On June 12, 2016, Richard Bushman was posed the following question during a fireside talk with a small group of people: In your view do you see room within Mormonism for several different narratives, multiple narratives, of a religious experience or do you think that in order for the Church to remain strong they would … Read more
John Dehlin delivering a TED talk in 2013. I’ve long been a fan of Jon Stewart. Being politically liberal (on most issues), I naturally enjoy his wit, humor, and political and cultural satire. I remember when in 2011 when he went on Fox News and debated Bill O’Reilly over the appropriateness of the White House … Read more
“Printing Plates of Facsimiles of Papyrus Drawings, Nauvoo, IL, early 1842” (http://josephsmithpapers.org) In his March 2015 letter to the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appealing his excommunication, John Dehlin claims there has been a “recent admission” on the part of the Church “that the Book of Abraham is not … Read more
As announced in various news outlets (here, here, and here) John Dehlin has been excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Below is the letter (taken from here; see also here) sent by President Bryan King to Dehlin, dated February 9, 2015. This letter details exactly why Dehlin has been excommunicated. (Click to … Read more
Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail by Liz Lemon Swindle. I have problems with people casually throwing out accusations of “unrighteous dominion” at Kate Kelly’s and John Dehlin’s priesthood leaders. The phrase, of course, comes from Doctrine and Covenants 121. We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all … Read more
This new item from Nathaniel Givens is worth reading. This paragraph, especially, is right on target. In sum, Dehlin has openly repudiated core teachings of the Mormon faith, condoned the work and opinions of anti-Mormons, and been instrumental (in his own estimation) in leading “many more people” to leave than to stay, and—while he has … Read more
[The following was written by a friend of mine who wishes to remain anonymous. It is posted here with my friend’s permission.] John Dehlin continues to spin his narrative that his support for same-sex marriage and ordain women are the central issues in his excommunication. Ironically, he explicitly denies this while simultaneously defending it. On … Read more
My friend, fellow Mormon blogger, and apparently heartless jerk who likes to compare people he disagrees with to Satan Neal Rappleye has written an excellent piece on his blog titled “Satan and Satire: On the Narratives of Excommunication and “Persecution”. I strongly recommend you read it. I heartily endorse what Neal said. Just one comment … Read more
I suppose now is as good a time as any to draw attention to Greg Smith’s “Dubious ‘Mormon’ Stories.” The coverage of this issue by the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune is also not bad. At the very least, these sources recognize what Dehlin is: a “Mormon critic” and a “podcaster” (and not a … Read more
For the record, this is the letter sent to John Dehlin by his Stake President Bryan C. King on August 7, 2014. In this letter, President King makes it clear why Dehlin was being placed on disciplinary probation and what Dehlin had to do to ensure he didn’t face a disciplinary council. (Click to images … Read more
A scene from John Dehlin’s upcoming disciplinary council, probably. After years of palling around with anti-Mormon apostates (e.g. Tom Phillips, Simon Southerton, Brent Metcalfe, Jeremy Runnells, Grant Palmer, etc.), systematically undermining Church teachings on the law of chastity and the role of the priesthood, flaunting his disdain and contempt for the Brethren, openly deriding the … Read more
Pictured: a cabal of scheming men lusting for power. Readers of this blog will recall that I had some choice words for John Dehlin because of his continual claiming that President Monson suffers from dementia. In his recent interview with Kate Kelly, Dehlin once again made the claim that President Monson has dementia. At one … Read more
On June 16, 2014, John Dehlin went on Doug Fabrizio’s program Radio West and was interviewed about his impending Church disciplinary action. In the course of his interview, Dehlin was asked by Fabrizio about a possible “power vacuum” in Church leadership. Dehlin then made the following statement (around the 20 minute mark). Yeah, I’m cousins … Read more