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Criticism of Mormonism is the criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement, especially of the largest and most prominent group, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter referred to as the LDS Church). As defined here, criticism is an all-encompassing term referring to critical scrutiny of Mormon beliefs or practices, with reasons ranging from academic interest, to religious motivations, to outright prejudice.

Criticism can be of the theology, history or authenticity of the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham and other Mormon religious texts. The term anti-Mormon refers to those whose criticism is motivated chiefly by a desire to antagonize, although it is used by some members of the LDS Church to describe any critic of the Church's history, practices, or teachings.

Christianity

Doctrine and practices

Historical Christian theologians and Christian apologists who address the topic occasionally teach that Mormonism is a form of pseudo-Christianity (Many Infallible Proofs by Henry M. Morris, page 330), which has departed from historical Christianity's interpretation of the Bible and now espouses beliefs fundamentally different. Mormonism is sometimes referred to as a cult, due to doctrinal conflicts it has with other Christian denominations (see Mormonism and Christianity for a broader exploration of these differences). It has been pointed out that critics of Mormonism use subjective definitions of the term cult (Is Mormonism a Cult by Kim Siever, page 1) in "order to further their message."

Nature of divinity

Mormons have been criticized for rejecting the traditional Christian concept of the Trinity established between the 4th and 6th centuries (see Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed). Mormons believe that God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three different beings united in purpose, love, and perfection; they also believe that the Father (and Christ after his resurrection) has a physical body (see Godhead (Latter Day Saints)). In contrast, Trinitarian theology teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different persons united in substance (or essence), and that the Father does not have a physical body.

The Latter Day Saints teach that the Father was once a man and became God at some point in the past, and that Mormons may eventually inherit the same state, called "Exaltation" by Mormons and "Deification" or "Theosis" when the same concept is used by non-Mormons. This concept was most famously summarized by Lorenzo Snow, who framed it as a couplet: "As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be." . Latter Day Saints however are not the only Christians to have taught similar concepts and echoes of some aspects of Latter Day Saint teaching on the divine potential of man can be found in the writings of early Christian theologians and some more modern Christian writers like C.S. Lewis. Joseph Smith taught something similar to Lorenzo Snow's teaching on the origins of God in the King Follett Discourse, although he never recorded a scriptural passage explicitly teaching this idea, and this discourse was first published after his death, so that he would not have been able to correct any possible errors in the transcription. LDS authorities have not elaborated much on the doctrine, and there is some difference of interpretation among believers. A more certain statement of the LDS teaching is that human beings are literally God's children, and, "as such, each has a divine nature and destiny", as stated in an authoritative proclamation by the contemporary church leadership (see The Family: A Proclamation to the World). The LDS belief is that Christ's role through the atonement is essential to the eternal progression that is available to mankind, and that the plan offered to God's spirit children in the premortal life focused on mankind's agency, their opportunity to progress through the trials and oppositions of mortality, and the essential role that Jesus would play in offering salvation and exaltation through divine grace. (See Plan of Salvation).

These doctrines have been heavily criticized based on some interpretations of the Bible, often citing Isaiah 43:10, in which God declares: "before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." The Mormon response to this criticism argues that a possible alternate reading of this chapter is that God may be saying that no other God will ever take his place. They argue that this alternate reading does not result in a Biblical contradiction of Isaiah with the Lord in Psalms 82:6 or John 10:34.

Orthodox defense of the Trinity against Mormonism focuses on the doctrine of Divine unity, citing passages such as the Shema Yisrael. The LDS understanding of unity derives in part from the Gospel of John in the Holy Bible, specifically John 17:20-23, but more prominently (as with many doctrines in the Church), it is derived from teachings of modern Prophets and Apostles throughout the history of the Church and revelations contained in other Latter Day Saint scriptures.

Belief in exaltation has also been defended by reference to passages such as 2 Peter 1:4, as well as many statements by early Christians about humans being divinized (a doctrine known to the Eastern Orthodox as theosis). Some mainstream Christian apologists posit that there is only superficial similarity, asserting that there is a crucial distinction made in creedal theology (i.e. theology derived and developed from the conclusions of 4th and 5th century councils of Historic Christianity) between the Divine energies which creatures may participate in, and the Divine essence, which is uncreated and therefore entirely different from whatever is created. Thus, the controversy partly surrounds the distinction between possession of divine powers, and being a "god".

