Criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement

See also: Criticism of Religion

Life-size figure of Joseph Smith

Criticism of Mormonism is the criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement, especially of the largest and most prominent group, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter referred to as the LDS Church). As defined here, criticism is an all-encompassing term referring to critical scrutiny of Mormon beliefs or practices, with reasons ranging from academic interest, to religious motivations, to outright prejudice.

Criticism can be of the theology, history or authenticity of the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham and other Mormon religious texts. The term anti-Mormon refers to those whose criticism is motivated chiefly by a desire to antagonize, although it is used by some members of the LDS Church to describe any critic of the Church's history, practices, or teachings.

Criticism by Christians

Criticism of Doctrine and Practices

Historical Christian theologians and Christian apologists who address the topic occasionally teach that Mormonism is a form of pseudo-Christianity (Many Infallible Proofs by Henry M. Morris, page 330), which has departed from historical Christianity's interpretation of the Bible and now espouses beliefs fundamentally different. Mormonism is sometimes referred to as a cult, due to doctrinal [1] issues.It has been pointed out that critics of Mormonism use subjective definitions of the the term cult (Is Mormonism a Cult by Kim Siever, page 1) in "order to further their message."

Nature of divinity

Main article: Godhead (Latter Day Saints)

Lorenzo Snow

Mormons have been criticized for rejecting the traditional Christian concept of the Trinity.. Mormons believe that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three different beings united in purpose, love, and perfection; they also believe that the Father (and Christ after his resurrection) has a physical body (see Godhead (Latter Day Saints)). In contrast, Trinitarian theology teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different persons united in substance (or essence), and that the Father does not have a physical body.

Some Mormon sects believe that the Father was once a man and became God at some point in the past, and that Mormons may eventually inherit the same state, called "Exaltation" by Mormons and "Deification" or "Theosis" when the same concept is used by non-Mormons. This concept was most famously summarized by Lorenzo Snow, who framed it as a couplet: "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be." Joseph Smith reportedly taught something similar in the King Follett Discourse, although he never recorded a scriptural passage explicitly teaching this idea, and this discourse was first published after his death, so that he would not have been able to correct any possible errors in the transcription. LDS authorities have not elaborated much on the doctrine, and there is some difference of interpretation among believers. A more certain statement of the LDS teaching is that human beings are literally God's children, and, "as such, each has a divine nature and destiny", as stated in an authoritative proclamation by the contemporary church leadership (see The Family: A Proclamation to the World). The LDS belief is that Christ's role through the atonement is essential to the eternal progression that is available to mankind, and that the plan offered to God's spirit children in the premortal life focused on mankind's agency, their opportunity to progress through the trials and oppositions of mortality, and the essential role that Jesus would play in offering salvation and exaltation through divine grace. (See Plan of Salvation).

These doctrines have been heavily criticized based on some interpretations of the Bible, often citing Isaiah 43:10, in which God declares: "before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." A possible alternate reading of this chapter reveals that God may be saying that no other God will ever take his place. This alternate reading does not result in a Biblical contradiction of Isaiah with the Lord in Psalms 82:6 or John 10:34.

Orthodox defense of the Trinity against Mormonism focuses on the doctrine of Divine unity, citing passages such as the Shema Yisrael. The LDS understanding of unity derives from the Gospel of John in the Holy Bible, specifically John 17:20-23.

Belief in exaltation has also been defended by reference to passages such as 2 Peter 1:4, as well as many statements by early Christians about humans being divinized (a doctrine known to the Eastern Orthodox as theosis). Some Christian apologists reply that there is only superficial similarity, noting the crucial distinction made between the Divine energies which creatures may participate in, and the Divine essence, which is uncreated and therefore entirely different from whatever is created. Thus, the controversy partly surrounds the distinction between possession of divine powers, and being a "god".

