Helpful Links on Mormonism
The Oncoming Storm - bc Jul;y 2013
I've occasionally posted what I consider to be some of the best links regarding problems with Mormonism 101. These could be useful if you are talking to a Mormon who is beginning to have doubts or who is at least willing to listen.
It could also be useful if you are at the beginnings yourself of studying the problems with Mormonism - or just want a refresher:
Here they are:
1) Top 10 Mormon problems explained video. For some reason this simple, straightforward video presentation is the most effective thing I've seen at going through the major issues and just completely putting my mind at ease that it's all made up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ac_fLUHiBw
1a) Another excellent overview of issues: http://www.mormonthink.com/personalstories/A_Letter_to_a_CES_Director.pdf
2) Emotionally - reading about Joseph Smith and his wives. It's not just that he has them - it was reading the actual journal entries of the angst he caused the girls, their parents, and their husbands that made it real. This is what emotionally made me feel like: "Joseph Smith was a true scumbag and I want to have nothing to do with his church."
http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/
http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/05-ZinaHuntingtonJacobs.htm
http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/23-LucyWalker.htm
http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/26-HelenMarKimball.htm
http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/2021-EmilyandElizaPartridge.htm
3) Logically - the Book of Abraham has no outs. There is no reasonable counter argument to "Joseph Smith fraudulently invented this." None. (I've read the apologetic arguments by Nibley, Rhodes, Lindsey, etc - they are all just grasping at straws.)
http://www.mormonhandbook.com/home/book-of-abraham.html
http://www.bookofabraham.com/boamathie/BOA_TOC.html
4) This discusses what the church did to gays in the 70s - this was sponsored by Spencer Kimball the leader of the church at the time - and Dallin Oaks then the president of BYU was also heavily involved:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwUTVQ4mfNE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV-8BmFwGIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeMKmnMfNUo
5) Mormon think - the site is almost overwhelming in the breadth and depth of information - But wow, it's excellent!
6) I find the links about Utah statistics and wacky things church leaders have said to be VERY telling:
http://www.mormonprobe.com/index.php?topic=By%20Their%20Fruits
7) This article does a fantastic job of exposing the approaches Mormon apologists take and helps clarify things:
http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon441.htm
7a) Along these lines, this helps explain why some really smart people still believe Mormonism:
http://www.michaelshermer.com/weird-things/excerpt/
Also:
This page: http://www.theamateurthinker.com/2011/02/how-can-we-find-truth-part-4/
http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon441.htm
----
you are determined to stick with church sources here's some:
FAIR website - they bring up lots of issues and then give ridiculous responses.
The Book of Mormon, D&C, PoGP & Bible. Just read the scriptures together and discuss the absurdities and problems. The story of Nephi and the brass plates is a great place to start.
My personal commentary of issues (only 1/2 way through 1st Nephi so far): http://www.mormonprobe.com/bomcommentary.htm (my website is anything but "church approved" but you can grab this particular document.)
---
Changes in the BoM and D&C
http://solomonspalding.com/SRP/MEDIA/bm.htm#iii
http://mit.irr.org/changes-latter-day-scripture
------------
Polygamy/Polyandry
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=10&num=2&id=290
http://www.mormonprobe.com/kaitch-a-tale-of-two-marriage-systems.pdf
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/M18D-5C8
http://user.xmission.com/~research/family/strange.htm
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Letter_from_Joseph_Smith_to_the_Whitneys_%...
----
Journal of discourses
http://www.mrm.org/journalgems
http://journalofdiscourses.com/
---
Links to lots of quotes from church leaders and real statistics about Utah:
http://mormonprobe.com/index.php?topic=By%20Their%20Fruits
-------
Poke around on here:
http://user.xmission.com/~research/about/
---------------
http://user.xmission.com/~research/family/strange.htm
----------
Also Todd Compton is still in good standing with the church so his book In Sacred Loneliness is significant. As with anything by Grant Palmer who was an active member of the church when his books were published.
---
summer
Re: Repost - helpful links
This is a great resource, BC. Thank you for reposting it.
copostmo
Re: Repost - helpful links
Your efforts are greatly appreciated, bc. Thanks for compiling this list.
iris
Re: Repost - helpful links
Thanks for reposting the links and brief explanations. Very informative and will be helpful when I come out to my bros and sisters of my unbelief.
subeam
Re: Repost - helpful links
Thank you!
nofear
Re: Repost - helpful links
Great list
Thx
The Oncoming Storm - bc
Re: Repost - helpful links
Adding one more to the list:
Another good BoA video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5FAFVVv_os&feature=youtu.be
Some funny ones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v_eEBC4koy8 - this one was new to me today - I laughed pretty hard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U17Qs5nyRo&feature=plcp
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,792568
Carol Y.
Topped for more exposure
Exmosis
Re: Topped for more exposure
I bet so-called "smart people" stay in Mormonism because they believe in it, so much as they usually have something to lose if they quit - wife, kids, job, family inheritance etc.
wine country girl
Re: Repost - helpful links
I hope you continue to re-post this. Weekly, monthly or whatever. It's very helpful and there are new people joining RFM everyday.
"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"