A Careful Examination

A collection of resources, research, and thoughts on the truth-claims, teachings, and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

For your initial consideration

To peek behind the curtain: the decision to critically investigate LDS truth-claims

General Resources

Faith Transitions

Polygamy

Polygamy historical resources

Miscellaneous

Book of Abraham analogy: Thomas Edison biography from a TV manual in Korean analogy
Light and Truth Response pt 1: Manipulation and Fallacies analysis
Light and Truth Response pt 2: The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon analysis
Light and Truth Response pt 3: Linguistic Evidence analysis
Could Joseph have hidden material in his hat to draw upon during the dictation process? analysis
Could Joseph Smith have used the Bible during the dictation process? analysis
Confidence faith vs. religious faith: personal reflections on faith, hope, and love analysis
George McCready Price inspired the 'No death before the Fall' teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith analysis
Hermetically Sealed Systems in LDS Thought analysis
The logic of our family interview policy analysis
The case for Joseph Smith as sexual predator analysis analysis
Joseph Smith January 4, 1833 letter to Noah Saxton formatted according to parallelistic patterns analysis
Comparison of the Narrative of Zosimus with the Bible analysis
Problems with Christianity from a former LDS perspective analysis
The Book of Mormon, the twelve points of Pelagianism, and Protestant thought in the early 1800s analysis
To peek behind the curtain: the decision to critically investigate LDS truth-claims analysis
Pressure against expression of beliefs counter to LDS position - Wally's Mom anecdotal
Example of invasive interview: facebook stalking anecdotal
Example of masturbation shame anecdotal
Spiritual confirmations received since leaving the LDS Church anecdotal
Excerpt on Isaiah from Hardy's Reader's Guide book-excerpt
Beit-Hallahmi on mystical experiences book-exerpt
Beit-Hallahmi on developing a moral compass book-exerpt
Beit-Hallahmi on religiously inspired altruism book-exerpt
Beit-Hallahmi on religious biases book-exerpt
Beit-Hallahmi on the lessons of history argument book-exerpt
Beit-Hallahmi on the religious engagement paradox book-exerpt
Quotations suggesting The Book of Abraham was a literal translation attempt compilation
Individuals in the past 100 years who claim to have seen Jesus Christ compilation
LDS Church discourages make-up compilation
Second coming expectations in the early LDS Church compilation
Similarities between Dartmouth professor John Smith's writings and the Book of Mormon (astronatusaurus posts 1-10) compilation
Recent LDS Scholar observations favoring a modern origin for the Book of Mormon compilation
Discussion on a global flood at 2348 BCE discussion
Exchange regarding evidence for evolution of humans discussion
Exchange on man as animal and the 1910 Priesthood Quorum's table comment as a reflection of Joseph F. Smith's thinking on evolution discussion
Kara Cooney on Muhlestein email-communication-transcript
email transcript: “Noah's flood: the case for a faithful LDS interpretation as a local flood” email-transcript
1846 Millenial Star Excerpt: Sketches of Notorious Characters, Martin Harris excerpt
Alex Douglas “Afterword: The Old Testament and the Book of Mormon” excerpt
LDS scholar Greg Prince on the Book of Mormon excerpt
Jane Manning James Patriarchal Blessing indicates she has 'a mark' and 'lineage of Cainaan the Son of Ham' excerpt
Excerpt from Letter to the Church in Caldwell County regarding the Three Witnesses excerpt
Kyle S. McKay letter excerpt on spiritual experiences excerpt
Mahijah/Mahujah or Mahujah/Mahujah? excerpt
Solomon Spaulding 'Manuscript Found' box excerpt excerpt
Hugh Nibley discovers his daughter left the Church excerpt
Excerpt from 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Harari: On Religion excerpt
Royal Skousen: Is the Book of Mormon English translation a literal translation of what was on the plates? excerpt
Royal Skousen: Protestant concerns in the Book of Mormon excerpt
Letter from Stephen Blanchard to Ethan Smith excerpt
Excerpt from 'A Social History of the Nation's Favourite Drink' excerpt
Excerpt from 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Harari: The Secular Ideal excerpt
