Tag: faith
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In his recent General Conference address, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told a moving story about a young boy named Easton who, despite the challenges of muscular dystrophy, managed to pass the sacrament at church. Holland describes the effort and perseverance it took, and the joy the…
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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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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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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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Reflecting on Brad Wilcox’s Perspective on Grace When I was a Latter-day Saint, Brad Wilcox’s talk on grace profoundly shaped my faith. His analogy, comparing grace to a piano lesson, offered a perspective that resonated deeply with me. David Snell recently interviewed Brad Wilcox on the topic of grace, and even though I am no…
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Today I watched a YouTube video by someone who is investigating the LDS Church. He talked about his experience being challenged to abstain from tea and coffee. The missionaries promised him that doing so would help him get an answer as to whether the LDS Church was true or not. Their challenge actually should help…
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Preface I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to engage with my friends who are watching LDS General Conference this weekend. I have seen that people respond very negatively to even gentle criticism of specific talks and I want to let my LDS friends enjoy the weekend without being a source of negativity.…