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What is the dream of MRM for a facility in the Salt Lake valley of Utah?

Sandra Tanner’s Utah Lighthouse Ministry bookstore closed forever on February 28, 2023. For decades this small building location in the downtown Salt Lake City area, provided resources and encouragement to Christians looking for answers for their LDS friends, as well as for Latter-day Saints struggling with their Mormonism.

For a gift of $300 or more to this building project, you will receive a page out of our 1630 copy of the King James Version, a 400-year-old leaf. It will come with a letter of authenticity along with several photocopies (including the Title Page) and your receipt for your donation to the building project (frame not included).

Having volunteered on Saturdays at the UTLM bookstore for more than a decade and a half, Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, of Mormonism Research Ministry saw firsthand the importance of such a facility and are considering the possibility of opening a new store in the Salt Lake valley. We invite you to look inside to see what Mormonism Research Ministry envisions.

A Christian bookstore and so much more . . . Our Dream is a multi-purpose facility in the Salt Lake valley that will offer the following

A Bookstore

     Like the UTLM bookstore, we want to offer the best books that critically evaluate the history and doctrines of Mormonism, as well as Christian resources that focus on apologetics subjects such as:

  • Answering objections to God’s existence
  • The reliability of the Bible
  • Systematic theology
  • Christian church history

Our hope is to also carry a selection of easier- to-read modern versions of the Bible, including the English Standard Version, the New International Version, the New American Standard, and the New King James Version. Overall, our selection of books will be chose to best meet the objectives of MRM’s ministry.

Counseling

Like the UTLM bookstore, we want to provide a warm environment where Christians, Mormons, and ex-Mormons will be able to get answers to their questions. We would like this to be in a safe and welcoming place for people to comfortably seek spiritual insight and get guidance in living as a Christian according to the Bible.

A Research Center

The store will include a research library containing published titles by the LDS Church and Mormon authors. These will include many of the resources that MRM regularly uses in its research and will be available to the public. We also would make available LDS Church periodicals such as the church magazine series Ensign/Liahona and the Improvement Era before then. Those who are interested will be able to verify quotations from primary sources.

A Bible Museum

 We would like to host a Bible museum that would include:

  • Ancient pottery, lamps and coins from the Holy Land
  • Torah scrolls several centuries old
  • Old copies of the Bible from 400 years ago along with other old Christian books
  • Evidence showing the historical accuracy of the Bible

A Museum on Mormonism

     We would like to display items that pertain to Mormonism, including:

  • Old copies of the Book of Mormon going back to 1854
  • Copies of 19th century books that pertain to Mormonism
  • Replica “gold plates” weighing 118 pounds, 80 pounds, and 50 pounds—let’s see who can lift the plates

A Classroom Facility

We envision an all-purpose room suitable for teaching the local community as well as missions teams coming to minister in Utah. We have plenty of ideas for possible classes, including:

  • Regular Bible studies.
  • Teachings on Mormonism and contrasted with biblical Christianity.
  • Weeknight studies: Whether books of the Bible, topical or book studies —including issues related to Mormonism—the hope is to offer a place where Christians can expand their understanding of the faith.
  • Occasional special events: As we get settled in, we will consider additional events that can benefit the Body of Christ. We have many ideas and now just need a place to make this happen.

Goals of this Facility

  • To provide a place for people to come and meet Christians who are knowledgeable in Mormonism and apologetics
  • To present learning opportunities for people all throughout Utah
  • To have an LDS resource center where people can do personal research
  • In all things, to glorify God!

Mormonism Research Ministry

·        Was founded in 1979 by Bill McKeever

·        Hosts a popular Christian website on the topic
of Mormonism (mrm.org)

·        Airs a 14-minute radio show/podcast (Viewpoint
on Mormonism) featuring Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson. This program airs daily
on 820AM in Utah as well as five other radio stations in Idaho, Nevada,
California, and Hawaii. All past and current shows are available at
mrm.org/podcast.

·        Responsible for 7 different books on the topic
of Mormonism, including Answering Mormons’ Questions (Kregel), Mormonism
101
(Baker), Sharing the Good News with Mormons (Harvest House),
and Introducing Christianity to Mormons (Harvest House).

·        Has a two-fold ministry objective:

o  To inform and educate the Christian population

o  To reach Latter-day Saints with the truth of God’s
Word

How can I help?

Donate to this project by visiting here.

For every gift of $300 or more, you can receive a page from our 1630 copy of the King James Version of Bible. Find out more by clicking here.

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