INVESTIGATING MORMONISM

TO THOSE WHO ARE INVESTIGATING "MORMONISM"

By RICHARD PACKHAM

If you are investigating Mormonism (the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day

Saints" or "LDS Church"), you are probably studying it in private meetings in

your home with missionaries from that church. Here are some of the key things

that they are probably telling you:

Mormonism began when Joseph Smith, a young man in western New York, was

spurred by a Christian revival where he lived in 1820 to pray to God for

guidance as to which church was true. In answer to his prayers he was visited

by God the Father and God the Son, two separate beings, who told him to join

no church because all the churches at that time were false, and that he,

Joseph, would bring forth the true church. This event is called "The First

Vision."

In 1823 Joseph had another heavenly visitation, in which an angel named Moroni

told him of a sacred history written by ancient Hebrews in America, engraved

in an Egyptian dialect on tablets of gold and buried in a nearby hill. Joseph

was told it was the history of the ancient peoples of America, and that Joseph

would be the instrument for bringing this record to the knowledge of the

world. Joseph obtained these gold plates from the angel in 1827, and

translated them into English by the spirit of God and the use of a sacred

instrument accompanying the plates called the "Urim and Thummim." The

translation was published in 1830 as The Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon is a religious and secular history of the inhabitants of

the Western Hemisphere from about 2200 BC to about 421 AD. It tells the reader

that the American Indians are descended from three groups of immigrants who

were led by God from their original homes in the Near East to America. One

group came from the Tower of Babel, and two other groups came from Jerusalem

just before the Babylonian Captivity, about 600 BC. They were led by prophets

of God who had the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is thus preserved in their

history, the Book of Mormon. Many of the descendants of these immigrants were

Christians, even before Christ was born in Palestine, but many were

unbelievers. Believers and unbelievers fought many wars, the last of which

left only degenerate unbelievers as survivors, who are the ancestors of the

American Indians. The most important event during this long history was the

visit of Jesus Christ to America, after his crucifixion, when he ministered to

(and converted) all the inhabitants.

Joseph Smith was directed by revelation from God to reestablish ("restore")

the true church, which he did in 1830. He was visited several times by

heavenly messengers, who ordained him to the true priesthood. He continued to

have revelations from God to guide the church and to give more knowledge of

the Gospel. Many of these revelations are published in the Doctrine and

Covenants.

Joseph Smith and his followers were continually persecuted for their religious

beliefs, and driven from New York State to Ohio, then to Missouri, then to

Illinois, where Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844 by a mob, a martyr to his

beliefs. The church was then led by Brigham Young, Joseph's successor, to

Utah, where the Mormons settled successfully.

The LDS church is led today by the successors of Joseph Smith. The present

president of the church is a "prophet, seer and revelator" just as Joseph

Smith was, and guides the members of the church through revelations and

guidance from God.

The modern LDS church is the only true church, as restored by God through

Joseph Smith. Other churches, derived from the early Christian church, are in

apostasy because their leaders corrupted the scriptures, changed the

ordinances of the original church, and often led corrupt lives, thus losing

their authority.

By accepting baptism into the LDS church you take the first step necessary

toward your salvation and your ultimate entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven

(the "Celestial Kingdom").

WHAT THE MISSIONARIES WILL NOT TELL YOU

Here is a summary of important facts about the Mormon church and its history

that the missionaries will probably not tell you. We are not suggesting that

they are intentionally deceiving you --most of the young Mormons serving

missions for the church are not well educated in the history of the church or in

modern critical studies of the church. They probably do not know the all the

facts themselves. They have been trained, however, to give investigators "milk

before meat," that is, to postpone revealing anything at all that might make an

investigator hesitant, even if it is true. But you should be aware of these

facts before you commit yourself.

Each of the following facts has been substantiated by thorough historical

scholarship. And this list is by no means exhaustive! For links to articles

substantiating each of these points, CLICK on the word NOTES following the

item.

The "First Vision" story in the form presented to you was unknown until 1838,

eighteen years after its alleged occurrence and almost ten years after Smith

had begun his missionary efforts. The oldest version of the vision is in

Smith's own handwriting, dating from about 1832 (still at least eleven years

afterwards), and says that only one personage, Jesus Christ, appeared to him.

It also mentions nothing about a revival. It also contradicts the later

account as to whether Smith had already decided that no church was true. Still

a third version of this event is recorded as a recollection in Smith's diary,

fifteen years after the alleged vision, where one unidentified "personage"

appeared, then another, with a message implying that neither was the Son. They

were accompanied by many "angels," which are not mentioned in the official

version you have been told about. Which version is correct, if any? Why was

this event, now said by the church to be so important, unknown for so long?

NOTES

Careful study of the religious history of the locale where Smith lived in 1820

casts doubt on whether there actually was such an extensive revival that year

as Smith and his family later described as associated with the "First Vision."

The revivals in 1817 and 1824 better fit what Smith described later. NOTES

In 1828, eight years after he says he had been told by God himself to join no

church, Smith applied for membership in a local Methodist church. Other

members of his family had joined the Presbyterians. NOTES

Contemporaries of Smith consistently described him as something of a

confidence man, whose chief source of income was hiring out to local farmers

to help them find buried treasure by the use of folk magic and "seer stones."

