Utah Lighthouse Ministry: Online Resources

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New 2008 Reformatted Shadow or Reality?

Online Resources

LDS Theology:

Bible Verses Relating to LDS Teachings on Temple Work - Shows how Mormon Temple Work contradicts Bible.
Gethsemane and Christ's Blood in LDS References - Sins paid for by Christ primarily in the garden?
How Do We Test A Prophet? - Should we take Joseph Smith at his word? Is prayer a good enough test?
How Does the LDS Church View the Bible? - Shows how the LDS Church's view of the Bible differs from Christianity.
How the LDS Husband Hopes to Resurrect His Wife According to the LDS Temple Ceremony - Wife's salvation dependant on husband?
Joseph Smith's Role as 'Prophet' in View of the King Follet Discourse by Sandra Tanner
LDS Leaders Define Their Concept of JESUS CHRIST - Quotes from LDS sources on Jesus.
LDS Leaders Still Believe There Will Be Polygamy in Heaven - Is polygamy still practiced?
LDS Teaching on Lucifer - Quotes from Mormon leaders on Lucifer contrasted with the Bible.
LDS View of God Contradicts the Bible - Includes What the Bible Says About God. Quotes from LDS Leaders.
Mormons Hope to Become Gods of Their Own Worlds - Quotes from LDS Leaders on godhood and procreation.
Proclamation of the Twelve: April 6, 1845 - Proclamation on the Kingdom of God, Restoration, and American Indians being the lost tribe of Israel.
Sharing Your Faith with Latter-day Saints - Questions to ask your Mormon friend.
Terminology Differences - Mormons use the same words as Christians, but do they have the same meaning?

Tracts:

Jesus and Joseph Smith - Is Joseph Smith greater than Jesus?
Joseph Smith and the Kinderhook Plates - Did Joseph Smith attempt to translate forgeries?
Testing the Book of Mormon - Is there archaeological proof of the Book of Mormon?
The Fall of the Book of Abraham - With the Book of Abraham papyrus found, is Joseph Smith's translation vindicated?
The Worst Prison of All - Is intellectual belief in God enough?
Power Over the Entire World - How much is a soul worth?

Information Sheets:

1869 Murder in a Mormon Ward House? - Three men mistakenly murdered to protect massacre perpetrator?
Baptism for the Dead and the Twelve Oxen Under the Baptismal Font - Examines the practice and the temple baptismal font.
Bible and Book of Mormon Contradictions - Some basic discrepancies between the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Book of Mormon Overview - Points out some basic problems of the Book of Mormon
Changing Articles of Faith (The) - Photos from source documents and book excerpt detailing the changes.
Chiasmus and the Book of Mormon - Does the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon prove it is from ancient texts?
Contradictions in LDS Scriptures - Includes hyperlinks to Mormon verses.
Do Mormon Leaders Receive Financial Support? - Mormon leaders boast of having no paid clergy. Is that true?
Joseph Smith's Death - Martyred death or a desperate gun battle to save his own skin?
Joseph Smith's "White Horse" Prophecy - Is a modern politician attempting to fulfill an old Mormon prophecy?
LDS Leaders Claim to be Descended from Christ and His Apostles - Contains quotes from church leaders.
LDS Patriarchal Blessings - Explanation of what they are with examples. Includes Sandra's blessing.
Masonic Symbols and the LDS Temple - Contains examples of Masonic symbols Mormons use.
One of My Family's Best Kept Secrets - Sandra Tanner's connection to the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Possible Sources For Book of Mormon Names - Compares Book of Mormon names with other sources like the Bible.
Racial Statements - A list of racial statements in Mormon scripture.
Reorganized LDS Church (The) - Information and quotes about the RLDS.
Sample of Joseph Smith's False Prophecies (A) - A list of 12 false prophecies.
Was the Garden of Eden in Missouri? - Joseph Smith claimed it was. [Adam-ondi-Ahman]
What is a Cult? - Basic definitions of a cult.
Where Did Joseph Smith Get His Ideas for the Book of Mormon? - Probable parallels from books pre-dating the Book of Mormon.
Where is Cumorah? - Scene of the last battle of the Book of Mormon peoples. Was it in New York?
Zelph - The White Lamanite Warrior - Bones of a Book of Mormon warrior found in Missouri?

