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Analysis of books critical of Mormonism
Topics
A
Summary: In Insider's View of Mormon Origins was developed during a period of time that its author worked as a teacher in the Church Educational System (CES), and was published after the author's retirement from Church employment. The book attempts to explain many otherwise clearly described events of the restoration by reinterpreting them as spiritual rather than physical events.
B
Summary: This book could best be described as an Evangelical apologetic work against Mormonism. The book spends much time refuting LDS interpretation of scriptural passages in the Bible, often claiming that Mormons have misinterpreted the scriptures and that they require "deeper study." In fact, it is claimed that LDS scholars have only a superficial knowledge of the scriptures, at one time stating that "[p]roperly interpreting them is not as simple as reading today's newspaper"
- Index of claims—
Brief Summary: Responses to specific critical or unsupported claims made in Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Use of sources—
Brief Summary: An examination and response to how the author of Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism interprets the sources used to support this work, indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Index of claims—
Brief Summary: Responses to specific critical or unsupported claims made in Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Use of sources—
Brief Summary: An examination and response to how the author of Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows interprets the sources used to support this work, indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Omissions—
Brief Summary: A listing of notable events which were omitted or not acknowledged by the author of Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Massacre at Mountain Meadows. (Click here for full article)
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C
D
Summary: This article is in response to a pamphlet that attempts to explain LDS beliefs to non-LDS readers. Unfortunately, the pamphlet sometimes misrepresents LDS beliefs and uses standard anti-Mormon arguments to make its point.
E
- Index of claims—
Brief Summary: Responses to specific critical or unsupported claims made in Early Mormonism and the Magic World View indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Use of sources—
Brief Summary: An examination and response to how the author of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View interprets the sources used to support this work, indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Apologetics—
Brief Summary: Throughout the revised edition, the author often refers to the efforts of LDS apologetics related to his own works. He appears to have a particular issue with a review of the first edition of Early Mormonism and the Magic World View written by LDS scholar Bill Hamblin. This page addresses specific claims made by the author related to LDS apologetics. (Click here for full article)
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I
Summary: This book is a 2007 re-issue of
Becoming Gods.
L
- Index of claims—
Brief Summary: Responses to specific critical or unsupported claims made in Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Use of sources—
Brief Summary: An examination and response to how the author of Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church interprets the sources used to support this work, indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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M
- Index of claims—
Brief Summary: Responses to specific critical or unsupported claims made in Mormon America: The Power and the Promise indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Quote mining—
Brief Summary: Some critics mine their sources by extracting quotes from their context in order to make the statement imply something other that what it was originally intended to mean. We examine instances of such "quote mining" in Mormon America: The Power and the Promise. (Click here for full article)
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N
- Index of claims—
Brief Summary: Responses to specific critical or unsupported claims made in Nauvoo Polygamy: "... but we called it celestial marriage" indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Use of sources—
Brief Summary: An examination and response to how the author of Nauvoo Polygamy: "... but we called it celestial marriage" interprets the sources used to support this work, indexed by page number. (Click here for full article)
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- Prejudicial language—
Brief Summary: An examination of how the author employs loaded and prejudicial language in this work in order to discredit Mormonism. (Click here for full article)
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- Presentism—
Brief Summary: “Presentism” is an analytical fallacy in which past behavior is evaluated by modern standards or mores. We examine some of our favorite examples of this fallacy in Nauvoo Polygamy: "... but we called it celestial marriage". (Click here for full article)
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- Mind reading—
Brief Summary: The author often attempts to interpret what Joseph was thinking as a way to lead the reader to a predetermined conclusion regarding Joseph Smith. (Click here for full article)
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- Censorship—
Brief Summary: The author claims that the Church deliberately hid or obscured information. We examine those claims in this section. (Click here for full article)
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- Romance—
Brief Summary: We point out some instances in which the author pursues his quest to show that Joseph was "romantic" with his plural wives. (Click here for full article)
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- Assumptions—
Brief Summary: In many cases, Joseph is simply assumed to be guilty of any offense. (Click here for full article)
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- Magick—
Brief Summary: The author, following the lead of D. Michael Quinn, emphasizes "magick" in Joseph's early life. (Click here for full article)
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O
Summary: In early 2002 a new book entitled One Nation under Gods (ONUG) appeared on bookshelves, promising to tell the "real" history of the Mormon Church. The author attempts to pull disparate sources together to paint a picture that, when compared to objective reality, more closely resembles a Picasso than a Rembrandt—skewed and distorted—obscuring and maligning the actual doctrines and beliefs as understood and practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than 150 years.
S
Summary: The content of this book is not written by a critic, but its purpose and audience are often misrepresented by critics in an effort to make it appear that Roberts lost his testimony of the Book of Mormon.
T
Summary: The author claims to have been commanded to translate the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon, as well as the lost 116 pages. As part of his 'prophetic call,' the author produced what he claims is a translation of the lost 116 pages, or "Book of Lehi." This portion of Mormon's abridgement (from Lehi to King Benjamin, roughly) was lost by Martin Harris after the manuscript was loaned to him by Joseph Smith.
U
Summary: Responses to a "study" which claims to illuminate the reasons for Mormon disaffection.
W
Summary: This book attempted to revive the moribund Spalding manuscript theory for the Book of Mormon. Cowdery
et al. claimed to have discovered Spalding's handwriting in the Book of Mormon original manuscript. In addition to the insurmountable historical problems with the Spalding theory, the supposed "Spalding" handwriting has likewise been found in documents produced in June 1831--fifteen years after Spalding's death.
Summary: FairMormon analyzes and offers a claim-by-claim analysis and response to articles critical of Mormonism.
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