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The [[Book of Abraham]] is ostensibly a translation of [[Joseph Smith Papyri|Egyptian papyri]] which came into the possession of Joseph Smith. Upon analysis, [[Egyptologists]] found that Joseph Smith's translation bears no resemblance to the actual text of the papyri and images contained therein. Members of the LDS Church accept the Book of Abraham as a divinely translated document, whereas other [[List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement|branches]] of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] take alternative views or do not consider it scripture.<ref>http://www.strangite.com/Scriptures.htm</ref><ref>http://www.cofchrist.org/newspeace/From%20Reaction%20to%20Proaction.pdf</ref>
The [[Book of Abraham]] is ostensibly a translation of [[Joseph Smith Papyri|Egyptian papyri]] which came into the possession of Joseph Smith. Upon analysis, [[Egyptologists]] found that Joseph Smith's translation bears no resemblance to the actual text of the papyri and images contained therein. Members of the LDS Church accept the Book of Abraham as a divinely translated document, whereas other [[List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement|branches]] of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] take alternative views or do not consider it scripture.<ref>http://www.strangite.com/Scriptures.htm</ref><ref>http://www.cofchrist.org/newspeace/From%20Reaction%20to%20Proaction.pdf</ref>


==Criticisms of Joseph Smith==
==Criticism of Joseph Smith Jr.==
{{Main|Joseph Smith, Jr.}}
{{main|Criticism of Joseph Smith Jr.}}
[[Joseph Smith Jr.]], founder of the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], has been criticized by various contemporaries, historians, and researchers. Some criticisms accuse Smith of being a [[pious fraud]], others claim that he had an immoral character, and others claim that he induced followers to join his church and follow his commands so that he could gain power and reap material and sexual rewards. In spite of the criticisms, most critics acknowledge that Smith was a charismatic and intelligent leader.<ref name=autogenerated3>
Critics allege that [[Joseph Smith, Jr.]] invented [[Mormonism]] in order to gain money, women, and power.<ref name=autogenerated3>
{{cite book|
{{cite book|
title=The History of the Saints: Or An Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism|
title=The History of the Saints: Or An Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism|
Line 53: Line 53:
isbn=025202589X
isbn=025202589X
}}
}}
</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Brodie|1995}}{{Page number}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite book
| title=No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith
⚫
</ref><ref name=autogenerated7>
| link=No Man Knows My History
| last=Brodie
| first=Fawn M.
| authorlink=Fawn M. Brodie
| year=1995
| publisher=Vintage
| isbn=0679730540
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite book
⚫
| title=One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church
⚫
| publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press
⚫
| year=2003
⚫
| isbn=1568582838
⚫
| first=Richard
| last=Abanes
| authorlink=Richard Abanes
⚫
}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated7>
{{cite book|
{{cite book|
title=Revelation Plain And Simple|
title=Revelation Plain And Simple|
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</ref>
</ref>


