Revision as of 08:48, 29 March 2014 (view source) RogerNicholson (talk | contribs) (m) ← Older edit		Revision as of 13:13, 3 July 2014 (view source) RogerNicholson (talk | contribs) (→‎: m) Newer edit →
Line 5:		Line 5:
	{{Topics label}}		{{Topics label}}
	<onlyinclude>		<onlyinclude>
−	{{SummaryItem	+	{{:Mormonism and church integrity/Accusations of lying and hypocrisy on the part of the Church}}
−	|link=Mormonism and church integrity/Accusations of hypocrisy in Church practices
−	|subject=Accusations of hypocrisy in Church practices
−	|summary=It is claimed that the Church, as a corporate entity, controls business properties that are not consistent with its stated purposes. Examples include claims that the Church owns controlling stock in the Coca-Cola company, tobacco companies, and alcohol companies.
−	}}
−	{{SummaryItem
−	|link=Mormonism and church integrity/"Lying for the Lord"
−	|subject="Lying for the Lord"
−	|summary=Some have long accused Mormons of organizationally and systematically “lying for the Lord,” equating such with a policy of using any means necessary to achieve some “good” goal. This claim is false, and a biased reading of Church history. One must not use ethically questionable tactics because one believes the “end justifies the means.”
−	}}
	===Joseph Smith period===		===Joseph Smith period===
	{{SummaryItem		{{SummaryItem

---

Revision as of 13:13, 3 July 2014

1. REDIRECTTemplate:Test3

Mormonism and church integrity

Topics

Accusations of lying and hypocrisy on the part of the Church

Jump to Subtopic:

• Accusations of hypocrisy in Church practices related to the Word of Wisdom
• "Lying for the Lord"
• Joseph Smith fired a gun at Carthage Jail
• No paid ministry
• City Creek Center Mall in Salt Lake City
• Accusations of lying in the 19th-century Church
• Dealing with doubts about the Church and its integrity

Joseph Smith period

Counterfeiting by Joseph Smith and apostles at Nauvoo?

Summary: Joseph and the apostles are accused by some writers of "making counterfeit coins" in Nauvoo.

Land speculation in Nauvoo

Summary: Did Joseph Smith engage in "land speculation" in Nauvoo?

Joseph Smith taught 'it was right to steal'

Summary: Did Joseph Smith really tell Orrin Porter Rockwell 'it was right to steal'?

Orson Hyde says Spirit of Lord may influence to steal

Summary: Author Richard Abanes claims that "Orson Hyde said that it was OK to 'steal & be influenced by the spirit of the Lord to do it' as long as it was against non-Mormons." Orson Hyde wished to pass lightly over William "Wild Bill" Hickman's sins because of the services which Hickman had rendered during Utah's settlement, the Utah War, and the personal debt he owed him. However, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and other church members and leaders were not of the same view, and denounced it. Even Hyde would, within twenty-four hours, amend his stance. The author tells us none of this, and thus distorts his source.

Hiding Joseph's use of a gun at the martyrdom?

Summary: It is claimed that the Church has tried to hide the fact that Joseph fired a pepperbox pistol at the mob which murdered Hyrum and was soon to kill him, despite numerous mentions of the gun in Church literature, and the fact that the very gun itself is on display at the museum of Church History in Salt Lake City.

Utah period

Brigham Young—pulling the wool over Americans' eyes?

Summary: I'm told that Brigham Young made the following statement: "We shall pull the wool over the eyes of the American people and make them swallow Mormonism, polygamy and all." Critics say this shows the fundamental dishonesty of LDS leaders. What can you tell me about this?

Present day

1. REDIRECT Approaching history

Cognitive dissonance

Summary: Many critics of the Church are fond of portraying all members as either naive, ill-informed dupes or cynical exploiters. Fortunately, most fair-minded people realize that—just as in any religion—there are many intelligent, well-informed people who become or remain members of the Church. To get around this, some critics appeal to the psychological concept of 'cognitive dissonance' to try to 'explain away' the spiritual witness of intelligent, articulate members.

History of the Church—authorship?

Summary: I've heard that the History of the Church, though credited to Joseph Smith, was not actually authored by him. What can you tell me about this, and what does this mean for the History's accuracy?

Gordon B. Hinckley cited false information on the First Vision?

Summary: It is claimed that there were no religious revivals in the Palmyra, New York area in 1820, and that Gordon B. Hinckley cited false information in a book called Truth Restored.

Immigration reform in the U.S.A.

Summary: What is the Church's stance on illegal immigrants in the United States?

Paid clergy

Summary: It is claimed that Mormonism prides itself in having unpaid clergy as one proof of the Church's truthfulness. They then point to the fact that some General Authorities, mission presidents, and others do, in fact, receive a living stipend while serving the Church, and point to this as evidence of the “hypocrisy” of the Church.

Testimony and doubt reconciliation

Summary: How can a person reaffirm their testimony when they learn disconcerting facts that may bring their testimony into doubt?

City Creek Center Mall in Salt Lake City

Summary: Members and critics have questions about the Church's involvement in the redevelopment of the city center in Salt Lake.

Claims that church membership numbers distorted

Summary: It is claimed by some that the Church distorts its membership numbers and rate of growth for public relations purposes.

Accusations of plagiarizing C.S. Lewis in General Conference

Summary: Some claim that President Ezra Taft Benson's famous General Conference address, "Beware of Pride," was plagiarized from C.S. Lewis' chapter on pride in Mere Christianity.