name of the Church (Link)
• Reports of Drunken Behavior at the Kirtland Temple Dedication (Link)
• The Seer (periodical by Orson Pratt) (Link)
• Succession in the Presidency of the Church (Link) ^{[needs work]}
  • Seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve (Link)

Mormonism and the nature of God

Characteristics of God

• Unchanging—
  Does the Book of Mormon refute Joseph Smith on the nature of God? Critics point out that the Book of Mormon never says God was once a mortal. In fact, it teaches that God was always God. Take for instance Moroni 8:18. It says God is "unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." Joseph Smith, however, taught, "We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity, I will refute that idea, and take away the veil so that you may see." (Link)
• Was God once a sinner?—
  If God was once like us, do Mormons believe that God was once a sinner? (Link)
• Corporality—
  Critics attack the LDS doctrine of God the Father and Jesus Christ being corporeal beings—i.e., having physical bodies. They claim that this doctrine is not Biblical. (Link)
• Elohim and Jehovah—
  Some critics assert that Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai and other similar Old Testament Hebrew names for deity are simply different titles which emphasize different attributes of the "one true God." In support of this criticism, they cite Old Testament scriptures that speak of "the LORD [Jehovah] thy God [Elohim]" (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:2; 4:35; 6:4) as proof that these are different titles for the same God. (Link)
• Foreknowledge—
  Most Latter-day Saints hold to unlimited foreknowledge. This has been the traditional view of most Christians since the post-New Testament period, and it is one doctrine that Joseph Smith didn't seem to question, as there are no revelations that address it. Indeed, it appears that most LDS leaders and scholars simply haven't questioned its veracity. (Link)
• "God is a man"—
  Critics object to the LDS position that God has a physical body and human form by quoting scripture which says that "God is not a man" (e.g. Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Hosea 11:9). (Link)
• God is a Spirit?—
  Critics object to the LDS position that God has a physical body by quoting John 4:24: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (Link)
  • Lecture of Faith 5 teaches the Father is "a personage of spirit"—Lectures on Faith, which used to be part of the Doctrine and Covenants, teach that God is a spirit. Joseph Smith's later teachings contradict this. More generally, critics argue that Joseph Smith taught an essentially "trinitarian" view of the Godhead until the mid 1830s, thus proving the Joseph was "making it up" as he went along. (Link)
• Hinckley downplaying the King Follett Discourse—
  Critics claim that, in an effort to appear more "mainline" Christian, the Church is downplaying the importance of some doctrines taught late in Joseph Smith's lifetime. Prominent among these is the doctrine of human deification. To bolster their argument, critics usually quote from a 1997 Time magazine interview with President Gordon B. Hinckley: "I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it ... I understand the philosophical background behind it, but I don't know a lot about it, and I don't think others know a lot about it." Critics have claimed that this means that President Hinckley has admitted to altering LDS doctrine, or discarding a teaching from the past. (Link)
• "Celestial sex"—
  Critics claim that Latter-day Saints believe in a practice called "Celestial sex," and that this is the manner in which "spirit children" are formed. (Link)

Early teachings about God in the Book of Mormon, from Joseph Smith, and among Church members

• Joseph Smith's early conception of God—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith initially taught standard Nicene trinitarianism. The early documents tell a different story, however. (Link)
• Modalism in the Book of Mormon?—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches the trinitarian heresy of modalism or Sabellianism. This reading misinterprets some Book of Mormon verses, and ignores Book of Mormon texts which clearly contradict this reading. (Link)
• Lecture on Faith 5 and the nature of God the Father—
  Lectures on Faith, which used to be part of the Doctrine and Covenants, teach that God is a spirit. Joseph Smith's later teachings contradict this. More generally, critics argue that Joseph Smith taught an essentially "trinitarian" view of the Godhead until the mid 1830s, thus proving the Joseph was "making it up" as he went along. (Link)
• Early LDS beliefs about God—
  Critics attempt to show that the LDS idea of deification is unbiblical, unchristian and untrue. They seem to think that this doctrine is the main reason why the LDS reject the Psychological Trinity. (Link)

Exaltation of Man

• Deification of man—
  Critics claim that the doctrine of human deification is unbiblical, false, and arrogant. Related claims include: 1) Mormons believe they will 'supplant God', 2) Belief in theosis, or human deification, implies more than one "god," which means Mormons are "polytheists," 3) The Mormon concept of "human deification" is a pagan belief derived from Greek philosophy. (Link)
  • Gods of their own planets—Critics claim that Mormons believe that they can push themselves higher in a type of 'celestial pecking order.' This is often expressed by the claim that Latter-day Saint men wish to become "gods of their own planets." (Link)

Understanding of God

• Trinity—
  A collection of articles that address the Latter-day Saint view of the concept of the Trinity. (Link)
• Theodicy—
  This page discusses the problem of evil—can one believe in a good, just, loving God when one considers all the suffering and evil in the world? (Link)
  • Noah's flood—Would a good, just God destroy children, such as in Noah's flood? (Link)
• Holy Ghost—
  Articles which discuss the third member of the trinity. (Link)

• Adam-God—
  Brigham Young taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. Latter-day Saints have struggled to know the meaning of President Young's remarks, and a variety of approaches have been taken by faithful LDS to interpret his words. Regardless of which approach the reader prefers to accept, the Church's official position on Adam-God is clear: as popularly understood, Adam-God (i.e., "Adam, the first man, was identical with Elohim/God the Father") is not the doctrine of the Church. (Link)

Worship of God

• Graven images—
  Critics claim that the Church violates the Biblical command against "graven images" because it displays sculptures of Christ, statues of the angel Moroni on the spires of our temples, or paintings showing scriptural scenes, within temples, chapels, visitors' centers, and publications. (See Exodus 20:3-4.) (Link)
• Heavenly Mother—
  Do Latter-day Saints believe in a female divine person, a "Heavenly Mother" as counterpart to God, the Heavenly Father? Are we allowed to pray to our "Heavenly Mother?" Critics claim that LDS belief in a "queen of heaven" is a pagan belief, and that the concept of a "Heavenly Mother" has no support in LDS scripture. (Link)

Multiplicity of Gods

• Infinite regress of Gods—
  Is it true that LDS doctrine teaches a "genealogy of gods," in which God the Father had/has a God, and this God had a God, and so forth? If so, how does LDS doctrine deal with the problem of an "infinite regress" of "great-great-grandfather Gods"? (Link)
• Polytheism—
  Some non-LDS Christian claim that Latter-day Saints are polytheists because we don't believe the Nicene Creed. Others say Mormons are polytheists because they believe humans can become gods. Is this an accurate characterization of LDS belief? (Link)
• "No God beside me"—
  Mainstream Christian critics claim that the Mormon doctrine of the Godhead and belief in theosis are not compatible with multiple statements in Isaiah that "beside [the Lord] there is no God." These passages include Isaiah 43:10-11; Isaiah 44:6,8; Isaiah 45:5-6; Isaiah 45:21-22; and Isaiah 46:9-10. (Link)

Interaction with God

• No man has seen God—
  Critics claim that the Bible teaches that God cannot be seen by mortals, and so claims by Joseph Smith and others to have seen God the Father or Jesus Christ must be false. The most commonly used Biblical citation invoked by the critics is probably John 1:18, which reads “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (Link)

Repudiated concepts

• Adam-God theory—
  Brigham Young taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. Since this teaching runs counter to the story told in Genesis and commonly accepted by Christians, critics accuse Brigham of being a false prophet. Also, because modern Latter-day Saints do not believe Brigham's "Adam-God" teachings, critics accuse Mormons of either changing their teachings or rejecting teachings of prophets they find uncomfortable or unsupportable. (Link)
  • Ancient of Days—If the Adam-God doctrine isn't true, how come DC 27:11 calls Adam the Ancient of Days which is clearly a title for God in Dan. 7: (Link)

Jesus Christ

Atonement

• Atonement—
  Critics seriously understate the position of the Church of Jesus Christ with respect to the atonement. (Link)
• Crucified on a cross—
  In the original Greek of the New Testament, accounts of Jesus' death only say he was put to death on "a pole." Is the belief of most of Christianity on "the cross" actually misguided? (Link)

Role of Jesus Christ

• Alpha and Omega—
  What does the term "Alpha and Omega" mean, beside the beginning and the end, when referring to the Savior? What does it mean to the restored church? (Link)

Latter-day Saint view of Jesus Christ

• Brother of Satan?—
  Critics claim that the LDS consider Jesus and Satan to be "brothers," thus lowering the stature of Christ, or elevating Satan. Some go so far as to imply that the LDS "really" worship or revere Satan, and are thus not true "Christians." (Link)
• Conception—
  It is claimed that Latter-day Saints reject the "Evangelical belief" that "Christ was born of the virgin Mary, who, when the Holy Ghost came upon her, miraculously conceived the promised messiah." (Link)
• Gordon B. Hinckley states that Latter-day Saints don't believe in the "traditional" Christ—
  President Gordon B. Hinckley, responding to a question regarding whether Latter-day Saints believe in the “traditional Christ,” stated: "No I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the dispensation of the fullness of times." (Link)

• Worship a "different Jesus"?—
  Critics claim that members of the Church worship "a different Jesus" than the Jesus worshiped by Christians. (Link)

