Dear Reader,
There ARE pro-Mormon answers to ALL anti-Mormon questions! You just have to have the patience and perserverance to find them.
To the Evangelical and Anti-Mormon Reader
Yes! Really! There ARE refutations of just about ALL anti-Mormon questions; either proving them false, or proving them UNproven (neutral). We realize that anti-Mormon books and films make it seem to appear... "CASE-CLOSED: Mormonism is FALSE!" But, dear Reader, you've only seen one side of the story (by "both sides" I DO NOT mean the Mormon and the anti-Mormon sides, but the anti-Mormon and the PRO-MORMON sides~the pro-Mormon replies to anti-Mormon claims). We invite you to read pro-Mormon answers to anti-Mormon claims. You'll find that MOST of anti-Mormon propaganda is DECEPTIVE or at least inaccurate. We're NOT saying that just because we don't want to believe what the anti-Mormons are saying. We're saying that because we've spent many decades studying anti-Mormons claims, and founding most of them 'wanting'.
You think you already know the Truth about "Mormonism". You don't. You know only what anti-Mormons want you to know. And most of them use deception. God isn't the Author of deception. We invite you to see both sides of the story before you put a final judgment upon the Mormon Faith and its claims.
The Mormon Faith is nothing more than the fulfillment of Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 24:
"And he shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another." (Matt. 24:31)
To the Mormon Reader
If you would like to help Mormon apologists defend the Faith and/or help people confused by anti-Mormon propaganda, please read this article completely.
Pro-Mormon Answers (PMAs)
A pro-Mormon Answer is anything that is a reply to an anti-Mormon claim. This reply can be a statement, a book, a tract, a video, a CD, a booklet, an article, or a website.
PMAs have been around since right after AMP (anti-Mormon propaganda) first appeared. Elder Parley P. Pratt, a former lay-minister with the Disciples of Christ who became an early Mormon Apostle, used to write PMAs; pro-Mormon books and tracts in reply to anti-Mormon books and tracts.
The Prophet Joseph Smith himself was involved in Mormon Apologetics (from the Greek apologia which means "to come to the defense of"~it does NOT mean "to apologize for"). After the first anti-Mormon book was published in 1834, titled Mormonism Unveiled, Joseph Smith traveled around refuting many false rumors contained in that book. Joseph Smith wrote his "History of Joseph Smith" (a small portion of which is reproduced as Joseph Smith~History in the Pearl of Great Price) as a pro-Mormon Answer to many anti-Mormon rumors and claims against him.
After the Mormons fled to Utah, and began to openly practice plural marriage (i.e. polygamy), anti-Mormon books began to abound! Many of them reached states of such absurdity that it can hardly be believed! Many books reported that Salt Lake City was a den of Hell; with young white girls being sold in slave auctions, with Mormon "Danites" cutting the throats of everyone who breathed a word against Mormon leaders, with Mormons being drunks and thieves and whoremongers, etc. During the late 19th century and early 20th century Mormon missionaries wore hates. Many people~especially those in the South and rural areas~honestly believed Mormon missionaries wore hats in order to hide their horns!
Journalists who later traveled to Utah to "see for themselves" the great evil found a different story, and wrote stories (and books) telling readers that the reports of anti-Mormons could not be trusted.
During the 19th century a number of pro-Mormon books were produced by the Church or by Gentiles (non-Mormons) who were friends of the Mormons.
In the 20th century some of the most popular PMAs were those by Dr. Hugh Nibley; including:
*The Myth Makers
*Sounding Brass
*No Ma'am~That's
NOT History! (his reply to Fawn Brodie's anti-Mormon classic No
Man Knows My History).
*Since Cumorah
*How To Write An
Anti-Mormon Book
Other popular pre-1980s PMAs included:
*Day of Defense (soon to be an LDS film)
*Mormonism: Challenge
and Defense
*Archaeology and The Book of Mormon
In 1983 Ed Decker, founder of Saints Alive: Ex-Mormons for Jesus released "The God Makers" film; the most popular anti-Mormon film of all time. It was seen by millions of people in thousands of Evangelical churches in North America and other English-speaking countries. In 1984 Robert Starling, a Mormon who worked in the media, independently published Errors, Distorations And Untruths in the Movie 'The God Makers'. In response, Ed Decker sued Robert Starling (and the Church) three times. Each case was thrown out of court.
In 1985 Dr. Gilbert Scharffs, an LDS Institute of Religion instructor in Salt Lake City, broke new ground by publishing a page-by-page/line-by-line pro-Mormon reply to the anti-Mormon book titled The God Makers (first released in 1984). An online copy of the book can be found in the links below.
