In 1838, in reaction to persecution, some members of the Church formed a vigilante group known as the Danites. Much has been made of this group in folklore and anti-LDS propaganda. What do we actually know about this group?...
read moreIn 1843, six men claimed to have unearthed ancient metal plates from a burial mound. They were eventually brought to Joseph Smith. Critics have claimed Joseph was fooled by what was eventually revealed to be a fraud. What is the truth of this claim?...
read moreWhat price did the witnesses pay for being witnesses—and for never denying their testimonies of the Book of Mormon? ...
read moreSidney Rigdon was a fiery orator, a defender of the faith, and Joseph's Smith's right hand for many years, who also experienced shared revelations with the prophet. And yet, after the death of Joseph, he left the Church, founding one of his own. Who was this former minister from Ohio?...
read moreAs an uneducated farm boy claiming to see God the Father, Jesus Christ, and various angels, Joseph Smith also claimed to translate an ancient record and receive modern revelation. Experiencing sorrow and failure as well as joy and success in his abbreviated life, he was eventually killed by a mob for his beliefs. Can someone be both very human and also a mouthpiece for God?...
read moreMartin Harris was one of the earliest supporters of Joseph Smith and the Church. And yet, even after becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, he left the Church—though he returned many years later. Who was this wealthy farmer from upstate New York? This is the first episode in a series of posts supporting the testimonies of all the various witnesses to the Book of Mormon. This episode focuses on the experiences of Oliver Cowdery, one of the Three Witnesses. For more information, go to https://witnessesofthebookofmormon.org/ or watch the documentary movie Undaunted....
read moreIn 1845, former member of the Church James Strang claimed to have found ancient metal plates. What were the Voree Plates?...
read moreThrough the years, much has been made of the argument that a man by the name of Solomon Spaulding wrote a manuscript which was used by Joseph Smith as his source for the Book of Mormon. Is there any validity to these claims? ...
read moreCritics of the Church have claimed through the years that one or more of the witnesses of the Book of Mormon—and of the Gold Plates—eventually denied their testimonies. Is there any truth to these claims?...
read moreSome of the Church's darkest hours happened in Kirtland, with financial failures and large-scale apostasy. But this was also one of the greatest periods in early Church history for outpourings of revelation and miracles....
read moreDavid Whitmer was one of the Three Witnesses, from a whole family of witnesses of the Gold Plates. Yet after falling out with Joseph Smith, David left the Church and never returned. But he also never denied his testimony of the Book of Mormon—and, in fact, emphatically repeated that witness countless times through the remainder of his life....
read moreFrom Book of Mormon scribe, to angelic visitations, and the Gold Plates, to leaving the Church—and eventually returning. Who was this scholar, lawyer, and early Church founder? This is the first episode in a series of posts supporting the testimonies of all the various witnesses to the Book of Mormon. This episode focuses on the experiences of Oliver Cowdery, one of the Three Witnesses. For more information, go to https://witnessesofthebookofmormon.org/ or watch the documentary movie Undaunted....
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