Criticism regarding Latter-day Saint views of Jesus Christ

• Latter-day Saints aren't Christians?—
  Critics claim that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not "Christian." A related claim is that the Church has only recently begun to portray itself as "Christian" in order to gain adherents. (Link)
• Lord of the Universe—
  Critics claim that the LDS view of God is provincial or limited, with God simply being a ruler over "this planet." (Link)
• Relationship to Quetzalcoatl—
  Critics claim that LDS scholars believe that Quetzalcoatl was Jesus Christ. However, since Quetzalcoatl's association with a "feathered serpent" constitutes "snake worship," critics claim that this association is therefore inconsistent with worship of Jesus Christ. (Link)
• Savior of other worlds?—
  It would appear that there is one savior — Jesus — and that his sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice for all of the worlds created and populated by the Father. Some critics have used the idea of each world having its own Savior against us. Is there anything written or published on either concept? (Link)
• The "Mormon" vs. the "Christian" Jesus—
  Critics claim that Latter-day Saints believe in a "different" Jesus that "mainstream" Christians. (Link)
• "Two natures" of Jesus in the Book of Mormon?—
  Critics claim that the Book of Mormon teaches the sectarian doctrine of Christ's "two natures," and that this represents an anachronism. (Link)
• Was Jesus married?—
  Do Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ was married? (Link)
• Worship different Jesus?—
  Evangelical critics claim that despite the Saints' witness of Christ, they worship "a different Jesus" and so are not entitled to consider themselves "Christians." (Link)
• One of many saviors?—
  Critics claim that the "Jesus of Mormonism is but one of many saviors." (Link)
• Praying to—
  Latter-day Saints are criticized for not praying directly to Jesus Christ. (Link)
• April 6th as the date of birth of Jesus Christ—
  Do Latter-day Saints believe Jesus was born 1830 years before the Church's organization on 6 April 1830? (Link)

• Gospel of Judas

Adam in Mormon thought and doctrine

• Adam-God—
  Brigham Young taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. Since this teaching runs counter to the story told in Genesis and commonly accepted by Christians, critics accuse Brigham of being a false prophet. Also, because modern Latter-day Saints do not believe Brigham's "Adam-God" teachings, critics accuse Mormons of either changing their teachings or rejecting teachings of prophets they find uncomfortable or unsupportable. (Link)
  • Lecture at the veil—Was "Adam-God" ever taught as part of the temple endowment ceremony? I've read about something called "the lecture at the veil" that was supposedly in the endowment at one time. (Link)
  • Temple endowment changes—Latter-day Saints believe that the Temple endowment is an eternal ordinance that Joseph Smith received by revelation from God. Why, then, have changes been made to it several times since it was first revealed? (Link)
• Ancient of Days—
  If the Adam-God doctrine isn't true, how come DC 27:11 calls Adam the Ancient of Days which is clearly a title for God in Daniel 7. (Link)
• Fall of Adam and "original sin"—
  Why don't Mormons believe the doctrine of "original sin" like the rest of Christianity? Do Mormons believe that the Fall of Adam was a "fortunate event?" Is the Church wrong to teach that little children are free from the taint of original sin? (Link)
• Garden of Eden in Missouri?—
  Is it true Mormons believe the original Garden of Eden was located in Missouri? (Link)
• General authorities' statements as scripture—
  Critics sometimes impose absolutist assumptions on the Church. Some critics hold inerrantist beliefs about scriptures or prophets, and assume that the LDS have similar views. They therefore insist, based upon these assumptions, that any statement by any LDS Church leader represents LDS doctrine and is thus something that is secretly believed, or that should be believed, by Latter-day Saints. (Link)
• Procreation before the Fall—
  Did procreation exist before the Fall of Adam? (Link)

Evolution and related issues

• Age of the Earth—
  The Bible dictionary says the Earth is 7,000 years old. Doctrine & Covenants say the 7 seals of the Earth represent 1,000 years. Yet scientific dating places the appearance of modern humans well before 4,000 BC. Can you explain the contradiction, if there is one? (Link)
  • Brigham Young as Young Earth Creationist?—Critics try to portray Brigham Young as a "young earth creationist" (YEC). This is someone who believes the earth was created in the recent past, usually 6-7,000 years ago, based upon a literal and fundamentalist reading of Genesis. They hope that by making Brigham appear uninformed about scientific matters, they can challenge his status as a prophet. (Link)
• Creatio ex nihilo / Creation out of nothing—
  Mainstream Christianity teaches that God created the universe from nothing (ex nihilo), while Mormons teach that God organized the universe from pre-existing matter. The LDS God is therefore claimed to be "less powerful" than the God of mainstream Christianity, or "unbiblical." (Link)
  • Creation in Colossians 1:16—Does Colossians 1:16 teach that Jesus created all things out of nothing and that He was responsible for the existence of all beings? (Link)
• Death before the fall of Adam—
  The Church teaches that there was no death prior to the fall of Adam, and that after the Fall that Adam and Eve became mortal and subject to death. Does LDS doctrine hold that there was no death on the entire earth before the Fall of Adam? (Link)
• Dinosaurs—
  My seminary class has questions regarding the dinosaurs. They seem to be stuck on "where" and "when." How do they fit into the creation story presented by the scriptures? (Link)
• Evolution (official statements)—
  What is the Church's stance on the theory of organic evolution? (Link)
• Noah's flood—
  Modern scientific knowledge regarding the diversity of species, language and evidence of continuous human habitation does not support the Biblical story that a global flood wiped out most life as recently as 4,400 years ago. Critics claim that LDS scriptures require Mormons to believe in a global flood, and that if LDS doctrine or leaders are fallible in their statements concerning the flood, then they must be wrong about other Church doctrines as well. If Noah's Flood was not global, how do we account for Joseph Smith's claim that the Garden of Eden was located in Missouri? (Link)
• Peleg—
  Isn't it true that before the flood all the continents were all one land mass, since the Bible says that the earth was "divided in the days of Peleg." (Link)
• Pre-Adamites—
  I am preparing to teach a Sunday School lesson on the creation, and surely the students will bring up the evidence of creatures that looked a lot like man, who lived and made tools, painted paintings, etc., all before what could be the existence of Adam. How do we answer who they were? Are they like animals? We clearly have evidence that they have lived here on this planet. (Link)
• Procreation before the Fall—
  Did procreation exist before the Fall of Adam? (Link)
• Unofficial primary sources on evolution—
  This page collects the text of various statements about evolution made by a variety of Church leaders and members. These are unofficial statements, but serve to show the variety of opinions that have been expressed on the topic. (Link)

Mormonism and science

Determining truth

• Are Mormonism and science compatible?—
  Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible, and that any Latter-day Saint who actually believes is "intellectually dishonest." In reality, however, Latter-day Saints in many ways have a more liberal view of science than some of their Christian brethren. We believe that God operates according to certain laws. If there are things that God can do which seem to contradict what we know through current science, we assume that there are scientific laws that are beyond our current understanding. (Link)
• Faith versus knowledge—
  It is important to keep in mind the difference in purpose between science and the Gospel. The purpose of science is to examine the characteristics of the world around us in order to more fully understand it. A main purpose of the Gospel is to teach us to develop faith. Unfortunately, the acquisition of scientific knowledge is sometimes perceived to destroy faith. The purpose of faith is to help us understand spiritual things, just as science helps us to understand physical things. (Link)
• Burning in the bosom—
  Critics are known to mockingly refer to the LDS imagery of a "burning in the bosom." While the phrase is used in the LDS community to express the intense feelings of receiving spiritual witnesses, critics claim it is simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain. (Link)

Latter-day Saint approaches to science

• Archaeology and the Book of Mormon—
  Critics charge that what is known about ancient American archaeology is not consistent with the Book of Mormon account. Sectarian critics often add the claim that the Bible has been "proven" true by archaeology, unlike the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• Evolution—
  How does the Church reconcile the theory of evolution with the story of Adam? (Link)
• Pre-Adamites—
  There is scientific evidence of human habitation for many thousands of years. How do we reconcile this with the idea that Adam lived approximately 6,000 years ago? (Link)
• Death before the Fall—
  Does LDS doctrine hold that there was no death before the Fall of Adam? (Link)
• Procreation before the Fall—
  Did procreation exist before the Fall of Adam? (Link)
• Global or local Flood—
  How do we deal with the fact that there is no scientific evidence of a worldwide flood? How can the scriptures and prophets teach of a worldwide flood, when this contradicts the evidence? The biodiversity of plants and animals on the earth could not have occurred within the span of a few thousand years. Did the continents separate during the flood of Noah? Doctrine and Covenants 133:23–24 seems to imply that they did. How do we reconcile this to scientific fact? Didn't Brigham Young, John Taylor and Orson Pratt teach that the Flood was the baptism of the Earth? (Link)
• Age of the Earth—
  Do Latter-day Saints believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old? Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years? (Link)
• Dinosaurs—
  How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan? (Link)
• Book of Mormon and DNA evidence (Link)
• Free will and science (Link)
• Alleged "discovery" of cold fusion by Utah researchers—
  Critics claim that the mistaken "discovery" of cold fusion in Utah reflects on either LDS gullibility, inability to do science, or dishonesty. (Link)

Science and LDS scripture

• Book of Abraham
  • Astronomy in BoA (Link)
  • Sun borrows light from Kolob? (Link)
  • Time on other planets? (Link)
• Cosmology
  • An absolute beginning? (Link)
• Book of Mormon
• Archaeology and the Book of Mormon (Link)
  • Thomas Stuart Ferguson (Link)