In 1989 Horizon Publishers decided to publish The Gainsayers: A Converted Anti-Mormon Responds to Critics of the LDS Church by Darrick T. Evenson. Since 1989 the book has sold about 8,000 copies, and can still be ordered at Deseret Book stores. The author has received many emails and letters over the years from returned and serving missionaries; saying how much the book helped them with "sincere investigators confused by anti-Mormon literature". One RM wrote on a Deseret Book message board the following:
One of the best reasearched books on the (I cannot help but use Evenson's term here) "gainsayers" who attempt to tear-down the Lord and harm the Latter-day Saints by any way and all methods. This book helped us work with--and eventually baptize--a young lady who'd even gone on an anti-Mormon mission." (Source)This author (Darrick Evenson) has gotten many such letters and emails over the years.
With the success of The Gainsayers, Horizon Publishers decided to publish a number of other pro-Mormon works such as:
*One-Minute Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions (Gibson)
*A Ready Reply (Griffith)
*How Firm A Foundation (Griffith)
*A Challenge to the Critics (Wirth)
*etc.
Since 1990, a number of pro-Mormon works by a number of authors have been published by a number of Mormon publishers.
By the mid-1990s a number of Mormons who used the Internet began to create websites which attempted to answer anti-Mormon claims. By the late 1990s several of them formed F.A.I.R. (Foundation for Apologetics, Information, and Research) as a clearing-house for pro-Mormon research and publication.
Some Members and non-members will ask: "Why hasn't the Church produced pro-Mormon replies to anti-Mormon claims?"
The only answer is: IT HAS! In 1988 the Church published A Sure Foundation: Answers to Difficult Gospel Questions (Deseret Book, 1988).
This book is no longer in print. We cannot say why. Perhaps because faithful Members do not need such answers because their faith is not weak nor waverying because of AMP (anti-Mormon propaganda)! The book was REALLY needed in the missions; where missionaries lose tens of thousands of sincere investigators because of anti-Mormon propaganda each year. However, the book was only available in LDS bookstores; which are frequented only by faithful Members. The reason why it was not reprinted is probably because it didn't sell very well. Faithful Members don't need answers. Perplexed Investigators ("PIs") DO! But they don't frequent LDS bookstores. They are in the mission field.
A Sure Foundation did answer some of the most frequent anti-Mormon claims. It was the result of work by the Strengthening the Faith of the Members Committee; which was supervised by several Mormon apostles. As far as I can tell, no anti-Mormon wrote a response to this. I've asked a few professional anti-Mormons about this, and they tell me that the book was "unworthy" of a response.
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F.A.I.R.
There is an organization for Members of the Church who want to support pro-Mormon research into anti-Mormon claims: the Foundation for Apologetics, Information, and Research (FAIR). FAIR is a private, independent organization of Mormons who are interested in Mormon Apologetics (defense of the Faith) either as researchers and/or supporters of research and publications. By September 2002 FAIR has well over 1000 members, by 2004 it had 3000 member, and articles about FAIR have appeared in Deseret News and a number of online LDS publications. FAIR publishes an online journal (called FAIR Journal) every month; the link to which is emailed to members and those on the mailing list monthly. FAIR needs both researchers and financial supporters. Donations to FAIR DO NOT GO FOR SALARIES, offices, computers, etc. FAIR is 100% voluntary. Nobody makes a livlihood in FAIR. Donations to FAIR go directly for publishing research and maintaining the website. FAIR has already published two books, and operates an online bookstore which sells (at discount) pro-Mormon books and CDs. They have an growing database of pro-Mormon articles that answer specific anti-Mormon claims. In 2003 FAIR reached a membership of 3000. If you would like to become a member or contributor of FAIR, and/or be on the FAIR mailing list go to www.fairlds.org/
If you are interested in ordering one or more of the books which the FAIR
Online Store offers (at discount) then please contact them at:
[email protected]
FAIR is also producing a number of 1 to 5 page replies to anti-Mormon claims in languages other than English (Spanish, Portuguese, German, etc.). You can find FAIR articles in these languages going to this page:
Missionary Advisors (How To Help Perplexed Investigators)
The Church loses anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 sincere invesigators and new converts each and every year due to anti-Mormon propaganda. The missionaries are not given one minute of instruction on how to "deal" with the issue. So, they will, more often than not, either:
1) Try to answer the anti-Mormon questions of sincere investigators (often quite badly)
2) Avoid the subject altogether.
Either way, it often proves disasterous! The "answers" that missionaries give to PIs (Perplexed Investigators) is most often a "bad" or "lame" answer. This is why many mission presidents say to missionaries "Don't deal with it...just let it alone!" But, how can missionaries "not deal" with sincere investigators with anti-Mormon questions? To ignore them or brush them aside or "dump" them as investigators are, in fact, ways to "deal" with them! There is no way NOT to deal with the issue.
