Criticism of Mormonism is the criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement, especially of the largest and most prominent sect, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("LDS Church"). In their early years, Mormons encountered frequent conflict, which forced them to move westward, eventually settling in Utah. Even after establishing a community in Utah, criticism to plural marriage and other beliefs prompted the Utah War.

Criticism of Mormonism have largely been for theological reasons. Many Christians criticize Mormon doctrines as unorthodox. Mormonism also attracts criticism with its bold claims, such as that it is the only religion with the authority to act in God's name.

Historic criticism

Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, taught widely that all of the Christian teachers of the day were in error and had departed from the true Christian faith. He was vigorously pursued by detractors since the time he recounted his First Vision. He later died at the hands of a mob in 1844 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois during the Illinois Mormon War. Some have alleged that Thomas Ford, then governor of Illinois, may have been complicit in the murder.

Conflict between Mormons and their critics or opponents was frequently vehement and violent. On October 27, 1838 Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs signed an executive order (known as the "Extermination Order") instructing the general of the state militia that, "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary, for the public peace-their outrages are beyond all description. If you can increase your force, you are authorized to do so, to any extent you may consider necessary." This executive order was eventually rescinded by Governor Christopher S. Bond on June 25, 1976, over 137 years later, mainly because it violated First Amendment rights.

Most of Smith's followers, under the direction of Brigham Young, later fled Nauvoo in 1846 due to increasingly violent conflict and persecution. They eventually settled in what was then part of Mexico (now Utah) to organize a separate "country", the State of Deseret. Conflict with non-Mormons was also a factor in groups of Mormons leaving England to join other Mormons in the United States. These individuals formed the bulk of what is commonly referred to as the "mainstream", "Utah" or "Brighamite" LDS church.

In Utah, a group of Mormons, along with Paiute Indians, committed the Mountain Meadows massacre. This conflict was alleged to have been carried out at the command of Young, although this point is heavily disputed, and the LDS church covered up many of the details of the attack. This lead to widespread criticism throughout the United States.

In Utah, the Mormon practice of polygamy or plural marriage was openly practiced for the first time, having been introduced by Smith secretly some decades earlier. Plural marriage generated significant criticism throughout the United States, and was repudiated by the mainstream LDS church in 1890. However, many Mormons did not want to discard this practice, and started various sects which are commonly referred to as "fundamentalist Mormons". However, these people are not members of the mainstream Mormon church since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now excommunicates any member who practices plural marriage.

Doctrinal criticism

In mainstream Christianity, a strong disagreement with the theology, beliefs and practices of the Mormon church is common, see Mormonism and Christianity.

In many ways, this tension is unsurprising: Mormon founders argued that mainstream Christianity is significantly different from what Jesus and the Apostles intended. Mormons teach that the biblically prophesied Great Apostasy has happened and that the mainstream Christian churches no longer follow the complete teachings of Jesus.

Many mainstream Christian churches teach that Mormonism is a form of pseudo-Christianity, which has departed from the teachings given in the Bible and now espouses beliefs fundamentally different. Mormonism is sometimes called a cult. At other times it is compared with ancient gnosticism or Arianism. Also fueling tension, Mormon missionaries proselytize indiscriminately, including to mainstream Christians, seeking to invite all people to convert to Mormonism.

Doctrinal criticism to Mormonism has a long history, and can be broken down into several categories:

• Correct disagreements on doctrine
• Incorrect disagreements on doctrine

The people who make and counter these claims in detail are frequently referred to as apologists; (see below).

Correct disagreements on doctrine

There are actual, mutually acknowledged differences between Mormon doctrine and that of orthodox Christianity. These include:

• Mormons believe that God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings with tangible bodies of purified flesh and bones; whereas mainstream Christians believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one in spirit substance and that God the Father does not have a tangible body.
• Mormons believe that Jesus, Satan, and all mankind were present with Heavenly Father before the world was created. Satan rebelled, but Jesus and all those who were to be born on earth sided with Heavenly Father. Mainstream Christians believe that Jesus and the Father are uncreated; that Satan, the demons, angels, and people are wholly created by God, and did not exist at all until God created them.