Latter-day Saint attitude toward science

• Mormonism and education—
  Does the Church Educational System (CES) insist that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning? Does the level of activity in the Church decrease as educational level increases? (Link)
• Latter-day Saint apologists' attitudes toward science (Link)
• Statistical claims—
  This page indexes attacks and criticism of the Church based upon statistical analysis. (Link)

Church leaders' statements related to science

• General authorities statements regarding science—
  If General authorities' statements are treated as scripture, then what does that mean when they make statements regarding science? (Link)

Grace and works

• Have Mormons been saved? (off-site, non-wiki)
• Despair—
  Do members of the Church despair because they cannot keep all the commandments? (Link)
• Early Christian views on salvation (Link)
• Perfection—
  Some claim that the Church ignores the doctrine of grace at the expense of "works." Critics argue that Church leaders do not teach this doctrine, and as a result most members of the Church do not expect to be saved, since they are not "good enough." (Link)
• Works and grace—
  How do the LDS see the relationship between works and grace? (Link)
• Salvation by faith alone (Link)?
• Scriptures on grace and works (Link)
• Unforgiveable sin (Link)
• Grace and the meaning of Baptism (Link)
• Moroni 10:32

Obedience and agency

• Authoritarianism and Church leaders (Link)
• Bishops and confession of sin (Link)

Mormonism and culture

Presentations

• A FAIR Analysis of "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008) by John Dehlin—
  FAIR analyzes John Dehlin's 2008 presentation "Why People Leave the LDS Church." (Link)

Attitude toward others

• Anti-Mormons and anti-Mormonism—
  Some critics claim that being labeled "anti-Mormon" is prejudicial or rude. In fact, critics of the Church were the first to use the term for themselves, and FAIR uses it as a neutral description of an author's approach, tactics, or goals. (Link)
• Attitude toward non-members—
  Critics charge that LDS members are taught to look down upon or reject those who are not of their faith. This not not what is taught however. President Hinckley denounced bad feelings and behavior toward non-Mormons: "Why do any of us have to be so mean and unkind to others? Why can't all of us reach out in friendship to everyone about us? Why is there so much bitterness and animosity? It is not a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We all stumble occasionally. We all make mistakes. I paraphrase the words of Jesus in the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." (Link)
• Preserving diverse cultural traditions—
  Critics claim that the Church disregards people's own cultural traditions, and that it does not assign any value to native cultures, their histories or mythologies. Yet, to claim that the Church has no regard for diverse local cultural traditions is painting with a very broad brush. There are many types of cultural traditions. Some are good and uplifting, and some are not. The Church does not attempt to "homogenize" its membership in various parts of the world. The style of worship may vary, but the principles of the restored Gospel are the same in any part of the world. Certain practices that are traditional may be incompatible with or prevent acceptance of the Gospel, which others may actually fit nicely with new beliefs. (Link)
• Wayward family members—
  Some critics insist that the Church teaches such principles as: 1) those who are less faithful to Church teachings should (or inevitably will) receive less love, 2) that we should reject those who reject the Church and 3) children reject the Church through the fault of parents who "don't have enough faith." (Link)

Cultural priorities

• Church over family—
  Critics charge that the Church teaches them to put service in the Church (e.g. in Church callings) over the needs of their families. However, Church doctrine places the family at the center of one's life. In cases of conflict, family needs take precedence over Church responsibilities. (Link)
• Praising God in prayer and song—
  Do the Latter-day Saints use praise of God as part of their prayers and songs in worship? (Link)

Cultural biases

• Skin color in LDS thought—
  Modern science sees skin color as the product of evolutionary change due to a sunlight gradient from the equator to the polar areas. What do Latter-day Saints think about skin color? (Link)
• Bias against Mormons—
  What have outsiders said about anti-Mormon bias? (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• Whore of the earth

Mormonism and same-sex attraction

Topics

• Bullying and unkindness—
  Critics claim that LDS teachings against homosexual acts lead to bullying of gay youth or unchristian treatment of members or non-members with same-sex attraction. The Church has consistently taught that all people are children of God, and ought to be treated with love, dignity, and respect. They have specifically mentioned people with same-sex attraction, including those who act on their attractions. (Link)
• Are family members taught to reject their LGBT children forcing many of them to become homeless?—
  Critics claim the LDS church encourages families to reject youth who are attracted to the same sex, identify as gay or participate in homosexual behavior, leading to a higher rate of homeless youth among Mormon families. In fact, LGBT youth nationwide are homeless at a higher rate than other youth regardless of religious affiliation. No causal connection has ever been made between being LDS, LGBT, and homeless. Furthermore, LDS scripture makes clear that parents have a duty to care for their children regardless of the circumstances. (Link)
• Church support of non-discrimination ordinances—
  Since the Church teaches that homosexual conduct is sinful, does this mean it opposes efforts to protect those who engage in homosexual acts? The Church sustains the principle that all citizens are equal before the law. Members of the Church are particularly sensitized to this issue because of their long history of persecution at the hands of private citizens and government agents in the nineteenth century. Even though Church members may disagree with the choices made by those who engage in homosexual acts, the Church has endorsed various measures to ensure fair treatment and others who are attracted to the same sex. (Link)
• Difficulties—
  Church leaders have encouraged members to be particularly kind and compassionate to those struggling with SSA. What are some of the unique challenges or difficulties faced by such members? (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• Persist beyond death?—
  Does attraction to the same sex persist beyond death? (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• Eternal fate of those unmarried?—
  In his article in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, James T. Duke explains the LDS doctrine on this subject: "People who live a worthy life but do not marry in the temples, for various reasons beyond their control, which might include not marrying, not having heard the gospel, or not having a temple available so that the marriage could be sealed for eternity, will at some time be given this opportunity. Latter-day Saints believe it is their privilege and duty to perform these sacred ordinances vicariously for deceased progenitors, and for others insofar as possible." (Link)
• Marriage as therapy?—
  Critics claim that Church leaders have advocated that those with same-sex attraction marry those of the opposite sex as part of the "therapy" for overcoming their same-sex desires or inclinations. The prophets and general authorities have, in their written statements, long been clear that marriage is not to be seen as a "treatment" for same-sex attraction. (Link)
• Marriage as a possibility—
  Critics claim it is harmful for Church leaders to allow those with same-sex attraction to voluntarily enter into a marriage. The Church has warned against entering into a marriage under false pretense, but there is no evidence that when done openly and honestly, these types of marriages fair any worse than other types of marriages. (Link)
• Why do some people have same-sex attraction?—
  What have past and present Church leaders taught about why some people are attracted to the same sex? The Church does not have an official position on the causes for same-sex attraction. Many Church leaders have indicated that we do not know the cause(s), and that this is a question for science. (Link)
• President Boyd K. Packer's October 2010 conference talk—
  On October 10, 2010, President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Church's semi-annual general conference. Portions of President Packer's talk caused a firestorm of protest and, often, misrepresentation. This article examines President Packer's address, and compares it to past talks given by President Packer. As will be seen, President Packer's address has been misunderstood and misrepresented. (Link)
• Terminology—
  Why does FAIR (and other LDS sources) typically refer to homosexual/gay/lesbian issues with such terms as "same-sex attraction" and heterosexual/straight issues with such terms as "opposite-sex attraction"? (Link)
• Can a person identify as gay or lesbian and still be a member of the Church in good standing?—
  It is asserted that: 1) Members are encouraged to lie about their sexual orientation, 2) This isolates them from other members, and 3) Denying your sexual identity is harmful. Those who identify as straight, gay or bisexual are welcome in the Church and can go on as all other members. When a person joins the Church, they take upon themselves the name of Christ. We are taught to shun any identity which conflicts with this identity. The Church recognizes that a person's orientation is a core characteristic, but emphasizes that it is not the only one. We are encouraged not to identify ourselves primarily by our sexual feelings, but this is different than being closeted. We are not encouraged to lie or pretend to have another sexual orientation. This counsel extends to all, regardless of sexual orientation. (Link)
• Aversion therapy performed at BYU in the 1970's—
  What was the history of BYU and aversion therapy for treating homosexuality in the 1970's? How did that relate to medical and psychological science as understood at that time? What was the role of the Church in BYU's treatments? (Link)
• Are members with same-sex attraction encouraged to be closeted or lie about their attractions?—
  Member with same-sex attractions are not encouraged to lie or hide their sexual attractions or to isolate themselves from others. All members are encouraged to avoid labels and not to identify themselves primarily by their sexual feelings. However, there is a difference between not identifying yourself primarily by your sexual feelings, and being "closeted". A person can be honest, share their feelings with others and be comfortable with who they are, including their sexuality, while still realizing that they are first and foremost a child of God. (Link)
• What are the ramifications from denying a gay identity?—
  Critics argue that in order to be happy and healthy, a person with same-sex attraction needs to identify as gay and have a same-sex relationship. The church encourages members to view themselves as sons and daughters of God, and discourages any identity that interferes with that identity. Members who refer to themselves as straight, gay or lesbian are free to go on as all other members, but are advised not to identify themselves primarily by their sexual feelings. (Link)
• Feelings versus acts—
  What have past and present Church leaders taught about the distinction (if any) between sexual temptations, desires, feelings, or inclinations, and sexual acts? (Link)
• Being able to associate with people with same-sex attraction—
  Does the church allow people with same-sex attraction to associate with each other? (Link)
• Did Christ teach against same-sex relationships during his mortal ministry?—
  Some critics have asserted that our stance on same-sex relationships are not substantiated by the teachings of Christ during his mortal minstry. This is not the case. Christ taught a very strict law for sexual morality. He taught against sexual relationships outside of marriage and that marriage was between a man and a woman. While he did not specifically teach against the modern concept of same-sex relationships, he was clear that the only legitimate expression of sexuality was in a marriage between a man and woman. (Link)
• Why wasn't the prohibition against same-sex relationships recinded when the rest of the law of Moses was recinded?—
  While the law of Moses was fulfilled in Christ, Christ specifically taught against fornication and adultery, which would include same-sex relationships. After Peter received a vision that the law of Moses had been fulfilled, the prohibition against fornication remained intact. (Link)
• Early LDS did not oppose homosexual acts?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith and other nineteenth century Mormons were not strenuously opposed to same-sex acts or intimacy, and that the modern Church's opposition to homosexual conduct is a later aberration. Historian D. Michael Quinn's book, Same-Sex Dynamics Among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example is almost solely responsible for this claim. Quinn's methodology and conclusions are shoddy, and have been severely criticized by LDS and non-LDS historians. (Link)
• False analogy between same-sex marriage and the priesthood ban—
  An examination and comparison of the differences between the way the Church approaches same-sex attraction as opposed to the Priesthood ban. (Link)
• False analogy between same-sex marriage and plural marriage—
  An examination and comparison of the differences between the way the Church approaches same-sex attraction as opposed to plural marriage. (Link)  ^{[needs work]}
• Latter-day Saints and California Proposition 8—
  The passage of California Proposition 8 during the November 2008 election has generated a number of criticisms of the Church regarding a variety of issues including the separation of church and state, the Church's position relative to people who experience same-sex attraction, accusations of bigotry by members, and the rights of a non-profit organization to participate in the democratic process on matters not associated with elections of candidates. (Link)