During Smith's lifetime, several associates criticised Smith, including [[Eber D. Howe]] author of ''[[Mormonism Unvailed]],'' [[John C. Bennett]] author of ''History of the Saints; or, an Expose of Joe Smith and Mormonism'', and [[Oliver Cowdery]]. Notable critics of Smith from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries include [[Fawn Brodie]] author of ''[[No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith]],'' [[David Persuitte]] author of ''[[Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon]], '' [[John Krakauer]] author of ''[[Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith]],'' [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner]] author of ''[[Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?]],'' and [[Richard Abanes]] author of ''[[One Nation Under Gods]].''
===Allegations of Smith's slander of women who refused plural marriage===
Joseph Smith has been criticized for slandering the reputations of women who refused to become his polygamous wives. [[Sarah Marinda Bates Pratt#Criticism in the local and Mormon Press|Published allegations of adultery]] against [[Sarah Marinda Bates Pratt|Sarah Pratt]] and [[John C. Bennett|Bennett]] appeared in local and church publications<ref>''[[The Wasp (newspaper)|Nauvoo Wasp]]'' 1 [October 15, 1842]: 2</ref> with signed affidavits from her neighbors Stephen and Zeruiah Goddard and others. Dr. Robert D. Foster made the following allegation against Bennett and Pratt: {{cquote|Alas, none but the seduced join the seducer [Dr. Bennett]; those only who have been arraigned before a just tribunal for the same unhallowed conduct can be found to give countenance to any of his black hearted lies, and they, too, detest him for his seduction, these are the ladies to whom he refers his hearers to substantiate his assertions. Mrs. White, Mrs. Pratt, Niemans, Miller, Brotherton, and others.<ref>''Nauvoo Wasp'' 1 [October 15, 1842]: 2</ref> }} Pratt later claimed that Zeruiah Goddard told her these testimonies were made under threat from Joseph's brother [[Hyrum Smith]]: {{cquote|It is not my fault; [[Hyrum Smith]] [Joseph's brother] came to our house, with the affidavits all written out, and forced us to sign them. Joseph and the Church must be saved, said he. We saw that resistance was useless, they would have ruined us; so we signed the papers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Smith|1971}}, {{Harvnb|Van Wagoner|1986}}</ref>}} The author Richard S. Van Wagoner concluded that the adultery charges against Sarah Pratt are "highly improbable" and could "be dismissed as slander."<ref name="autogenerated4">{{Harvnb|Van Wagoner|1986}}</ref> In addition to Sarah Pratt, Van Wagoner states that Nancy Rigdon and Martha Brotherton, "also suffered slanderous attacks because they exposed the Church's private polygamy posture."<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Wagoner|1986|pp=76–77}}</ref> [[Orson Pratt]] stood by his wife Sarah in preference to the denials of Smith, who told his disciple Orson that "If [Orson] did believe his wife and follow her suggestions he would go to hell".<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Wagoner|1986|pp=77}}</ref> [[Wilford Woodruff]] stated that "Dr. John Cook Bennett was the ruin of Orson Pratt".<ref>Watson, E.J. (1975) ''The Orson Pratt Journals'', Salt Lake City: 180</ref> Van Wagoner and Walker note that, on August 20, 1842, "after four days of fruitless efforts at reconciliation, the Twelve excommunicated Pratt for 'insubordination' and Sarah for 'adultery'".<ref>Van Wagoner, R.S. & Walker, S.C. (1982) ''A Book of Mormons'', Salt Lake City: Signature Books ISBN 0-941214-06-0, at 212</ref>

[[Sidney Rigdon]] wrote a letter to the ''[[Messenger and Advocate]]'' in 1844 condemning the church's Quorum of the Twelve and their alleged connection to polygamy, {{cquote|It is a fact so well known that the Twelve and their adherents have endeavored to carry on this spiritual wife business … and have gone to the most shameful and desperate lengths to keep from the public. First, insulting innocent females, and when they resented the insult, these monsters in human shape would assail their characters by lying, and perjuries, with a multitude of desperate men to help them effect the ruin of those whom they insulted, and all this to enable them to keep these corrupt practices from the world.<ref name="autogenerated7">{{Harvnb|Van Wagoner|1986|pp=83}}</ref> }}

