Alma 
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
Going through temple open houses is always a good experience. It’s neat to see the beautiful architecture of a new temple. As I took our four youngest children to the open house of the Burley Temple, it reminded me of when I was a teenager volunteering at the Bountiful Temple open house. I remember being … Read more
In this Standard of Truth Podcast, Dr. Dirkmaat discusses questions that can’t be answered without the restored gospel and why members who leave the Church struggle so much with the problem of evil. Without the restoration, and without the truths that came through Joseph Smith, there is no way to give a consistent answer. The … Read more
I listened to this talk by Jared Halverson that can help people who are working through doubts or questions about their faith. He explains how the plan of salvation mirrors our mortal experience. We begin with a “creation” stage where things seem simple and clear. Then we eventually hit the “fall” stage, where questions and … Read more
The Savior said, by their fruits ye shall know them. According to statistics, the more religious people are, the happier they are. When it comes to religiousity in America, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are the most religious people in a number of ways. Prayer: Church members pray more than … Read more
While searching for information about the CES Letter, I came across the story of a once faithful member of the Church who once struggled with doubts about Church history and the Restoration. His slide into disbelief started from simple curiosity about things he had never heard discussed while growing up. Plural marriage, early Church history, … Read more
I love President Nelson. I saw a portion of this talk on Instagram this morning and immediately felt the Spirit. I have no doubt that he genuinely believed all of the things he taught and prophesied about. He was a good man who had the respect of everyone who knew him. The spirit resonated through … Read more
There are two specific instances from my mission where the Spirit was so strong and unbelievably thick and powerful during discussions, when we shared the Restoration of the Gospel, the First Vision, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Glen and Melanie The first was in my greenie area of Medicine Hat. My … 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
I listened to this Stick of Joseph podcast this morning where a group broke down the statistical probability that Joseph Smith could have “written the Book of Mormon.” When you actually look at the data, the naturalistic explanation collapses. Joseph was a 24-year-old subsistence farmer with a second-grade education, no literary training, and not a … Read more