Mormons believe in the doctrine of "exaltation"- that worthy Mormons can become gods of their own planets some day. They believe God was once like us, and we can someday become like him. Let's unpack that heresy.

The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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The LDS Gospel Topics Essays claim that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham "by the gift and power of God". But upon further review, it seems something sketchy might have been afoot.

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Today we start a new series on the LDS Church's "Gospel Topics Essays" released in 2013. These essays were written by Mormon experts in an attempt to explain away some of the difficult questions coming against the Church. In this first episode we explore the essay titled "Are Mormons Christians?"

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So you're leaving Mormonism and you're feeling burned by the institutional church. It's tempting to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Don't do it! Here's how to find a good Christian church.

Next steps:

1. Find a Christ-centered, Bible-based evangelical church.
2. Connect to a mentor or small group.
3. Go through The Pursuit together.

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Your leaving Mormonism and you've dealt with the emotions and your questions. Now you've gotta tell your family. How do you do that without burning bridges? Bo and KD share their insights.

1. Why leave in the first place? 
2. The Mormon Church has a great community, positive upbringing (for the most part), and a belief in eternal families… so why leave? 
3. We talked the past two weeks about the emotions and questions that come up when you realize what you’ve believed in or were raised in turned out to be false… 
4. To find and gain a relationship with Jesus, the biblical Jesus.
5. Luke 14:26
6. Love Jesus above all else… even family 
7. How to approach the conversation
8. Explaining your perspective
9. Explaining why you’re leaving
10. It’s important to call out what you no longer believe, but even more important to point out what you do believe in moving forward
11. Most family members will still want to respect your beliefs and support you 
12. Some won’t… simple as that. 
13. Emotions will run high, so try to remain level
14. Leave room for your family’s emotions as well as your own
15. Keep it simple and straightforward
16. 
    
17. How to handle the aftermath
18. You’ll likely be faced with plenty of questions / rebuttals 
19. Mormons are Christians too, why leave to find Jesus? 
20. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater…
21. Covenants
22. Man can make mistakes (ie. Joseph Smith) 
23. Book of Mormon
24. Mormon Gospel
25. What about Eternal Families? 
26. What about the spiritual experiences you’ve had? 
27. What next? 
28. You’ve left the Mormon Church… NOW WHAT? 
29. Isaiah 41:10
30. “Don’t be afraid for I am with you”

Today we talk again with Bo and KD, two former Mormons who are leaving the LDS church and trying to do it right. We go over their insights around some of the major doctrinal differences between the Mormon church and biblical Christianity.

• Bible
• “As far as it is translated correctly…”
• Mormons lack trust in the Bible
• Joseph claimed that plain and precious truths were corrupted over time by translators (1 Nephi 13:26-29)
• “Precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God.” 
• “Because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble”
• Mormons attempt to contrast the Biblical translation process with the Book of Mormon translation process… 
• 5,800+ Greek Manuscripts compiled to translate the Bible
• 300 fulfilled prophecies in Jesus
• 25,000 archeological digs that prove biblical history
• BoM has 0 evidence 
• 
  
• Jesus
• Jesus of the Mormon Church
• Mormons believe we were all spirit children of Heavenly parents (Father and Mother) and that Jesus is their Elder brother. 
• Jesus is the Son of God
• Jesus is our Savior 
• This is where Mormons get the idea that they are Christians
• It can be pretty offensive to Mormons for others to assert that they aren’t Christian. 
• Biblical Jesus
• Jesus is God and has been from the beginning (John 1:1)
• Point out the JST that changes this verse substantially 
• Jesus created all things in Heaven and in Earth (Col 1:16) 
• The Fullness of the Father dwells in Jesus - Triune Nature of God (Col 1:19)
• Trinity vs Godhead?
• Atoned for our Sins on the Cross (Col 1:20)
• Hebrews 9:11-15
• Jesus’ death was the ultimate sacrifice and marked the end of Levitical sacrifices in the Temple. No more Temples or sacrifices needed.  We have a new covenant with Jesus through His blood.  When we accept Him in Faith we are saved. 
• Ephesians 2:11-17
• Grace
• Ephesians 2:8-9 vs. 2 Nephi 25:23
• Saved by Grace when we believed vs. saved by Grace after all the works we can do 
• How is one saved in Mormonism? 
• 3rd Article of Faith “by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel”
• How does God explain salvation in the Bible? 
• Galatians 2:16, 20-21
• Families
• Mormons believe the purpose of eternal families is to become Gods (D&C 132:19-21) 
• If you are married in the Temple and obey the commandments the rest of your life and do not commit murder, then you will become gods. 
• The Bible teaches (Ephesians 2:19-21)
• We are part of God’s family when we believe in Jesus
• We become God’s temple where His Spirit dwells
• Romans 8:1-17
• We received The Spirit of God when we believed in Jesus and we were adopted as children of God. 
• Romans 8:18-30

Fear, depression, anger, guilt, confusion. These are just a few of the emotions you'll feel when you leave Mormonism. But it's still worth it.

