Distinctive Christianity

In this episode, we interview Jolene Phelps about her life story, including her transition from being a faithful and committed LDS to becoming an evangelical Christian. Her story includes everything from Cuban grandparents who fled Castro’s communism to leaving that mainstream LDS church for “The Remnant”, waiting for the imminent end of the world. Her and her husband, James Phelps, will be leading a church-plant in southern Utah starting this year. 

Check out: Ask LDS Questions 

Crossroads Church Utah 

Into God’s Arms: A Woman and Her Family Come Out of Mormonism and Find Jesus! by Jolene Phelps 

“Wanted” by Rinsley Rose 

“What Do Mormons Believe About God?” by Matthew Emadi 

Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro’s Gulag by Armando Valladares 

Fidel: Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrant; The Longest Romance: The Mainstream Media and Fidel Castro by Humberto Fontova 

Scribes and Scripture by John Meade and Peter Gurry 

The Reformation of Rights by John Witte Jr.

Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land by Mark David Hall

In this series, Brendon and Skye are going through the book Crisis of Confidence by Carl Trueman – exploring the reasons why Christians have normally used creeds to guard the faith, and why Mormons have been anti-creedal since their founding. This week we cover the Conclusion, Appendix, and wrap-up the series. 

Note of clarification: The Council of Arminium or Rimini was in AD 359 and has around 330 western bishops.

Christianity and Liberalism; The Person of Jesus by J. Gresham Machen 

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity; The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman 

Christless Christianity; “Charles Finney v. The Westminster Confession” by Michael Horton (also here and here) 

The Need for Creeds Today by J.V. Fesko 

"Dispensing with Merely Human Meaning: Gains and Losses from Focusing on the Human Author, Illustrated by Zephaniah 1:2-3" by Vern Poythress

In this episode, Skyler is joined by Dr. Ed Romine to review and respond to LDS President Russell M. Nelson’s April 2024 General Conference talk “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys”.  

Correction/Clarification: I brought up the 1838 First Vision Account, and then made the comparative point with the other accounts in a way that wasn’t as clear as it should've been. More technically, I should have said JSH-1, which includes the First Vision account. The Elijah portion quoted, which was also placed in D&C 2 in 1876, comes from the “Moroni” visit of JSH-1 (notice: not Nephi), and, similarly, that portion is also a part that is not mentioned in the other accounts of Nephi/Moroni.

Moreover, the Sept. 23, 1823 Moroni-visit may more accurately be called the “First Vision” depending on how one argues the dating of what they now call the First Vision (wherein he claims to see God, the Father and Jesus Christ). If the dating is 1820, it would be prior to the Moroni visit in 1823, but would also have a social context that is anachronistic; if 1825, then the context of revival would be fitting, yet it would obviously date to after the Moroni visit.  

“Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys” by Russell M. Nelson 

News: RNS; SLTrib 

D&C 109; 110; 2; 77; BD: Elias; JSH-1 

“Why did Moses, Elias, and Elijah appear in the Kirtland Temple?” (Notice the footnotes on Elias) 

The Words of Joseph Smith, edited by Andrew Ehat and Lyndon Cook 

History of Church, edited by B.H. Roberts (vol.’s 2, 4, 5, 6) 

Joseph Smith: here and here 

Jesus the Christ by James Talmage 

Gospel Principles 

“Celestial Marriage” by Orson Pratt (August 29, 1852) 

“Elijah’s Latter-Day Mission” by Orson Pratt (August 28, 1859) 

“Discourse By President John Taylor” (October 21, 1877) 

“Discourse By President George Q. Cannon” (May 25, 1884) 

The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith by Lyndon Cook 

Visions, 3 April 1836 [D&C 110] (Warren Cowdery) 

“The Mormon Creed” by Orson Pratt 

Lectures on Faith  

An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins by Grant Palmer 

Power from on High: The Development of Mormon Priesthood by Gregory Prince 

Conflict in the Quorum by Gary Bergera 

Like A Fiery Meteor: The Life of Joseph F. Smith by Stephen Taysom 

“This Is My Doctrine”: The Development of Mormon Theology by Charles Harrell 

Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? by Sandra and Jerald Tanner 

Temple Made With Hands?; An Earnest Plea to Charismatics (Jason Wallace) 

“Doctrine and Covenants 110: From Vision to Canonization” by Trevor Anderson, MA Thesis 

Polygamy on the Pedernales: Lyman Wight’s Mormon Village in Antebellum Texas by Melvin Johnson 