Human Nature in its Fourfold State compared with Moroni 10:32--33 excerpts
Excerpts from “Means of Preserving Health and Preventing Diseases” and the Word of Wisdom excerpts
Scholar Survey: King James Version translation errors in Book of Mormon Isaiah passages expert-survey
Early Mormonism and the Magic Worldview, D. Michael Quinn, footnote 108 on chiasmus footnote
Avoidance: the preferred conflict resolution behavior of Latter-day Saints infographic
Resources related to David Ostler's book “Bridges: Ministering to Those Who Question” links
Sarah Allen's (dice1899) response to the CES Letter links
Links to First Vision accounts, essay, and responses links
Other pre-1830 sources reminiscent of the Book of Mormon links
Resources related to the helps and harms of the LDS Church links
Resources related to science claims links
Resources on the Book of Abraham links
Similar First Vision accounts links
Why modesty rhetoric may be harmful links
Primary resources on the Priesthood/Temple Ban list-of-resources
You should have known vs. be wary of critical sources meme
Asking: What is the complete list of books held in the the vault? notes
2017 Seminary end-of-year survey notes
Mennonite apology for treatment of LGBTQ people notes
Adam “the first man of all men” and “father of all living in his day” notes
Health studies on alcohol consumption notes
We are not a wealthy people notes
Angola as a placename in the Book of Mormon notes
Apparent contradiction in Joseph Smith's account of considering all sects wrong notes
Perhaps asking whether the Church is a cult is not the best question? notes
bwv549 banned from the lds subreddit notes
Beliefs in Resonance notes
Academic Bibles and where to read them notes
Bill Reel and Stake President ask five questions to LDS leadership notes
Books donated by Joseph Smith to the Nauvoo Library and Literary Institute notes
The LDS Endowment and Freemasonry notes
Bruce R. McConkie taught 'No Death Before the Fall' notes
Statements on building up Jackson county notes
Bushman on magic and treasure digging from friendly sources notes
Carbon-14 dating is generally reliable notes
Chart of Book of Mormon Translation Witness Statements notes
Columbus was mythologized in a popular 1828 biography notes
Chronology of my views on evolution and LDS doctrine notes
August 2020 LDS Church Historian communication on 1949 First Presidency Statement notes
Adam Clarke's commentary was originally published between 1810 and 1826 notes
Health studies on coffee notes
Common religious issues being discussed in an 1824 publication also found in the Book of Mormon notes
Modern LDS second coming expectations and predictions notes
Deficiencies in the Sam Brown model notes
Examples to avoid or discourage consulting unapproved sources notes
Does Haplogroup T indicate transoceanic contact? notes
Excerpt: Does Mitochondrial Haplogroup X Indicate Ancient Trans-Atlantic Migration to the Americas? A Critical Re-Evaluation notes
Early LDS testimony may be unreliable notes
Ellipsis in tithing statement of the 2013 Lorenzo Snow manual notes
Ether 13:2 implies a worldwide flood notes
Familiarity with LDS scholarship notes
Featherstone's vision of the South notes
The first part of the Book of Mormon was likely produced in an upstairs room of Peter Whitmer’s home notes
Earth's fossils did not come from chunks of other planets notes
Prophecy: Not long until calamities overtake human family notes
Example of totalistic attitude: accomplishments only important if building kingdom notes
How could Joseph Smith have created the Golden Plates? notes
How Latter-day Saints are viewed by former Mormons notes
Hyrum Smith attended Moor's Indian Charity School notes
Indicators of my dedication and spiritual development notes
Infallibility notes
Influences on the Word of Wisdom notes
Izapa Stela 5 does not support the Book of Mormon notes
Jaredite barges and submarines in the early 1800s notes
JS Papers commentary on Joseph Smith's Translation of the Kinderhook Plates notes
Joseph was consulting Adam Clarke's Commentary in creation of the JST notes
Joseph Smith's cure for cholera notes
Analogy between the LDS and a magic worldview notes
Factors in LDS leadership selection notes
Legrand Richards denied the existence of the seerstone notes
Leonard Arrington documents suppressive attitudes towards LDS history notes
Most LDS service inwardly focused notes