Smith was actually tried in 1826 on a charge of moneydigging. NOTES

The only persons who claimed to have actually seen the gold plates were eleven

close friends of Smith (many of them related to each other). Their testimonies

are printed in the front of every copy of the Book of Mormon. No disinterested

third party was ever allowed to examine them. They were retrieved by the angel

at some unrecorded point. Most of the witnesses later abandoned Smith and left

his movement. Smith then called them "liars." NOTES

Smith produced most of the "translation" not by reading the plates through the

Urim and Thummim (apparently a pair of sacred spectacles), but by gazing at

the same "seer stone" he had used for treasure hunting. He would place the

stone into his hat, and then cover his face with it. For much of the time he

was dictating, the gold plates were not even present, but in a hiding place.

NOTES

The detailed history and civilization described in the Book of Mormon does not

correspond to anything found by archaeologists anywhere in the Americas. The

Book of Mormon describes a civilization lasting for a thousand years, covering

both North and South America, which was familiar with horses, elephants,

cattle, sheep, wheat, barley, steel, wheeled vehicles, shipbuilding, sails,

coins, and other elements of Old World culture. But no trace of any of these

supposedly very common things has ever been found in the Americas of that

period. Nor does the Book of Mormon mention any of the features of the

civilizations which really did exist at that time in the Americas. The LDS

church has spent millions of dollars over many years trying to prove through

archaeological research that the Book of Mormon is an accurate historical

record, but they have failed to produce even a shred of pre-columbian

archeological evidence supporting the Book of Mormon story. In addition,

whereas the Book of Mormon presents the picture of a relatively homogeneous

people, with a single language and communication between distant parts of the

Americas, the pre-columbian history of the Americas shows the opposite: widely

disparate racial types (almost entirely east Asian - definitely not Semitic),

and many unrelated native languages, none of which are even remotely related

to Hebrew or Egyptian. NOTES

The people of the Book of Mormon were supposedly devout Jews observing the Law

of Moses, but in the Book of Mormon there is almost no trace of their

observance of Mosaic law or even an accurate knowledge of it. NOTES

Although Joseph Smith said that God had pronounced the completed translation

of the plates as published in 1830 "correct," many changes have been made in

later editions. Besides thousands of corrections of poor grammar and awkward

wording in the 1830 edition, other changes have been made to reflect

subsequent changes in some of the fundamental doctrine of the church. For

example, an early change in wording modified the 1830 edition's acceptance of

the doctrine of the Trinity, thus allowing Smith to introduce his later

doctrine of multiple gods. A more recent change (1981) replaced "white" with

"pure," apparently to reflect the change in the church's stance on the "curse"

of the black race. NOTES

Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon contained the "fulness of the

gospel." However, its teaching on many doctrinal subjects has been ignored or

contradicted by the present LDS church, and many doctrines now said by the

church to be essential are not even mentioned there. Examples are the church's

position on the nature of God, the Virgin Birth, the Trinity, polygamy, Hell,

priesthood, secret organizations, the nature of Heaven and salvation, temples,

proxy ordinances for the dead, and many other matters. NOTES

Many of the basic historical notions found in the Book of Mormon had appeared

in print already in 1825, just two years before Smith began producing the Book

of Mormon, in a book called View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith (no relation)

and published just a few miles from where Joseph Smith lived. A careful study

of this obscure book led one LDS church official (the historian B. H. Roberts,

1857-1933) to confess that the evidence tended to show that the Book of Mormon

was not an ancient record, but concocted by Joseph Smith himself, based on

ideas he had read in the earlier book. NOTES

Although Mormons claim that God is guiding the LDS church through its

president (who has the title "prophet, seer and revelator"), the successive

"prophets" have repeatedly either led the church into undertakings that were

dismal failures or failed to see approaching disaster. To mention only a few:

the Kirtland Bank, the United Order, the gathering of Zion to Missouri, the

Zion's Camp expedition, polygamy, the Deseret Alphabet NOTES. The most

recent example is the successful hoax perpetrated on the church by manuscript

dealer Mark Hofmann in the 1980s. He succeeded in selling the church thousands

of dollars worth of manuscripts which he had forged. The church accepted them

as genuine historical documents. The church leaders learned the truth not from

God, through revelation, but from non-Mormon experts and the police, after

Hofmann was arrested for two murders he committed to cover up his hoax. This

scandal was reported nationwide. NOTES

The secret temple ritual (the "endowment") was introduced by Smith in May,

1842, just two months after he had been initiated into Freemasonry. The LDS

temple ritual closely resembles the Masonic ritual of that day. NOTES

Smith explained that the Masons had corrupted the ancient (God-given) ritual

by changing it and removing parts of it, and that he was restoring it to its

"pure" and "original" (and complete) form, as revealed to him by God. In the

150 years since, the LDS church has made many fundamental changes in the "pure

and original" ritual as "restored" by Smith, mostly by removing major parts of

it. NOTES

Many doctrines which were once taught by the LDS church, and held to be

fundamental, essential and "eternal", have been abandoned. Whether we feel

that the church was correct in abandoning them is not the point; rather, the

point is that a church claiming to be the church of God takes one

"everlasting" position at one time and the opposite position at another, all

the time claiming to be proclaiming the word of God. Some examples are:

- The Adam-God doctrine (Adam is God the Father); NOTES

- the United Order (all property of church members is to be held in common,

with title in the church);

- Plural Marriage (polygamy; a man must have more than one wife to attain the

highest degree of heaven); NOTES

- the Curse of Cain (the black race is not entitled to hold God's priesthood

because it is cursed; this doctrine was not abandoned until 1978); NOTES

- Blood Atonement (some sins - apostasy, adultery, murder, interracial

marriage - must be atoned for by the shedding of the sinner's blood,

preferably by someone appointed to do so by church authorities); NOTES

All of these doctrines were proclaimed by the reigning prophet to be the Word

of God, "eternal," "everlasting," to govern the church "forevermore." All have

been abandoned by the present church.

