I have been involved in the Mormon community online since 2006 or so when I began to study ex-Mormon narratives as part of my studies at Yale Divinity School. A simple Google search will demonstrate that Mormonism on the internet is presented, discussed, analyzed, and debated in a variety of ways. I have been a [...]
It has been far too long since I have posted about Theo1689 — the infamous Canadian Christian apologist who is on a one-man message board mission to convince Mormons of the theological “error of their ways.” For those unfamiliar with my previous treatment of Theo’s “Bible vs. Mormonism” views please see here, here, here, and [...]
One of the unfortunate consequences of the marginalization of Mormonism in American culture is the persistence of an “us vs. them” attitude that is pervasive throughout Mormon culture. From its beginnings, Mormonism faced tremendous religious criticism (as does any new religious tradition) from mainstream Christianity. This religious criticism subsided (but did not disappear) when [...]
Dear Ed, It was with great surprise that I saw your comment on Jack Meyer’s Clobberblog. It’s good to see you out there in the blogosphere. Before writing anything else I want to express my sincere concern for you and your family. I understand you have had significant health problems of late and I hope [...]
For my one or two (thanks Mom) loyal readers I must apologize for the delay in putting this post together. A paper which I recently presented at the American Academy of Religion’s Mid-Atlantic regional meeting has taken up most of my free time between school and work. For those of you who have an interest in learning [...]
Tomorrow I will be presenting a paper at the American Academy of Religion’s Mid-Atlantic regional meeting. The topic is Mormonism’s unique theology of gender. In my paper, I offer up a perspective on Joseph Smith’s teachings regarding exaltation and sexuality which may seem foreign to some “modern” Latter-day Saints. Essentially, I argue that Joseph Smith’s [...]
While visiting my parents over Christmas I attended worship services as the local ward – the ward I “grew up” in. It was a great experience for many reasons. I had a chance to see some close friends from High School and catch up with other Church members who I had not seen for many [...]
Please see my earlier posts (here and here). Also, To provide context for the brief discussion that follows, please keep in mind the question posed by CARM’s Theo1689 to Mormons who may make the dire mistake of visiting CARM’s discussion forums: 1) Why do you believe in “plural gods”, when the Bible teaches monotheism (Deut. [...]
It is with keen interest that I have watched a recent discussion at the Mormon Apologetics and Discussion Board (MADB) regarding the translation process Joseph Smith used to dictate the Book of Mormon and so-called “Truth in Advertising” ethics. In short, Jeff Ricks, the founder of postmormon.org, and Wade Englund, a long-time defender of the [...]
If you have not read my previous post on Theo1689, it may be helpful for you to browse what I have written there to provide context for what I discuss here. Before seeking to answer Theo1689’s questions about Mormon doctrine and dogma as it relates to the Biblical text, it is important to put a [...]
