Mormonism and culture/Response to "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008)/Historical and doctrinal issues

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An analysis of "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008)—Historical and doctrinal issues

A FAIR Analysis of: "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008), a work by author: John P. Dehlin

Social and cultural issues

An analysis of "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008)—Historical and doctrinal issues

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith was a pure, innocent boy.

• What the history/facts tell us: Joseph used a "magical peep stone" to help people find buried treasure.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith turned down alcohol in surgery

• What the history/facts tell us: Joseph drank beer and wine as an adult (his own journal)

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus

• What the history/facts tell us: First vision has multiple, and varied accounts (Pres. Hinckley)

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon using the "Urim and Thummim"

• What the history/facts tell us:The same "peep stone" was used to translate the Book of Mormon—Stone in the hat, plates not in sight (Russell M. Nelson)

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith had one wife—Emma

• What the history/facts tell us: Joseph had 30 wives, some of them married to other men, several teenagers (familysearch.org)

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith was falsely accused and persecuted

• What the history/facts tell us: [Joseph's use of a "magical peep stone"] was the reason for some of the early "trials" and court cases involving Joseph (Court records) Joseph denied polygamy publicly (Oaks)

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith went to the jail in Carthage like a "Lamb to the Slaughter"

• What the history/facts tell us: Exposure of polygamy and destruction of printing press led to martyrdom.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in the Church: Joseph Smith was 2nd to Jesus in Righteousness (no man has done more for the salvation of others except Jesus Christ)

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: The Book of Mormon is the "most correct book on earth."

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: The Book of Mormon has had over 4000 changes. Many minor, some major.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: The Book of Mormon was found in the Hill Cumorah, in New York, where it was buried by Moroni.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: No one has been able to find any geography that credibly maps to what's in the Book of Mormon.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: The Book of Mormon is a history of the native Americans of Central, South America, North America and the Pacific Islands.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Where are the steel swords? Armor? Bones? Horses? Elephants? Steel? Barley? Wheat? 7-day calendar? DNA? 95%+ Asiatic. Who are the Lamanites? View of the Hebrews

FAIR's Response

Cover of the January 1968 issue of the Improvement Era, the Church's official magazine of the time. Note the color photograph of the recovered Facsimile 1.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: The Book of Abraham was translated from papyrus.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Experts agree (Nibley included) that the Book of Abraham is not a translation of the papyrus.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: "Follow the Prophet"

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: The leaders have not been perfect. Brigham Young, Adam-God Theory, blood atonement, racist teachings.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: The Prophet "talks with God"

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Polygamy: from everlasting to embarrassment. Blacks and the priesthood: from "never in this life" to "what ban?" Policy not doctrine. Mark Hoffman [sic] fooled Church leaders.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: Words of modern prophets are scripture. "When the brethren have spoken, the discussion ends."

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: The Church has "completely distanced" itself from the Journal of Discourses. You won't see many quotes from the Journal of Discourses.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: The book Mormon Doctrine was just that.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Massive errors. Elder McConkie censured and punished.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: LDS General Authorities are among the most righteous people in the world.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Paul Dunn, George P. Lee, Richard Lyman. Abuses: sexual, baptismal, ecclesiastical.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: Church doctrine is the same today, yesterday and forever.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: President Hinckley on Larry King, on men becoming gods and vice versa, "I don't know that we teach it. I don't know that we emphasize it." On polygamy, "not doctrinal."

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: Church doctrine comes straight from God to the prophets.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: Word of Wisdom—Joseph turned down wine, Jesus drank grape juice.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Not a commandment until the early 1900s. Many apostles/prophets drank/used tobacco. Joseph had a bar in his mansion, drank wine the night before he was murdered.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*What I learned growing up in Church: Temple ceremony was direct from God.

• What the history/facts seem to tell us: Temple ceremony, many direct connections to Masonic lodge. Drastic changes in ceremony from inception to now.

FAIR's Response

Notes