Salvation

Another frequent topic of criticism, especially among evangelicals, is the basis of salvation. Mormons hold that there is no such thing as faith without works, based upon James 2:14-26. This is echoed in the Gospel of Matthew 7:21:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Some Christian denominations reject such theology, holding instead the belief that salvation is reached through faith alone. For example, in an article not specifically directed against Mormonism, John F. MacArthur said:

There are many who make justification dependent on a mixture of faith and works... This was the error of the Galatian legalists (cf. Galatians 2:16 5:4). Paul called it "a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6, 1:9). The same error is found in virtually every false cult.

This critique is not without controversy because it also condemns the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Because scripture exists to support either point-of-view, one interpretation over the other is not necessarily a distinguishing feature of Christianity. See also Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

Authority

Joseph Smith claimed that the priesthood, which he defined as authority to act in God's name, had been removed because of apostasy (also known as a "falling away"), which Mormons believe occurred not long after the deaths of the original apostles, which they maintain was prophesied in the Bible (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Great Apostasy). This prophecy warned that an apostasy would occur prior to the second coming and was therefore in keeping with God's plan for mankind. One Christian apologist, Patrick Madrid, believes that a complete apostasy is impossible. He wrote:

Since Christ is the mind and head of his Church (Ephesians 4:15-16), animating the body, the members enjoy an organic spiritual union with him (John 15:1-8). It's inconceivable that he would permit his body to disintegrate under the attacks of Satan.

The LDS belief is that Christ, as Jehovah, also guided the Old Testament prophets and their followers, but that there are Biblical descriptions of many apostasies and warnings against them, evidencing that Jehovah, who was perfect, did not intercede to prevent mankind from using agency and corrupting the true teachings and practices He had established through His prophets.

Catholics often see the Mormon priesthood as a counterfeit of their own Apostolic Succession. Protestants, on the other hand, often believe in the priesthood of all believers.

Most Christians believe that the Canon of Scripture is closed, making the Bible the only sacred text for Christians, though the precise number of books in the Bible is disputed among different Christian denominations. Many Protestants consider the Bible the only infallible authority, a doctrine called Sola scriptura. Latter Day Saints believe that the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants are also the word of God, and encourage that all four "Standard Works" be read and studied, in addition to new revelations given to current prophets.

They also believe that if additional Scripture is found, it too should be embraced as the Word of God (e.g. Paul's Letter to the Laodiceans, which has never been found but referred to by Paul in Colossians 4:16, see also Epistle to the Laodiceans).

Science

Archaeology

Critics claim that the Book of Mormon is incompatible with archaeology. The Book of Mormon states that there were pre-Columbian peoples that were white, literate, had knowledge of Old World languages, and possessed Old World derived writing systems. (E.g. 1 Nephi 13:23 et. seq.) They smelted metal and made tools and weapons of iron, steel, and brass. (E.g. Ether 7:9, 10:23) They owned domesticated horses and cattle. They possessed chariots. (E.g. Alma 18:9-12) The people covered the "entire land." Critics of the Book of Mormon claim that the civilization described by these passages and scores of others in the Book of Mormon should yield certain types of discoveries in the pre-Columbian archaeological record. A documentary entitled The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon produced by Living Hope Ministries, an evangelical group with a stated mission to "share biblical truths with Mormons," outlines many of these challenges. However, Mormon apologists claim that such discoveries have been made.

Genetics

Critics claim that the Book of Mormon is incompatible with genetics. Since the late 1990s and the work of Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and others, scientists have developed techniques to use genetic markers to indicate the ethnic background and history of individual people. It has thus become possible to directly compare genetic evidence of the ethnic background of Native Americans with hypotheses of the origin of Book of Mormon peoples. One hypothesis is that most or all Native Americans descend from Book of Mormon peoples. Studies claim that Native Americans have very distinctive DNA genetic markers inconsistent with this hypothesis. This is the subject of a video entitled DNA vs. The Book of Mormon, produced by the evangelical group Living Hope Ministries. Others counter that this takes an overly simplistic approach to a complex problem, and that so many factors confound the approach and data that "DNA vs. Book of Mormon" evidence put forth thus far would not stand up under peer review.

Linguistics

The Book of Mormon contains many linguistic similarities to the King James Bible. In some cases, entire passages of scripture are duplicated in the Book of Mormon. Sometimes the source is acknowledged, as in the book of 2 Nephi, where 18 chapters of Isaiah are quoted. The English text is copied nearly verbatim from the Authorized Version, with minor changes in the majority of verses. In other cases, the source is not acknowledged, especially in the case of seemingly anachronistic borrowings.

