Religion: Mormons

Some of the early Mormon Church's most poignant and embarrassing episodes are recounted in a trove of letters and other original documents sold at auction this week in New York.

Recently I came across a letter written by one of the many silent sufferers which was recently mailed to Mormon Church leadership, and I wanted to post it here for all to read. I believe this letter expresses the reality for many who suffer in silence in order to maintain those precious relationships which might otherwise be destroyed should the truth be known. I echo the sentiments expressed in this letter, as I am sure many of you will as well. The letter reads as follows...

In 1988, with the help of an Italian Catholic bishop, Introvigne launched CESNUR, the Center for the Study of New Religions, as an international network of religion scholars from leading universities in Europe and the Americas.

The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new analysis.

The ReligionFacts "Big Religion Chart" is an attempt to summarize all the complexities of religions and belief systems into tiny little boxes on a single, quick-reference comparison chart. Yes, of course this is impossible. As we always warn with our comparison charts, this is no substitute for reading about religions in greater detail, talking with religious adherents, etc. But this religion comparison chart can (hopefully) be a useful and accessible way to "get the gist" of some unfamiliar groups and compare basic beliefs and practices of the world's religions and belief systems. Currently, 42 belief systems are listed.

If 2002 was Mormonism's debutante ball, 2008 may go down as its first semester of college. The Utah-based church made new friends, endured back-stabbing from would-be friends, joined some clubs, got a taste of fame and had a few wrenching exams.

They survived amid mobbings, beatings, burnings, a horse-drawn wagon journey across the Great Plains and even the ravages of mice roaming inside their wooden crate. Now the contents of journals kept by LDS Church founder Joseph Smith have been made available to the public for the first time, word for word, as he wrote and dictated them to various clerks and scribes.

The long-awaited release of "Massacre at Mountain Meadows" forces a reexamination of a dark episode for a faith community that puts families first. Mormons believe the family unit lasts for eternity, dutifully practice genealogy and cherish their pioneer past. So for descendants of massacre perpetrators, the book's gritty detail and naming of names can bring a painful reckoning.

Steve Wells, the creator of the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, Qur’an, and Book of Mormon, has donated the full contents of his website to the Reason Project. This is a very generous gift, as Steve spent the better part of a decade annotating these holy books and highlighted all passages notable for their historical inaccuracy, internal contradictions, scientific errors, absurdity, injustice, cruelty, sexism, intolerance, etc. (he also flagged the good parts).

Known for his stance against religion, Bill Maher's views on the various world religions are explored as he travels to numerous religious destinations, such as Jerusalem, the Vatican, and Salt Lake City, interviewing believers from a variety of backgrounds and groups, including Jews for Jesus, Muslims, polygamists, Satanists, Hasidic scholars and even Rael of the Raelian Movement. In the trailer and documentary Maher also interviews research neuroscientist Andrew Newberg, MD, (author of Why We Believe What We Believe) who brain-scans people at the University of Pennyslvania as they pray, meditate and speak in tongues.