====Allegations that Smith allowed abortions for plural wives====
{{See also|List of the wives of Joseph Smith, Jr.}}
Smith was accused by Sarah Pratt in an 1886 interview with "vitriolic anti-Mormon journalist W. Wyl"<ref>[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=290 ''The Prophet Joseph Smith and His Plural Wives''], [[Richard Lloyd Anderson|Anderson, Richard L.]] & [[Scott H. Faulring|Faulring, Scott H.]], ''[[FARMS Review of Books]]'' 10:2</ref> of allowing [[John C. Bennett]], a medical doctor, to perform abortions on polygamous wives who were officially single, which she alleged limited Smith's progeny from these wives.<ref name="Smith 1971 p. 113">{{Harvnb|Smith|1971|pp=113}} [http://books.google.com/books?id=BWM7yHuIyAUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Saintly+Scoundrel:+The+Life+and+Times+of+Dr.+John+Cook+Bennett&sig=ACfU3U0tTatRfP_jwPSfVULPEv2XP-8lBw#PPA113,M1 link]</ref> She based this on statements made to her by Bennett.<ref>[http://olivercowdery.com/smithhome/1886WWyl.htm#pg060a ''JOSEPH SMITH THE PROPHET: HIS FAMILY AND HIS FRIENDS''], copy of Wilhelm Ritter von Wymetal's 1886 book</ref><ref name=Wymetal>{{Harvnb|Wymetal|1886|pp=60–61}} [http://olivercowdery.com/smithhome/1886WWyl.htm#pg061a link]</ref> [[Orson Pratt]], Sarah Pratt's husband, considered Bennett a liar {{cquote|J.C. Bennett has published lies concerning myself & family & the people with which I am connected....His book I have read with the greatest disgust. No candid honest man can or will believe it. He has disgraced himself in eyes of all civilized society who will despise his very name,"<ref name="autogenerated4"/> }} whereas Sarah Pratt herself said, "[I] know that the principle statements in John C. Bennett's book on Mormonism are true."<ref name="autogenerated7"/>

===Different accounts of the First Vision===
{{Main|First Vision}}
[[Richard Abanes]] and the Tanners note that ten differing accounts of the First Vision have been recorded, which they claim contain contradictory information about what beings were present and what they said.<ref>{{Harvnb|Abanes|2003|pp=14-18
}}</ref><ref name="changing"/> [[Grant H. Palmer]] points out evidence that Joseph Smith did not speak about the First Vision until a decade after it was said to have occurred.<ref name="palmer">Palmer, Grant H. (2002), An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, [[Signature Books]], ISBN 156085157: "The earliest allusion, oral or written, to the first vision is the brief mention that was transcribed in June 1830 and originally printed in the Book of Commandments." Palmer, 235.</ref> Furthermore, the first published account came 22 years after it was said to have occurred, in 1842, shortly before Smith's death.<ref name="palmer"/> Some of the accounts only mention a visitation by an angel, while others detail a visit by [[God the Father]] and [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] as separate beings, as in Smith's 1838 account, which Palmer notes is coincidental with a crisis which then developed around the Book of Mormon.<ref name="palmer"/> The 1838 version is the account which is officially accepted by the LDS church.<ref>In the [[Pearl of Great Price (Latter Day Saints)|Pearl of Great Price]]: [[Joseph Smith—History]] 1:16-17</ref> The earliest known account written by Joseph Smith himself indicates a visitation by Jesus Christ, but does not mention God the Father. Other details of this account differ from the official version<ref name="changing">{{Harvnb|Tanner|1979|pp=148-171}}</ref>.

===Criticism that prophecies of Joseph Smith have failed===
{{Main|Prophecies of Joseph Smith, Jr.}}
[[Richard Abanes|Abanes]], the Tanners, and the [[Institute for Religious Research]] contend that Joseph Smith could not be a genuine [[prophet]] because certain statements he allegedly made that they interpret as prophecies did not come true.<ref name="abanes">{{cite book|
⚫
title=One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church|
⚫
publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|
⚫
year=2003|
⚫
isbn=1568582838|
pages=461–467|
⚫
first=Richard|last=Abanes
}}</ref><ref>[http://www.irr.org/mit/jsfalpro.html Failed Prophecies of Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith: Evidence Joseph a false prophet<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>
{{cite web|
url=http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/falseprophecies.htm|
title=UTLM list of failed J. Smith prophecies|
accessdate=2007-12-11}}</ref> See [[prophecies of Joseph Smith, Jr.]] for list of prophecies.

