General Articles
Anti-Mormonism and ExMormons, why all the fuss?
When you begin learning about the Mormons and the Mormon Church, no doubt your friends, relatives, and neighbors will be shocked or amazed. They may tell you rumors they have heard about the terrible things Mormons do, or else try to convince that Mormons really aren’t Christians. From the very beginning, Mormons have been followed by rumors, misinformation, and even lies. Joseph Smith said that when the angel Moroni first appeared to him, the angel informed Joseph Smith, “that [his] name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people” (Joseph Smith-History 1:33).
That prophecy has come true, and faithful Mormons know that they must always confront such misinformation. Fortunately, persecution today does not include the mobbings and murders of the nineteenth century, but many people face huge obstacles when joining the Mormon Church. ... Read the rest of this article »
Find the Truth
It can be difficult to know what is true. In this age of satellite TV and broadband Internet, we are bombarded with more information than we can really process. Our senses are overloaded with information. There seems to be no more room for faith or for God. So, how does one begin to believe? There is no scientific method that leads a person to faith in God, but the scriptures, the Bible and the Book of Mormon give us some hints.
Paul said, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Sometimes, to gain faith, we must begin by hoping that something is true. In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Alma gave a sermon on how to develop faith. Faith, Alma said, is to “hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21, pg 289). To begin to have faith, we must first be humble. To be humble means to recognize that we are imperfect or that we have made some mistakes. It means to recognize that... Read the rest of this article »
Mountain Meadows Massacre
In attempting to discredit both the members and leaders of the Mormon Church, critics and opponents frequently refer to a tragic, isolated incident in the history of Mormonism which they claim proves that Mormons are violent and ready to kill any who oppose them. This incident, the Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred in early September, 1857, in Southern Utah. Contrary to the sensationalist and angry words that have been thrown at the Mormon Church and at Brigham Young, second Prophet and President of the Church in particular, this heartbreaking massacre of a wagon train had little to do with Mormonism or even with religion. Instead, it was the tragic and inexcusable act by a handful of frightened settlers who believed, right or wrong, that their lives were danger. They acted independently and rashly, but sadly their deeds remain in our memories.
To understand why this massacre happened, a little background is necessary. The Mormon Church was founded in... Read the rest of this article »
