Tag: bible
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Grace is one of the most difficult topics for Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals to talk about. Even though Evangelicals Latter-day Saints use the same terminology, there are some pretty significant differences that are difficult to fully unpack. But often, it’s not our definitions that say the most—it’s our metaphors. Metaphors paint with vivid colors. They…
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I used to love how well the Book of Mormon seemed to fit into the Biblical narrative. For instance, I delighted in imagining Lehi preaching alongside Jeremiah and warning against the Babylonian captivity. But shortly after I left the Church, I came across an argument that showed how the Book of Mormon actually distorted the…
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One of the most compelling reasons I rejected the LDS idea of a Great Apostasy boils down to a simple question: If the apostles died without successors and priesthood authority was lost, why don’t early Christians express alarm or lament? It very much strikes me as a dog that didn’t bark. The phrase “the dog…
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As an Israeli-American Christian with deep ties to both the land of Israel (including many family members living there now), and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I’ve often found myself caught between two extremes. On one hand, some Christians feel the need to offer unqualified political support for modern Israel as though every government policy…
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Preface: A few years ago I wrote an article discussing how the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice, especially as interpreted by the Broadway musical Hadestown, could help teach about Jesus Christ. At the time I was very much a committed Latter-day Saint and that shows as my original is full of quotes from LDS…
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As I’ve talked to Latter-day Saint friends or had online conversations with Latter-day Saints, I’ve often said that the biggest difference between the LDS faith and biblical Christianity is how the two understand the nature of God I tell my friends how I came to see that God was far bigger, holier, and more majestic…
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I’ve noticed a curious pattern in the way some Latter-day Saint apologists engage with the Bible. When it comes to the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—many are quick to embrace the conclusions of the documentary hypothesis or historical-critical methods. They seem more than comfortable suggesting that Moses didn’t write the Torah, that Deuteronomy…
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One of the most distinctive teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the belief that we lived with God before being born on earth. But does this teaching actually appear in the Church’s foundational scripture, the Book of Mormon? While there are a few passages that Latter-day Saints cite in support…
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What About the Person Who Never Hears About Jesus? One of the most common and heartfelt questions people ask about Christianity is this: What about the person who has never heard of Jesus? What happens to a 12-year-old child in a remote village in Africa who dies without ever hearing the gospel? It’s a powerful…
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Christian apologist Wesley Huff recently appeared on the Flagrant podcast, a popular comedy podcast, where he was able to proclaim Jesus Christ. Huff was a wonderful ambassador for the Christian faith. Huff got asked some pretty tough questions about how it can be fair for God to condemn unbelievers to Hell. He responded with both…