Salvation (Works Versus Faith)

Main article: Perfection (Latter Day Saints)

See also: Plan of Salvation

Another frequent topic of criticism, especially among evangelicals, is the basis of salvation. Mormons hold that there is no such thing as faith without works, based upon James 2:14-26. This is echoed in the Gospel of Matthew 7:21:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Some Christian denominations reject such theology, holding instead the belief that salvation is reached through faith alone. For example, in an article not specifically directed against Mormonism, John F. MacArthur said:

There are many who make justification dependent on a mixture of faith and works... This was the error of the Galatian legalists (cf. Galatians 2:16 5:4). Paul called it "a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6, 1:9). The same error is found in virtually every false cult.

This critique is not without controversy because it also condemns the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Because scripture exists to support either point-of-view, one interpretation over the other is not necessarily a distinguishing feature of Christianity. See also Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

Authority

Main article: Mormonism and authority

Joseph Smith claimed that the priesthood, which he defined as authority to act in God's name, had been removed because of apostasy (also known as a "falling away"), which Mormons believe occurred not long after the deaths of the original apostles, which they maintain was prophesied in the Bible (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Great Apostasy). This prophecy warned that an apostasy would occur prior to the second coming and was therefore in keeping with God's plan for mankind. Most Christians believe a complete apostasy is impossible. Christian apologist Patrick Madrid wrote:

Since Christ is the mind and head of his Church (Ephesians 4:15-16), animating the body, the members enjoy an organic spiritual union with him (John 15:1-8). It's inconceivable that he would permit his body to disintegrate under the attacks of Satan.

The LDS belief is that Christ, as Jehovah, also guided the Old Testament prophets and their followers, but that there are Biblical descriptions of many apostasies and warnings against them, evidencing that Jehovah, who was perfect, did not intercede to prevent mankind from using agency and corrupting the true teachings and practices He had established through His prophets.

Catholics often see the Mormon priesthood as a counterfeit of their own Apostolic Succession. Protestants, on the other hand, often believe in the priesthood of all believers.

Most Christians believe that the Canon of Scripture is closed, making the Bible the only sacred text for Christians, though the precise number of books in the Bible is disputed among different Christian denominations. Many Protestants consider the Bible the only infallible authority, a doctrine called Sola scriptura. Latter-day Saints believe that the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants are also the word of God, and encourage that all four "Standard Works" be read and studied, in addition to new revelations given to current prophets.

They also believe that if additional Scripture is found, it too should be embraced as the Word of God (e.g. Paul's Letter to the Laodiceans, which has never been found but referred to by Paul in Colossians 4:16, see also Epistle to the Laodiceans).

Criticism by scientists

Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Main article: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Critics claim that the Book of Mormon is incompatible with archaeology. The Book of Mormon states that there were pre-Columbian peoples that were white, literate, had knowledge of Old World languages, and possessed Old World derived writing systems. (E.g. 1 Nephi 13:23 et. seq.) They smelted metal and made tools and weapons of iron, steel, and brass. (E.g. Ether 7:9, 10:23) They owned domesticated horses and cattle. They possessed chariots. (E.g. Alma 18:9-12) The people covered the "entire land." Critics of the Book of Mormon claim that the civilization described by these passages and scores of others in the Book of Mormon should yield certain types of discoveries in the pre-Columbian archaeological record. A documentary entitled The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon [2] produced by Living Hope Ministries outlines many of these challenges. However, proponents claim that such discoveries have been made.

Genetics and the Book of Mormon

Main article: Genetics and the Book of Mormon

Many critics claim that the Book of Mormon is incompatible with genetics as well. Since the late 1990s and the pioneering work of Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and others, scientists have developed potent techniques to use genetic markers to indicate the ethnic background and history of individual people. It has thus become possible to directly compare genetic evidence of the ethnic background of Native Americans with the story of the Book of Mormon. Studies claim that Native Americans have very distinctive DNA genetic markers inconsistent with the story of the Book of Mormon. This controversy is the subject of a video entitled DNA vs. The Book of Mormon, produced by Living Hope Ministries. An argument by LDS scientists is that the DNA taken from modern day Israelis has been intermixed with DNA from many other nations, thus they do not contain the same traits that Israelites once had, back when Lehi left Israel. Also, Native Americans have been intermixed, distorting their ancestors' true DNA as well. Nevertheless, the lack of any correlation between ancient Native American DNA and peoples of the Near East support the hypothesis that a traditional Mormon interpretation of the origin of Native Americans is unfounded.

