This is the fourth week of a series of articles on the 2018 history manual titled Saints: The Standard of Truth. Today Bill and Eric take a closer look at the Salt Sermon part 2.

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This is the fourth week of a series of articles on the 2018 history manual titled Saints: The Standard of Truth. Today Bill and Eric take a closer look at the Salt Sermon.

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This is the third week of this series on issues discussed in the LDS Church-published book Saints. Today we will discuss Fanny Alger and the “dirty rotten affair” she had with the married Joseph Smith.

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By Eric Johnson

The LDS Church is making the bicentennial of the “First Vision” of God the Father and Jesus’s appearance to Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820 a big event. Much of the Spring general conference will be centered on an event that its leaders have said is crucial for Mormonism to be considered true. For instance, consider these quotes from three recent presidents:

“Joseph Smith’s first vision restored knowledge of God. Of all the great events of the century, none compared with the first vision of Joseph Smith” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 428).

“The first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is bedrock theology to the Church” (Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, 2014, p. 105).

“Our whole strength rests on the validity of that vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud… upon that unique and wonderful experience stands the validity of this church” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Marvelous Foundation of our Faith,” Ensign (Conference Edition), November 2002, p. 80. Ellipsis mine).

In other words, Hinckley is saying that if this event did not take place, then the religion of Mormonism falls apart and is a “fraud” –at the General Conference in October 1961, he even used the word “blasphemy”– just as Christianity could be described if there were no historical resurrection of Jesus. With that said, let’s consider 10 reasons why we ought to reject the First Vision according the LDS Church.

1. If the event really happened, then why did it take more than a decade for anyone to even mention such a story? Click here. Also see here to counter the idea that a newspaper reported the First Vision in 1831.
2. Why is there complete silence from the critics even after Joseph Smith wrote about the account in his diary? For instance, critic E.D. Howe doesn’t mention the First Vision even once in his critical book Mormonism Unvailed.
3. There are 9 different accounts, as the story seems to have morphed until there was an official version. Click here, here, and here
4. There is only one account given by the hand of Joseph Smith…and it differs greatly compared to the official version today. Click here.
5. If God cannot be seen, as the Bible explains, then how did Joseph Smith see God and live. See Exodus 33:11 and Exodus 33:20
6. The “Revival” of the Christian church took place in 1824, not 1820, meaning the visit of the Angel Moroni in 1823 really should be considered the “First Vision.”Click here.
7. There is no evidence that Joseph Smith was ever persecuted for the First Vision, despite his claim that he was. Click here.

This is the third week of this series on issues discussed in the LDS Church-published book Saints. Today we will discuss the Kirtland Bank Scandal, an event that diminishes the integrity of Joseph Smith.

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This is the third week of this series on issues discussed in the LDS Church-published book Saints. Today we will discuss the ever famous Book of Abraham. This is a crucial historical issue, for if Joseph Smith really could translation from ancient scripture (such as this book supposedly from Abraham), then we ought to take him seriously as a prophet of God.

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This is the third week of this series on issues discussed in the LDS Church-published book Saints. Today we will discuss D&C 87.

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This is the third week of this series on issues discussed in the LDS Church-published book Saints. Today we will discuss the prophecy on war by Joseph Smith.

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What about the Word of Wisdom? Bill and Eric take a closer look at how this doctrine is portrayed by the book Saints and see how the church did. We wish you a Happy Valentine’s day…and don’t forget to get the wife some flowers!

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In this 9th episode, Bill and Eric take a look at the 11 witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

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A closer look at the 3 Witnesses to the Book of Mormon in this second week of a 6-week series.

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Bill and Eric take a closer look at the translation of the Book of Mormon via the Gold Plates in this second week of a 6-week series.

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In this second week of the 6-week series, Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson rebut LDS apologist Daniel Peterson’s view of the Book of Mormon’s gold plates.

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In this first week of a six-week series, MRM’s Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson review different sections throughout the church’s new history book titled Saints: The Standard of Truth, that was published in 2018

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In this first week of a six-week series, MRM’s Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson review different sections throughout the church’s new history book titled Saints: The Standard of Truth, that was published in 2018.

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In this first week of a six-week series, MRM’s Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson review different sections throughout the church’s new history book titled Saints: The Standard of Truth, that was published in 2018.

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In this first week of a six-week series, MRM’s Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson review different sections throughout the church’s new history book titled Saints: The Standard of Truth, that was published in 2018.

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In this, the first episode of a six-week series, MRM’s Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson review different sections throughout the church’s new history book titled Saints: The Standard of Truth, that was published in 2018.

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A whistleblower from an investment firm owned by the LDS Church revealed in December that there is $100 billion in cash and short-term investment accounts. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson take a closer look and give their ideas about this money. Check out Eric’s perspective as well at https://www.mrm.org/what-about-the-100-billion

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A whistleblower from an investment firm owned by the LDS Church revealed in December that there is $100 billion in cash and short-term investment accounts. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson take a closer look and give their ideas about this money. Check out Eric’s perspective as well at https://www.mrm.org/what-about-the-100-billion

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A whistleblower from an investment firm owned by the LDS Church revealed in December that there is $100 billion in cash and short-term investment accounts. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson take a closer look and give their ideas about this money. Check out Eric’s perspective as well at https://www.mrm.org/what-about-the-100-billion

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A whistleblower from an investment firm owned by the LDS Church revealed in December that there is $100 billion in cash and short-term investment accounts. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson take a closer look and give their ideas about this money. Check out Eric’s perspective as well at https://www.mrm.org/what-about-the-100-billion

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A whistleblower from an investment firm owned by the LDS Church revealed in December that there is $100 billion in cash and short-term investment accounts. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson take a closer look and give their ideas about this money. Check out Eric’s perspective as well at https://www.mrm.org/what-about-the-100-billion

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A look at some of the teachings of former Apostle Melvin J. Ballard, based on a question of current apostle M. Russell Ballard concerning what he would ask his grandfather if he were still alive. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson have a lot of questions they would ask, and this week we are asking lots of questions and looking at the beliefs of this former apostle.

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A look at some of the teachings of former Apostle Melvin J. Ballard, based on a question of current apostle M. Russell Ballard concerning what he would ask his grandfather if he were still alive. Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson have a lot of questions they would ask, and this week we are asking lots of questions and looking at the beliefs of this former apostle.

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