==="Money digging" activities===
{{Main|Early life of Joseph Smith, Jr.#Work as a treasure hunter and marriage to Emma Hale}}
[[Dan Vogel]] claims that Joseph Smith's [[treasure hunting]] activities in his youth<ref>Vogel, Dan (1994), "The Locations of Joseph Smith's Early Treasure Quests", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 27 (3): 197–231,[http://content.lib.utah.edu/cgi-bin/docviewer.exe?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=17325&CISOSHOW=17 195]</ref> (couched by critics as "money digging") lends support to the theory that he fabricated the [[Book of Mormon]].<ref>
{{Harvnb|Tanner|1979|pp=67-91}}</ref> Smith was employed to find treasure using a variety of methods, including [[scrying]]<ref>Bushman, Richard Lyman. ''Joseph Smith:Rough Stone Rolling''. New York. 2006. pg. 131</ref> and use of [[divining rod]]s. In 1826, after a former business partner accused him of not coming through on a promise to find treasure, Smith was arrested, and examined by a justice of the peace in Bainbridge, New York.<ref>As detailed in The Salt Lake City Messenger, August, 1971. See also http://www.utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech4.htm</ref>

The [[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]] asserts that treasure hunting and [[dowsing|divining]] practices associated with it were common during the life of Joseph Smith; and that it was a necessary part of his development in discerning good from evil.<ref>Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, in the article "History of the Church" as quoted by Jeff Lindsay at http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_prophets.shtml#convict</ref> Additionally, apologist [[Jeff Lindsay]] claims that the account of the arrest and conviction was either fabricated or mischaracterized in order to defame Smith.<ref>[http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQ_prophets.shtml#convict Mormon/LDS Answers: Questions about LDS Prophets and the Mormons<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Kinderhook plates===
{{Main|Kinderhook plates}}

Critics, including [[Fawn M. Brodie]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Brodie|1995}}</ref> the [[Jerald and Sandra Tanner|Tanners]], and the [[Institute for Religious Research]]<ref>[http://www.irr.org/mit/kinderhook-plates.html Joseph Smith and the Kinderhook Plates: Overview and Current Perspectives<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> call Smith's ability to translate into question by pointing to a purported hoax involving the [[Kinderhook plates]], ancient-looking artifacts reportedly planted in 1843 in an Indian mound near [[Kinderhook, Illinois]]. According to Wilbur Fugate in 1879<ref>{{cite web|
author=McKeever, Bill and Shafovaloff, Aaron|
title=Fooling the Prophet with the Kinderhook Plates|
work=|
publisher=Mormonism Research Ministry|
url=http://www.mrm.org/kinderhook-plates|
accessdate=2009-06-05
}}</ref>, the plates were carefully forged by men from Kinderhook who were hoping to trick their Mormon neighbors in [[Nauvoo, Illinois|Nauvoo]]. These critics cite a number of statements to demonstrate that Smith attempted to translate the plates, including page 372 of the Documentary History of the Church (DHC): "I [Joseph Smith] have translated a portion of them, and find they contain the history of the person with whom they were found. He was a descendant of Ham, through the loins of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and that he received his kingdom from the Ruler of heaven and earth".<ref>DHC 5:372</ref>

Diane Wirth argues that the relevant portion of the History of the Church may have been [[Ghostwriter|ghost-written]] by [[William Clayton (Mormon)|William Clayton]], Smith's scribe, despite being in Smith's voice, and cannot be fully attributed to Smith.<ref>Diane Wirth, writing in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon (4: 210), discredits the DHC account by writing: “Joseph Smith’s supposed statement that the Kinderhook plates were authentic and that they were the ‘records of the descendants of Ham,’ came from the journal of William Clayton, who wrote in the first person, as though from the mouth of Joseph Smith. A first-person narrative was apparently a common practice of this time period when a biographical work was being compiled. Since such words were never penned by the Prophet, they cannot be uncritically accepted as his words or his opinion.”</ref> Other researchers question the reliability of the Fugate confession and point to evidence that the plates could have been authentic.<ref>{{cite web|
author=Stewart, David G. Jr.|
title=The Kinderhook Plates|
work=Scriptures, History, and Science|
publisher=Cumorah.com|
url=http://www.cumorah.com/index.php?target=scriptures_articles&story_id=14|
accessdate=2009-06-05
}}</ref>