In this podcast, we have examined a lot of issues relating to the credibility of Mormon doctrines and history. This might leave you wondering: why would anybody join the LDS Church? And does anyone ever leave it?

• LDS Church has 16 million members at present, roughly doubled in the past 25 years
• LDS Ch grows by birth of children AND baptizing converts
• About 30% of church members are converts
• About 4 in 10 converts were raised Protestant / same raised Catholic
• Growth rate has decreased = from 5% per year in late 1980s → 1.5% per year in 2017
• People join LDS Church for a myriad of reasons
• Many → testimony experience received while studying Mo’ism
• Some, M provides satisfying answers re: meaning of life
• Some like emphasis on righteousness & achievement
• Others like idea → everyone goes to some form of heaven
• Or that there is 2nd chance for salvation after this life
• Many find that LDS Church makes God comprehensible
• Compared to the biblical doctrine of the Trinity
• For others, emotional reasons play a role
• The appeal that families can be united forever
• Or a dead loved one has 2nd chance for salvation
• People find security in the structure & authority of Mo’ism
• Some encounter LDS Church when searching spiritually
• Or while looking to fill a void in their hearts
• Others find a welcoming, supportive community 
• When going through tough times emotionally
• LDS Ch → safe haven from society’s evils for families
• Some join for relational reasons
• Young ppl growing up in LDS majority → join to fit in
• Others join through a romantic relationship with a Mo
• Some join during a time of material need
• After Church provided practical or financial help
• But MOST LDS are members bc they were raised in Mo’ism
• Officially → church members at age 8, when baptized
• The majority stay in the Church
• Though probably experience periods of increased/decreased activity
• Regardless of why people join…
• M provides a positive way of life & caring community
• Gives sense → bldg something significant in this life & next
• ALL LDS are urged to experience a personal conversion
• Both those who grew up in it and those who join it
• Conversion is not moment of spiritual regeneration as in traditional Xianty
• But the moment they come to know with divinely-inspired certainty
• That JS is a prophet, the BOM is true 
• The LDS Church is the only true church
• Church membership is important, but faith journey starts at this point of conversion
• By gaining assurance / testimony of truth of LDS Church
• Application: to those outside, the LDS Church may seem irrational or strange
• Might have a hard time understand why ppl believe it
• Let’s have some empathy due to the powerful forces at work that confirm the LDS identity and commitment in ppl

• Serving a mission is a vital rite of passage that strengthens the commitment of young Mos
• In 2022, ~ 90,000 missionaries worldwide, from many countries
• Serving in 407 different geographical missions.
• Seen as an expectation / duty for young men
• As an opportunity but not obligation for  young women
• On the “mission field”
• Go in pairs: junior & senior companion
• Frequently transferred - every few months
• A day in the life
• Rise at 6:30 am → 1 hour to pray, exercise, prepare for the day
• Personal & companion Study - 2.5 hours of scriptures, lessons, manual, language, etc.
• Teaching People - begins at 10:00 am
• Referrals from members, knock on doors, pass out tracts, speak to anyone
• Follow-up visits → formal lessons / push toward baptism as an LDS member
• Work with members → activate inactives / help members reach out
• Return to lodging at 9:00 pm → planning, journaling, prayer = until 10:30
• Everyone who joins the LDS Church will go through the missionary lessons
• Designed to convince them of LDS truth claims
• Also: to prepare them for the commitments involved in living as a Mormon
• Application: being an LDS missionary is a tough gig
• Long hours, far from home, lots of rejection
• Treat them with kindness
• But don’t be afraid to engage in open, truthful but loving conversations

