The term, "anti-Mormon" first appears in the historical record in 1833 by the Louisville (Kentucky) Daily Herald in an article, "The Mormons and the Anti-Mormons" (the article was also the first known to label believers in the Book of Mormon as "Mormons"). A regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and the Arizona Regional Board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews are among those who have condemned the film. Third, she began with a predetermined conclusion that shaped her work: “I was convinced,” she wrote, “before I ever began writing that Joseph Smith was not a true prophet,” and felt compelled to supply an alternative explanation for his works (quoted in Newell G. Bringhurst, “Applause, Attack, and Ambivalence-Varied Responses to Fawn M. Brodie’s No Man Knows My History,” Utah Historical Quarterly 57 [Winter 1989]:47-48). Of course, there is a bright side to the disappearance of anti-Mormon literature. Nor train scholars in apologetics. He would use church books, not anti-Mormon literature, to show me there conflicts with church doctrine. After listening to the podcast, I thought how some of the stuff that gets lumped together as “anti-Mormon literature” can be broken up into four general categories: (1) scholarly work and original documents that bring up difficult topics in Church history (2) material meant to defame the Church or convince Church members to leave Oh, the lurid accounts of hearts corrupted, families wrecked, and brains washed by the false religion of the Latter-day Saints! It is anti-Mormon literature at its worst. Bunker, Gary L., and Davis Bitton. Smith was not convicted of a “con” game before his First Vision. Vardis Fisher, a popular novelist with Mormon roots in Idaho, published Children of God: An American Epic (1939). Orvilla S. Belisle’s Mormonism Unveiled (1855) had the heroine hopelessly trapped in a Mormon harem. From the Tanners. How Much Should Pastors and Church Employees Get Paid? Posted on November 16, 2018 December 6, 2018. They claim that if the Church is really true, no harm can come from looking into the opposite point of view, that the truth will stand no matter how fiercely it may be attacked, and that my beliefs will actually be strengthened by accepting and overcoming such challenges. March 1, 2015. Fanny Stenhouse’s Tell It All (1874) and Ann Eliza Young’s Wife No. Anderson, Richard Lloyd. Surveys the anti-Mormon writers during the Brigham Young period. At the time the Church commemorated its centennial in 1930, American historian Bernard De Voto asserted in the American Mercury, “Unquestionably, Joseph Smith was a paranoid.” He later admitted that the Mercuryarticle was a “dishonest attack” (IE 49 [Mar. Here’s why that’s great news. The book repudiated the Rigdon-Spaulding theory, revived the Alexander Campbell thesis that Joseph Smith alone was the author of the book, and postulated that View of the Hebrews (following Riley, 1903) provided the basic source material for the Book of Mormon. Anti-Mormon literature is of the devil. Anti-Mormon literature is of the devil. Quite interesting. All rights reserved. Examines the early newspaper articles and anti-Mormon explanations for the origin of the Book of Mormon. Here are four possible explanations. For me, much of the anti-Mormon literature that comes up is in fact more evidence of the Church being true. A sample of LDS sources on anti-Mormonism follows: Allen, James B., and Leonard J. Arrington. These documents allege that the Smiths were money diggers and irresponsible people. “The Reverend Dr. Peter Christian Kierkegaard’s ‘About and Against Mormonism’ (1855).” BYU Studies 46:3 (2007):101-156. There is no reason we can’t respect people’s opinions and still be friends. The most notable anti-Mormon work of this period, Mormonism Unvailed (sic), was published by Eber D. Howe in 1834. I appreciate the thoughtfulness with which you responded to the anti-Mormon literature in question. In 1841, it was revealed that an Anti-Mormon Almanac would be published. So, the LDS Church doesn’t sponsor seminars to refute these critics. That is why it i… Origen Bacheler examined the Book of Mormon itself in Mormonism Exposed Internally and Externally, arguing that the book was inconsistent with the … Book of Mormon Changes (almost all spelling, grammar, and punctuation), Allen, Julie K. and David L. Paulsen. Anti-Mormon writers were most prolific during the post-Brodie era. One way anti-Mormons (people are active, open, and unambiguous enemies/critics of the Church, not just who don’t accept its teachings) poison the well is to deny that they are anti-Mormon (anti-Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), a kind of reverse well-poisoning that seeks to pee in the pool before the opposition. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading An American Fraud. There was a time not that long ago, like during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, when you couldn’t throw a stone without hitting a brand new anti-Mormon exposé. Two prolific anti-Mormon researchers are Jerald and Sandra Tanner. Introvigne, Massimo. I have been grateful for much of it because it has caused me to reflect on issues that I did not previously consider. All too often Saints use the label ‘anti-Mormon’ as a tactic to forestall serious discussion” (p. 376). And Mike Norton enters LDS Temples and then posts videos to YouTube. Metta Victoria Fuller Victor’s Mormon Wives (1856) characterized Mormons as a “horrid” and deluded people. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Kimball, Edward L. Review of Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case, by Richard E. Turley, Jr. BYU Studies 32 (Fall 1992):171-177. Urbana, Ill., 1984. Some friends of mine have been reading anti-Mormon literature and want me to read it too. In fact, there’s basic radio silence on Mormonism from the major evangelical presses, excepting the LeBaron memoir I mentioned above (Tyndale). I’ve even become friends with the people that bring it up for discussion. A current example of ridicule and distortion of Latter-day Saint beliefs comes from Edward Decker, an excommunicated Mormon and cofounder of Ex-Mormons for Jesus, now known as Saints Alive in Jesus. Mormon558. Historian Gerrit J. Dirkmaat explains the origin of one of Joseph Smith’s most prominent early antagonists, Doctor Philastus Hurlbut. We’d be hard pressed to find that now, with Christian Science struggling and its membership in decline. The fact that you get an uneasy feeling when you read anti-Mormon literature should be proof enough. The Hurlbut-Howe collection and Campbell’s Delusions were the major sources for nearly all other nineteenth- and some twentieth-century anti-Mormon writings, notably the works of Henry Caswall, John C. Bennett, Pomeroy Tucker, Thomas Gregg, William Linn, and George Arbaugh. Anti-Mormon authors use the term "anti-Mormon" themselves Jerald and Sandra Tanner, some of the most well known anti-Mormon writers, use the term "anti-Mormon" to refer to others who oppose the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They only read the negative stuff printed by people who weren’t LDS instead of finding out what we say we believe. Now that there is less opposition to the restored gospel, Mormons can say that the Lord has cleared the way for his church to move forward. Salt Lake City, 1963. Zondervan doesn’t seem to have published anything in this line since Unveiling Grace back in 2013, which I reviewed here on the blog. At the Capitol, we saw the best and the worst of US Mormonism, ‘Lo, a virgin shall conceive’ … or not, depending on the translation, © Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. Analyzes pro-Mormon and anti-Mormon approaches. When the Spaulding theory of Book of Mormon origins was discredited, anti-Mormon proponents turned to psychology to explain Joseph Smith’s visions and revelations. The 1987 Directory of Cult Research Organizations contains more than a hundred anti-Mormon listings. Why, then, are we going to all the effort to annotate and republish it as part of a new book series? Review of Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case, by Richard E. Turley, Jr. BYU Studies 32 (Fall 1992):178-184. "The anti-Mormon document we are discussing lists 36 parallels between Ethan Smith’s book and the Book of Mormon. What Shocks Mormons and non-Mormons as they learn about Mormonism. A broad spectrum of anti-Mormon authors has produced the invective literature of this period. Apart from collecting them for historical purposes and in response to divine direction, the Church has largely ignored these materials, for they strike most members as irresponsible misrepresentations.”. More on the Mormon Temple Rituals as seen on these videos. This volume includes classics of anti-Mormon literature: - Boadicea, The Mormon Wife, by Alfreda Eva Bell - Mormonism Exposed and Refused, or True and False Religion, by William Kirby - The Mysteries of Mormonism. Jim Bennett Responds (again) to the CES Letter. Another common tactic is to attempt to show how statements by past Church leaders contradict those by current leaders on such points as Adam as God, blood Atonement, and plural marriage. Foster, Craig L. “Henry Caswall: Anti-Mormon Extraordinaire.” BYU Studies 35:4 (1995-96):144-159. This statement I found highly offensive, as it assumed that because I disagreed with the… John Dehlin runs a podcast in Cache Valley. Alfreda Eva Bell’s Boadicea, the Mormon Wife (1855) depicted Church members as “murderers, forgers, swindlers, gamblers, thieves, and adulterers!”. A search for anti-Mormon literature at Thomas Nelson, the world’s largest evangelical publisher (now part of Harper), revealed no hits. All too often religious literature and political positions are labeled anti-Mormon prematurely. History. Christian History, a Latter-day Saint Perspective, Biblical Manuscripts and Changes Made to the Bible, Evolution, Science, Creation, Genesis, and the Temple. She portrayed him as a “prodigious mythmaker” who absorbed his theological ideas from his New York environment. As I once read from an anti-Mormon book there was one who counseled his followers to seek out new members who have not yet studied the gospel for themselves. The result of this was that I was told to 'stop reading anti-mormon literature.' When you actually go and read the View of the Hebrews, you realize what a stretch the author is making. The real warning about anti-Mormon literature that the LDS