Customer Reviews

The Keystone of Mormonism

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Arza's is yet another story of a faithful lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) who decides to investigate the claims of the Book of Mormon and research church history only to discover all sorts of problems, inconsistencies, and deception. And, like others, Arza went on to write a book about what he found and ended up getting excommunicated. Such is the all-to-common fate of intelligent and honest members of the church who look too deeply at the shadowy history of Mormonism.

"The Keystone of Mormonism" is ostensibly a book about the Book of Mormon, which was written by the church's founder, Joseph Smith, and is presented by the church as literal scriptural history of ancient America. Arza's taken the title of his book from a comment by Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon Church) to the effect that the Book of Mormon is ".... The most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion..."

While the first part of Arza's book is about the Book of Mormon, and its many well-known and serious problems with science, the second half is a treatise on LDS doctrine and some of the darker episodes in LDS history. Woven throughout Arza's book is his clear and unmistakable conclusion that Smith was a con artist, adulterer, and a shrewd and calculating cult leader devoid of common standards of morality and decency. This, of course, is the polar opposite of how Mormons view their leader. The difference being largely due to the way in which Mormons are raised on a diet of official historical fiction/fantasy, while Arza's conclusions are drawn from his extensive examination of historical documents and even-handed application of standards for moral decency.

For devout Mormons, Arza's book will hardly be convincing. It's simply too easy for true believers to glibly ignore critical information about the church while claiming the apostates are possessed of a "lying tongue," and given over to the devil. What these members would see, if they'd bother looking, is that virtually all of Arza's conclusions are drawn from pronouncements made by church leaders, who were speaking in their capacity as "prophets, seers, and revelators" while publishing their teachings using church avenues of communication.

For example, one of Arza's points is that Smith was full of himself, and that he organized the church, in part, to feed an insatiable ego. To back this up, Arza quotes dozens of passages from church documents that illustrate how egotistical Smith really was. Here is an example from the Doctrine and Covenant (official LDS scripture):

"Whatsoever they [Smith and other priesthood leaders in the church] shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation."

Mormons often quote this scripture to justify strict obedience to their church leaders, but Arza helps see this statement (and dozens of others, equally full of pride) as the ambition of a backwoods con artist who had finally attained the level of respect and adoration that he so desperately needed. Arza then shows how this thirst for human praise exists today in the General Authorities of the church when they do things like having themselves "sustained" twice yearly as "prophets, seers, and revelators."

To many non-Mormons the esteem with which Mormons hold Smith borders on worship. Indeed, while mainline Christian churches attribute the resurrection solely to Jesus Christ, in Mormonism the resurrection is predicated upon Joseph Smith's say-so. Here is another choice reference from Arza's book:

"How are you going to get your resurrection? You will get it by the President of the resurrection pertaining to this generation, and that is Joseph Smith Jun. Hear it all ye ends of the earth; if ever you enter into the kingdom of God it is because Joseph Smith let you go there. This will apply to Jews and Gentiles, to the bond, and the free; to friends and foes; no man or woman in this generation will get a resurrection and be crowned, without Joseph Smith saying so. The man who was martyred in Carthage Jail, State of Illinois, holds the keys of life and death to this generation. He is the President of the resurrection in this dispensation, ..." (Brigham Young, unpublished Discourse, October 8, 1854).

Another persistent theme in Arza's book is the manner in which the LDS Church uses "persuasive techniques" to cajole members into compliance. For example, on page 131, Arza says:

"If a child can be so thoroughly indoctrinated that he or she becomes incapable of spontaneous, independent thinking, this extinguishment of individuality may be considered a serious form of child abuse."

Arza illustrates the church's use of family as an extension of power, effectively using mothers, fathers, and siblings to exert extraordinary pressure on individuals to conform, pressure that the organization alone could never muster.

The preeminent example of a hidden agenda, deceit, and sexual exploitation all rolled into one is the practice of polygamy as taught by the LDS Church. Indeed a significant portion of Arza's book is aimed at discussing polygamy, and especially the immoral way in which Joseph Smith committed adultery while pretending that his sexual indiscretions were done at the command of God under the guise of polygamy. Particularly damning is the manner in which Arza reviews the historical documentation showing that Smith engaged in this lewd sexual conduct under the guise of polygamous marriages to women who, at the time, were already married to other men.

I found Arza's book to be hard hitting, but mostly fair and balanced. He certainly pulls no punches in holding Mormonism up to the standards it professes, and illustrating quite convincingly (I think) the church's failure to do as they preach.

I loved reading this book. I started on a Saturday morning and could not put it down. I was locked in, and read it straight through over a weekend. As a lifetime active member of the LDS Church, this book moved me deeply to my very core in every way: emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. I learned more about the Book of Mormon and Church history from Professor Evans than I had anywhere else before. This book is a treasure chest of essential information from official LDS Church sources for anyone who takes study of the Book of Mormon seriously.

