Lucifer's Lantern

 This series looks back at how early critics of the church reacted to the rise of Mormonism. Some mocked it, others warned against it, and a few tried to make sense of it. Each post features a historical excerpt and some brief context to show how critics viewed the new faith as it was unfolding.  -The full series can be found here - In 1831 Alexander Campbell published An Analysis of the Book of Mormon , one of the earliest full-length critiques of Joseph Smith’s new scripture. The piece first appeared as a review in Campbell’s periodical The Millennial Harbinger and was republished the following year, in 1832, as a standalone pamphlet for wider circulation. Campbell was a prominent religious leader and editor, and he approached the Book of Mormon as a text that needed to be tested, line by line, against the Bible it claimed to supplement. Unlike satirical responses such as Abner Cole’s Book of Pukei , Campbell did not parody Mormonism. He treated it as a serious theologica...

According to the Book of Mormon, a family of Israelites claims to be inspired to flee the city of Jerusalem and embark on a transoceanic voyage to somewhere on the American continent, which their chief patriarch, Lehi, asserts is a "promised land" for them and their posterity. What follows is my reconstruction of Lehite history by using the chronology described in the Book of Mormon text, which is replete with mentions of the years that have passed "since Lehi left Jerusalem," as well as its dating method when its government shifted to a judicial republic, known as "the reign of the judges." I will be treating this as a history as written . That means that I will attempt to fill in gaps of relevant information with the most logical timeline, especially the ages of the various patriarchs featured in the narrative.  Some events, when summarized, will sound more absurd or strange than they do in the more flowery prose presented in the text. I have attempted t...

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced fourteen new members of the Young Men General Advisory Council , a group that aids the Young Men General Presidency in council and leadership of boys ages twelve to eighteen. The announcement has cause quite an online stir in Mormon spaces as several of these men already have established online followings. Religious youth retention is slipping and institutional messaging struggles to compete with platforms where teens spend most of their time.  Youth these days have a tendency to put a lot of trust in creators, sometimes even more than official statements. By calling men with YouTube channels, filmmaking schools, and large digital classrooms, the Church gains access to people who already know how to package a message and keep an audience engaged. These are essential skillsets for any organization to have in our online world. Who the New Council Members Are Derral E. Eves helped build The Chosen and spent years sha...

 The request for Mormon Stories to rebrand has spread quickly through Mormon spaces. Followers learned that om November 14th 2025, the LDS Church had reached out with claims that the podcast was infringing on the “Mormon” trademark. The demand leaned on the legal idea that the Church owns the word.  The request was shared on social media by @mormstories, but those posts seem to have been removed. Fortunately, copies of the email were  shared on reddit. But there is a significant detail sitting behind this entire dispute. The Church will have to renew the "Mormon" trademark in the 2026 to 2027 window.  Source: USPTO database When that time comes, they must prove that they still use the word “Mormon” in active commerce. USPTO rules are clear on this point. A trademark only survives if the owner can show that it is still printed on actual goods or services that are still being sold or distributed. The official guidelines spell it out at uspto.gov under “ Keeping your r...

 A recent update to the Church’s global handbook introduced new guidance on how members should approach difficult religious and historical questions. The revision, released without a formal announcement, blends pastoral reassurance with a caution against what it calls “unproductive or destabilizing inquiry.*” *Refer to the 14 Fundamentals  and Stand Forever for further guidance  The new section opens with familiar spiritual language. “God loves His children and desires their peace,” the handbook states. “Sincere seekers will find comfort through faith, study, and personal revelation.” Immediately afterward, the update shifts toward a more restrictive tone. Members are advised to avoid “sources or discussions that may complicate testimony unnecessarily” and to refrain from pursuing “lines of questioning that disrupt faith-promoting environments.” Sources close to the handbook committee say the change reflects ongoing concerns about the volume of historical and doctrinal...

We need to talk about the current apologetics attempting to downplay the Lamanite curse. Nephi Sees Our Day In preparation for my next topic, I was reading 1 Nephi 13:15 , where Nephi sees a vision of the future for his own civilization and the European conquest of America. This passage stuck out to me: And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain. This is in direct contrast to 1 Nephi 12:23 : And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. You might notice that there is ample ambiguity in both passages, but in juxtaposing these two peoples, we see a contrast that I just can’t reconcile if the curse is only “symbolic” or “spiritual.” In comparing Gentiles to Lam...

 This came to us through our Letters from Lazy Learners form. The writer described growing up in a home where Mormon standards and family expectations were used to shame, control, and silence her. She talked about feeling punished for normal development, blamed for her own trauma, and pressured to appear obedient instead of cared for. She tried to follow the rules. She tried to open up. She tried to stay connected. But every step seemed to shrink her world. Her parents dismissed her pain, tightened control when she needed support, and wrapped their reactions in religious duty. She left wondering why a faith that claimed to protect families left hers feeling so conditional and unsafe. Letter From a Daughter I was raised Mormon When I was younger it wasn't problematic. I was being celebrated and praised when I did the things they wanted me to do, so I craved doing them. Then little things as I got older slipped up.  The first thing I remember that caught me off guard was wh...

  This came to us through our Letters from Lazy Learners form. The writer shared an account of what it felt like to move from one painful ward experience straight into another. She describes years of gossip, exclusion, and spiritual harm.  She tried to serve. She tried to connect. She tried to stay.  But every attempt left her feeling smaller, ignored, and blamed for her own mistreatment.    Letter from a Sister Who Tried to Be Enough  I wrote this while I was still active in the church. This is long, but just one tiny drop in the bucket. Imagine this… For 5 years you live in a ward where you are repeatedly gossiped about, falsely accused, betrayed, and belittled by your bishop and RS (Relief Society) presidents and develop PTSD from their spiritual and emotional abuse. You keep going thinking that it has to get better, and after being yelled at for an hour in your house by your RS president who tells you that you are using your calling to seek revenge (...

   In 1980, Ezra Taft Benson delivered a devotional at BYU that outlined what he called the “ 14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet. ” The message spread widely within the church and shaped how Latter day Saints came to understand prophetic authority. Even if someone never read the original talk, the ideas appeared in lessons, leadership trainings, and casual conversation across generations. The fundamentals build a system that places the prophet above every competing source of guidance. When read together, they create a model of obedience and hierarchy that rests on the idea that one man speaks for God. 1. The prophet is the only person who speaks for God in everything  This first principle elevates one individual above all other voices. If only one man speaks for God, then any disagreement with him becomes a spiritual issue rather than a difference in interpretation. The structure relies on absolute trust in a single leader. 2. The living prophet is more important than script...