Apostasy

Topics

• Prediction of—
  Does the Bible predict that an apostasy would occur? (Link)
• Evidence in the Bible—
  Does the Bible show evidence that a tendency to apostasy was present even while the apostles were alive? (Link)
• Patristic evidence of—
  Do the Early Church Fathers and other post-Biblical documents shed any light on the apostasy? (Link)
• Individual versus organizational apostasy—
  Does a belief in a complete or universal apostasy mean there are no "real Christians" outside of the LDS Church? (Link)
• "Gates of hell"—
  Is Jesus' teaching about "the gates of hell" prevailing against "the rock" inconsistent with a belief in a universal apostasy? (Link)
• Apostasy not complete?—
  Do other Christian denominations believe that no other church on earth is complete, or is this an arrogant belief assumed only by the "Mormons"? (Link)
• Priesthood on earth during apostasy—
  Was the priesthood never actually lost from the earth, since John the Revelator, or the Three Nephites had the priesthood? (Link)
• Relationship of the Church with other branches of Christianity—
  What does the apostasy doctrine mean with respect to the relationship of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to other branches of Christianity? (Link)
• No true Christians—
  Does belief in a "complete apostasy" imply that there were no true Christians between the Apostasy and the Restoration? (Link)
• Why did God allow it?—
  If there were some people who would have accepted the Gospel as taught in Mormonism, why did God allow the earthly Church to pass from the earth? (Link)

Mormonism and church integrity

• Accusations of hypocrisy in Church practices—
  Critics claim that the Church, as a corporate entity, controls business properties that are not consistent with its stated purposes. Examples include claims that the Church owns controlling stock in the Coca-Cola company, tobacco companies, and alcohol companies. (Link)

• "Lying for the Lord"—
  Critics have long charged the LDS with organizationally and systematically “lying for the Lord,” equating such with a policy of using any means necessary to achieve some “good” goal. This claim is false, and a biased reading of Church history. One must not use ethically questionable tactics because one believes the “end justifies the means.” (Link)

Joseph Smith period

• Counterfeiting by Joseph Smith and apostles at Nauvoo?—
  Critics accuse Joseph and the apostles of "making counterfeit coins" in Nauvoo. (Link)
• Land speculation in Nauvoo—
  Did Joseph Smith engage in "land speculation" in Nauvoo? (Link)
• Joseph Smith taught 'it was right to steal'—
  Did Joseph Smith really tell Orrin Porter Rockwell 'it was right to steal'? (Link)
• Orson Hyde says Spirit of Lord may influence to steal—
  Author Richard Abanes claims that "Orson Hyde said that it was OK to 'steal & be influenced by the spirit of the Lord to do it' as long as it was against non-Mormons." Orson Hyde wished to pass lightly over William "Wild Bill" Hickman's sins because of the services which Hickman had rendered during Utah's settlement, the Utah War, and the personal debt he owed him. However, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and other church members and leaders were not of the same view, and denounced it. Even Hyde would, within twenty-four hours, amend his stance. The author tells us none of this, and thus distorts his source. (Link)
• Hiding Joseph's use of a gun at the martyrdom?—
  Critics claim that the Church has tried to hide the fact that Joseph fired a pepperbox pistol at the mob which murdered Hyrum and was soon to kill him, despite numerous mentions of the gun in Church literature, and the fact that the very gun itself is on display at the museum of Church History in Salt Lake City. (Link)

Utah period

• Brigham Young—pulling the wool over Americans' eyes?—
  I'm told that Brigham Young made the following statement: "We shall pull the wool over the eyes of the American people and make them swallow Mormonism, polygamy and all." Critics say this shows the fundamental dishonesty of LDS leaders. What can you tell me about this? (Link)

Present day

• Church art and historical accuracy—
  Critics charge that the Church knowingly "lies" or distorts the historical record in its artwork in order to whitewash the past, or for propaganda purposes. A commonly used example is the inaccuracy of any Church art representing the translation process of the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• Brigham Young manual hides the truth about polygamy—
  Critics claim that the Church's manual, The Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, attempts to "hide history" by portraying Brigham Young (a well-known polygamist) as having only one wife. (Link)
• "Censorship" and "revision" of LDS history? (Link)
  • LDS histories over many years omit plural marriage—Some critics charge that LDS histories have a long history of omitting mention of plural marriage as a cause for the Saints' troubles in Illinois. (Link)
  • Sidney Rigdon trial in Times and Seasons versus History of the Church—Critics charge that the account of Sidney Rigdon's 'trial' recorded in the Times and Seasons differs markedly from the version available in the History of the Church. They claim that this demonstrates the Church's tendency to "rewrite" history after the fact. (Link)
  • Wilford Woodruff criticizes publication of polygamists—Some critics charge that the Church's desire to hide its historical plural marriage is exemplified by Wilford Woodruff's criticism of assistant Church Historian Andrew Jenson's decision to publish the names of those who were married to Joseph Smith. (Link)
  • Hiding the facts in plain sight using Church publications—Quite a few items that critics claim were hidden by the Church were actually published in Church magazines such as the New Era, the Ensign and the Friend. (Link)
  • Orson Hyde's blessing altered in the History of the Church?—Critics claim that the ordination blessing given to Orson Hyde is an example of false prophecy. They also claim that Hyde's blessing was altered in the History of the Church for propaganda reasons. (Link)
  • Brigham Young destroys Lucy Mack Smith's history of Joseph?—Did Brigham Young attempt to suppress and destroy all copies of Lucy Mack Smith's Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith because it contained information which would embarrass the Church? Critics claim that Brigham Young inserted the reference to Joseph Smith's First Vision into Lucy's book. Critics also try to prove that the silence of Joseph's mother and siblings in her history prove that the First Vision did not take place, and is a later fabrication by Joseph, and not well known to the early members of the church. (Link)
  • Did David B. Haight use astrological ideas about the moon, only to be censored later?—Critics claim that Elder David B. Haight "reinvoked the astrological principle that people should 'do nothing without the assistance of the moon'" in a talk that he gave during General Conference in 1998. One critic takes this a step further by claiming that the phrase "do nothing without the assistance of the moon" was deleted from the transcribed version of Elder Haight's talk. This claim has evolved over time due to successive misinterpretation of the original sources. (Link)
  • Lucy Mack Smith letter about First Vision suppressed?—The Prophet's mother—Lucy Mack Smith—wrote a letter in 1831 which indicates that her son's First Vision consisted of seeing an "angel" instead of Deity. This documentary evidence demonstrates that the Prophet's story evolved over time; his claim to have seen God was a relatively late addition to his story. (Link)
  • President Boyd K. Packer on the truth—Boyd K. Packer said: "I have a hard time with historians because they idolize the truth." (Link)
  • Elder Packer address to CES (Link): "The Mantle is Far, Far Greater than the Intellect"
  • Sidney Rigdon trial in Times and Seasons versus History of the Church—Critics charge that the account of Sidney Rigdon's 'trial' recorded in the Times and Seasons differs markedly from the version available in the History of the Church. They claim that this demonstrates the Church's tendency to "rewrite" history after the fact. (Link)
  • Wilford Woodruff criticizes publication of polygamists—Some critics charge that the Church's desire to hide its historical plural marriage is exemplified by Wilford Woodruff's criticism of assistant Church Historian Andrew Jenson's decision to publish the names of those who were married to Joseph Smith. (Link)
• Cognitive dissonance—
  Many critics of the Church are fond of portraying all members as either naive, ill-informed dupes or cynical exploiters. Fortunately, most fair-minded people realize that—just as in any religion—there are many intelligent, well-informed people who become or remain members of the Church. To get around this, some critics appeal to the psychological concept of 'cognitive dissonance' to try to 'explain away' the spiritual witness of intelligent, articulate members. (Link)
• History of the Church—authorship?—
  I've heard that the History of the Church, though credited to Joseph Smith, was not actually authored by him. What can you tell me about this, and what does this mean for the History's accuracy? (Link)
• Gordon B. Hinckley cited false information on the First Vision?—
  Critics claim that there were no religious revivals in the Palmyra, New York area in 1820, and that Gordon B. Hinckley cited false information in a book called Truth Restored. (Link)
• Immigration reform in the U.S.A.—
  What is the Church's stance on illegal immigrants in the United States? (Link)
• Paid clergy—
  Critics claim that Mormonism prides itself in having unpaid clergy as one proof of the Church's truthfulness. They then point to the fact that some General Authorities, mission presidents, and others do, in fact, receive a living stipend while serving the Church, and point to this as evidence of the “hypocrisy” of the Church. (Link)
• Testimony and doubt reconciliation—
  How can a person reaffirm their testimony when they learn disconcerting facts that may bring their testimony into doubt? (Link)
• City Creek Center Mall in Salt Lake City—
  Members and critics have questions about the Church's involvement in the redevelopment of the city center in Salt Lake. (Link)
• Claims that church membership numbers distorted—
  Critics charge that the Church distorts its membership numbers and rate of growth for public relations purposes. (Link)
• Accusations of plagiarizing C.S. Lewis in General Conference—
  Some claim that President Ezra Taft Benson's famous General Conference address, "Beware of Pride," was plagiarized from C.S. Lewis' chapter on pride in Mere Christianity. (Link)