Joseph Smith claimed to be a "translator" by the power of God. In addition to

the Book of Mormon, he made several other "translations":

- The Book of Abraham, from Egyptian papyrus scrolls which came into his

possession in 1838. He stated that the scrolls were written by the biblical

Abraham "by his own hand." Smith's translation is now accepted as scripture by

the LDS church, as part of its Pearl of Great Price. Smith also produced an

"Egyptian Grammar" based on his translation. Modern scholars of ancient

Egyptian agree that the scrolls are common Egyptian funeral scrolls, entirely

pagan in nature, having nothing to do with Abraham, and from a period 2000

years later than Abraham. The "Grammar" has been said by Egyptologists to

prove that Smith had no notion of the Egyptian language. It is pure fantasy:

he made it up. NOTES

- The "Inspired Revision" of the King James Bible. Smith was commanded by God

to retranslate the Bible because the existing translations contained errors.

He completed his translation in 1833, but the church still uses the King James

Version. NOTES

- The "Kinderhook Plates," a group of six metal plates with strange engraved

characters, unearthed in 1843 near Kinderhook, Illinois, and examined by

Smith, who began a "translation" of them. He never completed the translation,

but he identified the plates as an "ancient record," and translated enough to

identify the author as a descendant of Pharaoh. Local farmers later confessed

that they had manufactured, engraved and buried the plates themselves as a

hoax. They had apparently copied the characters from a Chinese tea box.

NOTES

Joseph Smith claimed to be a "prophet." He frequently prophesied future events

"by the power of God." Many of these prophecies are recorded in the LDS

scripture Doctrine and Covenants. Almost none have been fulfilled, and many

cannot now be fulfilled because the deeds to be done by the persons named were

never done and those persons are now dead. Many prophecies included dates for

their fulfillment, and those dates are now long past, the events never having

occurred. NOTES

Joseph Smith died not as a martyr, but in a gun battle in which he fired a

number of shots. He was in jail at the time, under arrest for having ordered

the destruction of a Nauvoo newspaper which dared to print an exposure (which

was true) of his secret sexual liaisons. At that time he had announced his

candidacy for the presidency of the United States, set up a secret government,

and secretly had himself crowned "King of the Kingdom of God." NOTES

Since the founding of the church down to the present day the church leaders

have not hesitated to lie, to falsify documents, to rewrite or suppress

history, or to do whatever is necessary to protect the image of the church.

Many Mormon historians have been excommunicated from the church for publishing

their findings on the truth of Mormon history. NOTES

YOUR LIFE AS A MORMON

If you should decide to become a member of the LDS church, you should be aware

of what your life in the church will be like. Although you will find yourself

warmly accepted by a lively community of healthy, active and generally

supportive people, many of whom are very happy in Mormonism and could not

imagine their lives without it, there is another side:

You will be continually reminded that to enter the highest degree of heaven

(the "Celestial Kingdom"), you will have to go through the endowment ceremony

in the temple and have your marriage to your Mormon spouse "sealed." (If your

spouse is not Mormon, you cannot enter the highest degree of heaven.) To get

permission to have these ceremonies performed in the temple, you must prove

yourself to be a faithful and obedient member of the church and do everything

commanded by the church authorities, from the Prophet down to the local level.

You will have to undergo a personal "worthiness" interview with the local

church authorities inquiring into your private life and your religious and

social activities. NOTES

You will be expected to donate at least ten percent of your income to the

church as tithing. Other donations will be expected as the need arises. You

will never see an accounting of how this money is spent, or how much the

church receives, or anything at all about its financial condition; the church

keeps its finances secret, even from its members. NOTES

You will be expected to give up the use of alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea.

NOTES

You will be expected to fulfill any work assignment given to you. These

assignments may be teaching positions, clerk positions, helping with various

support tasks - any job that needs to be done. Each task you perform

successfully will make you eligible for others, with more responsibility and

more demands upon your time. The members who perform these jobs, even those

involving sensitive pastoral counseling, receive no formal training whatsoever

(there is no paid, trained clergy). You will be told that God has called you

to your assignments. Many Mormons find most of their spare time taken up with

church work, trying to fulfill the numerous assignments that have been given

them.