Lester Bush's research on the priesthood/temple ban was discouraged notes
Examples of bad science spread by Mormons notes
Listen to a recording of your testimony notes
Who is doing the loan shifting? notes
Luna Lindsey on polarization of cultic studies notes
Major sources of beliefs, light and knowledge notes
McConkie and Ostler argue against the seer stone notes
Bruce R. McConkie misled in public about the teaching of the Adam God theory notes
McConkie: no secret doctrines, no private practices notes
Notes on LDS mixed-faith marriages notes
Key principles to building bridges of understanding notes
Mixed messages on working outside the home notes
Why don't Mormons have paid clergy page removed notes
The Book of Mormon as Mound Builder Mythology notes
Five Key Facts: my conclusions notes
My Family's Dedication to the Gospel notes
The New Testament in the Book of Mormon: Excerpts from Laura Hales's interview of BYU Religion Professor Nick Frederick notes
Palmyra was rich in books notes
Book of Mormon parallels with Solomon Spalding's Oberlin Manuscript notes
Pinegar deals with unhappy missionary notes
Example of totalistic attitude: The worst sin notes
Current prohibitionist attitude of LDS Church notes
5 Questions about spiritual experiences and real intent notes
Paul Reeve: New justifications for the Black Priesthood/Temple ban notes
Resources related to non gender-binary notes
Notes on mild drinks always being okay for early Word of Wisdom notes
Responses to Joseph Smith relying on Clarke for JST notes
Richard Bushman on 19th century phrasing and theology in the Book of Mormon notes
Savannah's testimony notes
Eyewitnesses claiming the seer stone was used to translate the Book of Mormon notes
Sexual violence more prominent in patriarchal cultures notes
The LDS practice of soaking is real notes
The Spirit of Discernment notes
Jonathon Streeter's racism apology Mormon Newsroom hoax notes
Subtle discrimination as harmful as overt notes
“Important to take the sacrament with the right hand” notes
Health studies on tea notes
Test for disembodied consciousness notes
Simple 14 word test for prophetic ability notes
Thank you R. Gary notes
The All Powerful Partition Algorithm notes
Brian Hauglid argues against missing papyri theory: 'They were working off of the papryri that we actually have in the Church today' notes
The Missouri Garden of Eden Problem notes
“The Principles of Nature” Challenge notes
The 6 Sources of Revelation notes
Healings: Comparing James and Albert Talmage's stories notes
Musings on Same Sex Marriage notes
Irene Bates patriarchal blessing theme table notes
Types of Latter-day Saint Spiritual Experiences notes
Unpaid clergy anecdotes notes
Vetting (potentially) divine visitors notes
What I've taught my older children about LDS truth claims notes
An objective investigation notes
The BOM is true because it was written so quickly - VS - The Quran is true because it took so long to write notes
The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto notes
Why does it matter? notes
Zenos and the Allegory of the Olive Tree notes
What would it take for you to believe in God again? personal
Motivation to resign from the LDS Church personal-history
Letter to parents: Thoughts on the Word of Wisdom personal-letter
The demand for certainty quotation
Faith, the conversation stopper quotation
Influence and inheritance are difficult to establish with certainty for ideas quotation
Legrand Richards in 'Your Fringe Benefits' compares secular research on the Americas to the history learned from the Book of Mormon quotation
Lamport on homeophathic automobile repair shops quotation
Royal Skousen: cultural milieu dates to late 1600s quotation
Saints is not for scholars or sophisticated Mormons quotation
Stephen Smoot acknowledges King James Version errors in the Book of Mormon quotation
William Davis on Early Modern English in the Book of Mormon quotation
Bill Davis: Evidence of Oral Revision during the Dictation of the Book of Mormon quotations
Asking experts about Miller et al. 2022 report
NHM (Nahom) as evidence for the ancientness of the Book of Mormon resources
Resources on the Family Proclamation resources-on-family-proclamation
Response to Stephen Smoot's believing women article response
Response to evidence in support of the Book of Mormon response
Response to representations of former members in the April 2020 General Conference response