Linguistics and the Book of Mormon

Main article: Linguistics and the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon contains many linguistic similarities to the King James Bible. In some cases, entire passages of scripture are duplicated in the Book of Mormon. Sometimes the source is acknowledged, as in the book of 2 Nephi, where 18 chapters of Isaiah are quoted. The English text is copied nearly verbatim from the Authorized Version, with minor changes in the majority of verses. In other cases, the source is not acknowledged, especially in the case of seemingly anachronistic borrowings.

Other significant connections between the two books include Book of Mormon words and phrases that only appear in their KJV usage, perpetuation of Bible passages considered by most scholars to have been mistranslated in the King James Version, and the apparent use of English homophones. Additionally, one LDS scholar has made the observation that the Book of Mormon uses an archaic vocabulary that seems to reflect 16th- and 17th-century usage rather than the 19th-century usage one would expect if it had been authored by Joseph Smith (Skousen 2005).

Criticism of policy

Women and Mormonism

Main article: Women and Mormonism

The status of women in Mormonism has been a source of public debate beginning prior to the death of Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844. Various denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement have taken different paths on the subject of women and their role in the church and in society—views ranging from the full equal status and ordination of women to the priesthood as practiced by the Community of Christ, to the Catholic-like patriarchal system practiced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today, to the ultra-patriarchal plural marriage system practiced by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and other Mormon fundamentalist groups.

Blacks and Mormonism

Main article: Blacks and Mormonism

The first reference in Latter Day Saint writings describing dark skin as a curse and mark from God refers to Ancient Americans, rather than blacks. The Book of Mormon, published in the late 1820s, mentions the Lamanites as the ancestors of some tribes of Native Americans:

And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them." (2 Nephi 5:21, emphasis added)

The Book of Mormon seems to imply that dark skin was heritable, passed down through generations to a group of Lamanites known as Anti-Nephi-Lehis or Ammonites who became converted to the group of God, "they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them." (Alma 23:18) Later, the Book of Mormon claims that another group of Lamanites converted, "their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites... and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites." (3 Nephi 2:15-16).

Having separated themselves from the people of God, the Lamanites had regressed into a state of ignorance and iniquity and, by doing so, had cursed themselves and their posterity. The black skin represented their spiritual blindness and constituted the mark of the curse (see 2 Nephi 30:6). Possible intermarriage with local tribes would explain both the heritable nature of the dark skin and the sudden change from civilized Hebrew society to a loin-cloth culture of idleness, "full of mischief and subtlety"

But The Book of Mormon never actually countenanced any form of curse-based discrimination. It stated that the Lord "denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile". (2 Nephi 26:33). In fact, prejudice against people of dark skin was condemned:

O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God. Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness..." (Jacob 3:8-9).

In 1978, an official declaration of the First Presidency reported that a revelation had been received by Mormon Church President Spencer W. Kimball directing that all worthy men be allowed to receive the priesthood.

A Mormon leader said this about one of the early Mormon converts in Africa:

Moses Mahlangu, of Soweto, South Africa, patiently but persistently waited sixteen years for baptism. When he speaks of his long wait to join the Church, Brother Mahlangu compares himself to Cornelius, who he says was “very good in waiting to receive the word of God or to be a member of the Church until the angels came and told him what to do.” (See Acts 10:1–7.) Today, at age sixty-three, Moses is a groundskeeper at the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, which he regularly attends. He is also the elders quorum president in the Soweto Branch. Brother Mahlangu is only one of many Africans who have been blessed by the revelation President Spencer W. Kimball announced in June 1978 granting the priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy males. The revelation was of great eternal significance. (E. Dale LeBaron, “Gospel Pioneers in Africa,” Ensign, Aug. 1990, 40)

The debate among Mormons as to whether the "curse" was inspired doctrine continues.