Incorrect disagreements on doctrine

Some doctrines are attributed to Mormonism by its opponents and depicted as contrary to mainstream Christianity, but are not acknowledged by Mormons. These include:

• God was born and raised on a planet roughly the size of the star Kolob.

This is not set forth as official Mormon doctrine. Some members of the Latter Day Saint Church have alluded to this doctrine as a result of a revelation Joseph Smith received. Joseph Smith wrote in his amendments to the Bible in the Book of Abraham: "And I saw the stars, that they were great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it.. And the Lord said unto me, These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest… And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the

Anti-Mormonism

Anti-Mormonism is used as a term for criticism of Mormonism based upon prejudice and doctrinal misrepresentation. Some of the common techniques allegedly used in anti-Mormon writings include:

Fabricated References

The Book of Mormon is divided into books, chapters, and verses, and references to passages are similar in nature to biblical references. Many anti-Mormon articles will use page numbers, which makes it harder to check the source, since page numbers vary by editions. However, in many cases, the references are totally fabricated, and the supposed passages do not exist. In other cases, a valid reference is given but there is nothing found that substantiates the point being made.

Use of Secondary Sources

A number of anti-Mormon documents were published during the LDS church's early years. Many of these contained unsubstantiated claims that often contradict each other as well as contradicting accepted facts. Many modern-day anti-Mormon articles cite these secondary sources without attempting to validate their accuracy. This is followed by later scholars quoting the previous works as if they were widely accepted, when their accuracy is often questionable. The result is a large body of anti-Mormon literature that is based upon itself, with little verifiable details.

Sensationalized exaggeration

Some critics take several points of Mormon doctrine, and then exaggerate and/or extend the doctrine, stating their conclusions using phrasing that is not found in Mormonism, and claiming that "most Mormons" believe this extreme case. In many cases, the "conclusion" they arrive at isn't believed by any Mormons, let alone most Mormons. One variant of this approach is to use modified statements that are similar to, but don't accurately describe Mormon doctrine. Another variant is to use speculative positions that some Mormons believe, but about which the Mormon Church has not issued any formal position.

Bait and Switch

A common technique used by critics is similar to the "bait and switch" technique of promising one thing and producing something different. An example of this is the claim that Mormons believe that a prophet named Amulek claimed to be infallible. They will then quote a portion of Alma 11:21: "I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord."

By telling the reader (or listener) what they will see, they have predisposed the reader to interpret the passage in a way that conforms to the initial claim.

In reality, the situation covered by this passage is similar to that in Numbers 23, where Balak asked Balaam to curse the Israelites, to which Balaam replied that he could only say what the Lord told him to say.

In Alma 11, a false preacher (Zeezrom) is trying to get Amulek to contradict himself. Zeezrom asks Amulek to answer some questions, to which Amulek replies: "Yea, if it be according to the Spirit of the Lord, which is in me; for I shall say nothing which is contrary to the Spirit of the Lord." (Alma 11:23).

Secret Teachings

One of the most difficult techniques to counter is the belief that there are "secret teachings" that "normal" Mormons aren't told. According to this claim, at some point up the church hierarchy, leaders hold radically different beliefs to those that are taught to people further down in the hierarchy. According to this theory, the wholesome "public teachings" are used to get people to join the Mormon church. This argument is often used in conjuction with a previous allegation that is shown to be incorrect. Supposedly, the claim is believed by the higher leaders, but not known by the general membership. Sometimes this claim is made by people claiming to be former mormons who did learn these "secret teachings" in a Mormon temple.

Using this technique, authors can make spectacular claims about what Mormons "really believe". When a member says they don't believe that, the response is generally that they aren't high enough in the church to know what the leaders "really believe". It is never explained at what point these "secret teachings" are revealed to leaders as they ascend the hierarchy, and no cases exposing this practice are provided.

Since the Mormon Church doesn't have paid local leaders, and since the local units have considerable autonomy, many Mormons have trouble understanding how others can believe this theory. Nevertheless, this is a popular method of deflecting any criticism of their original claims.