• In spite of positive elements of LDS life, ppl are leaving Mo’ism in unprecedented numbers
• Up to 50% of converts in the US drop out after a year
• When it comes to lifelong members → retention rate in adulthood is about 5 in 8
• Of those who leave, only ⅓ find a home in a new religion → ½ of those in some form of Protestant faith
• Many factors that contribute to LDS deconversion
• Some don’t want to live demanding LDS lifestyle
• Constant busyness, time & money pressure
• Tire of stress of living up to high expectations / pressure to be worthy
• Pressure to be worthy
• Discover unsavory episodes in Church’s history → cast a bad light on LDS prophets
• Or contradict official Church accounts
• Converts uncover info they were unaware of when baptized
• Such as temple practices / the idea of becoming gods
• Honest Qs go unanswered / discouragement sets in → people told not to question the faith
• Some leave bc they discover that LDS truth claims can’t stand up to intellectual scrutiny
• Others decide that Mormon doctrines don’t stack up to BIble
• More & more → leave due to LDS conservative stand on social issues
• Patriarchal vs feminism / traditional marriage vs. LGBT inclusion
• Some leave bc LDS Church feels like big business to them
• Others find Church too monolithically white and American
• Many leave because they never fit in culturally
• Some are poorly treated and don’t come back
• As many LDS have their faith confirmed by warm spiritual experiences
• Some also leave because of an experience → a dream or spiritual feeling caused them to doubt
• Application: don’t think your LDS friend is impervious to the gospel, or even to deeper friendship
• But realize → they have to trust you a lot to open up about their doubts / questions / concerns

• Closet doubters: some Mos reject claims & teachings of LDS Church
• But choose to stay in the church → quiet about their doubts
• Disaffected Mos stay in the Church for various reasons
• May appreciate some, if not all, Mo teachings & practices
• Marriage compels some to stay for family stability / to avoid divorce
• Some stay because of their family history / traditions
• Job security is an issue for many, esp in Utah
• One’s boss and co-workers may be LDS
• Many → no idea where to go / what to do w/o Mormonism
• Some hope to influence the church to change
• Others → church still seen as a safe place to raise kids w/values
• Application: your LDS friend might not be as convinced or loyal as it seems on the surface

• For those raised LDS, leaving Mormonism is hard
• Going vs. tide of deep roots & strong group identity
• When a person rejects authority & truth claims of Mo’ism…
• Considered apostate → a very negative label
• LDS are taught to fear apostasy
• Warned that if they leave the Church...
• Abandon safe umbrella of priesthood care & authority
• LDS sources claim → ppl leave the church out of pride, sin, or pettiness
• Or because they were deceived by Satan
• When people do finally leave, they do so at a cost
• Ex-Mo may suffer sense of anguish over loss of ID
• Family life and personal relationships are disrupted
• Those who leave are often stereotyped & slandered
• A doubting Mormon may go through agonizing transition period - perhaps years long
• Marked by insecurity, alienation, anger, and confusion
• Before ultimately accepting a decision to leave Ch
• Application: have compassion on ppl as they navigate a difficult faith transition
• Patience / kindness
• Give them space to sort things out
• Empathize with the emotional disequilibrium & relational challenges
• It’s not like going from Baptist to Presbyterian church

In this podcast, we will explore how Mormons typically relate to non-Mormons, and vice versa. One of the biggest questions that arises: is Mormonism a cult? We’ll talk about that and other issues about Mormons and non-Mormons that we hope will help you have more insightful & intelligent relationships with the Mormons you encounter.

• Two nationwide studies released recently
• YouGov poll (Nov 2022) explores Americans’ attitudes toward different religious groups & belief systems
• High end: Christianity (general) = +34 favorability rating
• Protestantism is next = +15
• Low end: Satanism & Scientology = -49 rating
• LDS Church = -21
• To break it down: very favorable 6%; somewhat favorable 11%
• Neither favorable or unfavorable 36%; not sure 9%
• Somewhat unfavorable 20%; very unfavorable 19%
• Ppl who say religion is not important to them = -41 rating
• Ppl who say religion is important to them = -11 rating
• Pew Research Center study (Sept 2022) measured sentiments toward several religious groups (self-ratings excluded)
• Jews = +27 favorability
• Mainline Protestants = +20
• Catholics = +5
• Evangelical Xians = -14
• Atheists = -4
• Muslims = -5
• Mormons = -12 → 15% favorable / 25% unfavorable / 59% neither or don’t know
• Unsurprisingly, % of favorable reactions increases for ppl who actually know a member of any of these religious groups
• Interesting! Mormons evaluate evangelical Xians = +43 rating
• Evangelicals evaluate Mormons = -12 rating
• So: what are some reasons for this unfavorability?
• Pew: non-religious people & social liberals have very high unfavorability to LDS, as to other conservative faith groups
• Non-religious affiliated = -26 / (evangelicals - 38)
• Atheists = - 55 / (evangelicals - 76)
• Presumably based on conservative social views / politics
• But what about other people of faith?

