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Biblical prophets frequently draw on powerful metaphors to emphasize their points. As Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem about the coming captivity and destruction, he used a pair of powerful metaphors to illustrate the perils of following after our own desires and to urge his listeners to turn to and follow the will of God.…
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When I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believed that the Book of Mormon helped to clarify the Bible. One of the ways that I thought it did this was by offering a more accurate, easy to understand, and inspired version of the text of the Isaiah chapters…
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One trope that I have heard Latter-day Saints make with surprising frequency on social media is that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints know the Bible better than their Evangelical interlocutors. Here is a recent example of this from LDS apologist Jacob Hansen. Apologists like Hansen make these sweeping claims based…
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Hell is an uncomfortable topic. No one likes to consider that they or someone they love might spend eternity excluded from God’s presence. As a teenager I learned about Christianity for the first time, and God began to draw me to him. But I could not accept what the Bible taught about hell. I rejected…
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Latter-day Saints revere the Book of Mormon as sacred scripture, and as the “most correct book of any on the earth.” They view it as the “keystone” of their religion. But there’s a significant problem. The Book of Mormon does not teach key LDS doctrines, such as temple ordinances, postmortem repentance, or the three degrees…
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There are many biblical verses that strongly support the conclusion that God created everything out of nothing. One of my favorites is Revelation 4:11. Though it is less heralded, I love the contrast it draws between us and God. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you…
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“One of the most striking contradictions I’ve discovered in the Book of Mormon is its depiction of people receiving the Holy Spirit—specifically, the Lamanites in Helaman 5—long before Pentecost, the biblical event that inaugurated the Spirit’s indwelling presence under the New Covenant.” Contrary to the Book of Mormon’s depiction, the Bible clearly teaches—from the mouth…
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Two years ago I made the difficult decision to step away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had spent several intense weeks wrestling with deeply conflicting emotions. As I’ve written about previously, in a pretty short time, God had opened my eyes both to Biblical truths regarding grace and the nature…
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One of the most common proof texts for the LDS restoration is Acts 3:19-21. Indeed, these verses have been cited more than 175 times in General Conference. But do these verses really support the idea that there would be an apostasy and eventual restoration of Christ’s true Church? Here’s the passage in the KJV: “19 Repent…
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On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he washed his disciples feet. With this powerful act of service and submission, Jesus powerfully symbolized the atonement that he would soon complete on the cross. Peter at first responded by declaring that he would never allow Jesus to wash his feet. (John 13:8). Then, when told ” “Unless…