Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods/Use of sources/The Anti-Mormon Articles of Faith

The Anti-Mormon Articles of Faith?



A FAIR Analysis of: One Nation Under Gods, a work by author: Richard Abanes

Author's Claims


One Nation under Gods, page 475 (hardback)

AOF: The Articles of Faith are thirteen statements that outline the more socially acceptable Mormon beliefs, usually discussed openly by Latter-day Saints when explaining Mormonism to potential converts. None of the articles deal with any doctrines that might be viewed as offensive or controversial to non-Mormons. The Articles of Faith are contained in modern LDS editions of the Pearl of Great Price, one of the Standard Works of the Mormon church. The AOF are on-line at http://www.exmormon.org/fourteen.htm.. A searchable text version of the Articles of Faith is online at http://www.concordance.com/mormon.htm, under the Pearl of Great Price.

One Nation under Gods, page 473 (paperback)

AOF: The Articles of Faith are thirteen statements that outline the more socially acceptable Mormon beliefs, usually discussed openly by Latter-day Saints when explaining Mormonism to potential converts. None of the articles deal with any doctrines that might be viewed as offensive or controversial to non-Mormons. The Articles of Faith are contained in modern LDS editions of the Pearl of Great Price, one of the Standard Works of the Mormon church. The AOF are on-line at http://scriptures.lds.org/a_of_f/1. A searchable text version of the Articles of Faith is online at http://www.concordance.com/mormon.htm, under the Pearl of Great Price.

Author's Sources


None

Detailed Analysis

The Link

In the hardback version of ONUG the author provides a link for the LDS Articles of Faith, but one doesn't find the Articles of Faith at that link. Readers who go to that ex-Mormon website expecting to see the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will instead find a list of fourteen slanted and derogatory statements by a critic of the LDS faith. The author of ONUG has changed this link—in the paperback edition of ONUG—to point to the official LDS website.

Here are a few examples of the "Articles of Faith" that one would find at the link provided in the hardback edition of ONUG:

"We believe by manipulating statistics we can show we have a superior belief system. We disregard statistics which are embarrassing to our position such as the high divorce rate in Utah." (Article 13 from the exmormon.org Web site.)

"God was once a man who lived on another planet. This is the most important teaching of Mormonism. Nothing else comes close to it." (Article 1 from the exmormon.org Web site.)

"We will only read church approved materials." (Article 8 from the exmormon.org Web site.)

According to the author of ONUG, he provided a link "to an anti-Mo[rmon] website that posted a paraphrased, expansion, editorialized version of what they viewed the articles to actually mean." [1]


The Articles of Faith

Most religious organizations—Christian and otherwise—publish a list of "Articles of Faith," or a "Statement of Faith," or a list of "What We Believe." They are typically a very basic, brief list of rudimentary doctrinal statements. It is usually no more than a half-page in length. The Church's Articles of Faith are not intended to explain deep doctrines. Anyone looking for a more detailed description of LDS beliefs needs to examine the scriptures and official declarations published by the Church.


Notes


  1. Richard Abanes, "Fourteen Articles of Faith", post to MADB, Dec. 12, 2008.

Further reading

  • Differing versions of the Articles of Faith
  • Matthew B. Brown, "Accusations Against the Articles of Faith," FAIR Brochure, 2004. PDF link
  • John W. Welch and David J. Whittaker, "'We Believe....': Development of the Articles of Faith," Ensign (September 1979): 51.off-site
  • David J. Whittaker, "Articles of Faith," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 1:68–69.