Controversies regarding Mormonism

As with most critical analyses relating to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church makes an effort to collect and catalogue criticisms, but generally does not respond to them. Church members generally consider most criticisms (sometimes referred to pejoratively as "anti-Mormonism") as irresponsible misrepresentations. However, individual members have taken apologetic positions from time to time in support and defense of Mormonism. Please note that apologetic positions, even when supported by General Authorities of the Church, do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Church nor the beliefs of Latter-day Saints at large. Dialogue between individual apologists and critics have highlighted interesting observations. Critical points and counter-points follow below. For critical analysis relating to more specific topics, see the following articles:

(This list is incomplete.)

• Authenticity of The Book of Mormon
  • evidences and arguments for and against
    • The Kinderhook Plates[?]
    • The Bat Creek Cave Stone[?]
    • Lamanites as descendants of Native Americans
  • Witnesses of the Book of Mormon[?]
  • changes in the Book of Mormon
• Authenticity of The Book of Abraham[?]
  • evidences and arguments for and against
• Authenticity of The Book of Moses[?]
  • evidences and arguments for and against
• Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible[?]
• Plural Marriage (Mormonism) and Eternal Marriage
  • Initial secrecy of Plural Marriage
  • Abolishing Plural Marriage in Utah as a condition of statehood
  • Plural Marriage after the 1890 Manifesto
• Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Freemasonry and Temples in the Church
  • Vicarious baptism for the dead of (in)famous persons and groups of people
  • changes to temple ordinances
• Anthropomorphic Godhead versus the mainstream Christian concept of God: the Trinity
• Mormonism as a Christian religion historical and current positions.
• Mormonism and Ancient Christianity
• Exaltation[?] or becoming like God
• The Adam-God doctrine
• Pre-existence
• Continuous revelation versus a closed Biblical canon
• Great Apostasy, loss of Priesthood Authority, and restoration
• Blacks and Mormonism
• Blood Atonement[?] and Danites[?]
• The Mountain Meadows Massacre
• The Kirtland Safety Society
• The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith[?]
• Financial prosperity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Authoritarianism and Mormonism[?]
  • Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor
  • Prophetic (in)fallibility
    • Prophecies of Joseph Smith[?]
      • The Civil War Prophecy
      • Prophecy regarding Dan Jones
      • Prophecy of own martyrdom
    • The Salamander Letter[?]
    • Men on the moon
  • Censorship and historical revisionism in the Church
    • Excommunication of LDS scholars
    • Varying accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision[?]
  • Politics and the Church
    • influence on local government and business
    • activism against state lotteries, legitimizing homosexual practices, pornography, abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment
      • Homosexuality and Mormonism[?]
  • Women and Mormonism[?]
    • Women and Priesthood in Mormonism
• Legalism and Mormonism[?]
  • The Word of Wisdom[?]

In general the controversies can be categorized as follows:

1. Critics charge that the doctrines or practices of Mormonism are heretical or bizarre in contrast to mainstream Christianity (as in vicarious baptism for the dead).
2. Critics consider the culture of Mormonism to be authoritarian, legalistic, deceptive, delusional or politically oppressive (as in the subjugation of women).
   1. Critics charge that the Church leadership has engaged in historical revisionism, cover-up or censorship.
      1. Critics charge that Joseph Smith and the events surrounding the founding of the Church are fraudulent.

In general, mormon apologists respond to the attacks in the following ways:

1. Mormonism is only bizarre or heretical compared to mainstream christianity because it is more similar to the original christianity.
2. Mormonism may not be politically correct but it is no less so than original christianity or the theocracy of the Jews.
3. There is no infallability, but the Prophet will not be allowed to lead the people astray in matters of salvation.
4. There are in fact many good things about mormonism.
5. There are in fact many evidences that the Book of Mormon is true.
6. There is no reason to draw an arbitrary limit on the definition of Christianity such that Mormons are excluded simply because of doctrinal uniqueness; Fundamentally, the LDS church believes the same basic doctrines as any other Christian church, namely, that Christ is the savior and people should strive to follow him.