You will be expected to be unquestioningly obedient to church authorities in

whatever they might tell you to do. "Follow the Brethren" is the slogan, and

it means to follow without doubt or question. Discussion of whether a decree

from above is correct is discouraged. You will be expected to have faith that

the leaders cannot possibly lead you astray. Even if they should tell you

something which contradicts what a previous prophet may have said, you will be

told "A living prophet takes precedence over a dead prophet." NOTES

You will be able to "vote" on those who have been called to positions of

authority over you, but the voting will be by the show of hands in a public

meeting. Only one candidate for each office will be voted on (the one "called

by God"). The voting is therefore always unanimous in favor of the candidate.

You will be told not to read any material which is "not faith-promoting," that

is, which may be critical or questioning of the church or its leaders, or

which might place the church or its leaders in an unfavorable light.

You will be told not to associate with "apostates," that is, former Mormons.

(You will be asked in your "worthiness" interview about this.) NOTES

If you are unmarried, you will be encouraged to marry a good Mormon as soon as

possible. When you do marry, in a wedding ceremony in the temple, your

non-Mormon family members and friends will not be allowed to attend the

ceremony, because only "worthy" Mormons are allowed to enter the temple.

If you are homosexual, you will be pressured to abandon this "evil" aspect of

your nature. If you do not, you will probably not be fully accepted by other

church members. If you do not remain celibate, you may be excommunicated.

NOTES

If you are a male over 12 years of age and "worthy" (that is, if you are

obedient, attend meetings, do not masturbate NOTES, etc.), you will be

ordained to one of the levels of priesthood, and, if you continue to be

faithful and obedient, you will gradually advance through the priesthood

ranks. If you are female, you will receive the benefits of priesthood

authority only indirectly, through your Mormon father or your Mormon husband.

The role of the Mormon woman is to be a wife and mother and to obey and honor

her priest husband (or father). NOTES

If you prove yourself to be faithful, hard working and obedient, you will

eventually be considered worthy to "receive your endowment" in a Mormon

temple. You will not be told in advance exactly what to expect in this lengthy

ceremony, except that the details of the ritual are secret (Mormons prefer to

say they are just "sacred," but they treat them as though they are secret). As

part of that ceremony you will be required to swear a number of oaths, the

penalty for violation of which is no longer stated but until 1990 was death by

various bloody methods, such as having your throat slit from ear to ear. You

will be given the secret signs and passwords which are required to enter

heaven. (Although most Mormons who have not received the endowment know very

little about the ceremony, the entire liturgy is now available on the Internet

to Mormon and non-Mormon alike.) After receiving the endowment you will be

required to wear a special undergarment at all times. NOTES

If you should ever decide that you made a mistake in joining the church and

then leave it, you will probably find (judging from the experiences of others

who have done so) that many of your Mormon friends will abandon and shun you.

If you are unable to convince your family members to leave the church with

you, you will find that the church has broken up your family and your

relationship with them may never recover. NOTES

Consider very carefully before you commit yourself, and remember that any doubts

you may have now will likely only increase.

Examine carefully both sides of the Mormon story. Listen to the stories of those

who have been through an unhappy Mormon experience, not just those Mormons who

may speak glowingly of life in the church. NOTES

The Mormon missionaries are often charming and enthusiastic. They have an

attractive story to tell. At first it sounds wonderful. But remember the old

saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!" Be careful not to

fall into the trap of believing something simply because you want it to be true.

Mormons may tell you that those who criticize the church are lying, misquoting

and distorting. If you examine the sources used by the critics, however, you

will discover that most of their source material is from official or

semi-official Mormon writings. You, too, should examine those sources.

Is Mormonism a "cult"? Many experts on religious cults see in Mormonism the same

fundamental characteristics as cults which have entrapped the unsuspecting, even

though most people think of "cults" only as small, unknown groups. Use a "cult

checklist" to evaluate Mormonism, or any group, before you commit yourself.

NOTES

To get more information about the other side of Mormonism, or to see the

evidence supporting any of our statements about the church, feel free to contact

us. Our only aim is to make sure that you hear both sides. We promise not to

preach at you, but only to provide you with facts to balance the Mormon story.

Click here for the names and e-mail addresses of people to contact. Click here

to read personal stories of people who have left Mormonism.

For a version of this INVESTIGATOR'S INFORMATION TRACT which can be downloaded

and printed for handing out or mailing click here. It contains instructions on

how to edit it for use as a hand-out.

NOTES AND LINKS TO MORE FACTS

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links and references listed here, in addition to

containing valuable material about Mormonism, also contain Christian

proselytizing material. Their inclusion here is not intended as an endorsement

of any pro-Christian or pro-Bible statements: this site does not endorse or

promote any religion or religious organization.

GENERAL REFERENCES

INTERNET SITES AND LISTS OF LINKS

http://www.exmormon.org/goodsite.htm Links to other sites.