Evans' many years of impeccable research for this book is very evident in his unwaveringly honest and well organized approach. His sources are verbatim quotations from official LDS Church publications so they are unimpeachable. As a result, The Keystone of Mormonism is one of the most important analysis of the Book of Mormon and relevant LDS history written to date. It is highly recommended for the both the LDS reader and those interested in understanding the history of Mormonism. The author is a lifetime member of the LDS church, a former missionary, church leader, and former college professor. Evans' teaching expertise is evident in his writing. His personal style will engage the average reader, yet all his references are meticulously footnoted in the back of the book to satisfy the interests of the most ardent scholar.

The Keystone of Mormonism is a highly factual historical analysis of official LDS records but it is far from a dry historical read. What makes these facts so spellbinding and valuable to the reader is that Evans relates his historical discoveries in a voice that reveals his most personal inner reactions on his unfolding journey of discovery into official Church documented history. Ultimately his research reveals much more that is unsettling about Mormonism than he had counted on discovering and the challenge it presents to Evans faith will be echoed in the heart of every honest LDS reader.

As a Utah physician, raised in and around Mormonism my entire life, I had a hard time putting this one down. I have given out multiple copies of this book over the last week! The Keystone of Mormonism is an excellent reference work for those wanting a well researched, well written book on the Book of Mormon and early Mormon leaders and 'prophets'. This author does a great job not only exposing the truth as well as documenting his statements. Particularly moving are his struggles through disillusionment, psychological pain, and disappointment. A must read and sure to be talked about for years to come!

It is a quick and easy book to read. It covers many aspects of the belief system and identifies the source documents where the original information can be found. It does not go into the scholarly information in the way Quinn or Brodie would address the subjects, but provides an overview of some of the major problems found in the Mormon Church.

The author goes beyond most books of this type and explores the sociological and control aspects of the Mormon Church. He shows how the Mormon Church manipulates and controls its members using many of the same techniques as the founders. He also discusses the egocentric nature of the early leaders and ethnocentric beliefs found in the Mormon Church. He demonstrates the level of lying and hiding the truth which was prevalent in the early Mormon Church. This lying and hiding the truth about the history and doctrine is still a common characteristic in the Mormon Church.

Criticism has been given in light of the "Trail of Lehi" and "In the Footsteps of Lehi." The "Trail/Footsteps of Lehi" book, lectures and tours have been discredited by the Mormon Church's own apologists, the FARMS organization. This includes the river, alters, names, locations and other information included in the book.

LDS apologists will no doubt trot out some version of the "nothing new under the sun" criticism in describing Arza's book, as some of my fellow Amazon reviewers have already shown. This book is indeed guilty as charged in this regard, although how they think this discounts the validity of these facts is beyond me. Is it because some apologist somewhere may have once coughed up some inadequate and/or wildly improbable excuses? In any event, this is not ground level scholarship, but rather a comprehensive survey. Arza Evans does a good job highlighting the main problems surrounding the Book of Mormon. His references and credentials aren't overly impressive, but they don't have to be in order to debunk these tales. He also draws attention to some of the more outlandish and immature aspects of the stories that those indoctrinated from a very young age may have become too familiar with to recognize.

In later chapters, Arza moves on to discuss disturbing aspects of church history that the LDS church has long expunged from its teaching manuals. Here his references are more impressive, taken largely from authorized histories of the church, the infamous Journal of Discourses, works written by nominally believing Mormons, and (where unsympathetic accounts are used) credible and/or first hand accounts. There were a few statements made (like the remarks attributed to apologist godfather Hugh Nibley) where I would have liked to append a '[citation needed]' flag - Wikipedia style.

Standout chapters include 11 (Reason vs. Testimony), 12 (Social Pathology), and 14 (focusing on control tactics). Arza Evans demonstrates a strong and insightful understanding of the success and allure of the LDS faith.

There are a couple of things about Arza's books that prevent me from giving it a higher rating. The first is that he often seems to let his emotions get the better of him. This causes him to overreach with some of his arguments and occasionally engage in superfluous and weak attacks. This is unfortunate as many readers may use such instances to discount his quality arguments as 'guilty by association'. At times the book takes on a 'stream of consciousness' style and I found myself wincing at his overuse of bold highlights to emphasize what he considers especially damning or reprehensible. Arza has every right to feel hurt and outraged (this is outrageous stuff - and who doesn't feel this way when they discover they've been duped?), but emotional rhetoric always makes me suspicious, whether I agree with the author's stance or not.

My second criticism is that Arza, while seeing through the irrationality, inconsistencies, and ethical failures of Mormonism gives God/Christ/The Bible a free pass throughout. While traditional Christianity may be more watered down, it certainly doesn't stand up to scrutiny any better. Why the double standard? Arza seems to acknowledge this in his epilogue with his statement that "I don't want to give up my faith in God and my hope of an afterlife. Giving up on Joseph Smith and Mormonism was painful enough; I just can't give up on Jesus Christ and Christianity" (page 257). Isn't this the same type of wishful thinking and refusal to scrutinize long held beliefs that he so often cites as contributing to Mormonism's success? After a brave and painful voyage in pursuit of truth at great personal and social cost, this statement makes it appear like he simply lost his nerve at the end.