Name Removal from LDS Records:

How to Remove Your Name from the LDS Records - Includes excerpt on Church Discipline from Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
One Former Mormon's Experience with Having His Entire Family's Name Removed from the LDS Church Records
- Resignation Letter
A Utah Couple's 2007 Resignation Letter to their Bishop

Book Excerpts:

Captain Morgan and the Masonic Influence in Mormonism - This is actually Chapter 13 from The Mormon Kingdom Vol. 1. Explains the significance of Captain Morgan's book Exposition of Freemasonry. Includes detailed parallels between the Masonic rituals and the Mormon Temple ceremony.
Introduction to 3,913 Changes in the Book of Mormon - This revised introduction shows just how different the Book of Mormon is today from its original 1830 version.
Lectures on Faith - Excerpt from Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? about the removal of lectures on the nature of God from the Doctrine and Covenants.
The Stolen Manuscript: The Golden Bible Excerpt - 116 pages of the Book of Mormon lost? Multiple sets of plates? Excellent analysis by Rev. M. T. Lamb on Joseph Smith's attempt to save the Book of Mormon by rewriting the beginning.

Articles:

Charisma: "The Bravest Woman in Utah" (.pdf) by John Draper
Reprinted with permission from Charisma & Christian Life, June, 2006. Copyright Strang Communications Co., USA. All rights reserved. www.charismamag.com
John Hay Atlantic Monthly Article - The Mormon Prophet's Tragedy (1869). Details the circumstances surrounding the death of Joseph Smith and the subsequent trial of his killers.
The Mormon Church Attempts to Conceal Temple Records for Adolf Hitler by Helen Radkey
The Mormon Prophet Attempts to Join the Methodists by Wesley P. Walters
The Rise and Fall of the LDS Church by Ed H. Yong. An interesting look at the LDS Church as a business/sociological phenomena.
The True Church by Bishop J. C. Ryle

Letters to the Editor: letterstotheeditorthumb.jpg (5360 bytes) Letters to the Editor

Copyright Lawsuit: Under the Cover of Light: News Also see: Messenger #96.

Trademark Lawsuit:

Institution Letters:

The Smithsonian Letter - The Smithsonian denounces the false rumor of using the Book of Mormon as a tool for research.
The National Geographic Society Letter - Refuting the rumor that they also use the Book of Mormon.

Resource Topics:

Anthon Transcript:
- Anthon Transcript - What is it? And why is it so important? Article contains images of the Anthon Transcript, broadside "Stick of Joseph," as well as sample Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mayan writing.
- Professor Charles Anthon's Letter - The professor's direct response to Mormon accusations.
Book of Abraham:
- The New York Times, Dec. 29, 1912: "Museum Walls Proclaim Fraud of Mormon Prophet" - Early analysis of Joseph Smith's claim to translate an Egyptian papyrus into the Book of Abraham. Includes photos of original article.
- Also see Topical Index: Book of Abraham
Book of Mormon Early Problems:
- 116 Missing Pages
  - The Stolen Manuscript: The Golden Bible Excerpt - Excellent analysis by Rev. M. T. Lamb on Joseph Smith's attempt to save the Book of Mormon by rewriting the beginning!
  - The Preface to the 1830 Book of Mormon - Joseph Smith's statement on why the lost 116 pages weren't retranslated.
  - The Book of Mormon Plates Source Information - Chart (concept) of all the plates used for the Book of Mormon. Also includes part of the Introduction to the current Book of Mormon explaining the different plates.
  - Doctrine and Covenants Section 10 - Joseph Smith's revelation in which he is conveniently told not to translate the missing 116 pages.
  - The Words of Mormon - "This insert connects the record engraved on the Small Plates with Mormon's abridgment of the Large Plates," from the Introduction to the Book of Mormon.
  - Also see SLC Messenger #72 and SLC Messenger #74
- Printing the Book of Mormon
  - Memorandum, made by John H. Gilbert, Esq., - Type-setter's statement regarding the printing process and changes made to the Book of Mormon. Also includes Marin Harris's comment of seeing the plates only with his "spiritual eye."
  - Interview with John H. Gilbert from The American Bookseller - reprint of an interview in Detroit Post and Tribune. Gilbert comments on the printing of the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith's money-digging.
Book of Mormon Later Problems:
- Introduction to 3,913 Changes in the Book of Mormon - Introduction covers how and why changes were made to the Book of Mormon after its first printing. [Web-editor: now includes chart of Major Changes Between the 1920 and 1981 Editions of the Book of Mormon.]
- Original 1830 Book of Mormon Page Numbers With Corresponding 1981 Verses
Book of Mormon Plagiarisms:
- King James 1611 Preface and Joseph Smith's "Cloud of Darkness!" - Evidence of Joseph Smith's plagiarism of the King James Preface. Includes photos and typescript of the preface.
- Also see Topical Index: Book of Mormon, Plagiarism
Brigham Young:
- Deseret Alphabet
  - Brigham Young's Deseret Alphabet
- Estate
  - Brigham Young's Estate - Quotes on how Brigham "borrowed" from the Church and died owing over $1 million dollars. Includes pictures of Young's houses.
- Wives
  - Brigham Young's Wives and His Divorce From Ann Eliza Webb
Eternal Progression:
- Eternal Progression Chart
- LDS Artist Rendering
- Mormons Hope to Become Gods of Their Own Worlds - Quotes from LDS Leaders on godhood and procreation.
- Joseph Smith's King Follet Sermon - Sermon from History of the Church. Details Joseph Smith's concept of God(s).
- Joseph Smith's Sermon On Plurality of Gods - More on Smith's concept of God from History of the Church.
First Vision:
- Evolution of the First Vision and Teaching on God in Early Mormonism by Sandra Tanner.
- Joseph Smith's Handwritten 1832 First Vision - Contains photo and transcript of Smith's 1832 first vision account.
Kinderhook Plates:
- The Kinderhook Plates - Excerpt from Answering Mormon Scholars Vol. 2 about Joseph Smith's "translation" of another set of plates, only these are conclusively proven forgeries.
- Kinderhook Plate photographs - photos of one rediscovered Kinderhook plate that Joseph Smith "translated."
- (42K) color (81K) close-up
- Kinderhook Facsimile - Reproduction of all six Kinderhook plates, front and back, found in History of the Church Vol. 5 pages 374-376. (The plate marked with a red box is the one in the above photographs.)
- Joseph Smith and the Kinderhook Plates - Tract
Kirtland Bank:
- Joseph Smith's Kirtland Bank Failure - A blunder of prophet proportions involving Joseph Smith and illegal banking.
- Left photo- "Bank" | Right photo- "Anti-Banking Co."
  Photos of 3 dollar bills printed by Joseph Smith's Kirtland bank.
Nauvoo Expositor:
- Nauvoo Expositor Excerpts - The newspaper published in 1844 which exposed Joseph Smith's polygamy practices and later led to his death after he destroyed the press.
- For more information see: Changing World, Destruction of Expositor
Polygamy Revelations:
- Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 - Polygamy revelation which is still a part of the LDS Church's scriptures. [see FAQ]
- Indian Polygamy Revelation - Excerpts from The Joseph Smith Revelations and Mormonism�Shadow or Reality?
Word of Wisdom:
- Word of Wisdom, Doctrine and Covenants Section 89