Ceremonies held in LDS temples are seen by the devout as sacred, and are not discussed publicly. This has led to many lurid and unfounded claims, which Mormons are reluctant to rebut, however inaccurate they might be.

Disputed extrapolation

• Often, anti-Mormons will take certain statements or doctrines of the church and combine them to form new statements that are definitely not doctrine. One such example of an anti-Mormon claim that is not LDS church doctrine is: "Mormonism teaches that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had sexual intercourse with God." This is a disputed extrapolation from statements such as: (1) Mormons believe that Jesus is the literal Son of God; (2) God the Father has a physical body; and (3) Brigham Young stated that Jesus was conceived by natural means (the church takes the stance that "miracles" cannot violate the laws of science but can seem miraculous because current knowledge of the universe is limited).

Criticism by Former Members

Literature by former Mormons who actively criticize the church often generalize their experience as typical of most members who leave the religion. For example, if a person grew up in the Mormon church, "going through the motions" of regular church attendance while secretly harboring doubts, they might assume that many other Mormons felt the same way. Some Mormons may express doubt but feel unable to express their emotions outside of the LDS enculturation they have grown up in or accepted. Some of these members may have been closet doubters and can see their LDS experience as strengthening to their own life experience. The 'go along to get along' approach is very commonly expressed on the . This seems to be similar to being a member of a religious group for cultural reasons without participating in the faith of the religious group.

Many former members are from Utah or other communities with large Mormon populations. For some, regular church attendance was a product of peer pressure or familial expectation rather than personal conviction. If they relocate to an area where Mormons are less prevalent, the culture shock of new surroundings bereft of expected LDS support structure often leads to inactivity.

Literature authored by some former members who convert to Evangelical Christianity contains claims that as a Mormon, they personally lacked a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ and in their new religous affiliation they have found success in strengthening their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Friendships with nonmembers, disfellowshipped and/or former members are common and encouraged; however, sympathizing with apostates who actively attack the church

Criticisms of Mormonism as contrary to Science

As is the case with most other religions, some of the doctrines and scriptural events associated exclusively with Mormonism cannot be proven by current scientific research. Some of these include:

• The historicity of some of the events in the Book of Mormon
• Direct evidence of inhabitable "worlds without number"

Apologetics

Mormon Apologists are those who directly answer the questions of critics of the LDS church. Mormon apologists would answer the above allegations by explaining the actual doctrine taught by the LDS Church, as this is where most of the criticism is directed. These items correspond in order to the questions raised above.

• God has a physical body. We do not know anything about God before He was God, but the pattern which has been defined for us on this Earth gives implications. According to the Book of Abraham, the star nearest to where God dwells is the star Kolob.
• Again, the pattern defined for us on this Earth implies that God also has a wife. The Church teaches that we have all existed eternally as "intelligences"; God "organized" these intelligences, of which Jesus was the greatest and first to be organized, into "spirit children." Lucifer was a leader in heaven, hence he is called a "son of the morning." When Lucifer was cast out of Heaven for rebellion, he became known as Satan, a fallen angel.
• The Book of Mormon relates that three separate groups, the Jaredites, Nephites, and Mulekites, were directed by God to leave the Eastern Hemisphere and come to the Americas. Their intermingling with other cultures already established on the American continent is implied but never explicitly stated by the text. About the year 400, most descendents of the migrant groups were completely destroyed; only the Lamanite culture survived. The Lamanites were averse to written records, "civilized" lifestyles, and were more likely to intermarry with indigineous tribes. Because of promises made to them by God, they are considered inhabitants of the Americas, even if traces of their DNA are negligible.
• According to the Book of Moses, God created many worlds with inhabitants; this does not mean that all created planets have inhabitants, which has no support in LDS doctrine.
• After the Second Coming, the earth will receive its paradisiacal glory. Jesus will reign personally upon the earth; after the Millennium, the earth will become the Celestial Kingdom, the glory of which is symbolized by the brightness of the sun.
• Before the Fall of Adam, the earth existed as a paradise, i.e. the garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they were ejected from the garden. Earth and its inhabitants were removed from the glory of God, which is called spiritual death.

