One of the popular anti-Mormon arguments is that Joseph Smith stole Freemasonry to invent the temple endowment. The history and evidence do show that, like many influential men of the time including the Founding Fathers, Joseph Smith and several early Church leaders did join the Freemasons shortly before the Nauvoo Temple endowment. Nauvoo itself had … Read more
While Jeremy Runnells was enjoying the attention of ex-Mormon fame, fully convinced of the truth of anti-Mormonism and looking for additional ways to profit from what he saw as a strong business opportunity. He started a business called “Doubtsy.” Doubtsy was a short-lived for-profit business launched in 2017 by Jeremy Runnells, author of the influential … 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
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
One of the arguments in both the CES Letter and Letter for My Wife is that science supposedly disproves scripture. When I first read that section, I immediately discredited it as having any validity. Because of my background, I am fully aware of the many assumptions and contradictions that are considered science today. It’s really hard for me … Read more
For many, the most controversial doctrine in the Church is polygamy. What anti-Mormons and those estranged from the Church try to make us assume is that Joseph Smith was a sex-crazed pervert and pedophile who tried to use his power to manipulate women and justify immoral relations with them. And because of this lust crazed … Read more
Before we can fully understand modern criticisms of the Church, whether it is the CES Letter, the Letter For My Wife, or Instagram reels, we need to understand where these criticisms actually come from. Very few of these arguments are original. They have a clear origin, and once you understand it, the credibility of these … Read more