“Wingfield Scott Watson and His Struggle to Preserve the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) After the Death of Its Founder” by Kyle Robert Beshears 

“God Has Made Us a Kingdom”: James Strang and the Midwest Mormons by Vickie Cleverley Speek 

The Kirtland Temple: Biography of a Shared Mormon Sacred Space by David J. Howlett 

NOTE (from an earlier episode): Who is Elias? What is the spirit of Elijah? Malachi's Prophecy and John's Fulfillment - 

Though in the Bible Elias and Elijah are the same person, with just a difference in the transliteration of the name - Joseph Smith claimed they were different people, and that they (both) appeared to him. In other words, Elias is simply the Greek form of the OT prophet Elijah's Hebrew name. They are the same person. Yet, according to Joseph Smith, they are two different people who both appeared to him. 

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 335-338; D&C 110 

Why did Moses, Elias, and Elijah appear in the Kirtland Temple? (Notice the footnotes on Elias) 

Not only do LDS see the coming of Elijah as actually fulfilled in the Kirtland Temple (though some, including a Mormon prophet outside the LDS church, dispute this) - but they connect the "spirit of Elijah" to temple work (including vicarious rituals for the dead). One irony about this is that John (who is biblically associated with Elijah and the prophecy of Malachi) is born to parents of a priestly lineage (of Aaron) - and yet, one of the LDS distinctives is that the Aaronic priesthood is unable to do sealings, and thus, John would not have qualified in their system. 

The Malachi prophecy that the Bible teaches as fulfilled in John the Baptist preparing the way for The Lord features in a key place in Joseph Smith's story (JSH 1. 38-39, D&C 2:1-2); and the spirit of Elijah is described in ways linked to genealogy and temple work, such as: "Elijah would restore the sealing powers so families could be sealed together. He would also inspire people to be concerned about their ancestors and descendants." (here, here also here) 

Yet, Jesus says this prophecy of Elijah/Elias (who are one and the same) was fulfilled in John the Baptist. (Matt. 11. 13, 17.12-13). In fact, the prophecy - including the language about turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and vice versa (language of covenant, and covenant-faithfulness, in context) - is literally stated by the angel Gabriel to Zechariah in Luke 1:13-17 to be about the mission of John, specifically. 

Moreover, Luke's presentation of John the Baptist fulfilling prophecy in 3.4-5 is changed by Joseph Smith in order to make these verses about events associated with the second coming. (JST Luke 3, D&C 49.23) 

Even the utilization of the ministry of Elijah by Jesus in Luke 4 (where Jesus reads from Isaiah 61) is likewise obfuscated in Mormon teaching - since they have historically treated Isaiah 61 as about liberating spirits from spirit prison (also linked to their temple rituals). (here, D&C 128, D&C 138) Harrell states, relative to this, "Of course, in Mormonism it is more than hearing the gospel that delivers spirits from spirit prison." And "In current LDS discourse on salvation for the dead, Isaiah 61.1-2 is interpreted almost exclusively as having reference to the liberation of spirits from spirit prison, or hell, into paradise once the living perform saving ordinances on their behalf." (p.344) 

Mormonism and the Magic World View by D. Michael Quinn 

Temple Made With Hands? (Jason Wallace) 

"Most modern KJV's follow the revision made by Benjamin Blayney in 1769." (There was the original 1611, the 1612, 1613, 1616, 1629, 1638 - and then in 1769 Cambridge Edition of Benjamin Blayley; The King James Only Controversy by James White, pp. 124-126; also see p. 288, and footnote 13 on that page) On the LDS version of the KJV - "Leaders took steps in the early 1970s to produce their own edition of the KJV that would fill such desires, completing the effort in 1979...[Their] new Bible boasts seven major features distinguishing it from other editions of the KJV..." (Mormons and the Bible by Philip Barlow, pp. 227-228, also here) 

God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible by Adam Nicolson 

In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How it Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture by Alister McGrath 

In this series, Brendon and Skye are going through the book Crisis of Confidence by Carl Trueman – exploring the reasons why Christians have normally used creeds to guard the faith, and why Mormons have been anti-creedal since their founding. This week we cover chapter six: “On the Usefulness of Creeds and Confessions”. 

