Series: Leaving the Church - Eric Nelson
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Leaving the Church: A Compilation of the Evidence Against the LDS Church
I hope those of you who read this document do not get the wrong idea: I am not leaving the Church out of anger, sin, or laziness. I am not leaving due to anti-Mormon literature or to pursue different lifestyle choices. And I am not leaving in hopes of bringing…
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Leaving the Church, Part 2 — Book of Abraham
1. Background Perhaps the most problematic issue undermining the Church is the Book of Abraham. In July of 1835, a traveling showman named Michael Chandler brought an exhibit consisting of four Egyptian mummies and papyri to Kirtland, Ohio, then the home of the Latter-day Saints. The papyri contained Egyptian hieroglyphics,…
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Leaving the Church, Part 3 — Kinderhook Plates
1. Background: On April 16, 1843, Robert Wiley began digging a deep shaft in the middle of an Indian mound located just outside of Kinderhook, Illinois. The Quincy Whig newspaper reported that Wiley began the excavation project after dreaming of buried treasure beneath the mound. He initially undertook the excavation…
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Leaving the Church, Part 4 — Book of Mormon Translation
1. Book of Mormon Translated with a Peep Stone: Contrary to general Church teachings, Joseph Smith did not use the gold plates in translating the Book of Mormon. Rather, he used a rock in a hat to translate the plates into the Book of Mormon. The Church acknowledged this fact…
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Leaving the Church, Part 5 — Book of Mormon
1. DNA Evidence Disproves BOM Claims: DNA analysis undermines the premise of the Book of Mormon. Specifically, DNA evidence establishes that Native American Indians originate from Asia and not from the Middle East or from Israel as claimed by the Book of Mormon and various prophets. The thousands of DNA…
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Leaving the Church, Part 6 — First Vision
“Our whole strength rests on the validity of that [First] vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens.” – Gordon B. Hinckley, The Marvelous…
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Leaving the Church, Part 7 — Priesthood Restoration
1. Overview: Like the First Vision story, Joseph Smith waited many years before claiming to have received the priesthood from John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. Although the Church teaches that the priesthood was restored in 1829, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery made no such claim until 1834.…
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Leaving the Church, Part 8 — Polygamy and Polyandry
1. Background: The LDS Church published an essay, Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo, on October 22, 2014, discussing its polygamist past. The essay admitted the following, which will be discussed in further depth during the remainder of this section: (1) Joseph married girls as young as 14; (2) Joseph…
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Leaving the Church, Part 9 — Book of Mormon Witnesses
1. Overview: The testimony of the three and eight witnesses to the gold plates is often considered a key component of the Book of Mormon’s credibility. However, the witnesses, by their own admission, seemed to have only seen the angel and plates in a visionary state in their minds (as…
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Leaving the Church, Part 10 — Prophets
1. Overview: Church members are taught that the prophet speaks for the Lord and will never lead the church astray (even when they are wrong). President Heber J. Grant said: “Always keep your eye on the President of the church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, even…
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Leaving the Church, Part 11 — Temples & Freemasonry
1. Introduction: Out of respect to believing members, I will not lay out all of my concerns with the LDS temple ceremony. However, there are certain aspects of the temple that are spoken about publically by Church leaders that are worth discussing in more detail. 2. Similarities between LDS Temple Ceremonies…
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Leaving the Church, Part 12 — Miscellaneous Concerns
There are many aspects of Mormon theology that can be scientifically disproven. Moreover, some LDS teachings lack plausibility while others are simply bizarre. The following are several examples. 1. Death Prior to the Fall: 2 Nephi 2:22 and Alma 12:23–24 state there was no death of any kind (humans, animals,…