Modern day criticism

Some individuals and organizations are active in opposing Mormon beliefs and campaigning against the Mormon church today. Many are ex-Mormons themselves, particularly plural wives, who have become active in opposing the polygamist practices of other sects. Some anti-Mormons direct their criticism toward Mormon church leaders, past and present.

More hostility tends to be directed toward church leaders of the 19th century than towards more recent leaders.

General Conference and Temple Open House Protests

Some anti-Mormons are openly hostile toward Latter-day Saints. It is common to find them among other protesters at major Church events. Most consider their activities to be counterproductive and detrimental to more progressive approaches to the LDS church. Virtually all members of the LDS faith view these hostile individuals as disrespectful toward their beliefs.

Themes of anti-Mormon protestors

Common slogans and themes of these protests at times involve the garment held sacred and worn by latter-day saints who have attended the temple. The temple garment is displayed and often mocked in public, which LDS faithful consider extremely offensive. Further, slogans on signs and pamphlets emphasize, but frequently mischaracterize, concepts of the LDS faith including, but not limited to, deification, polygamy, and polytheism. These themes are emphasized by most who oppose the Church, but it is the technique of mischaracterization these individuals use that most Mormons and former Mormons find disagreeable.

Below is a link to a description of one of these protests, from a Mormon point of view.

The following link, from the same website, leads to a photo essay of a recent anti-Mormon protest.

Organized criticism to Mormonism

There are several organizations which oppose the Mormon church. Their activities vary. In most cases the primary activity is informational – they seek to provide what they regard as a true picture of the Mormon church. Some are independent while others are connected with parent churches, and not all are Christian. Examples of such organizations are:Utah Lighthouse Ministry (founded by Jerald and Sandra Tanner), Mormon Research Ministries, Mormons in Transition, Utah Partnerships for Christ, and The Exmormon Foundation.

Some anti-Mormons have become well-known for their activities. A few of them are:

• Arthur Budvarson
• Ed Decker
• Bill McKeever
• Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Seminars to counter Mormon teachings

LDS missionaries routinely present their message to believing Christians, encouraging them to convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To many, this is viewed as an attack on mainstream Christian beliefs. Partly in response to this, many organizations who disagree with the LDS teachings hold seminars at mainstream Christian churches to highlight differences between the Church and mainstream Christianity, and to offer the mainstream Christian viewpoint on these differences.

The Mormon Religion is the 4th largest denomination in the United States. Some of other faiths, whether admitting it or not, feel threatened by this growth, since many converts are derived from the 50,000+ missionary force among other existing faiths. This has led to misunderstanding, occasional slander, and a general mistrust on both sides. A recent reconciliation of sorts demonstrates some progress in mending fences between Mormons and their detractors.

For the first time in 105 years, non-Mormons mounted the pulpit at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City on Nov. 4, 2004. The event, dubbed an "Evening of Friendship," was organized by Standing Together, a network of 100 evangelical churches trying to improve relations with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In what the Deseret News referred to as "stunningly candid" comments, Fuller Theological Seminary president . Richard J. Mouw apologized to Mormons for evangelicals' tendency to distort the truth about Latter-day Saints' beliefs. "Let me state it clearly. We evangelicals have sinned against you," Mouw said. The speech is making the rounds among surprised and generally pleased evangelical and Mormon groups. Portions of his remarks are printed below.

"It is difficult for me to find adequate words to express how thrilled I am to be here this evening. Here we are, evangelical Protestants and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gathered together in this Salt Lake Tabernacle, for an event that is described as “An Evening of Friendship.” I am not being melodramatic when I say that this is surely an historic occasion. To be sure, there have long been friendships between some evangelicals and some LDS folks. But they have not appeared on the public radar screen. Our public relations between our two communities have been—to put it mildly—decidedly unfriendly. From the very beginning, when Joseph Smith organized his church in 1830, my evangelical forebears hurled angry accusations and vehement denunciations at the Mormon community—a practice that continues from some evangelical quarters even into this present day. And I think it is fair to say that some Mormons have on occasion responded in kind. Friendship with each other has not come easily for our two communities.