Christianity and Liberalism; The Person of Jesus by J. Gresham Machen 

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity; The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman 

Christless Christianity; “Charles Finney v. The Westminster Confession” by Michael Horton (also here and here) 

The Need for Creeds Today by J.V. Fesko 

"The Princeton Seminary Curriculum" by B.B. Warfield

Don’t Fire Your Church Members by Jonathan Leeman 

Democratic Religion: Freedom, Authority, and Church Discipline in the Baptist South, 1785-1900 by Gregory Wills 

The Church of Christ by James Bannerman 

OPC Book of Church Order 

“Pragmatism” by Daniel Larison 

Jacques Derrida by Christopher Watkin 

In this episode, Skyler interviews Dr. James Renihan about his book Confessing the Impassible God: The Biblical, Classical, & Confessional Doctrine of Divine Impassibility.  

The LDS have historically rejected any notion of any god being “without body, parts, or passions.” This teaching was even explicitly identified as a Luciferian deception through the character of a Reformed Minister (called a “hireling of Satan”) in the LDS temple until 1990 (also here). Today, we ask Dr. James Renihan if the doctrine of Divine Impassibility is what the Bible actually teaches, what Christians have historically believed – and why Christianity must confess One God “without body, parts, or passions.” 

James Renihan lectures: 

• "God Before the Beginning” 
• “The Eternal God’s Eternal Love” 
• “The Trinity: The Foundation of Our Faith” 

Also mentioned were his books: 

• Faith and Life for Baptists: The Documents of the London Particular Baptist General Assemblies, 1689-1694 
• A Toolkit For Confessions: Symbolics 101 – Helps for the Study of English Puritan Confessions of Faith 

Against the Gods by John Currid 

All That Is In God by James Dolezal 

The Suffering of the Impassible God by Paul Gavrilyuk 

Christianity and Classical Culture by Jaroslav Pelikan 

Brigham Young: 10.192 ; 13.309

John Taylor: JD 14.267-70

LDS Temple transcript: here and here 

“Strange Creeds of Christendom” by LeGrand Richards 

“The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent” by Jeffrey Holland 

The Great Apostasy; Jesus the Christ by James Talmage 

The Truth, The Way, The Life: An Elementary Treatise on Theology by B.H. Roberts 

The God Who Weeps; Wrestling the Angel by Terryl Givens 

Brigham Young clearly taught that “the God that I serve is progressing eternally, and so are his children: they will increase to all eternity, if they are faithful.” (JD 11.286) However, there has been some voices to the contrary, though still stated within a context which accepts eternal progression (i.e. gods becoming gods by obedience to law, acquisition of knowledge, etc, etc)

Compare President Wilford Woodruff and Elder Bruce R. McConkie on the question of eternal progression:

• "If there was a point where man in his progression could not proceed any further, the very idea would throw a gloom over every intelligent and reflecting mind. God himself is increasing and progressing in knowledge, power, and dominion, and will do so, worlds without end. It is just so with us. We are in a probation, which is a school of experience." (Wilford Woodruff, JD 6.120)
• "Now may I suggest the list of heresies. Heresy one: There are those who say that God is progressing in knowledge and is learning new truths. This is false - utterly, totally, and completely. There is not one sliver of truth in it." (Bruce R. McConkie; Seven Deadly Heresies; Notice the condemnation of earlier men of higher church-rank then himself - including but not limited to Presidents/Prophets Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff.)

Even Orson Pratt, in his "confession" and "apology" for opposing Brigham Young on the eternal progression of even the highest gods, stated that “[w]e are told that every God will continue to progress in knowledge to all ages of eternity; and we are told this by the highest authority on the earth.” (the line was in the original sermon, edited out of JD 7.371-76, but see Conflict in the Quorum by Gary Bergera, p.163. To see more context on the issue, Bergera's book is well-worth reading.)

In this episode, Skye flies solo further analyzing the Mormon anti-creedal imperative. Building on the coverage in Part One of the Creedal Imperative series, Skye analyzes whether it it just creeds – or perhaps it is a deeper issue that would affect their view of canon, and even written texts at all? This is all occurring within the background of the Mormon paradox of on the one hand, the impulse toward exclusivity – and on the other hand, the trend toward a type of conformity that downplays any distinctives. 

