Chiasmus is a literary technique in which two or more ideas are presented in a “criss cross” structure in order to make a larger point or produce an effect. It is a technique employed to lay emphasis on what the speaker wants to communicate. Chiasmus was popular in ancient literature, including Hebrew, Greek, and Latin […]
Atonement theory
Introduction The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the central part of the Plan of Salvation but how does an atonement actually work? Although it may not be necessary to fully understand how it works, it is beneficial to explore and appreciate the effects of the atonement in our lives. Atonement theory is a way of […]
Ontological argument
In Mormon thought, God is a self-existing being. Joseph Smith said: We say that God Himself is a self-existing being. Who told you so? It is correct enough; but how did it get into your heads? 1 Richard Swinburne defines x as existing of ontological necessity if: there is not at any time any cause, […]
Paradox of the stone
Introduction The paradox of the stone asks whether God (an omnipotent being) can create a stone so heavy that he can’t lift it? If the answer is yes, then we have found something (i.e. not being able to lift a stone) that an omnipotent being cannot do. If the answer is no, then we have found […]
The Scholarly Problem
Introduction Deseret News noted: David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame associate professor and another adviser on the survey, noted that the more educated (Mormon) respondents were, the higher their levels of religious commitment. “I was a little surprised by that,” said Campbell, who is LDS and who has extensively studied on the role of […]
Messianic myths
Introduction The argument from messianic myths is not so much an argument but rather a couple of related assertions: The messianic story of Jesus is remarkably similar to older messianic myths The messianic story of Jesus was copied from these older messianic myths This reasoning has largely been abandoned and all claims have been found […]
Belief is neither necessary nor sufficient for faith
Introduction Belief can be defined as follows. William Alston said: 1. If S believes that p, then if someone asks S whether p, S will tend to respond affirmatively. 2. If S believes that p, then, if S considers whether it is the case that p, S will tend to feel it to be the […]
Problems with the Book of Mormon
A Review An article on Catholic.com entitled “Problems with the Book of Mormon” concludes by highlighting two alleged errors which can be pointed out to missionaries when discussing the Book of Mormon. Both suffer fatal flaws and should not be considered errors. With this in mind the reader should see why a full analysis of […]
Latter-day Atheists
Introduction Latter day Atheists: The Problem of Omnipotence in Mormon Theology is a paper presented in 2007 by Adam P. Groza at the National Meeting of the International Society of Christian Apologetics. The main contention of the paper is as follows: (i) Mormons believe in a maximally powerful God, (ii) Mormons believe in at least […]
Creatio ex nihilo: A Critique of the Mormon Doctrine of Creation
Introduction