Response to Five Compelling Archeological Evidences For the Book of Mormon response
Response to claim that all originate with Brodie, pt 2, assumptions response
Response to claim that all originate with Brodie, pt 1 response
Response to Joseph Smith Foundation video “Part 2: Debunking Rough Stone Rolling's treasure digging sources” response
Response to Russell M. Nelson's October 2022 General Conference Talk “Overcome the World and Find Rest” response
Response to Top 10 Book of Mormon Evidences response
Response to Greg Trimble's 11 questions response
Finding Truth: Response to '8 Anti-Mormon Tactics That Satan Uses To Attack The Latter-day Saints' response
Response to a brother's list of why church is true response
Response to Tad Callister’s talk “The Book of Mormon: Man-Made or God-Given?” response
Faith of a naturalist: response to “Faith of a Science Teacher” questions response
Response to LDS Living article on Evidence supporting the Book of Mormon response
Short response to LDS Truth Claims video #34 response
A secular prophecy for our time short-analysis
The April 1910 Priesthood Quorums' Table entry 'Origin of Man' is likely misconstrued to be a First Presidency Statement short-analysis
Elder Bednar and the April 6th Birthday of Jesus short-analysis
The LDS Church ban on oral sex short-analysis
Origins of the phrase: "All truth may be circumscribed into one great whole" short-analysis
Errors represented across both 1611 and 1769 KJV short-analysis
Conclusion: God and the LDS Church as surrogate parent short-analysis
Science is as substantive as religion in helping us to derive morality's ought short-analysis
Effecting change from within the LDS Church -- is it really possible? short-analysis
The Proclamation on the Family: Scripture or Revelation? short-analysis
The Flood as the Earth's Baptism: origin in LDS thought short-analysis
Did Holland Lie? Semantic analysis of Jeffrey R. Holland's discussion with John Sweeney about Mitt Romney's Temple Oaths short-analysis
A short critique of pre-Columbian horses as evidence for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon short-analysis
How could Joseph Smith have composed the Book of Mormon? short-analysis
How does the LDS Church divide families? short-analysis
Joseph F. Smith reverses position on Elijah Able's Priesthood ordination short-analysis
Was Joseph Smith intellectually and educationally capable of authoring the Book of Mormon? short-analysis
Laurence's 1821 Book of Enoch may have been available in the US short-analysis
“‘God made them that way’—It is blasphemy”: LDS Statements on the causes and cure for homosexuality short-analysis
A short critique of discovered metal tablets as evidence for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon short-analysis
Any Opposed took the minimal action necessary short-analysis
Morality is an emergent principle short-analysis
Morality Transcends Religious Belief short-analysis
Nelson attributes goodness in Paradise to those believing in God, but most are not religious short-analysis
Analysis of Olishem as evidence for the antiquity of the Book of Abraham short-analysis
On the efficacy of paying tithing short-analysis
On the existence of ghosts short-analysis
Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled short-analysis
The parts of an LDS spiritual experience short-analysis
Potential sources for the Allegory of the Olive Tree short-analysis
The premortal existence in pre-1830's thought short-analysis
How likely was trito-Isaiah to have been avoided at random in the Book of Mormon translation? short-analysis
Problems with the expansionist model short-analysis
Reasons to discount aspects of Emma's testimony of the creation of the Book of Mormon short-analysis
Religious interest and capability suggested by Joseph Smith's 1832 statement and 1830 Colseville letters short-analysis
Summarizing the best arguments against chiasmus as evidence of ancientness short-analysis
The Pearl of Great Price provided justification for the priesthood ban short-analysis
Similarities between King Benjamin's speech and the early 1800s milieu short-analysis
Why be skeptical of reports of LDS Apostles seeing Jesus? short-analysis
Suicide and hell: an old sectarian notion? short-analysis
Surprise as a rubric for deciding communication from the Holy Ghost short-analysis
