On December 6, 2013, the LDS Church published an article ("Race and Priesthood") that contradicted the facts from earlier church history. Was the banning of blacks holding the priesthood originated by Brigham Young and perpetuated for more than a century? Or was this teaching truly a "doctrine" originated by Joseph Smith as claimed by a number of church leaders?

Today the number of full-time missionaries sent out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) numbers in the tens of thousands. Most of these are young men and women in their late teens or early twenties, but the LDS Church also has within its ranks retired people serving as full-time missionaries. Mormon missionaries are easy to recognize by their black name badges that identify them as either an Elder or Sister in the LDS Church. If missionaries come to your home, what could you say? This article takes a look at 15 things the missionaries might be reluctant to talk about.

Richard Mouw is the outgoing president of Fuller Theological Seminary.  He is a key

evangelical figure  in the realm of interfaith dialogue and has spent the better part of the last decade engaged in discussions with Latter-day Saint scholars and some LDS church officials.  His role has afforded him some high profile encounters typified by his role in the preliminary portion of Ravi Zacharias 2004 lecture at “An Evening of Friendship” in the Mormon Tabernacle at Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  This event is central to the book’s occasion and content since it affords much of the impetus for Mouw’s role in Mormon/Evangelical dialogues and established him as both a respected and controversial figure in this arena. A review of his book Talking with Mormons: An Invitation to Evangelicals.

Listen to MRM founder/president Bill McKeever respond to FAIR-LDS's President Scott Gordon.  A  cogent, well-reasoned response to the arguments presented by the leader of a major LDS apologetic organization. Click here.

Commentator Todd Friel from Wretched Radio talks about former Fuller President Richard Mouw's recent appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. Click here.

An exhibit containing 10 fragments along with other artifacts from the Dead Sea Scrolls will be coming to the Leonardo (www.leonardo.org) in Salt Lake City, UT beginning Nov. 22, 2013 and staying until April 2014. We encourage every Christian believer to see this exhibit. Bill and Eric will be discussing these scrolls on their Viewpoint on Mormonism show from Tuesday, 11/19 through Friday, 11/22. Here are some quick questions and answers to help familiarize yourself with this topic.

The National Bible Association (not to be confused with the National Bible Society) has bestowed an interesting honor onto Salt Lake City, the capital of not only the state of Utah (officially, more than 60 percent of its residents claim to be Mormon) but also the Mormon Church  headquarters.  Mormonism certainly includes the Bible as part of its canon. At the same time, it is the one scripture whose accuracy and authority is doubted by many Latter-day Saints, especially when difficult Bible passages that seemingly contradict LDS teaching are introduced. Let's take a look at how LDS scriptures, leaders, and other sources have approached the Bible.

Saturday, December 7th, 9am - 1pm. "Compassionate Boldness Symposium I," FREE ADMISSION! Come and see Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson deliver their PowerPoint presentation "Compassionate Boldness Symposium."  It all takes place at First Baptist of Tooele, 580 S. Main ST, Tooele, UT. Among other things, we will discuss the Book of Mormon, the Godhead, and Salvation, with practical witnessing tips included. Admission is free, and a free set of notes will be given to each family. A love offering will be taken.

Since 1998, the LDS Church has produced a series of manuals that have been used as curriculum for adult classes. Except for the revision of Gospel Principles (covered in classes from 2010-11), each manual focuses on the teachings of a specific church president. In fact, all but four deceased presidents have had books dedicated to them. Taking the theme of each chapter, this article compiles the information so the reader can see which issues are most predominant. The results may (or may not) surprise you. (Listen to Viewpoint on Mormonism during the week of 11/4/2013.)

Reviewed by Eric Johnson

During 2013, LDS members will be studying the latest manual published by their church, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow. We will evaluate this book regularly, chapter by chapter, by showing interesting quotes and providing an Evangelical Christian take on this manual.

• Chapter 19: Missionary Work
• Chapter 20: The Kingdom of God Moves Forward Missionary Work
• Chapter 21: Loving God More than We Love the World
• Chapter 22: Doing Good to Others