Continuing Ryan Wimmer’s theme from the 2018 Sunstone Symposium of why Evangelicals fail to convert Mormons, we turn to how Joseph Smith and Mormon origins compare to fundamentalist Christianity historically. Evangelicals frequently use dichotomies such as Mormonism vs. Biblical Christianity, Joseph Smith vs. the Bible, etc., highlighting the inconsistencies between the two. This presentation argues …
Speaker: Ryan Wimmer
Isrealite Origins and Mormonism
Aware of the growing number of LDS members exiting the Church the LDS hierarchy have responded to some of the cause with the Gospel Topic Essays; many of which focus on Mormon origins, but the problems with the traditional narrative is much larger. The biblical record of Isrealite origins is based primarily on myth presenting …
Why Evangelical Ministries to Convert Mormons Lose to Secularism
According to the “Why Mormons Question” survey, 55% of Mormons who leave the LDS Church become atheist/agnostic while only 11% find another Christian church. There are countless Christian ministries that train on how to evangelize Latter-day Saints, organize protests at Mormons functions, publish tracts and books, etc. Yet Christians lose to atheism at a nearly …
Purposeful Strangers: Examining Ex-Mormon Narratives and Reasons People Give for Leaving the Church
Purposeful Strangers: Examining Ex-Mormon Narratives and Reasons People Give for Leaving the Church This dual-paper session looks at the issue of why people leave the Church and the paths they often take upon their exit. Seth Payne’s presentation offers the results of research he has conducted on the exit narratives of so-called Mormon apostates. It …