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/table.htm An alphabetical

list, by topic, of Mormon-related links; many articles. Maintained by James

David.

http://www.lds-mormon.com Articles and links.

http://utlm.org/ Many articles by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, especially from

their newsletter The Salt Lake City Messenger. Also several complete books are

online here, including their complete book The Changing World of Mormonism is

online here.

http://www.mormonism-web.com/thetruth.htm Many early texts on Mormonism and

early Mormon publications; also a free on-line magazine (pro-Christian

orientation)

http://www.primenet.com/~heuvelc/mormon.htm Text of many early Mormon

publications, including the 1830 version of the Book of Mormon and the original

Book of Commandments. Curt Van Den Heuvel's site.

http://www.irr.org/mit "Mormons In Transition," sponsored by the Insitute for

Religious Research, with many articles; pro-Christian orientation; an on-line

newsgroup, (MIT-Talk) with evangelical basis

http://www.mrm.org The "Mormon Research Ministry," an evangelical Christian

group headed by Bill McKeever; many good articles on Mormonism

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/ The "Berean Christian Ministry," headed by

John Farkas; many articles, a useful chronology of church history, and a long

refutation of a Mormon scholar's attempt to discredit critics of the church.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1249/ "Solomon Skink's" page, with

excellent links, pro and con

http://www.connect-a-net/user/drshades/mormon.htm "Dr. Shades'" website

BOOKS

Listed here are only a few "must read" books. There are hundreds of others. If

your local library does not own them, your librarian can obtain them for you on

interlibrary loan, usually for a very small fee. Most books listed are linked to

on-line reviews or order information.

No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith by Fawn M. Brodie, 2nd ed.,

Knopf, New York, 1993. The most authoritative biography of Joseph Smith. Brodie

is a well recognized historian.

Mormonism: Shadow or Reality by Gerald and Sandra Tanner, 5th edition, Utah

Lighthouse Ministry, 1987, Salt Lake City. The Tanners have done extensive

research on early Mormon history and made many rare publications available by

publishing photocopies of them at a low price. This book is a good summary of

the contradictions and problems of Mormonism. Available from Utah Lighthouse

Ministry, where a catalog of their publications is available. Also published in

a slightly smaller version as The Changing World of Mormonism, Moody Press,

Chicago, 1981 (now online).

Inventing Mormonism: Tradition and the Historical Record by H. Michael Marquardt

and Wesley P. Walters, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1994. A detailed

examination of Mormonism's origins by historians.

The Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit, and Death by Steven

Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, New York, 1988. The

gripping account of the Mark Hofmann forgeries and murders, by two reporters.

The role of the Mormon church leadership in this scandal is carefully documented

here.

For Any Latter-day Saint: One Investigator's Unanswered Questions by Sharon I.

Banister, Star Bible Publications, Fort Worth, 1988 (available from the author,

Rt 1 Box 20, Ladonia, TX 75449, for $7.00 postpaid). Over 600 problematical

questions about Mormon history and doctrine, very clearly presented, with many

photographic reproductions of the relevant Mormon books and diaries.

REFERENCES TO SPECIFIC TOPICS

THE "FIRST VISION"

http://www.irr.org/mit/fvision.html

http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#First Vision

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/clndest10.htm

http://www.mrm.org/articles/first.vision.html

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/firstv.htm and

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/firstv2.htm

http://www.irr.org/mit/inventbk.html (a review of the book Inventing Mormonism)

http://www.mormonism-web.com/cltrsndx.htm (Oliver Cowdery's history of the

church, an "official history," not mentioning the first vision)

http://www.mormonism-web.com/cowdery3.htm

http://www.alphamin.org/LETTERS/letter06.html (by James White: Letters to a

Mormon Elder)

THE 1820 REVIVAL

The question of whether there was a revival in 1820 matching Smith's story has

been hotly debated by Mormon and non-Mormon scholars. See the exchange between

Richard L. Bushman (Mormon) and Wesley P. Walters (non-Mormon) in Dialogue: A

Journal of Mormon Thought, (Spring 1969) 4:1:58ff. A summary of the opposing

points of view (by a Mormon scholar) is Marvin Hill, "The First Vision: A

Critique and Reconciliation," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, (Summer

1982) 15:31-46.

http://www.alphamin.org/LETTERS/letter06.html

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/mclaims1.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/index.htm (Michael Marquardt's site)

The following three links are about Marquardt's book Inventing Mormonism, a

scholarly investigation into Mormonism's early years:

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/contents.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/summary.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/reviews.htm

JOSEPH SMITH AND THE METHODISTS

For Smith's connection with the Methodists, see Inventing Mormonism, pp 54-55,

citing Turner, History of Phelp's and Gorham's Purchase, p. 214, which relates

that Smith was an informal "exhorter" at Methodist camp meetings before 1822;

Pomeroy Tucker, The Origin, Rise and Progress of Mormonism (NY 1867), p 18:

Smith joined the "probationary class" of the Methodist church; there was no

Methodist church in Palmyra until July 1821 (Inventing Mormonism, p 60 n 41);

http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#Methodist Church

JOSEPH SMITH AND "MONEYDIGGING"

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/necromantic.html

http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#Money-Digging and Magic

http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/chatm/witness.htm (excerpts from E.D. Howe's

book Mormonism Unvailed, one of the earliest books exposing Mormonism)

http://www.alphamin.org/LETTERS/letter07.html

http://www.mormonism-web.com/1826tryl.htm An account of Joseph Smith's trial in

1826 on a charge of moneydigging.

BOOK OF MORMON "WITNESSES"

http://www.irr.org/mit/bomwit1.html

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/testimonyof3.htm

http://www.exmormon.org/file9.htm

http://www.irr.org/mit/address1.html The book by David Whitmer, An Address To

All Believers in Christ, testifying that God revealed to him that Joseph Smith

is a fallen prophet.