Other significant connections between the two books include Book of Mormon words and phrases that only appear in their KJV usage, perpetuation of Bible passages considered by most scholars to have been mistranslated in the King James Version, and the apparent use of English homophones. Additionally, one LDS scholar has made the observation that the Book of Mormon uses an archaic vocabulary that seems to reflect 16th- and 17th-century usage rather than the 19th-century usage one would expect if it had been authored by Joseph Smith (Skousen 2005).

Policy

Women

The status of women in Mormonism has been a source of public debate beginning prior to the death of Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844 . Various denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement have taken different paths on the subject of women and their role in the church and in society—views ranging from the full equal status and ordination of women to the priesthood as practiced by the Community of Christ, to the Catholic-like patriarchal system practiced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today, to the ultra-patriarchal plural marriage system practiced by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and other Mormon fundamentalist groups.

Race

Some critics of the LDS Church have alleged that there are inherently racist teachings in the doctrines it espouses. Many Church leaders, however, have been outspoken in their opposition to discrimination of any kind. Former Church President, Spencer W. Kimball wrote: “We do wish that there would be no racial prejudice. … Racial prejudice is of the devil. … There is no place for it in the gospel of Jesus Christ” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball , 236–37).

Some of the criticism concering alleged racist views in the Church can be ascribed to a section of the Book of Mormon describing dark skin as a sign of a curse and a mark from God to distinguish a more righteous group of people from a less righteous group. These events refer to the origins of the ancestors of the Ancient Americans. The Book of Mormon, published in the late 1820s, mentions the Lamanites as the ancestors of some tribes of Native Americans. In this passage, the writer relates:

And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them." (2 Nephi 5:21, emphasis added)

The Book of Mormon seems to imply that dark skin was heritable, passed down through generations to a group of Lamanites known as Anti-Nephi-Lehis or Ammonites who became converted to the group of God, "they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them." (Alma 23:18). Later, the Book of Mormon claims that another group of Lamanites converted, "their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites... and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites." (3 Nephi 2:15-16).

Having separated themselves from the people of God, the Lamanites had regressed into a state of ignorance and iniquity and, by doing so, had cursed themselves and their posterity. The black skin represented their spiritual blindness and constituted the mark of the curse (see 2 Nephi 30:6). Possible intermarriage with local tribes would explain both the heritable nature of the dark skin and the sudden change from civilized Hebrew society to a loin-cloth culture of idleness, "full of mischief and subtlety".

Despite the racial implications some critics draw from these passages, no official Church teaching has ever endorsed the principle that darker skin color is always the result of sin or transgression, and many Church leaders have made clear that the Church stands in open opposition to racial discrimination. The Book of Mormon never actually countenances any form of curse-based or race-based discrimination and it is adamant in it's opposition to racism of any kind. It states unequivocally that the Lord "denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile". (2 Nephi 26:33). In fact, prejudice against people of dark skin was condemned:

O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God. Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness..." (Jacob 3:8-9).

In 1978, an official declaration of the First Presidency reported that a revelation had been received by Mormon Church President Spencer W. Kimball directing that all worthy men be allowed to receive the priesthood. Until that time certain people of African descent were denied the priesthood, though other people with dark or black skin (Fijians, Tongans, Melanesians, and Philipinos for example) had no such restriction on holding and exercising the priesthood.

Throughout the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, church leaders have been firm in teaching principles of equality and outspoken in their opposition to racism of any kind. For example in 1963, Hugh B. Brown (one of the twelve Apostles) wrote:

During recent months, both in Salt Lake City and across the nation, considerable interest has been expressed in the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the matter of civil rights. We would like it to be known that there is in this Church no doctrine, belief, or practice that is intended to deny the enjoyment of full civil rights by any person regardless of race, color, or creed.

We say again, as we have said many times before, that we believe that all men are the children of the same God and that it is a moral evil for any person or group of persons to deny any human being the rights to gainful employment, to full educational opportunity, and to every privilege of citizenship, just as it is a moral evil to deny him the right to worship according to the dictates of his own conscience.

We have consistently and persistently upheld the Constitution of the United States, and as far as we are concerned this means upholding the constitutional rights of every citizen of the United States.

We call upon all men everywhere, both within and outside the Church, to commit themselves to the establishment of full civil equality for all of God's children. Anything less than this defeats our high ideal of the brotherhood of man.

David O. McKay, serving in 1954 as President of the Church wrote: "There is no doctrine in this church and there never was a doctrine in this church to the effect that the Negroes are under any kind of a divine curse." Earlier Church leaders like Joseph Smith, were also clear in their endorsement of the doctrine that all people, regardless of race, creed, or color are children of God and would be heirs of salvation if obedient to the principles of the Gospel. The exact reasons for the restriction on the ordination to the priesthood of those of African descent has never been officially stated. Some leaders of the Church may have speculated concerning the reasons for this ban prior to the 1978 declaration, but after the ban was lifted, such statements were declared null and void. Apostle Bruce R. McKonkie wrote in 1981: "Forget everything I have said, or what ... Brigham Young ... or whomsoever has said ... that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world."