• Here’s the question we teased in our title: Is Mormonism a cult?
• Answer to that Q depends on how you define the term
• Also reflects the attitude you have toward others
• The doctrinal definition of a “cult”
• Huge doctrinal differences divide M’ism from historic, biblical Xianity
• As explored in earlier episodes = the underlying worldview that drives M’sim is radically different at key points from biblical Xian worldview
• In narrow theological definition: that makes M’ism a cult
• (Though from their perspective, WE might be seen as the cult.)
• The sociological definition
• A relatively small group that excessively controls its members
• Mind control / social control / thought-stopping techniques
• Never question leaders / opponents & outsiders vilified
• Avoidance of dissent / difficult to leave
• Share a set of acts & practices that require unwavering devotion
• Considered deviant compared to norms of society
• Typically led by a charismatic leader, often self-appointed
• This definition is irrespective of any particular beliefs
• Though “cult” is often linked with unusual religious / spiritual beliefs
• The cultural assumption
• Most ppl don’t have theology in mind when they use or hear the term “cult”
• Rather, they think of weird / aberrant groups…
• Poison-Kool-Aid-drinking Jim Jones & People’s Temple
• Heaven’s Gate group that committed mass suicide to join aliens
• David Koresh & Branch Davidians fighting it out w/FBI in Waco TX
• IOW: in popular usage, “cult” can mean “a religion I don’t like”
• Result: “cult” carries a strong negative / perjorative tone
• LDS take it as an insult
• Recent media productions present M’ism in this light
• Under the Banner of Heaven
• Keep Sweet - Pray and Obey
• The Book of Mormon Musical
• Focus on some of the more unattractive aspects of LDS history / culture
• Polygamy is a big one even though LDS Church has sought to distance itself
• If our goal is to share the good news of God’s grace → don’t call ppl names
• Using “cult” framework / terminology cuts off communication
• Both sides end up arguing over mere labels vs talking about real issues
• Xians should find language that communicates the vast belief differences
• Without needlessly insulting the LDS community
• Col 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness,humility, gentleness, and patience.

• Some of the unfavorability might be → LDS can be insular
• Mormonism creates a tightly knit community
• Result: LDS can be very inwardly focused
• Not usually tuned in to how comes across to neighbors or coworkers 
• Wrapped up in LDS world, can be unaware of the lives and experiences of outsiders living around them
• Example: public schools in Utah
• Often run on assumption that everyone is LDS
• This can result in a feeling of isolation for non-Mormons in LDS areas
• Welcomed warmly when first move in
• Until they discover you are not a prospect for conversion
• Sometimes outsiders are resented
• These attitudes vary greatly by community or neighborhood
• Can be heightened if LDS find Xian neighbors distant / unfriendly themselves
• A lot of stereotypes are a work in LDS culture
• “Evangelical Christians aren’t serious about their faith. They abuse grace.”
• “Evangelical Xians hate us”
• It’s more likely = LDS are just can very unaware of what others believe / how they live
• May lump all other Xian groups together → every pastor is a “priest”
• Honestly think that we believe pretty much what they believe
• This is why Mormons are confused and offended when evangelicals don’t regard them as Christians
• We have very different definitions of “Christian” from them
• It’s really 2 questions
• Is Mormonism a Cristian institution?
• Are individuals Mormons Christians?
• These two questions require two different approaches
• Institutions → a doctrinal approach
• Individuals → an experiential approach
• Some elements of evangelical culture are attractive to LDS
• Contemporary Christian music
• Non-denominational Bible study
• Generically Christian media productions, like The Chosen

• Another reason for unfavorability → Mormonism is a missionary-minded faith
• This is the major point of contention between LDS and Christians
• Mormons confidently & aggressively seek to win converts from Xian churches
• The LDS Church’s stated purpose is “to preach the gospel to the world” 
• They deploy some 65K missionaries in 350 regions worldwide
• A 2-year proselytizing mission = important rite of passage for LDS youth 
• LDS Church baptizes over 300,000 new converts each year
• Missionaries rely heavily on members to refer their friends 
• In response to how Mormons view us, traditional Christians have three options. 
• We can attack Mormonism,  as many have. 
• But Mormonism is fueled by a persecution complex. 
• When opposed, the Mormon people resist and grow stronger. 
• We can agree with Mormonism. 
• Not an option if we are committed to biblical truth. 
• Or, like Jesus, we can engage with Mormons as real people and point them toward a different kind of relationship with God. 
• This is modeled by his interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4. 
• Perhaps one day we will come back to that passage and explore it more fully.

Sandra Tanner has been a leading figure in Mormon Studies for over 50 years. Along with her husband Jerald, she is the author of scores of books and pamphlets, including Mormonism: Shadow or Reality and The Changing World of Mormonism. They are the subjects of the recent biography Lighthouse: Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism, by Ron Huggins. Sandra recently retired from Utah Lighthouse Ministry (utlm.org). This is part 2 of an interview conducted at the 2019 Faith After Mormonism Conference. (Part 1 was recently published.) You can view the entire conversation on YouTube.