Lifting The Veil

So, let’s talk about the beginnings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—what most people call the Mormon Church. If you’ve ever wondered why some Christians and scholars refer to it as a cult, it really helps to start at the very beginning. The story kicks off in the 1820s with a young man named Joseph Smith in upstate New York. According to his own accounts, he had a series of visions. First, he claimed that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. Then an angel named Moroni supposedly visited him and told him about golden plates buried in a hill, which contained the history of an ancient American civilization. Smith said he translated these plates into what we now know as the Book of Mormon. The early 19th century in America was marked by the Second Great Awakening, a period of religious fervor, revivalism, and new sects. Joseph Smith’s claims fit into a broader trend of charismatic leaders emerging with new religious movements. This era also included intense d...

In the early 1840s, the Mormon community in Nauvoo, Illinois, tried to protect itself by forming the Nauvoo Legion—a militia under the command of Joseph Smith, who was not only their spiritual leader but also the city’s mayor. While self-defense is understandable, the way the Mormons wielded this power crossed lines and escalated tensions with their neighbors, ultimately leading to violent conflict and tragedy. The Nauvoo Legion was far more than a simple militia. It was one of the largest and best-armed in Illinois, effectively serving as a private army loyal to Joseph Smith and his followers. This blend of religious, political, and military authority gave the Mormons outsized control over Nauvoo and bred fear among non-Mormons. Many outsiders saw the Mormon leadership as authoritarian, using their power to impose their beliefs and silence opposition. A clear example of this misuse of power was the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor printing press in 1844. The newspaper had published...

Mormon doctrine doesn’t reflect the heart, character, or justice of the true God of the Bible. The idea that God is a polygamist with multiple wives—and that women are eternally bound to men in a hierarchy where they have no equal standing or freedom—is not just troubling. It’s completely foreign to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), and He is not an exalted man with celestial wives. He is eternal, unchanging, holy, and complete in Himself (Malachi 3:6; Isaiah 44:6). Nowhere in Scripture do we see God portrayed as a polygamist. In fact, biblical marriage consistently points to one man and one woman in covenant love, reflecting Christ’s love for His Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). That’s the true pattern—not Joseph Smith’s manipulative vision of celestial polygamy. You're absolutely right—Doctrine & Covenants 132, which lays out eternal polygamy, has never been renounced. It’s still canonized LDS scripture. And leaders like Nelson ...

When someone says, “We do not rely on written words in a book to come to know all truth,” it may sound spiritual—but it is deeply dangerous. That kind of thinking unravels the very foundation of Christianity and rejects how God has clearly revealed Himself through His Word. It’s not humility—it’s rebellion cloaked in religious rhetoric. The Bible is not just ink on paper; it is the Word of the living God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives” (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT). To claim that we don’t need Scripture to know truth is to reject the very Spirit of God who authored the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit doesn’t bypass the Bible—He works through it. “No prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20–21, NLT). The accusation that Christians twist Scripture like the Pharisees ...

Many lifelong Latter-day Saints have grown up hearing comforting references to “Heavenly Parents.” For years, the idea floated quietly, wrapped in poetic hymns and soft teachings. But recent statements by LDS apostle Dallin H. Oaks have removed any ambiguity. While speaking in Belgium, he plainly declared: “We are children of heavenly parents.” Not metaphorical. Not symbolic. Plural. And if LDS leaders truly speak by the Holy Spirit—as Mormon doctrine claims—then this is not merely a cultural teaching. It’s doctrine. The implications are staggering. If there is more than one heavenly mother, then according to Mormon theology, God is a polygamist. This is not a fringe interpretation. The foundation was laid by Joseph Smith, who claimed to restore “eternal truths” that had supposedly been lost. Among them was polygamy, or “plural marriage,” codified in Doctrine and Covenants 132, which states that God gave multiple wives to Abraham, David, and others as a model (Doctrine and Covenants 13...