(Also at http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/address1.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/docum4.htm (Martin Harris interview in

Tiffany's magazine)

http://www.mormonism-web.com/anthon.htm The letter from Professor Anthon about

the characters from the gold plates.

METHOD OF TRANSLATION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

http://www.irr.org/mit/address1.html or http://www.mormonism-web.com/whitbom.htm

(David Whitmer's Address To All Believers in Christ; see p. 12, 30)

http://www.mormonism-web.com/true9607.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexa.htm#Black Hole The significance of the 116 pages

of lost manuscript for testing the authenticity of the book

Martin Harris, Millennial Star 6 Feb 1882, cited in Robert N. Hullinger, Joseph

Smith's response to Skepticism, p 9-14, Salt Lake City 1992, said that the

plates were not needed, also quoted by John Clark, Gleanings By the Way, 1842, p

228, cited in Hullinger p 11, n 23.

BOOK OF MORMON ARCHAEOLOGY

http://www.irr.org/mit/bomarch1.html

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/bomproblems.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexa.htm#Archeology

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/bomarch.htm

http://www.lds-mormon.com/BOMQUEST.SHTML

JEWISH LAW AND THE BOOK OF MORMON

Salt Lake City Messenger, Issue #74, February 1990, available from Utah

Lighthouse Ministry

BOOK OF MORMON CHANGES; OTHER CHANGES

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/bomchanges.htm

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/bmchg.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexa.htm#Changes Changes made in revelations after

their first publication, to reflect Smith's changes in doctrine.

The original texts of the Book of Mormon 1830 edition and the Book of

Commandments (predecessor to the Doctrine and Covenants can be found at

http://www.primenet.com/~heuvelc/

PRESENT MORMON DOCTRINE CONTRARY TO BOOK OF MORMON

http://www.mrm.org/articles/test.html

http:/home.sprynet.com/sprynet/chatm/doctrn1.htm

http://www.alphamin.org/cntradic.html

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/bmchg.htm

http://www.mrm.org/articles/birth.html On the Virgin Birth, how Jesus was

conceived.

http://www.irr.org/mit/CHANGOD.html The changing concept of God.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/bcm2.htm Changing doctrines of Mormonism.

THE 1825 BOOK View of the Hebrews

http://www.irr.org/mit/viewhe1a.html (text of View)

http://www.primenet.com/~heuvelc/voh/voh.htm (text of View)

http://www.primenet.com/~heuvelc/bom/written.htm Could Joseph Smith have written

the Book of Mormon?

http://www.lds-mormon.com/VOH.SHTML Parallels between View and the Book of

Mormon. See also http://www.exmormon.org/bofmorm.htm

http://www.irr.org/mit/bhrobert.html B. H. Roberts' conclusions.

FAILURES OF GOD-INSPIRED PROJECTS

Failure of the Kirtland Bank:

http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#Kirtland Bank

Gathering of Zion:

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/prophet.htm

Polygamy - see notes at: #POLYGAMY

Deseret Alphabet:

http://www.wp.com/BrionZion/homealph.htm

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/byoung.htm#PROPHECIES

THE HOFMANN MURDER SCANDAL

The Mormon Murders: A True Story of Greed, Forgery, Deceit, and Death by Steven

Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, New York, 1988. The role

of the Mormon church leadership in this scandal is carefully documented here.

A Gathering of Saints: A True Story of Money, Murder and Deceit by Robert

Lindsey, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1988. Another book on the Hofmann

scandal.

Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders by Linda Sillitoe and Allen

Roberts, 2nd edition, Signature Books, Salt Lake City.

http://utlm.org/topicalindexb.htm#Hofmann, Mark

THE MORMON TEMPLE CEREMONY (THE "ENDOWMENT")

The first four links contain the actual text of the ceremony in the various

forms it has had since the early days of the church.

1931 Version: http://www.teleport.com/~packham/endow31.htm

1984 Version: http://www.teleport.com/~packham/endow84.htm

1990 Version: http://www.teleport.com/~packham/endow90.htm

http://www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/endowment.shtml

http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#Temple Ceremony

http://www.mrm.org/articles/garments.html A description of the sacred

undergarment which Mormons are required to wear after receiving the endowment.

http://www.nowscape.com/mormon/undrwrmo.htm More on "garments"

http://www.mrm.org/articles/temple-ceremony.html

http://www.nowscape.com/mormon/mormcr1.htm

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/templechanges.htm

http://www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/recommend.shtml The questions that are

asked in the "worthiness interview" to determine whether a member is worthy to

receive admission to the temple.