The only real purpose of Mormon Apologetics is to help those souls confused and perplexed by anti-Mormon propaganda. There are actually hundreds of currently active Members who were once convinced that the Mormon Church was "FALSE"; because of they had read anti-Mormon books. However, because of pro-Mormon works, they are back active in the Church. Pro-Mormon materials work for those souls who are sincere. People who are sincere Seekers of Truth, but who are confused and perplexed by anti-Mormon propaganda are called "PIs" ("Perplexed Inquirers/Investigators"). The purpose of pro-Mormon answers are to help these people. Active Members without doubts don't need it. Anti-Mormons are NOT sincere, and thus could not benefit from it. The only people who are benefited by PMAs are Perplexed Investigators. Most missionaries in English-speaking countries have PIs. In some missions, MOST investigators are or become PIs. Unfortunately, the missionaries are not given one minute of instruction on how to handle anti-Mormon questions from PIs. Most mission presidents simply tell their missionaries to "avoid" debating and anti-Mormon "literature". They do, but what do missionaries do when a SINCERE INVESTIGATOR confused by anti-Mormon propaganda (a PI) asks anti-Mormon questions? Missionaries either tell them "Don't worry about it!", or they try to answer the questions. More often than not these answers are "lame" and totally unsatisfactory. Sometimes the answers are bizaar. This is because missionaries have not been trained to answer anti-Mormon questions; nor should they. They are called and trained to teach the Gospel. But somebody should be there who is trained to answer anti-Mormon questions (AMQs). And, we are hoping, that person might be YOU.
Unfortunately, 98% of PIs never see a pro-Mormon answer to an anti-Mormon claim or book or video! Most PIs are in the "mission field"; they don't frequent LDS bookstores. They simply DON'T KNOW they are answers to ALL anti-Mormon claims!
There is a GREAT NEED for "Missionary Advisors". A Missionary Advisor is a Member of the Church who is very familiar with pro-Mormon answers (PMAs). After they take at least 6 months to become very familiar with all PMAs, they then can approach their local mission president and offer to volunteer as a "Missionary Advisor". This is not a Church-calling, but simply a Member volunteering to assist the missionaries who have PIs (Perplexed Investigators). They can also approach their own Stake Mission President, and the Stake Mission Presidents of stakes within a reasonable driving distance from their home (usually 30 to 50 miles). Missionary Advisors can accompany missionaries and "audit" (hear the anti-Mormon questions of PIs and respond to them) Perplexed Investigators. The purpose of Missionary Advisors is NOT to get into debates or "Bible-bashes" with anti-Mormons, but to audit (listen to/counsel/answer) sincere investigators who have anti-Mormon questions.
If you think you have the time, patience, and desire to become a Missionary
Advistor, please go here:
www.geocities.com/promormon/missionaryadvisors.html
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Also......
The TRUTH About Ed Decker et al is 90 pages! If you don't have a high-speed printer, and want to read this SHOCING EXPOSÉ of Decker (and his closest friends and associates) then you can write down the URL and take it to any college or university library, and print it out there. Sometimes this is free, or it may cost up to 10 cents per page. You can also print it out at FEDEX KINKO'S for 10 cents per page ($9 total). Just BE SURE you tell the clerk FIRST that you want to print something out in "BLACK AND WHITE" (not color). Color copies cost 50 cents per page! Make sure the clerk at FedEx Kinko's KNOWS that you wish to print out a 90 page article on the BLACK AND WHITE printer (not the color printer) BEFORE you try to print-out the article.
The Mormon Faith Un-"Decker"-Ated is 50 pages!
Neither has a copyright! This means you can print-out both of them, make as many copies as you want to, and give them away to whomever you wish. You can link them to your own websites if you wish. You already HAVE my permission to do so.
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THE GAINSAYERS: A Converted Anti-Mormon Responds to Critics of the LDS Church by Darrick T. Evenson (Horizon Publishers, 1989). 236 pages. Hardcover. About $17 plus tax at Deseret Book. $15 plux tax at Seagull. Most LDS bookstores don't have this in stock. Most clerks type in "Gangslayers" instead of "Gainsayers" and then say, "Nope, we don't carry it!" If you wish to order this book you need to "spell out" the title to the clerk slowly ("G-A-I-N-S-A-Y-E-R-S...this is one word"), and, if that doesn't work, you need to hand them the Deseret Book product I.D. number: 100011414.
If you don't live near a Deseret Book store, then you can go online at
Deseretbook.com and type in the "Search" area: Gainsayers. You can also order a copy from Deseret Book in Glendale, Arizona:
602-439-4809
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The ProMormon Index is an independent website, and is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FAIR, FARMS, SHIELDS, nor any other organization.
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