==Criticism of temple ceremonies==
==Criticism of temple ceremonies==

Revision as of 19:50, 12 October 2009

Protesters in front of the Newport Beach California Temple voicing their opposition to the LDS Church's support of Prop 8
This redirect is about the early years of the LDS movement. For criticism of the largest branch of that faith, see Criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early Criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement (also called Mormonism) began in 1829, when newspaper editors began criticizing the soon-to-be published Book of Mormon which Joseph Smith, Jr., the movement's founder, said he had translated from ancient prophetic records. Criticism of Smith and the church he founded continued throughout his life, which ended in 1844 when he was assassinated by a mob. This article covers criticism of the movement during his lifetime and the aftermath of his death. It includes both internal criticism by loyal members of Smith's organization and external criticism by non-Mormons and by Mormons who had broken with Smith's organization.

Criticism of the early movement can be divided into five eras relating to the region from which the criticism originated. First, there was early criticism centered around the New England area where Mormonism was founded, focusing mainly on the Book of Mormon and on Smith's reputation among his neighbors in his home town of Palmyra, New York. The second era of criticism took place in the region of Kirtland, Ohio, where Smith moved his church in the early 1830s. The most prominent criticism during this era concerned Smith's handling of failed economic experiments such as the Kirtland Safety Society and the United Order. The third era of criticism took place in Missouri, where the church was attempting to colonize to establish their City of Zion, and in the process had alienated many of the local Missourians. After Mormons were forced to leave Missouri due to the Mormon extermination order issued by Governor Boggs,[1] an era of intense criticism took place in the church's new headquarters of Nauvoo, Illinois. The criticism of one particular newspaper, the Nauvoo Expositor, initiated a chain of events which eventually led to the Death of Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844 at the hands of an angry mob, who feared a Mormon takeover.[2] After Smith's death, the succession crisis ensued, and various movement denominations struggled for leadership levying criticisms against each prospective leader primarily regarding authority or doctrine.[3] In the late 1800s, critics disapproved of the LDS Church's practice of polygamy. Federal legislators actively began passing laws designed to weaken the church.[citation needed]

Throughout the history of the movement, critics have questioned the legitimacy of Smith as a prophet and the historicity of the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price.

Criticism of sacred texts

Main article: Criticism of Mormon sacred texts

Book of Mormon

Main article: Criticism of the Book of Mormon

Origin

Main article: Origin of the Book of Mormon

There are several theories as to the actual origin of the Book of Mormon. Most adherents of the Latter Day Saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture. The most common theory accepted by adherents is that promoted by Joseph Smith, Jr., who said he translated the work from an ancient set of golden plates inscribed by prophets, which Smith discovered near his home in western New York in Palmyra, New York in the 1820s after being told to go there by the angel Moroni; the last of a successive line of ancient American prophets, charged to record both the secular and religious events of their day as a testament of God’s dealings with a separated branch of the children of Israel, (spanning a timeline of about 1000 years, 600 BC – to just over 400 AD.). Besides Smith himself, there are more than 11 witnesses who said they saw the plates physically (three claiming to have been visited by the same Moroni as well. This was a physical visitation where they “hefted and handled” the plates as well as heard Devine manifestation as part of the experience. Even though many of these witness turned away from Joseph Smith and the church, as personal differences arose, some becoming quite antagonistic and indifferent toward the Mormon movement, none ever recanted what they saw and heard. These very testamonies are contained in the Title Page of every copy of The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

There are also many other witnesses, some of them friendly to Smith and some hostile, who observed him dictating the text that eventually became the Book of Mormon.[4]

Nevertheless, critics have explored a number of issues, including (1) whether Joseph Smith actually had golden plates, or whether the text of the Book of Mormon originated in his mind or through inspiration; (2) whether it was Smith himself who composed the book's text, or whether an associate of Smith's such as Oliver Cowdery or Sidney Rigdon could have composed the text; and (3) whether the book was based on a prior work such as the View of the Hebrews, the Spalding Manuscript, or the Bible.