Topics

Changes in the way the Word of Wisdom was implemented over time

• History and implementation of the Word of Wisdom—
  Observance of the Word of Wisdom has changed over time, due to on-going revelation from modern-day prophets, who put greater emphasis on certain elements of the revelation originally given to Joseph Smith. Early Latter-day Saints were not under the same requirements as today's Saints are. (Link)

Joseph Smith and the Word of Wisdom

• Joseph Smith used tea—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith drank tea, used tobacco, or encouraged others to do so, thus violating the Word of Wisdom as we practice it today. (Link)
• Almon Babbitt followed Joseph in violating the Word of Wisdom—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith violated the Word of Wisdom, and that another member (Almon W. Babbitt) followed his example. (Link)
• Joseph Smith sold liquor in Nauvoo—
  Critics charge that Joseph Smith sold liquor in Nauvoo, and this is evidence that he either didn't believe the Word of Wisdom was from God, or was hypocritical about it. (Link)

Brigham Young and the Word of Wisdom

• Brigham Young and tobacco—
  Critics charge that Brigham Young used snuff, tobacco, and tea, thus violating the Word of Wisdom. (Link)
• Brigham Young's whiskey distillery—
  Critics note that Brigham had a whiskey distillery in Utah, thus encouraging others to violate the Word of Wisdom and showing his hypocrisy. (Link)
• Growing tobacco in Utah—
  Critics charge that Brigham Young instructed members of the Church to grow tobacco in Utah, thus violating the Word of Wisdom. (Link)

Modern prophets and the Word of Wisdom

• Consumption of tea may bar someone from the Celestial Kingdom?—
  Critics quote Joseph Fielding Smith as saying that the consumption of tea may bar someone from the celestial kingdom. (Link)

Modern day implementation of the Word of Wisdom

• Are we violating the Word of Wisdom if we do not eat meat sparingly?—
  Critics charge that Latter-day Saints do not keep the Word of Wisdom by eating meat "sparingly." (Link)
• Cola drinks and caffeine—
  Are cola drinks (e.g. Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper) and other drinks containing caffeine forbidden to members of the Church? (Link)
• Tea morally wrong?—
  Because of the Word of Wisdom, do members of the Church really believe that drinking tea (or alcohol, etc.) is "morally wrong"? (Link)
• What are "hot drinks?"—
  Why are "hot drinks" forbidden by the Word of Wisdom? Why do members now restrict these instructions to coffee and tea? (Link)
• Wine for the stomach?—
  Since the Word of Wisdom teaches us to abstain from alcohol, why did Paul encourage Timothy to drink wine for the stomach? (Link)
• Accusations of hypocrisy in Church practices related to the Word of Wisdom—
  Critics claim that the Church, as a corporate entity, controls business properties that are not consistent with its stated purposes. Examples include claims that the Church owns controlling stock in the Coca-Cola company, stock in tobacco companies and stock in alcohol companies. (Link)
• Water instead of wine for the Sacrament—
  Why does the LDS Church use water instead of wine for its sacrament services? The Doctrine and Covenants even allows for wine to be used, despite the Word of Wisdom's prohibitions on alcohol. (Link)

Plan of salvation

Premortal existence

• Premortal existence—
  Critics charge that the LDS doctrine of a "premortal existence" is pagan, unchristian, or unbiblical, and therefore false. (Link)

Mortal existence

• Original sin—
  Why don't Latter-day Saints believe the doctrine of "original sin" like the rest of Christianity? Do Mormons believe that the Fall of Adam was a "fortunate event?" Is the Church wrong to teach that little children are free from the taint of original sin? (Link)
• Birth control—
  What is the stance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on birth control? The General Handbook of Instructions states: "Husbands must be considerate of their wives, who have a great responsibility not only for bearing children but also for caring for them through childhood…. Married couples should seek inspiration from the Lord in meeting their marital challenges and rearing their children according to the teachings of the gospel." (Link)

Postmortal existence

• Deification of man—
  Critics claim that the doctrine of human deification is unbiblical, false, and arrogant. Related claims include: 1) that Latter-day Saints believe they will 'supplant God', 2) that belief in theosis, or human deification, implies more than one "god," which means Latter-day Saints are "polytheists," and 3) that the Mormon concept of "human deification" is a pagan belief derived from Greek philosophy. (Link)
• Angels—
  Critics reject the LDS concept that angels were once mortal, claiming that angels are a special creation of God and that humans can never become angels. They quote Psalm 148:2 and 5: "Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts...Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created." (Link)
• Flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven—
  Critics attempt to use 1 Cor. 15:50 to demonstrate that a resurrected being with a physical body cannot enter into heaven, therefore excluding a God with a body as well as resurrected mortals, however, the early Christians interpreted this scripture to mean something very different than our critics do. (Link)
• Three degrees of glory—
  What do Latter-day Saints believe regarding the "Three Degrees of Glory?" (Link)
• Salvation of non-members—
  Since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to be "the only true Church," does this mean that the LDS believe that everyone else will be damned? And, since the Church teaches that the dead will have the opportunity to hear the gospel preached to them, doesn't this imply that the witness given to those "after death" will be so compelling that virtually everyone will become "a Mormon"? (Link)
• Sons of Perdition—
  FAIR is sometimes asked various questions about the "Sons of Perdition." This set of articles addresses specific questions. (Link)
• When are children capable of sin?—
  The Bible is claimed to contradict the Book of Mormon teaching that children cannot sin under eight years of age. The Bible is claimed to place sin at the point of conception. Critic Walter Martin writes, "Anyone who thinks that children under age eight cannot sin has not visited the classrooms of today's schools." (Link)

