[tl;dr—Book of Mormon critics can be guilty of confirmation bias, too.] This must be my week for Book of Mormon analysis, a last hurrah of ex-Mormon geekery before the Fall semester starts next week. Vernal Holley in his book Book of Mormon Authorship compiled a list of Book of Mormon…
Author: Jonathan
How Useful Is the Book of Mormon (to LDS leaders)?
I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book. (Joseph Smith, Documentary History of the Church 4:461)…
Anything Good in the Book of Mormon
I’m going to ask a strange question of a bunch of exMos, but I hope you can help me out. I don’t know where I could ask this question on the Bloggernacle without it ending badly. I was reading James Kugel’s essay on biblical criticism’s strange relationship to apologetics (highly…
You might be a member of a cult if…
I don’t want to ghettoize this post by making it about Mormonism, but since that’s why we’re all here, it’s natural to gravitate to that. But this pertains to so much more than one group. I recently watched a video (not the best) that got me thinking about what it…
The New Gospel Principles
I have mixed feelings. The LDS church has published an updated edition of Gospel Principles (already available for purchase). Sunday school teachers use this manual to teach new church members and anyone thinking about becoming a member. For the next two years, the church will also use this manual to…
Dreams in a Garden
I had a strange dream last night. I see your eyes glazing over already. Listening to other people’s dreams bores you. I get that. I want to share anyway. I dreamt that I was in the middle of a garden where I enjoyed every earthly delight. Then a man dressed…
Perpetual Deconversion Aid
Maybe it’s all those talks about 72-hour kits at church , but I’ve been thinking about helping others to be better prepared for the storms that arise as they leave Mormonism. For most, leaving the church doesn’t involve clear sailing. There are lots of turbulent waters to be navigated before…
New Joseph Smith Manual
A new Melchizedek Priesthood/Relief Society lesson manual is available on lds.org: Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. I skimmed through it and didn’t find anything unusual. For example, it only mentions the 1838 account of the first vision and avoids discussion of Joseph’s polygamous marriages. It’s more of…
How Do I Tell My Wife That I Don’t Believe Anymore?
I recently received the following message. Can you help Eric out? I think it would help to hear from both sides of this situation, so if you know a believing member of the church who is handling a mixed-faith marriage, please invite a response from them. He writes:
Write Your Own Epic
There was a required class in the computer engineering curriculum that was only ever taught by one particular professor. This professor had a penchant for creating pointless busywork. His homework for this class consisted of one page reports on each section of the book that we read. He didn’t tell…