A painting of Joseph Smith Jr. receiving the Golden Plates from the angel Moroni.

Historicity

Main article: Historicity of the Book of Mormon

The question of whether the Book of Mormon is an actual historical work or a work of fiction has long been a source of contention between members of the Latter Day Saint movement and non-members. For many Mormons, Book of Mormon historicity is a matter of faith, and the LDS run Brigham Young University has done research on the places described in the Book of Mormon. For non-members, on the other hand, its historicity is not accepted, and specific claims made in the Book of Mormon have been questioned from a number of different perspectives.

Archaeology

Main article: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

Since the introduction of the Book of Mormon in 1830, both Mormon and non-Mormon archaeologists have studied its claims in reference to known archaeological evidence. Latter Day Saints generally believe that the Book of Mormon describes historical events; however, the existence of the civilizations and people described in the Book of Mormon is not accepted by mainstream historians or archaeologists.

Book of Abraham

Main article: Book of Abraham

The Book of Abraham is ostensibly a translation of Egyptian papyri which came into the possession of Joseph Smith. Upon analysis, Egyptologists found that Joseph Smith's translation bears no resemblance to the actual text of the papyri and images contained therein. Members of the LDS Church accept the Book of Abraham as a divinely translated document, whereas other branches of the Latter Day Saint movement take alternative views or do not consider it scripture.[5][6]

Criticism of Joseph Smith Jr.

Main article: Criticism of Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, has been criticized by various contemporaries, historians, and researchers. Some criticisms accuse Smith of being a pious fraud, others claim that he had an immoral character, and others claim that he induced followers to join his church and follow his commands so that he could gain power and reap material and sexual rewards. In spite of the criticisms, most critics acknowledge that Smith was a charismatic and intelligent leader.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

During Smith's lifetime, several associates criticised Smith, including Eber D. Howe author of Mormonism Unvailed, John C. Bennett author of History of the Saints; or, an Expose of Joe Smith and Mormonism, and Oliver Cowdery. Notable critics of Smith from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries include Fawn Brodie author of No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith, David Persuitte author of Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon, John Krakauer author of Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, Jerald and Sandra Tanner author of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?, and Richard Abanes author of One Nation Under Gods.

Criticism of temple ceremonies

Main article: Temple (LDS Church)

Critics find fault with the LDS Church's temple policies and ceremonies, which include an endowment ceremony, weddings, and proxy baptism for the dead.

Temple admission restricted

Richard and Joan Ostling, and Hugh F. Pyle claim that the LDS Church's policy on temple admission is unreasonable, noting that even relatives cannot attend a temple marriage unless they are members of the church in good standing.[13][14] The Ostlings, the Institute for Religious Research and Jerald and Sandra Tanner claim that, even though tithing is biblical mandate "Malachi 3:8-10", the attendance rules are unreasonable because part of being a member in good standing includes declaring oneself a "full-tithe payer" (one who pays a tithe to the church).[15][16][17] The Mormonism Research Ministry calls this "coerced tithing" because admission to the Celestial Kingdom requires receipt of the ordinances administered in the endowment and marriage ceremonies, which are performed only within a temple.[18][19] For a list of requirements for entering the temple, see Requirements for entering LDS Church temples.