Church teaches is that members are minimally preparing themselves spiritually for discernment. Mormon505. This MLK Day, white evangelicals again have a choice to make on racial justice, Ahead of inauguration, faith leaders urge devotees in state capitols to take precautions, Photos of the Week: Black Nazarene procession cancelled, Makar Sankranti kite flying, What Andrew Young taught me about keeping King’s movement going, Black churchgoers report powerlessness in politics, agency in Black congregations. My husband’s friend asked him if he ever said anything negative about his greek orthodox beliefs. Analyzes the Hurlbut-Howe affidavits published in Mormonism Unvailed. Review of Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case, by Richard E. Turley, Jr. Underwood, Grant. Jim is an incredibly witty, entertaining, and talented writer. Faith and Reason: one believing member's perspectives. Underwood, Grant. The Mormon Graphic Image 1834 –1914. Alas, it’s time to do a postmortem on the genre of anti-Mormon books, because the genre is just a pale shadow of its former self. Latter-day Saints see his film and book, both entitled The Godmakers, as a gross misrepresentation of their beliefs, especially the temple ordinances. Kimball, Edward L. Review of Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hofmann Case, by Richard E. Turley, Jr. Larson, Jennifer. Discusses the early anti-Mormonism writings of Campbell, Howe, and Hurlbut. For example, Juanita Brook's book on the Mountain Meadows Massacre , once called anti-Mormon literature, is now carried and recommended by Deseret Book employees for … If you want to spiritually grow and progress, please read daily in the book of mormon, as our prophet has adviced. One Lawyer's Case against Mormonism - Kindle edition by Burningham, Kay. It seems reasonable to me to encourage people -- as you did -- to focus on modern, 20th-century Mormon doctrines, definitions, and emphases, and to disregard the abandoned, troubling doctrines of the past. Bushman, Richard L. Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism. Whew! Early Anti Mormon Literature, Volume I (Fully Illustrated) - Kindle edition by Hancock, G. B., Howe, E. D., Burgess, J. M. . Review of Religious Seekers and the Advent of Mormonism, by Dan Vogel. My current favorite book is not religious, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. Dear President Monson, President Eyring, and President Uchtdorf, My name is Brett Wilcox. Surveys the anti-Mormon writers during the Joseph Smith period. Things I can remember were: The different "First Vision" stories The "One Unchangeable God" The early translation of the Book of Mormon compared to todays There were also many other things too. : From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism’s section on “Anti-Mormon Publications:”. Scharff, Gilbert W. The Truth About the Godmakers. A concise summary of life as a Mormon. Rachel Jeffs, daughter of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs, has. Authors wrote lurid passages designed to sell the publications. Again, outside of anti-Mormon literature, this is nonsense. This and the upcoming volumes are not meant to criticize the LDS … Hurlbut was hired by an anti-Mormon committee to find those who would attest to Smith’s dishonesty. Analysis of Anti-Masonic, Anti-Catholic, and Anti-Mormon Literature BY DAVID BRION DAVIS During the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when dan-ger of foreign invasion appeared increasingly remote, Americans were told by various respected leaders that Freemasons had infil-trated the government and had seized control of the courts, that And there’s still the usual round of self-published material. Mormonism Unvailed attempted to discredit Joseph Smith and his family by assembling these affidavits and nine letters written by Ezra Booth, also an apostate from the Church. Networks of anti-Mormon organizations operate in the United States. The other day we were having a discussion at dinner about the atonement I criticised part of what I thought was a erroneous interpretation of scripture. I just read these gems on the church website: When Anti-Mormon Material Shook My Faith (churchofjesuschrist.org) and What Would You Do? Walter F. Prince and Theodore Schroeder offered explanations for Book of Mormon names by way of imaginative but remote psychological associations. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Um, yay again! The four were sensational, erotic novels focusing on the supposed plight of women in the Church. The main basis for this judgment is that the Mormon belief in the Christian Godhead is different from the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Brodie’s interpretations have been followed by several other writers. I. Woodbridge Riley claimed in The Founder of Mormonism (New York, 1903) that “Joseph Smith, Junior was an epileptic.” He was the first to suggest that Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews (1823) and Josiah Priest’s The Wonders of Nature and Providence, Displayed (1825) were the sources for the Book of Mormon. Hurlbut was hired by an anti-Mormon committee to find those who would attest to Smith’s dishonesty. 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