Homosexuality and Mormonism

Main article: Homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers homosexuality or homosexual behavior to be sinful just as adultery and fornication are considered to be sinful. Homosexual desire when dwelled on is also viewed as sinful. The LDS church encourages its members not to "feed any such tempted desire."

The LDS Church as an institution does not endorse any political party, candidate or legislation, but many individual Latter-day Saints have actively opposed efforts to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions. LDS doctrine holds that heterosexual marriage is one of many requirements for entry into the "highest degree of glory" of the Celestial Kingdom, the highest of the three heavens mentioned by Paul in the New Testament. Marriage between a man and a woman is not only required but is considered an essential part in the so named heaven being that family (nuclear family) is believed to be the fundamental unit of society in this life and in heaven.

The church believes homosexuality to be a problem which is destructive to families and to individuals. Members who experience these "problems" are counseled to receive guidance and help from their family, bishop, or presiding authority. It is also considered as serious as adultery and fornication because Mormons believe all three are difficult to give up, undermine the family, and are sins for which one must repent.

In order to give a more clear view on the LDS view of same-sex marriage; the current church president (Gordon B. Hinckley) said in a 2004 interview with Larry King the following...

"Well, we're not anti-gay. We are pro-family. Let me put it that way. And we love these people and try to work with them and help them. We know they have a problem. We want to help them solve that problem." (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0412/26/lkl.01.html)

The LDS Church is against any form of homosexuality but also is opposed to and officially condemns persecution and violence against gays and lesbians, and encourages people to instead treat homosexuals as neighbors in accordance to Christ's teachings of neighborly love, in whatever the actions they choose.

Critics of Mormonism

There are several organizations with various individual activities which oppose the Mormon church. In most cases the primary activity is informational – they seek to provide what they regard as a true picture of the Mormon church. Some are independent while others are connected with parent churches, and not all are Christian. Examples of such organizations are:

• Utah Lighthouse Ministry (founded by Jerald and Sandra Tanner)
• "Mormon Research Ministry".
• "Mormons in Transition".
• "The Exmormon Foundation".
• Living Hope Ministries (Official Website)

Some Mormon critics have become well-known for their activities. A few of them are:

• Jacob Weisberg
• Arthur Budvarson
• Ed Decker
• Bill McKeever
• Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Some Utah residents are often described as Anti-Mormon due to political opposition of many popular conservative political agendas. This is vastly different from the Anti-Mormon beliefs of some fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who oppose Mormon Theology. Many Utah media outlets such as The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City Weekly, and the University of Utah's Daily Utah Chronicle are often described as "Anti-Mormon" even though some of the contributors are Mormon themselves. Many of these charges surfaced when Mark Hofmann sold forged documents to the LDS Church and when Salt Lake City sold one block of Main Street to the church, with what many felt was too little public input.

In the case of the Salt Lake Tribune, this reputation stems from the paper being founded as an anti-Mormon publication in the 1800s. Over the years this position has moderated significantly. The other major newspaper in Utah is the Deseret Morning News, founded by the Church. The two papers routinely cooperate in a number of areas, including sharing advertising and distribution channels.

See also

• Anti-Mormon
• Book of Mormon
• Ex-Mormons
• Three Nephites
• Jesus in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Book of Abraham
• The Book of Mormon and the King James Bible
• "Same-Gender Attraction" from the Official Church Newsroom

External links

LDS Apologetic Websites

• LDS.org - The official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Brief historiography of anti-Mormonism - Maintained by Jeff Lindsay
• The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) - A non-profit organization providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice
• Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies - An organization devoted to the scholarly study of Mormonism

Critical Websites

• Exmormon.org - For those who have left the LDS Church, or for those considering leaving.
• Utah Lighthouse Ministry - Maintained by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
• Concerned Christians - Evangelical ministry of former Mormons to expose what they believe to be the truth about Mormonism
• Questions Mormons should ask themselves