MASONIC INFLUENCE ON MORMONISM

http://www.mindspring.com/~pcgraham/MasonicMoroni.htm Paul Graham's

comprehensive site, with many links from all points of view

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/masendow.htm

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/masonry.htm

http://www.irr.org/mit/masonry.html

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech4.htm#Joseph Smith's Magic Talisman Joseph

Smith's magical talisman

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/nohelp.html

http://www.mrm.org/articles/masonic-influence.html

http://eli.wariat.org/upc/net/higher-fire/10-95/msg00048.html

http://eli.wariat.org/upc/net/higher-fire/10-95/msg00049.html

http://eli.wariat.org/upc/net/higher-fire/10-95/msg00050.html

http://eli.wariat.org/upc/net/higher-fire/10-95/msg00051.html

http://eli.wariat.org/upc/net/higher-fire/10-95/msg00052.html

THE "ADAM = GOD" DOCTRINE

http://www.webcom.com/jtc6563/t4.html

http://www.mrm.org/articles/theory.html

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/adamgod.htm

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/evolut4.htm The changes in the Mormon

doctrine about God.

http://www.mrm.org/articles/adam-god.html (Text of Brigham Young's 1852 sermon)

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/byoung.htm#ADAMGOD More statements by Brigham

Young

http://www.mormonism-web.com/adamgod1.htm (Brigham Young's 1852 sermon from

Journal of Discourses 1:46-53)

A good discussion, with photocopy of Bruce R. McConkie's private admission that

Brigham Young did teach the doctrine, is in Tanner, LDS Apostle Confesses

Brigham Young Taught Adam-God Doctrine, available from Utah Lighthouse Ministry.

Similar material is in Banister's book For Any Latter- Day Saint

http://www.mrm.org/articles/mcconkies-letter.html The text of McConkie's letter

admitting that Brigham Young did teach that Adam was God

See also: Adam is God??? by Chris A. Vlachos, pamphlet available from Utah

Lighthouse Ministry

POLYGAMY ("CELESTIAL MARRIAGE")

http://www.irr.org/mit/enigma.html A review of Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith,

by Linda King Newell and Valene Tippett Avery, University of Illinois Press,

1994; a biography of Joseph Smith's first wife, relating the development of

Smith's ideas on polygamy and her opposition to it.

http://utlm.org/topicalindexb.htm#Polygamy

http://www.nowscape.com/mormon/polyg.htm

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/denpract.htm Smith's public

(and untruthful) denials of the rumors about his practice of polygamy.

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/menwives.htm Documentation of

Smith's seduction of other men's wives.

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/clndest2.htm An early and generally

unknown revelation about polygamy

Mormon Polygamy: A History by Richard S. Van Wagoner, Signature Books, Salt Lake

City. An excellent history of its theory and practice, reviewed at

http://www.lds-mormon.com/POLYGAMY.SHTML.

http://www.polygamy.org Home page of Tapestry of Polygamy, a group of formerly

polygamous women who are exposing its evils as practiced by some Mormon groups

today.

THE "CURSE OF CAIN": THE CHANGING DOCTRINE ON SKIN COLOR

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/africanamerican.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexa.htm#Blacks

http://www.exmormon.org/blacks1.htm

http://www.lds-mormon.com/racism.shtml

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/byoung.htm#NEGRO Brigham Young's Doctrines on

the Black race

THE DOCTRINE OF "BLOOD ATONEMENT" AND THE DANITES ("AVENGING ANGELS")

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/bloodatonement.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexa.htm#Blood Atonement

http://www.exmormon.org/bloodatn.htm

http://www.exmormon.org/violence.htm

http://eddy.media.utah.edu/medsol/UCME/l/LEE,JOHN.html Also about Lee.

http://www.mormons.org/response/history/index.htm

http://eddy.media.utah.edu/medsol/UCME/r/ROCKWELL,ORIN.html About O. P.

Rockwell, a Danite and hit man for Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

http://www.media.utah.edu/medsol/UCME/d/DANITES.html

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/murder.html

http://www.mokamo.com/cam/history.html

http://www.irr.org/mit/faulring.html

The authoritative work on the Mountain Meadows Massacre is Juanita Brooks, The

Mountain Meadows Massacre, Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1991.

J. F. Gibbs's complete book Mountain Meadows Massacre is online at

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/meadowscontents.htm

THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM

http://www.irr.org/mit/boapage.html The complete book By His Own Hand Upon

Papyrus by Charles M. Larson

http://www.mrm.org/articles/abraham.html

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/index.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexb.htm#Book of Abraham

http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/chatm/seer2.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/abraham.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/alphabet.htm The text of Smith's

so-called Egyptian Alphabet & Grammar

THE "INSPIRED REVISION" OF THE BIBLE

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (RLDS) has long

used the version by Smith.

http://utlm.org/topicalindexc.htm#Inspired Revision of the Bible

THE KINDERHOOK PLATES

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/indekind.htm

http://utlm.org/topicalindexb.htm#Kinderhook Plates

http://www.nowscape.com/mormon/kindrhk/kindrhk.htm

JOSEPH SMITH'S PROPHECIES

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/prophet.htm A listing of many of Smith's

unfulfilled prophecies

http://www.saintsalive.com/mormonism/falseprophetjs.htm

http://www.mrm.org/articles/civilwar.html Joseph Smith's famous prophecy of the

Civil War

http://www.lds-mormon.com/civilwar.shtml Another article on the Civil War

prophecy

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech13.htm#Rocky Mountain Prophecy Joseph

Smith's prophecy about the Mormon move to the Rocky Mountains

http://www.alphamin.org/LETTERS/letter07.html

For some of Brigham Young's failed prophecies, see:

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/byoung.htm#PROPHECIES

JOSEPH SMITH'S DEATH

http://www.mormonism-web.com/true9701.htm

http://www.mormonism-web.com/expositr.htm The text of the Nauvoo Expositor, the

opposition paper which Smith destroyed, thus leading to his imprisonment and

death. It contains all the true accusations which Smith wanted suppressed

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech17.htm#Destruction of Expositor The

destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor

For a detailed discussion of Smith's political ambitions, his title "king" and

his secret government, see the book by D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy:

[Volume 1] The Origins of Power, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1994. (Quinn

was excommunicated from the Mormon church for his historical researches, but

remains a believer)

MORMON FALSIFICATION OF MORMON HISTORY

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/mormhist.htm D. Michael Quinn's Talk "On

Being A Mormon Historian" in which he urges the church authorities to be more

open in telling the entire history of the church, without coloring it. Rather

than follow his advice, the church excommunicated him.