Writing in September 2000, Seventy Alexander B. Morrison wrote:

Unfortunately, racism—the abhorrent and morally destructive theory that claims superiority of one person over another by reason of race, color, ethnicity, or cultural background—remains one of the abiding sins of societies the world over. The cause of much of the strife and conflict in the world, racism is an offense against God and a tool in the devil’s hands. In common with other Christians, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regret the actions and statements of individuals who have been insensitive to the pain suffered by the victims of racism and ask God’s forgiveness for those guilty of this grievous sin. The sin of racism will be eliminated only when every human being treats all others with the dignity and respect each deserves as a beloved child of our Heavenly Father. (Alexander B. Morrison, “‘No More Strangers’,” Ensign, Sep 2000,16)

.

A Mormon leader said this about one of the early Mormon converts in Africa:

Moses Mahlangu, of Soweto, South Africa, patiently but persistently waited sixteen years for baptism. When he speaks of his long wait to join the Church, Brother Mahlangu compares himself to Cornelius, who he says was “very good in waiting to receive the word of God or to be a member of the Church until the angels came and told him what to do.” (See Acts 10:1–7.) Today, at age sixty-three, Moses is a groundskeeper at the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, which he regularly attends. He is also the elders quorum president in the Soweto Branch. Brother Mahlangu is only one of many Africans who have been blessed by the revelation President Spencer W. Kimball announced in June 1978 granting the priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy males. The revelation was of great eternal significance. (E. Dale LeBaron, “Gospel Pioneers in Africa,” Ensign, Aug. 1990, 40)

Homosexuality

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers homosexuality or homosexual behavior to be sinful just as adultery and fornication are considered to be sinful. Homosexual desire when dwelled on is also viewed as sinful. The LDS church encourages its members not to "feed any such tempted desire."

The LDS Church as an institution does not endorse any political party, candidate or legislation, but many individual Latter Day Saints have actively opposed efforts to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions. LDS doctrine holds that heterosexual marriage is one of many requirements for entry into the "highest degree of glory" of the Celestial Kingdom, the highest of the three heavens mentioned by Paul in the New Testament. Marriage between a man and a woman is not only required but is considered an essential part in the so named heaven being that family (nuclear family) is believed to be the fundamental unit of society in this life and in heaven.

The church believes homosexuality to be a problem which is destructive to families and to individuals. Members who experience these "problems" are counseled to receive guidance and help from their family, bishop, or presiding authority. It is also considered as serious as adultery and fornication because Mormons believe all three are difficult to give up, undermine the family, and are sins for which one must repent.

In order to give a more clear view on the LDS view of same-sex marriage; the current church president (Gordon B. Hinckley) said in a 2004 interview with Larry King the following...

"Well, we're not anti-gay. We are pro-family. Let me put it that way. And we love these people and try to work with them and help them. We know they have a problem. We want to help them solve that problem." (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0412/26/lkl.01.html)

The LDS Church is against any form of homosexuality but also is opposed to and officially condemns persecution and violence against gays and lesbians, and encourages people to instead treat homosexuals as neighbors in accordance to Christ's teachings of neighborly love, in whatever the actions they choose.

Critics

There are several organizations with various individual activities which oppose the Mormon church. In most cases the primary activity is informational – they seek to provide what they claim to regard as a true picture of the Mormon church. Some are independent while others are connected with parent churches, and not all are Christian. Examples of such organizations are:

• Utah Lighthouse Ministry (founded by Jerald and Sandra Tanner)
• "Mormon Research Ministry".
• "Mormons in Transition".
• "The Exmormon Foundation".
• Living Hope Ministries (Official Website)

Some Mormon critics have become well-known for their activities. A few of them are:

• Jacob Weisberg
• Arthur Budvarson
• Ed Decker
• Bill McKeever
• Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Some Utah residents are often described as Anti-Mormon due to political opposition of many popular conservative political agendas. This is vastly different from the Anti-Mormon beliefs of some fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who oppose Mormon Theology. Many Utah media outlets such as The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City Weekly, and the University of Utah's Daily Utah Chronicle are often described as "Anti-Mormon" even though some of the contributors are Mormon themselves.