But in recent times things have begun to change. Evangelicals and Mormons have worked together on important matters of public morality. Here in Utah, the Standing Together ministry has been willing to take some considerable risks in countering the more aggressive and disruptive evangelical attacks against the LDS church..

On a personal level, over the past half-dozen years I have been a member of a small group of evangelical scholars who have been engaged in lengthy closed-door discussions about spiritual and theological matters with a small group of our LDS counterparts. We have not been afraid to argue strenuously with each other, but our arguments have been conducted in a sincere desire genuinely to understand each other—and in the process we have formed some deep bonds of friendship. I know that I have learned much in this continuing dialogue, and I am now convinced that we evangelicals have often seriously misrepresented the beliefs and practices of the Mormon community. Indeed, let me state it bluntly to the LDS folks here this evening: we have sinned against you. The God of the Scriptures makes it clear that it is a terrible thing to bear false witness against our neighbors, and we have been guilty of that sort of transgression in things we have said about you. We have told you what you believe without making a sincere effort first of all to ask you what you believe.

We have made much of the need to provide you with a strong defense of traditional Christian convictions, regularly quoting the Apostle Peter’s mandate that we present to people like you a reasoned account of the hope that lies with in us—but we have not been careful to follow the same Apostle’s counsel that immediately follows that mandate, when he tells us that we must always make our case with “gentleness and reverence” toward those with whom we are speaking. Indeed, we have even on occasion demonized you, weaving conspiracy theories about what the LDS community is “really” trying to accomplish in the world. And even at our best, we have—and this is true of both of our communities—we have talked past each other, setting forth oversimplified and distorted accounts of what the other group believes.

I have formed some wonderful friendships with Mormons in the past few years. These friends have helped me to see the ways in which I have often misinterpreted Mormon thought. To be sure, as a result of those conversations I also remained convinced that there are very real issues of disagreement between us—and that some of these issues are matters of eternal significance. But we can now discuss these topics as friends And tonight many more of our friends have come together in this place for a very public and large-scale “Evening of Friendship.” God be praised! In just a month and a half we will greet the year 2005, which marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Smith. During this year there will be many occasions to pay special attention to Joseph’s life and teachings, and I hope many in the evangelical community will take part in those events. But this evening we are not here to talk about Joseph Smith, butabout the One whose birth we will celebrate again just before the bicentennial year of Joseph’s birth makes its appearance. This is the One about whose birth we sing—in words, I should add, that many of us love to hear sung by that great choir that sings these words in this Tabernacle—“the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

What a wonderful thing it is that we can meet together to talk about the Lord Jesus and about who he is and what he has done on our behalf. There is much here to talk about. I personally take great encouragement from words that Joseph Smith uttered on the occasion of the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April of 1830: “we know,” Joseph said, “that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.” And then he added: “And we know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, and we know also that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength.” I greet you this evening in that spirit—as one who wants more than anything else to love and serve God with all my might, mind and strength, in the power made available by the amazing grace that sent the Lord Jesus to Bethlehem’s manger, and to the Garden of Gethsemane, and to the Cross of Calvary, where he shed his blood to pay the debt of our sin—a debt that we could never pay on our own. This is the spirit in which Ravi Zacharias is going to speak to us this evening—the spirit of devotion to the One whose name is above every name, the One who alone is mighty to save, and before whom someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of the Father. May this wonderful “Evening of Friendship” point us all to that great day. Thank you and God bless you."

Intra-Utah Anti Mormonism

A large portion of Utah residents are often described as Anti-Mormon due to political opposition of many popular conservative political agendas. This is vastly different from the Anti-Mormon beliefs of some fundamentalist and evangelical Christians who oppose Mormon Theology. Many Utah media outlets such as The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City Weekly, and the University of Utah's Daily Utah Chronicle are often described as Anti-Mormon even though many of the contributors are Mormon themselves. Many of these charges surfaced when Mark Hofmann sold forged documents to the LDS Church and when Salt Lake City sold one block of Main Street to the church, with what many felt was too little public input.