James E. Talmage's 1916 prediction on records of the Lost Tribes of Israel short-analysis
The divine visitor identity problem short-analysis
The 50/50 Scenario short-analysis
The Church does not apologize short-analysis
The context of Emma Smith's Book of Mormon witness short-analysis
The Dominant Narrative and Apologetic Fallback short-analysis
The efficacy of LDS Priesthood Blessings short-analysis
The Fault in Faulty Assumptions short-analysis
The significance of the seer stone for LDS truth-claims short-analysis
The world's view of happiness short-analysis
Believing in God based on miracles short-analysis
Transparency in the modern LDS Church short-analysis
How transparent was LDS Church with living allowances short-analysis
Unparallels and the hypergeometric distribution short-analysis
When did Adam and Eve live? short-analysis
When was 'repair' removed from Alma 39:13? short-analysis
Why we have confidence in science short-analysis
Why is sex linked to morality? short-analysis
Reasons for skepticism of second coming predictions short-analysis
You can leave the Church but you can't leave it alone short-analysis
Evaluating Zemnarihah's execution--is chopping down of the tree evidence favoring an ancient Book of Mormon? short-analysis
A Prophet doesn't poll to see wind of public opinion short-compilation
Alcohol usage among Latter-day Saint Prophets short-compilation
Behavior or teachings of David Bednar that some former members find objectionable short-compilation
Charles Anthon's Proper Names and the Book of Mormon short-compilation
Archaeology of Cumorah short-compilation
Place names near or somewhat near Joseph Smith short-compilation
Pre-1830 teachings of felix culpa (fortunate fall) short-compilation
Subordination of women to men in the LDS Church short-compilation
Chronology: “You can leave but you can't leave it alone” short-compilation
"A Different Way of Knowing": The uses of irrationality ... and its limitations short-essay
Models for the creation of the Book of Mormon short-summary
The Apologetic Slide shower-thought
Comparing scriptural and modern prophets shower-thought
Most members don't seem to care about Church issues shower-thought
Wicca and confirmation bias shower-thought
Difference between faith and knowledge shower-thought
Why won't God stop Mike Norton? shower-thought
Rationale for the Word of Wisdom shower-thought
BYU-I dresses cheerleaders modestly shower-thought
LDS Church wrong on moral issues of the day shower-thought
Statements related to Book of Mormon geography simple-list
Outline of my beliefs simple-outline
Summary of my beliefs relative to core LDS doctrine simple-outline
Highlights from recently leaked documents (2017) summary
2019 Divine Visitation Survey survey
Comparison of the Book of Mormon and 1769 King James Bible table
The Book of Mormon translation process in summary table
1838 Danite Manifesto transcript
1825 Anti-theist rhetoric: “A Second Call to Unbelievers” transcript
Elder Bednar: “you don't have to recognize that you are receiving revelation in the moment that you are receiving revelation” transcript
Brigham discusses honesty in women during Q12 meeting transcript
Dan McClellan on better understanding the Book of Mormon by studying the 19th century literature transcript
Dan McClellan on the documentary hypothesis and Book of Mormon historicity transcript
FairMormon Response: Has the Church tried to hide Joseph's use of a seer stone? transcript
Joseph Smith Sr. jailed with Eli Bruce, apparent murderer of William Morgan transcript
Lucy Harris's Testimony transcript
Matt Harris on LDS transparency transcript
Transcript: Narrative of Zosimus transcript
President Nelson on “the principle of revelation”: “write the thoughts that come to your mind... record your feelings” transcript
Proposed survey on divine manifestations transcript
Stephen Clarke's notes on Hyrum Smith at Moor's Charity School transcript
Abial Fisher, Jr., 1816 sermon: “The Existence of God.” transcript
The First Colesville Letter: Transcript and Biblical allusions transcript
The Second Colesville Letter: Transcript and Biblical allusions transcript
The translation of [the plates] ... is correct transcript
Last Testimony of Sister Emma transcription
Brent Metcalfe: Joseph and Oliver were consulting the Book of Mormon manuscript transcription
Laundry List of Issues Regarding Moroni's Promise transcription-of-analysis