In this category I strive to provide factual responses to the arguments used that challenge doctrines and teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made in the letters. I look at the claims being made, explain the motive behind them, where those arguments fall short, and provides context that helps remove confusion for me. The purpose of this category is to support honest seekers looking to rebuild faith by working through doubts with a different perspective of what is really going on.
The Book of Abraham is a short book of scripture translated by Joseph Smith in 1835. The text presents itself as an ancient record connected to Abraham, containing teachings about covenant, priesthood, premortal existence, creation, and God’s relationship with humanity. It now appears in the Pearl of Great Price. Joseph Smith stated that the papyri … Read more
Critics of the Church cannot explain how the Book of Mormon came to be, how Joseph Smith produced inspired scripture, and that fact frustrates them. Because they cannot account for its existence on its own terms, they are always searching for an alternative explanation. The underlying assumption never changes. Surely Joseph Smith was not capable … Read more
I write this letter to my friend, Nancy Rigdon, in hopes that it may help to bring her peace and happiness during her struggles trying to find truth. Nancy Rigdon is the fictitious X-handle of a person I don’t really know. Just someone I have had brief conversations with about trying to understand Joseph Smith’s … Read more
Critics of the Church argue that because Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage, he could not have been a prophet. That conclusion depends on modern assumptions about what “marriage” is and how it works. The Assumptions Behind the Criticism Assumption 1: Polygamy Is Never Ordained of God This assumption starts by deciding in advance that polygamy … Read more
The Kinderhook plates are a small un-noteworthy blip in the story of Joseph Smith’s very complex and full life. Because they have nothing to do with revelation, there is no doctrine that comes from them and no real benefit to studying them. There is simply no reason for them to ever come up in normal … Read more
A person’s integrity says a lot about their character. So it is not surprising that someone willing to bend facts and share half-truths and lies when creating the CES Letter would show the same lack of care in their business dealings. The public record of Jeremy Runnells’ nonprofit and for-profit businesses raises serious questions about … Read more
The First Vision is perhaps the most miraculous and spectacular event of the last days. That God would again reveal himself to man shows the love of God, the fulfillment of his plan, and clarifies misunderstandings of doctrine that developed when the original apostles were killed, creeds were formed, and Christianity merged with Roman governance … Read more
After Hurlbut, the next very influential ex-mormon was John C. Bennett Few people in early Church history caused as much long-term damage as John C. Bennett. His name isn’t widely known today, but the ideas he created still show up in modern anti-Mormon arguments, in books like No Man Knows My History, the CES Letter, … Read more
Fawn McKay Brodie is perhaps the next most influential figure in shaping the falsehoods told about church history and the modern wave of anti-Mormon literature. She grew up in the Church and was a niece of President David O. McKay. But during her time at the University of Chicago she lost her testimony. This was … Read more
Who is the Author of Letter For My Wife? What was his intent, what was his motive? This is what we know. His name is Thomas Faulk (sometimes referred to online as Faulkner). He was “born in the covenant” to two parents. He grew up in the Church, participating in Nursery, Primary, Boy Scouts, and … Read more