In the case of the Salt Lake Tribune, this reputation stems from the paper being founded as an anti-Mormon publication in the 1800s. Over the years this position has moderated significantly. The other major newspaper in Utah is the Deseret Morning News, founded by the Church. The two papers routinely cooperate in a number of areas, including sharing advertising and distribution channels.

See also

• Anti-Mormon
• Book of Mormon
• Ex-Mormons
• Three Nephites
• Jesus in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Book of Abraham
• The Book of Mormon and the King James Bible
• "Same-Gender Attraction" from the Official Church Newsroom

References

1. "A Comparison Between Christian Doctrine and Mormon Doctrine". Retrieved 2006-06-18.
2. "Lorenzo Snow, About Mormons". Retrieved 2006-05-08.
3. For example, St. Athanasius wrote "He (the Son of God) became man, that we might become God."; Origen wrote "Men should escape from being men, and hasten to BECOME GODS" (Origen, Commentary on John, 29.27,29).; Irenaeus wrote "Do we cast blame on him because we were not made gods from the beginning, but were at first created merely as men, and then later as gods? Although God has adopted this course out of his pure benevolence, that no one may charge him with discrimination or stinginess, he declares, 'I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are sons of the Most High.' ... For it was necessary at first that nature be exhibited, then after that what was mortal would be conquered and swallowed up in immortality."(Irenaeus, Against Heresies,4.38.) ; and in his seminal work Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis observed: "The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were "gods" and he is going to make good His words. If we let Him - for we can prevent Him, if we choose - He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what he said." (Collier Books, MacMillan Publ. Co., New York, 1943; paperback edition, 1960; p. 160 - the last paragraph of Chapter 9, "Counting the Cost," in Book IV)
4. "Mormon Answers". Retrieved 2006-06-03.
5. "LDS View of God Contradicts the Bible". Retrieved 2006-05-08.
6. "God: POLYTHEISM". Retrieved 2006-05-08.
7. ""I Have Said, 'Ye are Gods'": Concepts Conducive to the Early Christian Doctrine of Deification in Patristic Literature and the Underlying Strata of the Greek New Testament Text". Retrieved 2006-05-08.
8. See "Mormonism 201: Chapter 3 The Trinity". Retrieved 2006-05-08. and "Did The Early Church Believe In the LDS Doctrine of God?". Retrieved 2006-05-08.
9. "Jesus' Perspective on Sola Fide". Retrieved 2006-05-08.
10. Smith, Joseph Fielding, Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, Ch. 14, pp. 265-271
11. http://www.lhvm.org/ministry.htm. "Living Hope Ministries". Accessed 8 June 2007.
12. S. Kent Brown, “New Light: ‘The Place That Was Called Nahom’: New Light from Ancient Yemen,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies v 8:1 (Provo, FARMS, 1999), 66-68.
13. Warren P. Aston, "New Found Altars from Nahom," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10, no. 2 (2001): 56-61; also available online at http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=jbms&id=255
14. "Cement in the Book of Mormon," (Provo, Utah: FARMS); also available online at http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=transcripts&id=128
15. George D. Potter, "A New Candidate in Arabia for the Valley of Lemuel," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1999, pp. 54-63.
16. Whiting, Michael F (2003), DNA and the Book of Mormon: A Phylogenetic Perspective, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, at 24–35.
17. See Enos 1:20 and 2 Nephi 5:24.
18. http://www.blacklds.org/mormon/Mckay.html
19. see www.blacklds.org for more information
20. Bruce R. McConkie, "New Revelation on Priesthood," in Priesthood, no editor given, but presumably edited by McConkie (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1981), 126-137, esp. 126-127.
21. Oaks, Dallin H. (Oct. 1995). "Same Gender Attraction". Ensign. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved February 9, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

LDS Apologetic Websites

• LDS.org - The official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Brief historiography of anti-Mormonism - Maintained by Jeff Lindsay
• The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) - A non-profit organization providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice
• Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies - An organization devoted to the scholarly study of Mormonism

Critical Websites

• Exmormon.org - For those who have left the LDS Church, or for those considering leaving.
• Utah Lighthouse Ministry - Maintained by Jerald and Sandra Tanner
• Concerned Christians - Evangelical ministry of former Mormons to expose what they believe to be the truth about Mormonism
• MormonInformation.com - Intermediate-level critical information.
• Contender Ministries - One of many Evangelical ministries critical of Mormonism.
• CARM.ORG - One of the most popular Christian apologetics sites.
• Mormon Church and the Nature of God - The Nature of God is perhaps the most tangible difference between traditional Christianity and Mormonism.

• Criticism of religion
• Mormonism
• Mormonism-related criticism