The Credibility of Modern Critics

by Ron C. Rhodes

Critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints aggressively publish negative information about the Church in large volumes.  This article explores the facts to determine if the critics of our faith are coming from a place of honesty and integrity, without disparaging individuals.  The goal of the paper is to help members become better inoculated against misinformation, and to use faithful resources such as those found on FAIR to answer their questions about the Church.

Modern LDS Critics – Credibility or Contempt?

In a court of law, witnesses matter.  A witness’s testimony can hold the power to either convict or exonerate an individual.  There are instances, however, when a witness’s testimony is not credible.  Perhaps they have lied under oath previously, or perhaps they have an ax to grind against the defendant.  In such cases, a skilled attorney will seek to expose these vulnerabilities, helping the jury or the court disregard unreliable testimony.

Similarly, there are organizations set up specifically to witness against the Church by spreading accusations, particularly on social media.  At present, the top two critical organizations have published over 4,800 videos on platforms like YouTube, the majority of which present negative portrayals of the Church. For many individuals encountering these claims, particularly when they are already navigating complex personal circumstances, the resulting distress can be overwhelming

Thankfully, the Lord has provided us with a prophet to guide us in these latter days.  In a 2015 General Conference address, President Nelson warned: “Attacks against the Church, its doctrine, and our way of life are going to increase. Because of this, we need [members] who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation. We need [members] who can detect deception in all of its forms.”^[1]

Detecting deception requires more than just investigating individual accusations. The Lord has also blessed us with the gift of discernment, which can guide us in making sound judgments based on the credibility of the source.  To be clear, critics are children of God. They are our brothers and sisters, and we are called to love and pray for them.  This love, however, does not obligate us to unquestioningly accept the content they produce.  Like everything else in life, we are encouraged to exercise discernment and critically evaluate the credibility of those presenting information, particularly information about our faith that can impact our lives so dramatically.

Most of the accusations leveled against the Church—on topics ranging from polygamy, the translation of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and Freemasonry, to Church finances and the Book of Abraham—originate from critics.  By virtue of their public dissemination of thousands of videos on these subjects, critics imply they have the credentials and the credibility to provide this data accurately, but is that actually the case? 

While we cannot know the hearts of others, one’s behavior can be an illuminating window into one’s integrity and character.  With that, let’s consider some well-documented actions of a few of the most prominent critics of the Church. For the sake of anonymity, we will not name individuals but will only highlight their behaviors:

• Physical Threats Against Church Leaders: The top critical organization, with over 2200 videos on YouTube alone, published an episode in which a guest openly threatened physical violence against Dallin H. Oaks.^[2]  While it is true that a podcast host cannot control everything a guest says, they do have the power to edit out offensive material or choose not to publish it.  Unfortunately, the host/CEO, a former member of the Church, did neither, and instead aired it publicly.  Ironically, this video was published in direct opposition to their own mission statement, which is to “promote understanding, healing, growth, and community for people experiencing or impacted by religious transition”. An appropriate question might be:  Can an organization with this level of contempt for the Church and its leaders be trusted to provide accurate information about the Church?
• Contempt for Sacred Institutions: The same host also praised a guest who boasted of attempting to sneak an adult film star into a temple to make a pornographic film for money^[3]—an act that demonstrates not only disrespect for the sacred nature of the temple but also a disregard for the deeply held beliefs of millions of faithful members. This kind of behavior is troubling particularly when these individuals are held by many as reliable sources of information on the Church.
• Promotion of Illegal Activity: The CEO of another critical organization with over 2,400 videos appeared in an episode in which he promoted the use of illegal drugs, likening the experience to feeling the Spirit.^[4] This type of content, which was made publicly available on YouTube, should be deeply concerning to all viewers, regardless of their religious affiliations. When individuals seeking to present themselves as experts on church history engage in such behaviors, their credibility as impartial sources becomes highly questionable. Should they not be held to a higher standard?
• Financial Misrepresentation: One critical organization, in a public video, misrepresented their financial situation by presenting revenue figures that were significantly lower than what they had reported to the IRS.^[5] This misrepresentation to their followers—those who trust and support their work financially—raises serious concerns about their ethical standards. Would an organization that is willing to misrepresent facts to their own followers have any issue misrepresenting facts about church history?
• Profiting from Disrespect: The second largest organization sells vile merchandise via their online gift shop that mocks God and Jesus Christ, as well as products that denigrate the tokens of the holy priesthood by placing them on a t-shirt or a mug.^[6]  Knowing the sacred nature of these symbols to millions of members, these critical organizations not only demonstrate a lack of respect for the faith of others but also undermine their own integrity.
• Censures from Those They Claim to Represent:  LGBTQ Utah, LGBTQ Wyoming, and LGBTQ Arizona formally censured the largest critical organization of the Church for the way they treat LGBTQ members.^[7]  In addition, a total of nineteen women who were previously associated with the largest critical organization published a public letter censuring its CEO for abuse.^[8] Since character and reputation are important qualities for those providing information about the Church, this is concerning.
• LDS Critics’ Business Model: Like most nonprofit organizations, the top two critical organizations are largely dependent on donations to sustain their business.^[9] What is significant though is in the case of LDS critics, those who donate are those who have lost their faith or feel contempt for the Church. Why is that significant? In order to grow their revenue, they must expand the population of members who have a faith crisis, then set up fee-based services to address the trauma. Very literally, the more faith they shake, the more money they make. High volumes of videos containing misinformation and accusations about the Church make their business model highly efficient.

These examples—detailed further on www.answeringldscritics.com—are not intended to be all inclusive, nor to pass judgment on individuals, but rather to illustrate the importance of examining the reliability of those who present themselves as experts or authorities on the Church. As members of the Church, we are entitled, and even obligated, to ensure that the information we consume regarding our faith is trustworthy, accurate, and aligned with truth. There are wonderful, faithful resources, including those found right here on FAIR, that can provide accurate information about questions one may have about the Church and church history.

Elder Neal A Maxwell stated that “some insist upon studying the Church only through the eyes of its defectors—like interviewing Judas to understand Jesus.”^[10] Elder Maxwell understood the importance of knowing the source of critical information.  While we do not have all the answers to every question regarding church history, neither do the critics.  There are gaps…that’s simply the nature of history.  But in the absence of conclusive historical documentation, we are best served by following President Nelson’s advice to focus on the one source of all truth—Jesus Christ—who alone can provide peace and joy in our lives.

^[1] Russell M. Nelson, “A Plea to my Sisters”, <www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/10/a-plea-to-my-sisters?lang=eng>, (11/19/2024).
^[2] Ron C. Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-stories>, (11/19/2024).
^[3]Ibid.
^[4] Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-discussion>, (11/19/2024).
^[5] Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-stories>, (11/19/2024).
^[6] Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-discussion>, (11/19/2024).
^[7] Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-stories>, (11/19/2024).
^[8] Ibid.
^[9] Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-stories>, (11/19/2024), Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <https://www.answeringldscritics.com/mormon-discussion, (11/19/2024), Ron C Rhodes, “Answering LDS Critics”, <https://www.answeringldscritics.com/critics-business-model>, (11/19/2024).
^[10] Neal A Maxwell, “All Hell Is Moved”, <https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/neal-a-maxwell/hell-moved/>, (11/19/2024).

 

Ron C. Rhodes spent many years in the banking and direct sales industries. He recently retired as a Director of IT and Project Management and served on the Board of Directors of the Mid-America Bankers Association in Omaha, Nebraska. Ron is the owner/administrator of the Answering LDS Critics website (www.answeringldscritics.com) and associated YouTube channel. He served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the New York Rochester Mission and has fulfilled many callings over the years, finding particular joy in teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ron and his wife, Ruth, are parents of three children and grandparents to nine grandchildren.