1. A Misused Prooftext Latter-day Saints and other restorationist movements often quote 2 Thessalonians 2:3:“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” They see this as proof the true Church vanished…
One of the legacies of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson was his strong emphasis on covenants and the covenant path. President Nelson spoke frequently about covenants—especially about the Abrahamic Covenant. When I was LDS, I was taught to see the Abrahamic Covenant as the equivalent of the “new and…
The prophet Daniel received a majestic heavenly vision: “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat… his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool.” (Daniel 7:9) Daniel then sees “one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.” He…
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”—Romans 11:33 (ESV) The Trinity is a doctrine that is simultaneously relatable and yet beyond our comprehension. It is beautiful and yet mysterious. It reveals a God that is infinitely worthy of our worship.…
In a recent post, I pleaded with my Latter-day Saint friends to defend the Bible—not just parts of it, but the whole of it as God’s Word. Sadly, some current trends in LDS scholarship threaten to do the opposite. Recently I have seen an explosion of popularity among Latter-day Saint apologists of the theory that…
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…
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…
Posts in this Series Introduction (this post) Echo 1: The Father and Son Echo 2: Marriage Echo 3: The Body of Christ Echo 4: The Angelic Hosts Echo 5: Echoes in Nature Conclusion The Trinity has been at the center of Christian doctrine and Christian worship for centuries. At its heart, the Trinity is a…
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…