Miscellaneous doctrinal issues

• Obedience—
  Mormons believe in being obedient to God and His servants. Critics sometimes characterize such obedience as the product of authoritarianism, or intrusion of leaders into members' lives. This misunderstands the doctrines of agency and obedience. (Link)
• 17 Points of the True Church (Link)
• Angels—
  What is the LDS understanding of the nature of angels? (Link)
• Animal sacrifice taught by Joseph?—
  Critics claim that Joseph Smith favored "Old Testament practices" including "teaching animal sacrifice." (Link)
• Anti-Mormon—
  Some critics of the Church object to the use of the term "anti-Mormon." They do not like to be referred to as "anti-Mormons," and deny that their books, speeches, blogs or videos are "anti-Mormon." Such critics often insist that the term "anti-Mormon" is unfair because they are not "against" Mormons, but only write and act as they do because they "love" Mormons or Mormon investigators and want to bring them to the truth. (Link)
• Apologetics—
  Many people are not familiar with "apologetics," and raise a variety of questions. (Link)
  • Does the Church discourage reading critical material?—Does the Church forbid the reading of "anti-Mormon" criticisms, or discourage its members from considering such matters? (Link)
• Mormon Church is a cult—
  Critics claim that the Church is "a cult." (Link)
• Graven Images—
  Critics claim that the Church violates the Biblical command against "graven images" because it displays sculptures of Christ, statues of the angel Moroni on the spires of our temples, or paintings showing scriptural scenes, within temples, chapels, visitors' centers, and publications. (Link)
• Deification of man / theosis—
  Critics claim that the doctrine of human deification is unbiblical, false, and arrogant. (Link)
  • Downplaying the King Follett Discourse—Critics claim that, in an effort to appear more "mainline" Christian, the Church is downplaying the importance of some doctrines taught late in Joseph Smith's lifetime. Prominent among these is the doctrine of human deification. To bolster their argument, critics usually quote from a 1997 Time magazine interview with President Gordon B. Hinckley. (Link)
• Excommunication and Church discipline (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Sons of Perdition (Link)
  • Eventual fate—Today in our Sunday School class an individual expressed the belief that the sons of perdition would be given another chance to achieve celestial glory. Could you direct me to any specific reference on this topic? (Link)
  • Will Sons of Perdition be resurrected?—Will sons of perdition be resurrected? (Link)
  • Women as "sons of perdition"?—Are there women who would be among those cast into outer darkness? Are there female 'Sons of Perdition'? (Link)
• Feelings and emotions as the basis of a testimony—
  Critics complain that the LDS appeal to "revelation" or a "burning in the bosom" is subjective, emotion-based, and thus unreliable and susceptible to self-deception. Sectarian critics also belittle appeals to spiritual experiences, comparing them to "warm fuzzies," or merely something "felt by simply watching a Hollywood movie." (Link)
• Flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven—
  Critics attempt to use 1 Cor. 15:50 to demonstrate that a resurrected being with a physical body cannot enter into heaven, therefore excluding a God with a body as well as resurrected mortals. (Link)
• Free will and science—
  Science demonstrates that all interactions of matter--including all events in the human brain--are sufficiently caused by previous events. If we know enough about the laws that govern these interactions and the current state of the universe, we would be able to exactly predict any future event. Does this mean that the doctrine of "agency" or "free will" is false, since all human choices are predetermined by the laws of physics? (Link)
• Government during the Millennium—
  During the millennium, will there be a secular government in addition to Christ's reign? It seems that I had heard that there will be a "government headquarters" in a different location to the "church headquarters". Do we know where they will be located? (Link)
• Location of Lost Ten Tribes?—
  Can you tell me something about the location of the lost ten tribes of Israel? I heard they might be under the polar ice cap. (Link) ^{[needs work]}
• Myths about Mormons (Link)
• Progression between kingdoms of glory—
  Is there progression between the three degrees of glory? (Link)
• Prophets don't prophesy—
  Some critics say that Latter-day Saint prophets aren't really "prophets" because they don't prophesy by foretelling unknown events. They commonly issue challenges such as, "If Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet, tell me one event that he's prophesied." Do LDS prophets "prophesy"? (Link)
• Sabbath changed to Sunday—
  The Old Testament commands men to rest on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. Why do Mormons then follow the practice of most Christians by resting and worshiping on Sunday? (Link)
• Satan's dominion over waters—
  I know I was told in the MTC that missionaries were not to ever swim because Satan had dominion over the waters. So what is the actual Church doctrine on this subject? (Link)
• How is tithing calculated?—
  I've been told by critics of the Church that the Church expects or teaches its members to tithe on gross income. What can you tell me about how tithing it taught in the Church? (Link)

Mormonism and culture

Presentations

• A FAIR Analysis of "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008) by John Dehlin—
  FAIR analyzes John Dehlin's 2008 presentation "Why People Leave the LDS Church." (Link)

Attitude toward others

• Anti-Mormons and anti-Mormonism—
  Some critics claim that being labeled "anti-Mormon" is prejudicial or rude. In fact, critics of the Church were the first to use the term for themselves, and FAIR uses it as a neutral description of an author's approach, tactics, or goals. (Link)
• Attitude toward non-members—
  Critics charge that LDS members are taught to look down upon or reject those who are not of their faith. This not not what is taught however. President Hinckley denounced bad feelings and behavior toward non-Mormons: "Why do any of us have to be so mean and unkind to others? Why can't all of us reach out in friendship to everyone about us? Why is there so much bitterness and animosity? It is not a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We all stumble occasionally. We all make mistakes. I paraphrase the words of Jesus in the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." (Link)
• Preserving diverse cultural traditions—
  Critics claim that the Church disregards people's own cultural traditions, and that it does not assign any value to native cultures, their histories or mythologies. Yet, to claim that the Church has no regard for diverse local cultural traditions is painting with a very broad brush. There are many types of cultural traditions. Some are good and uplifting, and some are not. The Church does not attempt to "homogenize" its membership in various parts of the world. The style of worship may vary, but the principles of the restored Gospel are the same in any part of the world. Certain practices that are traditional may be incompatible with or prevent acceptance of the Gospel, which others may actually fit nicely with new beliefs. (Link)
• Wayward family members—
  Some critics insist that the Church teaches such principles as: 1) those who are less faithful to Church teachings should (or inevitably will) receive less love, 2) that we should reject those who reject the Church and 3) children reject the Church through the fault of parents who "don't have enough faith." (Link)

Cultural priorities

• Church over family—
  Critics charge that the Church teaches them to put service in the Church (e.g. in Church callings) over the needs of their families. However, Church doctrine places the family at the center of one's life. In cases of conflict, family needs take precedence over Church responsibilities. (Link)
• Praising God in prayer and song—
  Do the Latter-day Saints use praise of God as part of their prayers and songs in worship? (Link)

Cultural biases

• Skin color in LDS thought—
  Modern science sees skin color as the product of evolutionary change due to a sunlight gradient from the equator to the polar areas. What do Latter-day Saints think about skin color? (Link)
• Bias against Mormons—
  What have outsiders said about anti-Mormon bias? (Link)  ^{[needs work]}

Mormonism and marriage

• As a requirement for exaltation—
  Critics attack the LDS view of marriage as essential on the following grounds: 1)If marriage is essential to achieve exaltation, why did Paul say that it is good for a man not to marry? (1 Corinthians 7:1), 2)Why does the Mormon Church teach that we can be married in heaven when Jesus said in Matthew 22:30 that there is no marriage in the resurrection? 3) Since not all members of the Church are married, doesn't this mean there will be many otherwise good Mormons who will not be exalted? (Link)
  • "Neither marry nor are given in marriage" (Link)
  • LDS leaders on "neither marry nor are given in marriage"—Did LDS leaders see Matthew 22:28-30 ("neither marry nor are given in marriage") as threatening the LDS doctrine of eternal marriage? Did they think it needed to be 'corrected'? (Link)
  • Paul: it is good "not to marry"? (Link)
  • Unmarried Latter-day Saints and others (Link)
• Jesus said that divorce not allowed except for fornication—
  Jesus taught divorce was not acceptable unless fornication had occured. (Matthew 5:31-32) Why does the LDS church allow divorce when not for this reason? Shouldn't these people either be disfellowshipped or excommunicated? Why does the church permit re-marrying? (Link)
• Jews and early Christians on marriage after death—
  The Jews seem to have believed in eternal marriage from at least second-temple times, since they posed the question about the woman with seven successive husbands, asking which of them would be her husband "in the resurrection" (Matt. 22:28; Mark 12:23; Luke 20:33). The concept of eternal marriage is well-attested among Jews in the medieval period and is frequently mentioned in the Zohar, which also notes that God has a wife, the Matrona ("mother"), and is known in the Talmud. In the Falasha (the black Jews of Ethiopia's text) 5 Baruch, it has Jeremiah's scribe, Baruch, being shown various parts of the heavenly Jerusalem, with different gates for different heirs. The text then says, "I asked the angel who conducted me and said to him: 'Who enters through this gate?' He who guided me answered and said to me: 'Blessed are those who enter through this gate. [Here] the husband remains with his wife and the wife remains with her husband'" (Link)
• Marriage as therapy?—
  Critics claim that Church leaders have advocated that those with same-sex attraction marry those of the opposite sex as part of the "therapy" for overcoming their same-sex desires or inclinations. The prophets and general authorities have, in their written statements, long been clear that marriage is not to be seen as a "treatment" for same-sex attraction. (Link)
• Were the early apostles married—
  In the early Church, it was known that the Apostles were married. Early Church leaders also spoke out against those who preached against marriage. (Link)
• Marriage and women—
  Some critics charge that the LDS Church devalues those who are not married, degrades women, or encourages improper behavior by spouses. Some former members claim that they mistreated or neglected their families to better fulfill "Church duties." (Link)

Mormonism and science

Determining truth

• Are Mormonism and science compatible?—
  Secular critics charge that Mormonism and science are incompatible, and that any Latter-day Saint who actually believes is "intellectually dishonest." In reality, however, Latter-day Saints in many ways have a more liberal view of science than some of their Christian brethren. We believe that God operates according to certain laws. If there are things that God can do which seem to contradict what we know through current science, we assume that there are scientific laws that are beyond our current understanding. (Link)
• Faith versus knowledge—
  It is important to keep in mind the difference in purpose between science and the Gospel. The purpose of science is to examine the characteristics of the world around us in order to more fully understand it. A main purpose of the Gospel is to teach us to develop faith. Unfortunately, the acquisition of scientific knowledge is sometimes perceived to destroy faith. The purpose of faith is to help us understand spiritual things, just as science helps us to understand physical things. (Link)
• Burning in the bosom—
  Critics are known to mockingly refer to the LDS imagery of a "burning in the bosom." While the phrase is used in the LDS community to express the intense feelings of receiving spiritual witnesses, critics claim it is simply the result of an electro-chemical process that occurs in the brain. (Link)