JSH-1; 1 Ne 13; D&C 46.2 ; D&C 84; D&C 123 

History of the Church, edited by B.H. Roberts (vol.’s 3, 5, and 6) 

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, edited by Joseph Fielding Smith 

George A. Smith: JD 11.9; JD 13.292-293 

John Taylor: JD 14.267-70 

Wilford Woodruff: JD 24.236 

Elias: An Epic of the Ages by Orson F. Whitney 

Mormon Doctrine; A New Witness for the Articles of Faith by Bruce R. McConkie  

“But Arise and Stand Upon Thy Feet” by Harold B. Lee 

A Marvelous Work and a Wonder; “Strange Creeds of Christendom” by LeGrand Richards 

LDS Temple transcript: here and here 

Wrestling the Angel by Teryl Givens (also here) 

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Bushman 

Mormonism in Transition by Thomas Alexander 

Jason Wallace: An Earnest Plea to Charismatics 

In this series, Brendon and Skye are going through the book Crisis of Confidence by Carl Trueman – exploring the reasons why Christians have normally used creeds to guard the faith, and why Mormons have been anti-creedal since their founding. This week we cover chapter five: “Confession as Praise”. 

Christianity and Liberalism; The Person of Jesus by J. Gresham Machen 

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity; The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman 

Christless Christianity; “Charles Finney v. The Westminster Confession” by Michael Horton (also here and here) 

The Need for Creeds Today by J.V. Fesko 

War Against the Idols by Carlos Eire 

OPC Book of Church Order 

Disruptive Witness by Alan Noble 

Cultural Liturgies series by James K. A. Smith 

In this week's episode, we finish an interview with Pastor James Phelps from Crossroads Church about his life story.

Growing up LDS, we hear his story of leaving Mormonism to then being converted to Christianity. His story includes going from serving an LDS mission in Taiwan - to then being an elder in a faithful Christian church in Sandy. He also shares with us that he will be leading a church-plant in southern Utah later this year.

Check out: Ask LDS Questions 

Sermons: "The Remedy for Gospel Amnesia: Galatians 5.1-6" and "Living Life at the End of the World: 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11"

In this week's episode, we begin an interview with Pastor James Phelps from Crossroads Church about his life story.

Growing up LDS, we hear his story of leaving Mormonism to then being converted to Christianity. His story includes going from serving an LDS mission in Taiwan - to then being an elder in a faithful Christian church in Sandy. He also shares with us that he will be leading a church-plant in southern Utah later this year.

Check out: Ask LDS Questions 

Sermons: "The Remedy for Gospel Amnesia: Galatians 5.1-6" and "Living Life at the End of the World: 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11"

In this series, Brendon and Skye are going through the book Crisis of Confidence by Carl Trueman – exploring the reasons why Christians have normally used creeds to guard the faith, and why Mormons have been anti-creedal since their founding. This week we cover chapter four: “Classical Protestant Confessions”. 

Christianity and Liberalism; The Person of Jesus by J. Gresham Machen 

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity; The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman 

Christless Christianity; “Charles Finney v. The Westminster Confession” by Michael Horton (also here and here) 

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

"The Greatness Commision: Christ, Individualism, and the Meaning of Cultural Diversity"; Reflections on the Christian Life by Anthony Esolen

The Faith We Confess: An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles by Gerald Bray 

The Augsburg Confession with a Historical Introduction and Notes by Charles Krauth 

With Heart and Mouth: An Exposition of the Belgic Confession by Daniel Hyde 

The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism by Kevin DeYoung 

Saving the Reformation: The Pastoral Theology of the Canons of Dort by W. Robert Godfrey 

The Westminster Confession: A Commentary by A.A. Hodge 

God’s Ambassadors: The Westminster Assembly and the Reformation of the English Pulpit, 1643-1653; Confessing the Faith by Chad Van Dixhoorn (also here) 

For the Vindication of the Truth: Baptist Symbolics Volume 1; To the Judicious and Impartial Reader: Baptist Symbolics Volume 2 by James Renihan 

The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther 

Institutes of the Christian Religion; Letter to Sadoleto by John Calvin 

Dialogue on the Two Natures in Christ by Peter Martyr Vermigli 

Zwingli: God’s Armed Prophet by F. Bruce Gordon 

Martin Bucer: An Introduction to His Life and Theology by Donald K. McKim and Jim West 

Cyril Lucaris: Calvinist Patriarch/Orthodox Saint (Jason Wallace; and here) 

Justified in Christ: The Doctrines of Peter Martyr Vermigli and John Henry Newman and their Ecumenical Implications by Chris Castaldo 

“John a Lasco: A Polish Religious Reformer in England, 1550-1553" by Richard Glen Eaves and William A. Carter 

Jacob Arminius: Theologian of Grace by Keith Stanglin (also of note: here and here)