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/legacy1.htm An evaluation of the

propaganda film Legacy, produced by the church.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin/persecution.htm An evaluation of the church's

claim that it was persecuted.

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/dunn.htm The uncovering of the lies told

by a high-ranking Mormon official

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/mantle.htm A speech by Boyd K. Packer, a

high-ranking church official, on how the church justifies its distortion of its

history. Also discussed at http://www.exmormon.org/disease.htm

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/purge.htm The recent purge of Mormon

historians who told too much

http://www.exmormon.org/lying.htm A discussion of speech by Dallin Oaks, a

high-ranking church official, on the need for withholding the whole truth.

http://www.exmormon.org/apology.htm

http://www.lds-mormon.com/LYING.SHTML

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/gbh&god.htm The present "prophet" Gordon B.

Hinckley lies about church doctrine in two interviews for the news media.

A good example of the church's distortion of history is its long cover-up of the

Mountain Meadows Massacre. See Juanita Brooks, The Mountain Meadows Massacre,

Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1991.

Also see J. F. Gibbs's complete book Mountain Meadows Massacre online at

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/meadowscontents.htm

PROHIBITION ON COFFEE, ETC. (THE "WORD OF WISDOM")

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/w_wisdom.htm Problems and

inconsistencies with this revelation.

http://utlm.org/onlinebooks/mclaims8.htm#The Word of Wisdom

TITHING, CHURCH WEALTH

http://www.mrm.org/articles/tithing.html

http://www.mindspring.com/~engineer_my_dna/mormon/tithing.htm

On the wealth of the church, see: Anson Shupe, Wealth and Power in American

Zion, Lewiston NY 1992, or John Heinerman and Anson Shupe, The Mormon Corporate

Empire, Beacon, 1988.

OBEDIENCE: "FOLLOW THE BRETHREN"

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/cannon.htm Excerpts from Under The

Prophet In Utah by Senator Frank J. Cannon, showing how the church leaders exert

power over members.

http://www.iperform.net/jwr/fourteen.htm A speech by Ezra Taft Benson, a recent

prophet and president, instructing members to obey the prophet without

questioning and without checking his advice against scripture.

http://www.lds-mormon.com/mothink.shtml

http://www.lds-mormon.com/THINKING.SHTML A critical article on the church's mind

control.

http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/purge.htm The recent mass

excommunications of intellectuals and historians who questioned church

authority.

http://www.iperform.net/jwr/heresies.htm Bruce R. McConkie on the heresy of

evolution.

HOMOSEXUALS, MASTURBATION

http://www.affirmation.org The website of Affirmation, an organization for

Mormons with homosexual leanings. Much information about the church's stance on

sex.

http://www.exmormon.org/byuhis.htm The treatment of male homosexuals at the

church university

http://www.affirmation.org/masturbation.htm A talk by Mormon apostle Mark E.

Petersen, on how to prevent masturbation.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/9156/WSWWB.HTM A critical article by

Jeffery R. Jensen, M.D., on the harm done by the church with its stance on

homosexuality.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/9156/HLDSSS.HTM Another article by Dr.

Jensen, criticizing the church's department of social services

http://www.iperform.net/jwr/only.html A speech by Boyd K. Packer on the evils of

masturbation in young men, and how to prevent it.

http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/judeochristian/protestantism/mormon/mormon-

masturbation.htm

POSITION OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Books by two exmormon women describing their difficulties with the church's

treatment of women:

Deborah Laake, Secret Ceremonies, Dell, 1993

Sonia Johnson, From Housewife to Heretic, Doubleday, 1981. Johnson was

excommunicated for her activism in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment.

http://www.exmormon.org/mormwomn.htm A woman's viewpoint.

http://www.lds-mormon.com/LYING.SHTML How the church misrepresents its stance on

the role of women.

PERSONAL STORIES BY FORMER MORMONS

The following site has the personal stories of over a hundred people who left

the church and their many different reasons for doing so.

http://www.exmormon.org/

For briefer comments from former Mormons, see

http://www.teleport.com/~packham/voices1.htm

IS MORMONISM A CULT?

The following links are to checklists and other guidelines, to help you to

evaluate whether any group (not just Mormonism) is a "cult."

http://www.csj.org/csj.org/infoserv_cult101/checklis.htm

http://www.csj.org/csj.org/infoserv_cult101/cult101.htm

http://www.shassan.com/ The home page of Steve Hassan, an authority on cults.

http://www.caic.org.au/zentry1.htm Jan Groenveld's Cult Awareness Centre

Comments: packham@teleport.com

Please let me know if you find that any links are out-dated, or if you can

suggest additional links. Thanks!

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