Latter-day Saint approaches to science

• Archaeology and the Book of Mormon—
  Critics charge that what is known about ancient American archaeology is not consistent with the Book of Mormon account. Sectarian critics often add the claim that the Bible has been "proven" true by archaeology, unlike the Book of Mormon. (Link)
• Evolution—
  How does the Church reconcile the theory of evolution with the story of Adam? (Link)
• Pre-Adamites—
  There is scientific evidence of human habitation for many thousands of years. How do we reconcile this with the idea that Adam lived approximately 6,000 years ago? (Link)
• Death before the Fall—
  Does LDS doctrine hold that there was no death before the Fall of Adam? (Link)
• Procreation before the Fall—
  Did procreation exist before the Fall of Adam? (Link)
• Global or local Flood—
  How do we deal with the fact that there is no scientific evidence of a worldwide flood? How can the scriptures and prophets teach of a worldwide flood, when this contradicts the evidence? The biodiversity of plants and animals on the earth could not have occurred within the span of a few thousand years. Did the continents separate during the flood of Noah? Doctrine and Covenants 133:23–24 seems to imply that they did. How do we reconcile this to scientific fact? Didn't Brigham Young, John Taylor and Orson Pratt teach that the Flood was the baptism of the Earth? (Link)
• Age of the Earth—
  Do Latter-day Saints believe that the Earth is only 6,000 years old? Why does Doctrine and Covenants section 77 say that the history of the earth covers only seven thousand years? (Link)
• Dinosaurs—
  How do dinosaurs fit into God's plan? (Link)
• Book of Mormon and DNA evidence (Link)
• Free will and science (Link)
• Alleged "discovery" of cold fusion by Utah researchers—
  Critics claim that the mistaken "discovery" of cold fusion in Utah reflects on either LDS gullibility, inability to do science, or dishonesty. (Link)

Science and LDS scripture

• Book of Abraham
  • Astronomy in BoA (Link)
  • Sun borrows light from Kolob? (Link)
  • Time on other planets? (Link)
• Cosmology
  • An absolute beginning? (Link)
• Book of Mormon
• Archaeology and the Book of Mormon (Link)
  • Thomas Stuart Ferguson (Link)

Latter-day Saint attitude toward science

• Mormonism and education—
  Does the Church Educational System (CES) insist that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning? Does the level of activity in the Church decrease as educational level increases? (Link)
• Latter-day Saint apologists' attitudes toward science (Link)
• Statistical claims—
  This page indexes attacks and criticism of the Church based upon statistical analysis. (Link)

Church leaders' statements related to science

• General authorities statements regarding science—
  If General authorities' statements are treated as scripture, then what does that mean when they make statements regarding science? (Link)

Statistical claims and charges

• Pornography use in Utah—
  Why does Utah lead the United States in subscriptions to online adult entertainment? Utah has significant restrictions on the display and sales of hard core pornographic materials. The Utah Statutes [1] have the effect of making it much more difficult to get easy access to adult material. This forces those who might otherwise buy magazines or other adult materials to use the web to get access to that information. In Utah, access to most adult entertainment requires the use of the Internet. Therefore, the number of Internet users of pornography would be higher than states with different laws if all other factors were the same. (Link)
• Bankruptcy rate in Utah—
  Is it true that Utah has the highest personal bankruptcy rate in the United States? If so, what does this say about Latter-day Saint attitudes toward wealth and materialism? (Link)
• Suicide rate among Latter-day Saints in Utah—
  Critics charge that the suicide rate in Utah is higher than the national average, and that this demonstrates that being a Latter-day Saint is psychologically unhealthy. (Link)
• Use of antidepressants in Utah—
  Critics charge that the rate of antidepressant use is much higher among Mormons than the general population. They claim this is evidence that participation in the LDS Church is inordinately stressful due to pressure for Mormons to appear "perfect." (Link)
• LDS population in Utah—
  Critics of the Church and misinformed members of the mainstream media sometimes claim that the number of Latter-day Saints in Utah has fallen. This belief led the producers of the anti-Mormon video Search for the Truth to claim that "within Utah, we are doing a fairly good job of combating Mormonism" and therefore "the Mormon Church is vulnerable" to anti-Mormon criticisms. But such authors are simply incorrect, according to figures from the U.S. Census and the LDS Church Almanac. (Link)

</noinclude>

Mormonism and women's issues

Topics

• As prophets anciently—
  The Old and New Testaments talk of women prophets. Why are there no women prophets in the church today? (Link)
• Childbearing—
  Some claim that LDS teachings about childbearing put an improper burden on LDS families, especially women. (Link)
• Birth control—
  What is the stance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on birth control? (Link)
• Role in the Church (Link)
  • Priesthood—Why do women not exercise priesthood authority in the Church? (Link)
  • Married and Single—Some critics charge that the LDS Church devalues those who are not married and those who are childless. (Link)
  • Church over Family?—Some former Church members claim the time commitments that went with their involvement in Church service encouraged them to neglect their families. (Link)
• Sexual abuse, assault, rape, and incest—
  The Church condemns the sins of sexual assault, abuse, incest, and rape as extremely grave sins, while considering the victims innocent of wrong-doing. (Link)
  • Sexual assault victims ought to fight to the death?—Do Church leaders teach that those subject to sexual abuse or assault ought to fight to the death or be considered guilty of sin? Absolutely not. (Link)

• Marriage, in general—
  Index of wiki articles on marriage in Mormonism. (Link)
• Women as "sons of perdition"?—
  Are there women who would be among those cast into outer darkness? Are there female 'Sons of Perdition'? (Link)
• Are Mormon women taught to be subservient to men?—
  In an unpublished paper “Mormon Women, Prozac, and Therapy," by Kent Ponder (copyrighted 2003, readily available on the Internet), the idea is put forward that women in the LDS church are taught to be “subservient” to men and are considered “eternally unalterable second-class.” Among some of its more colorful statements are the claims that women are expected to be “gratefully subservient to Mormon males” and that women must “not aspire…to independent thought.” (Link)
• The Church and the "Equal Rights Amendment"—
  Why did the Church oppose the "Equal Rights Amendment" in the United States? (Link)
• The Church and Abortion—
  What is the LDS Church's position on abortion? (Link)

Specific Authors, Works, Websites, and Ministries

Specific Works

• Richard Abanes
  • One Nation Under Gods — (Index of claims)
  • Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism — (Index of claims)
  • Inside Today's Mormonism (2007 re-issue of Becoming Gods)
• Will Bagley
  • Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows
• Fawn McKay Brodie
  • No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith — (Index of claims)
• Todd Compton
  • In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith
• Ed Decker
  • Decker's Complete Handbook on Mormonism
  • The God Makers (book)
  • The God Makers (film/cartoon)
• Sally Denton
  • American Massacre: The Tragedy at Mountain Meadows
• Dan Erickson
• Norman L. Geisler
  • The Counterfeit Gospel of Mormonism
• Hurlbut-Howe affidavits
  • The Hurlbut affidavits
• Ronald V. Huggins
  • From Captain Kidd's Treasure Ghost to the Angel Moroni: Changing Dramatis Personae in Early Mormonism
• Jon Krakauer
  • Under the Banner of Heaven
• Charles Larson
  • By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri
• Walter Martin
  • The Kingdom of the Cults
• McKeever & Johnson
  • Mormonism 101
• Rodney L. Meldrum
  • DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography
  • Prophecies and Promises
  • ''Rediscovering the Book of Mormon Remnant through DNA
• Brent L. Metcalfe
  • Reinventing Lamanite Identity
• Christopher Nemelka
  • The "Book of Lehi"
• Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery
  • Mormon Enigma
• Richard N. Ostling and Joan K. Ostling
  • Mormon America: The Power and the Promise — (Index of claims)
• Grant Palmer
  • An Insider's View of Mormon Origins — (Index of claims)
• Bruce H. Porter
  • Prophecies and Promises
• B.H. Roberts
  • Studies of the Book of Mormon
• D. Michael Quinn
  • Early Mormonism and the Magic World View — (Index of claims)
  • "LDS Church Authority and New Plural Marriages, 1890–1904"
  • The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power
  • The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power — (Index of claims)
  • Same-Sex Dynamics Among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example — (Index of claims)
• George D. Smith
  • Nauvoo Polygamy — (Index of claims)
• Carol Whang Shutter
  • September Dawn (film)
• Simon G. Southerton
  • Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church — (Index of claims)
• Jerald and Sandra Tanner
  • Answering Mormon Scholars
  • Answering Mormon Scholars (Vol. 2)
  • Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
  • Covering Up the Black Hole
  • The Changing World of Mormonism — (Index of claims)
  • Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? — (Index of claims)

Countercult ministries

• Contender Ministries—
  In the fashion typical of countercult ministries, FAIR is accused of deception. Contender Ministries' website notes that FAIR "is waging a somewhat successful campaign of disinformation. Many Mormons, on the verge of admitting that Joseph Smith was a false prophet, are thrown into confusion by the FAIR apologists. However, [Contender Ministries has] found the articles on FAIR's website to be quite deceptive inasmuch as they quote Scripture, LDS leaders, and Christian apologists out of context, and hide as much information as they provide." (Link)
• Institute for Religious Research—
  According to the IRR website, "The LDS Church teaches a number of things that conflict with the Bible and are radically different from the beliefs of Christians down through the centuries. If Mormonism denies the core teachings of biblical Christianity, should it still be considered an authentic expression of true Christianity?" (Link)
• Macgregor Ministries—
  The website claims that all articles on Mormonism contained therein are "all written from a Christian perspective and explain the differences between Mormonism and orthodox Christianity." (Link)
• Tower to Truth Ministries—
  From the article "Mormonism Uncovered," we learn that "the LDS Church has stealthily campaigned to portray itself as just another Christian church preaching the same gospel and principles as do contemporary evangelical denominations." (Link)
• Watchman Fellowship—
  According to their website, "Watchman Fellowship is an independent, nondenominational Christian research and apologetics ministry focusing on new religious movements, cults, the occult and the New Age." (Link)
• Utah Lighthouse Ministry—
  According to their website, "The purpose of [Utah Lighthouse Ministry] is to document problems with the claims of Mormonism and compare LDS doctrines with Christianity." (Link)
  • Contradictions in LDS Scripture—Many conservative Protestant critics have reproduced a table which purports to show how LDS scripture contradicts itself. FAIR examines the supposed contradictions, presents the scriptures cited in context, and demonstrates that claims of contradiction rest on: 1) a misinterpretation of LDS scripture and 2)comparing two verses which are speaking about different things reading Protestant meanings into scriptural terminology (Link)
  • Sandra Tanner: Bible and Book of Mormon Contradictions—Sandra Tanner provides a feeble and long-answered short list of supposed "contradictions" between the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Link)

