Have you done your homework?

Everyone knows that Mormons are honest, trustworthy, sober, hard working, family oriented people. They take care of each other and have a strong belief in their religion. But what is Mormonism...the religion? Let's see what the official Mormon web page at lds.org says:

[note: this has been removed from their website as Dec 2005. I guess it was way too revealing, as indicated by the way the site looks now. But, having been a member, I can testify that the LDS church DOES teach all of these things, so I am still including it here to make a point]

"When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, He organized His Church so that all people could receive His gospel and return one day to live with God, our Heavenly Father. After Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, His Apostles continued to receive revelation from Him on how to direct the work of His Church. However, after they were killed, members changed the teachings of the Church that He had established. While many good people and some truth remained, this Apostasy, or general falling away from the truth, brought about the withdrawal of the Church from the earth. The Apostle Peter prophesied that Jesus would restore His Church before His Second Coming (Acts 3:19–21). Jesus Christ began to restore His Church in its fullness to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1820. It has grown to become a worldwide Church with over 11 million members. It has the same teachings and basic organization as the Church established by Jesus in New Testament times.

You may have questions about what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe. Some of the basic beliefs of the Church are: God is our Heavenly Father. He loves us and wants us to return to Him. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is our Savior. He redeems us from death by providing the Resurrection. He saves us from sin as we repent. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can return to live with God if we keep His commandments. The Holy Ghost helps us to recognize truth. The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth. The priesthood authority of God exists in His Church today, just as it did in the original Church. The Bible and the Book of Mormon are the word of God. God reveals His will to prophets today, just as He did anciently. Our life has a sacred purpose. Families can be together forever. Through serving others, we can experience joy and draw closer to God."

So we see that....it clearly and unambiguously states that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. The next logical step is to confirm that. But first, let's double-check and make sure that it's OK for a Mormon to question or investigate his faith. What better source than Mormon leaders' quotations.

Here's what Mormon leaders have told their members to do:

George Albert Smith: "If a faith will not bear to be investigated; if its preachers and professors are afraid to have it examined, their foundation must be very weak." (Journal of Discourses, Volume 14, Page 216)

John Taylor: "I think a full, free talk is frequently of great use; we want nothing secret nor underhanded, and I for one want no association with things that cannot be talked about and will not bear investigation." (Journal of Discourses, Volume 20, Page 264)

Dr. Hugh Nibley: "The Book of Mormon can and should be tested. It invites criticism." (An Approach to The Book of Mormon, 1957, p. 13)

Brigham Young: "Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test." (Journal of Discourses, Volume 16, p. 46, 1873)

Orson Pratt: "Convince us of our errors of Doctrine, if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the Word of God and we will ever be grateful for the information and you will ever have the pleasing reflections that you have been instruments in the hands of God of redeeming your fellow beings." (The Seer, p. 15)

Joseph Fielding Smith: "Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground." (Doctrines of Salvation, Page 188.)

Orson Pratt: “If true, (the Book of Mormon) is one of the most important messages ever sent from God to man. If false, it is one of the most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who sincerely receive it as the Word of God, and will suppose themselves built upon the rock of truth, until they are plunged, with their families, into hopeless despair.”

"Convince us of our errors of Doctrine, if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the Word of God and we will ever be grateful for the information and you will ever have the pleasing reflections that you have been instruments in the hands of God of redeeming your fellow beings." (The Seer, p. 15)


Not only is it OK for Mormons to investigate their faith, but Mormon leaders actually encourage it, and almost demand it. If you're a Mormon, you need to obey your leaders and investigate your faith. If you don't investigate your faith, then you're simply announcing to the world that you doubt your religious beliefs. Otherwise why wouldn't you investigate your faith and prove that it's real?

Let's dig into the subject...

All Mormons agree that the Book of Mormon is the foundation of their religion and that if the Book of Mormon weren't true, there could be no Mormon religion. That's obvious and logical. There's no arguments with that statement.

Additional Questions:

If the Book of Mormon is true, when they become Mormons? (2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision).

If the Book of Mormon is true, then why has the Mormon church changed it? Examples are:
1 Nephi 11:21; 19:20; 20:1
and Alma 29:4.
Compare these with the original Book of Mormon.


How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7" x 8" by about 6". See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.)

How did Nephi with a few men on a new continent build a temple like Solomon's while Solomon needed 163,300 workmen and seven years to build his temple? (1 Kings 5:13-18 and 2 Nephi 5:15-17).

Logical Conclusion:

All Mormons agree that the Book of Mormon is the foundation of the Mormon religion.

All Mormons agree that without the Book of Mormon, there is no basis for the Mormon religion.

Based on the historical and archaeological facts and evidence, it's clear that the Book of Mormon is a work of fiction, heavily plagiarized from books freely available at the time. In fact, it's simply a rework of some of the writings and ideas of that time, to name a few:

A View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith

The Golden Pot, by E.T.A. Hoffman

Heaven and its Wonders and Hell, by Emmanuel Swedenborg

His own life experiences


The Book of Mormon is not the translation of an ancient document, regardless of any feelings, emotions, "burning in your bosom," or testimony. "Knowing" that it's true doesn't correlate with the historical and archeological facts and evidence. Wanting it to be true doesn't change the facts and evidence.

The Book of Mormon was not from God.

Again...

"Mormonism, as it is called, must stand or fall on the story of Joseph Smith. He was either a prophet of God, divinely called, properly appointed and commissioned, or he was one of the biggest frauds this world has ever seen. There is no middle ground." Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Page 188.

*My Thoughts*

Don't forget that many past prophets have given the OK for any member to research the church's claims. It's only the current leaders that want to squash down any independent research, that's why sites like FAIR and SHIELDS exist.

If I have presented even ONE reason to doubt the truthfulness of the Mormon church, that is a justifiable cause to get out. If they lie about one item, you can be sure it's not the only one.

Stay tuned for a story about my relationship with Mormon family members and why only two people in a family of eight are going to get to the celestial kingdom, while everyone else gets to go to regular heaven (or whatever is out there).

Also included will be an account of what happens when only two of ten grandchildren are raised Mormon, and the great divide between those that 'get it' and those that don't.

Probably included will be the strained relationship between those who belong and those who chose to leave, and where the blame lies.