Baptism for the dead

Main article: Baptism for the dead

The LDS Church teaches that a living person, acting as proxy, can be baptized by immersion on behalf of a deceased person, citing 1 Corinthians 15:29;[20] John 5:25; and 1 Peter 4:6 for doctrinal support.[21] These baptisms for the dead are performed in temples. Critics challenge this doctrine and the manner in which the church puts it into practice.[who?]

Doctrinal criticism

Floyd C. McElveen and the Institute for Religious Research claim that verses to support Baptism for the Dead are not justified by contextual exegesis of the Bible.[22][23] In 2008 The Vatican issued a statement calling the practice "erroneous" and directing its dioceses to keep parish records from Mormons performing genealogical research.[24]

Endowment ceremony allegedly copied

Main article: Freemasonry and the Latter Day Saint movement

Jerald and Sandra Tanner allege that Joseph Smith copied parts of the Mormon temple endowment ceremony from Masonic rituals (such as secret handshakes, clothing, and passwords), and that this undermines the church's claim that the rituals were divinely inspired.[25] The Tanners also point to the fact that Joseph Smith was himself a Freemason[26][verification needed] prior to introducing the endowment rituals into Mormonism.

Endowment ceremony changed

Main article: Endowment (Latter Day Saints)

The Tanners criticize the LDS Church's revision of the temple endowment ceremony over the years, claiming revisions were made to obscure provocative practices of the early church.[27][28]

The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research acknowledges changes to the endowment ceremony and points out that (according to Joseph Fielding Smith) Joseph Smith told Brigham Young the ceremony was "not arranged perfectly", and challenged him to organize and systemize it, which Young continued to do throughout his presidency.[29]

Critics outside Temple Square during sessions of General Conference.
Main article: Mormonism and Christianity

A 2007 Pew Research poll shows "A slim majority of the US public (52%) says that Mormonism is a Christian religion, while nearly one-in-three (31%) say that Mormonism is not a Christian religion." [30][31]

Mormonism has received a variety of criticisms on doctrinal and theological points from other Christian religions. These criticisms include the following:

  • The allegation that Mormons are not Christian since they believe in other sacred texts (such as the Book of Mormon) other than the Bible [35], and that the Bible itself is incomplete or not inerrant.[36]
  • It is claimed that Mormons are not Christian due to their belief that current and past leaders of Mormonism are prophets, and that their prophecies are the word of God.
  • Christians criticize the denial of the priestly authority of other Christian denominations.[37]
  • It is claimed that Mormons are not Christian due to the belief that the members of the Trinity (God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit) are three separate beings.[38][39]
  • It is claimed[38][40][41][42] that Mormons believe that God was once a man with a physical body and that men can become gods, in contradiction to doctrine of other Christian groups.
  • It is claimed that Mormons are not Christian due to their belief that salvation can be obtained only by those who obey all of God's laws[38][40] (citing Articles of Faith by James Talmage, p. 78-79) which is contrary to Christian doctrine.
  • It is claimed that the Mormon view of the afterlife is errant - specifically the belief in a 3-kingdom system (see Degrees of Glory) as opposed to heaven and hell prescribed by the Bible.[38][39]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Extermination_Order_%28Mormonism%29
  2. ^ Marvin S. Hill, Carthage Conspiracy Reconsidered: A Second Look at the Murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society Summer 2004[1]
  3. ^ D. Michael Quinn. "The Succession Crisis of 1844" (pdf). Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  4. ^ Palmer, G.M. An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1987, revised, expanded 1998, pp. 41-ff; Lancaster, J.E. By the Gift and Power of God", Saints Herald, 109:22 (November 15, 1962) pp. 14-18, 22, 33; Ashment, E.H. The Book of Mormon — A Literal Translation, Sunstone, 5:2 (March-April 1980), pp. 10-14; Van Wagoner, R.S. and Walker, S.C. Joseph Smith: The Gift of Seeing, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 15:2 (Summer 1982), pp. 48-68; Ostler, B.T. The Book of Mormon as a Modern Expansion of an Ancient Source, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, 20:1 (Spring 1987), pp. 66-123
  5. ^ http://www.strangite.com/Scriptures.htm
  6. ^ http://www.cofchrist.org/newspeace/From%20Reaction%20to%20Proaction.pdf
  7. ^ Bennett, John C. (2000). The History of the Saints: Or An Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. University of Illinois Press. pp. 40–49, 72–78, 155–171. ISBN 025202589X.
  8. ^ Brodie, Fawn M. (1995). No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith. Vintage. ISBN 0679730540. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |link= ignored (help)
  9. ^ Abanes, Richard (2003). One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 1568582838.
  10. ^ MacKinney, Jonathan (2006). Revelation Plain And Simple. Xulon Press. p. 494. ISBN 1600342809.
  11. ^ Brown, Dean. "Part 4: Joseph Smith And Money-digging". Rejecting the Mormon Claim. The Bible Study. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  12. ^ Weisberg, Jacob. "Romney's Religion: A Mormon president? No way". Slate. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  13. ^ Ostling, Richard and Joan. Mormon America. pp. 164–165.
  14. ^ Pyle, Hugh F. (2000). The Truth about Mormonism. Sword of the Lord. pp. 7–8. ISBN 0873988450.
  15. ^ "Evangelical Christian article on temple marriage rules". Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  16. ^ "UTLM web site on LDS weddings". Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  17. ^ Ostling, Richard and Joan. Mormon America. p. 178.
  18. ^ "Mormon Research Ministry criticism of tithing". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessDate= ignored (|accessdate= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "The Mormon Curtain article on tithing". Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  20. ^ "29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29)
  21. ^ See "Baptism for the Dead" at lds.org.
  22. ^ McElveen, Floyd C. (1997). The Mormon Illusion: What the Bible Says About the Latter-Day Saints. Kregel Publications. pp. 110–112. ISBN 0825431921.
  23. ^ Did Jesus Establish Baptism for the Dead?
  24. ^ Muth, Chad (2008-05-02). "Vatican letter directs bishops to keep parish records from Mormons". Retrieved 2008-05-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessdaymonth=, |accessyear=, |month=, |accessmonthday=, and |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ Tanner 1979, pp. 534–547
  26. ^ Tanner 1979, pp. 535
  27. ^ Tanner 1979
  28. ^ Buerger, David John (2002), The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (2nd ed.), Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN 1560851767, pp. 139-40
  29. ^ "FAIR Topical Guide: Changes in Ceremony". Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  30. ^ Pew Research Center, "Public Expresses Mixed Views of Islam, Mormonism", 2007-09-25.
  31. ^ "Poll: Americans More Negative on Islam". The Associated Press, 25 September 2007. Pulled from Google News. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-25-2828128831_x.htm.
  32. ^ Abanes 2003, pp. 391–399 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFAbanes2003 (help)
  33. ^ Martin, Walter Ralston (2003). Kingdom of the Cults. Bethany House. pp. 193–260. ISBN 0764228218.
  34. ^ Martin, Walter Ralston (2003). Kingdom of the Cults. Bethany House. pp. 205–206. ISBN 0764228218.
  35. ^ "Mormons in Transition site about Book of Mormon". Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  36. ^ "Mormons in Transition site about Mormonism and Christianity". Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  37. ^ "Mormon Research Ministries article on authority". Retrieved 2007-12-09.
  38. ^ a b c d "A Comparison Between Christian Doctrine and Mormon Doctrine". Retrieved 2006-06-18.
  39. ^ a b Beckwith, Francis (2002). The New Mormon Challenge. Zondervan. pp. 268–333. ISBN 0310231949.
  40. ^ a b Abanes 2003, pp. 382 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFAbanes2003 (help)
  41. ^ Wolverton, Susan (2004). Having Visions: The Book of Mormon : Translated and Exposed in Plain English. Algora. p. 106. ISBN 0875863108.
  42. ^ "UTLM".

References

Apologetic websites

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