Critical or hostile websites

Dissident LDS groups

• Mormons for Marriage—
  Mormons for Marriage opposes the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage. The website frequently features attacks on leaders and members of the Church, and misrepresentation of Church doctrine. (Link)

• Mormon Stories—
  Mormon Stories is directed by John Dehlin, a member of the Church who rejects the Church's truth claims. (Link)

Criticisms from groups falsely claiming to be active Church members

• MormonThink.com—
  The web site MormonThink.com claims to be operated by active members of the Church with an interest in objectively presenting the "truth" about Mormonism. In reality, only the webmaster retains his membership in order to retain credibility in his efforts to subtly influence other members to investigate his claims. The remaining website contributors are ex-Mormons who frequently post on anti-Mormon message boards. The webmaster is, by his own admission, pretending to be semi-active in order to destroy members' and missionaries' testimonies from within the social structure of the Church. The site pretends to be "balanced" by presenting information and links to apologetic sites, however, the conclusions reached by the site consistently reflect negatively on the Church's truth claims. The site also used to contain a large amount of Temple content. (Link)

Mormonism and Wikipedia

FAIR's Wikipedia Article Reviews

• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "Martin Harris" (Link)
• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "Oliver Cowdery" (Link)
• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "First Vision"—
  Current review is based upon Wikipedia revision dated 9/17/2011. This article has undergone moderate improvements in its use of sources since our last review. The article still contains a substantial amount of original research based upon primary sources, with the intent to disprove the vision and highlight perceived discrepancies between vision accounts. Believing scholars are labeled "apologists" in an attempt to diminish their credibility. (Link)
• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "Joseph Smith"—
  Current review is based upon Wikipedia revision dated 9/3/2011. This article has undergone substantial improvements in its use of sources since our initial review in 2009. Most of the citations are now accurately represented. (Link)
• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "Golden plates"—
  Current review is based upon Wikipedia revision dated 9/21/2011. This article has undergone only minor improvements in its use of sources since our last review. The article contains a large amount of original research on the part of the wiki editors. (Link)
• A FAIR Analysis of Wikipedia article "Three Witnesses"—
  Current review is based upon Wikipedia revision dated 9/28/2011. This article has been constructed in such a way as to discredit the witnesses by emphasizing any perceived contradictions in their various statements regarding their encounter with the gold plates. (Link)

Analysis of videos and films critical of Mormonism

• 8: The Mormon Proposition—
  A June 2010 documentary called "8: The Mormon Proposition," written and produced by Reed Cowan, claims to be an expose of the role that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played in the passage of California Proposition 8. Reviews of the film generally agreed that it was a polemical treatment of the issue, pitting the Church as villain in a quest to limit or remove the rights of same-sex couples. FAIR reviews some of the individual claims made in the documentary. (Link)

B

• "Big Love" episode "Outer Darkness"—
  It is not our intention to discuss details of the portrayal of the temple ceremony here. We will, however, address some of the portrayals of other LDS beliefs and practices that were depicted in this episode. We found these portrayals to be highly inaccurate. In fact, there is ample evidence of anti-Mormon "advice" present in the episode. We treat some of these in the following sections. (Link)

• The Bible vs Joseph Smith—
  We review a film produced by Living Hope Ministries and Sourceflix which claims that Joseph Smith is a false prophet. (Link)

• The Bible vs The Book of Mormon—
  A review of a film produced by Living Hope Ministries and Sourceflix that attempts to disprove The Book of Mormon. (Link)

R

• Religulous—
  The film's title is a combination of the words "Religious" and "Ridiculous," thus providing a one-word summary of the film's tone and intent. The film follows Bill Maher as he travels to various locations throughout the world for the purpose of demonstrating the absurdity of religious belief. Maher accomplishes this by seeking out believers and posing questions which allow the respondents to appear foolish in their responses. (Link)

S

• Search for the Truth DVD (Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith)—
  This video claims to contrast the beliefs of Mormonism and the beliefs of Christianity. Although the producers of this video state that it was produced out of love, the numerous mischaracterizations, misrepresentations, errors, and outright falsehoods found on the DVD make it difficult for believing Latter-day Saints to see that expression of love as sincere. (Link)
• September Dawn—
  "When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions." (The Publicity Dilemma, LDS Newsroom, March 9, 2009.) (Link)

T

• The God Makers—
  The God Makers is an anti-Mormon film that was produced in 1982 by Jeremiah Films. The film represents an appeal to ridicule, by taking beliefs or doctrines of the church and presenting them in a manner which makes them appear so strange and bizarre that nobody could possibly accept them. (Link)

Mormon urban legends or folklore

Topics

• Cain as Bigfoot?—
  It is claimed that Cain—son of Adam and Eve and the first murderer—still walks the earth today. (Link)
• Einstein and James E. Talmage—
  Some claim that Elder James E. Talmage (a geologist and author of Jesus the Christ) knew Albert Einstein, who called him the smartest man he had ever met. (Link)
• Frank Graham and hurricane relief—
  It is claimed that the Rev. Frank Graham, son of Billy Graham, told the media that the members of The LDS church are "truly amazing" for their efforts after Hurricane Katrina. (Link)
• Book of Mormon translated "back" into Arabic—
  I have read a talk written by Elder Russell M. Nelson in which he discusses a friend of his who translated the Book of Mormon back into Arabic. What are the facts behind this story and the talk? (Link)
• President Packer: 12 October 2008 talk?—
  A common e-mail circulated by some members claims to be a transcript of remarks given by President Packer in the Forest Bend Ward in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 12 October 2008. Reportedly, Pres. Packer is quoted as saying that a catastrophic event was looming in the immediate future and that we must get used to making do with what we have or doing without. He is also quoted as saying the world was too dangerous for us to let our children play outside alone. (Link)
• Boyd K. Packer: Youth generals in war in heaven?—
  One persistent rumor has Elder Packer claiming that today's youth were "generals" during the pre-mortal "war in heaven." (Link)
• Pandemic warning e-mail from Susan Puls—
  A frequently-forwarded e-mail purporting to describe a conference given by Dr. Susan Puls, medical coordinator for the Church's Humanitarian Emergency Response has been circulating. The e-mail purports to describe an impending flu pandemic and the anticipated problems associated with it. (Link)
• Those living in President Hinckley's time will be bowed to?—
  Boyd K. Packer and other Church leaders are quoted in a persistent chain email as having said to a group of LDS youth: "You were in the War in Heaven and one day when you are in the spirit world you will be enthralled with those who you are associated with. You will ask someone in which time period he lived in and you might hear, "I was with Moses when he parted the Red Sea," or "I helped build the pyramids," or "I fought with Captain Moroni." And as you are standing there in amazement, someone will turn to you and ask, "Which prophet time did you live in?" And when you say "Gordon B. Hinckley," a hush will fall over every hall, every corridor in heaven and all in attendance will bow at your presence." (Link)
• Prophecy of Catholic Priest?—
  A persistent rumor claims that Lutus Gratus, a Catholic priest, wrote the following in 1739 in his book Hope of Zion, which was purportedly discovered in the library in Bayd, Switzerland: "The old, true Gospel and its truths thereat are lost..." (Link)
• Paul Allen of Microsoft on the "Mormons"?—
  It is claimed that Paul Allen — co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers — wrote a letter praising Mormons that was published in a Santa Clarita, California newspaper. (Link)
• Brigham Young's hearse used in Disneyland?—
  A rumor has been spread that the hearse displayed in front of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion was the hearse used in Brigham Young's funeral. (Link)
• Rome Italy Temple and California Prop 8—
  An e-mail circulating has claimed that Catholic support for a Rome Italy temple is very high because of LDS efforts around California Prop 8. (Link)
• Elder Bednar on Persecution to follow Mitt Romney's nomination as Republican candidate in 2012—
  An e-mail circulating has claimed that Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve warned of persecution to follow Mitt Romney's nomination as Republican candidate for President of the United States in 2012. This claim is false. (Link)

Other subjects

Miscellaneous and uncategorized FAIR wiki articles

• Dan Brown's next book and Mormonism
• Logical fallacies
• Testimony and doubt reconciliation ^{[needs work]}
• Joseph Smith's reference library [Humor]  ^{[needs work]}
• FAIR Errata

Reference

• Scripture index
• Online textual sources and materials
• Primary Sources at FAIR Wiki ^{[needs work]}
• GospeLink quick links

Templates

Templates

All templates master list

Books and periodicals (General)

Critical works

New style

Old style
Still works, but please use new style for new additions.

Specific periodicals speedy method

FARMS Review — Mormon Studies Review (from Vol 23 [2011] onward).

FARMS Insights

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (JBMS)

BoM geo tables

GospeLink quick links

Scripture auto-links: how to

YouTube Videos

Wikipedia