If you're looking for a comprehensive survey on the problems of Mormonism within an autobiographical framework, I would recommend Duwayne Anderson's "Farewell to Eden", Lyndon Lamborn's "Standing for Something More", and Brad & Chris Morin's "Suddenly Strangers" over this one as they cover much the same ground without the problems I mentioned.

Joseph Smith claimed that he translated the Book of Mormon word for word with the power of God. He said that it contained the fullness of the gospel and that it was the "most correct book on earth".

Too bad that the LDS church has made approx. 4000 corrections in several new editions since Smith first published the Book of Mormon in 1830. These changes do everything from correct grammar mistakes and spelling errors to change the theology of the book to reflect the mormon theology that developed after its publication. Apparently God doesn't know English very well, and apparently he changed his mind that blacks are darkskinned because they are evil.

This book shows the Book of Mormon to be the made up fantasy that it truly is by attacking it from every angle imaginable: science, history, grammar, theology, as well as several chapters about the lives of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

In regard to their lives, you'll learn that Smith had at least 50 wives (probably more) and that many times they were women who were already married and who he forced to swear an oath of secrecy, even from their husbands and any children they had from Smith. You'll learn that Young died a millionaire.

I admit, however, that this is not the most scholarly book ever, and isn't the best written. But it's an honest presentatin of information gathered by an ex-mormon.

I definitely recommend it.

I loved this book! It was informative and often shocking to examine the Book of Mormon with an intellectual mindset.

A GREAT EXPOSE OF THE CHRONICALLY DISHONEST MORMON CHURCH (LDS CHURCH)

No matter how thinly you slice anything - it always has two sides. Since mormons are carefully spoonfed one side of the story - i strongly recommend that they hear the other side by reading Mr Evans book and also other books by post-Mormon authors who grew up in the church (childhood indoctrination) but who as adults saw through the lies and manipulation of Mr Smith and his associates. Mr Evans is one such author who overcame his childhood indoctrination and is now spilling the beans as very informed defector from the mormon cult.

The Mormon Church (LDS CHurch) is a multibillion dollar empire and front for the Smith/Young family dynasty who still run the mormon church (most 'apostles' are descendants or close relatives of these two bloodlines).

Mormons truly believe many myths - eg "there is no conflict between our religion and science" - lies lies lies (see the book "Farewell to Eden" by Mr Anderson).

One of their most cherished myths is that the BOM (Book of Mormon)is a historical record translated from ancient plates!

It is well documented fact that the BOM was not "translated" but in fact was DICTATED by Mr Smith - every witness account says so (see [...]). There is no such thing as "reformed Egyptian".

Despite the fact that science has proven the BOM as a work of fiction and fraud; despite the fact that Elder BH Roberts (arguably the brightest mind in the Mormon hierarchy) and noted historian and "Defender of the Faith" himself concluded that Mr Smith wrote the BOM (see [...]); many mormons still believe that the BOM is historical!!!

Every field of science has proven conclusively that the BOM is a work of 19th century fiction and bears no relation whatever to ancient America: Archeology; Anthropology; Linguistics; Geography; and most recently DNA/Genetics which proved conclusively that the ameri-Indians do NOT have any Israelite DNA!

This book tackles the myth of the historical BOM and also contrasts mormon doctrine against bible doctrine.
I spent over 30 years in the Mormon cult, and am very familiar with its doctrines and i still learned a lot by reading this book.

Mr Evans has done a brilliant job of exposing the early history of the mormon cult and comparing it to biblical christianity. If you understand how polygamous cults operate today (eg Colorado City - read "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer) then you will understand how dictator Brigham Young operated Utah as his theocracy in the early days of the mormon cult.

Due to brainwashing and childhood indoctrination, many mormons regard their beliefs, policies and practices as normal and inspired - this is due to the fact that they are institutionalized. It is like a prisoner who becomes institutionalized and after years of being broken, submissive and brainwashed, cannot bear to face the real world but feels more comfortable and at home in his little cell.

If Mormons are brave enough to read this book they will realize just how deceived they are about their faith.
99% of humanity sees mormonism for what it is (creepy cult) but in their own minds mormons think they are the Way, Truth and Life and the leaders feed their egos with false information (actual statistics reveal that Utah suffers high rates of depression, fraud, bankruptcy, teenage pregnancy and suicide, etc). The FBI have noted that Utah is the fraud capital of the world. Gullible trusting people are easy targets.

Despite the fact that the LDS CHurch has attempted to mainstream itself and abandon some of its bizarre evil doctrines and policies, it still maintains many of its cultic doctrines and practices (eg polygamy, masonic temple rituals and secret oaths, etc).

for more info about the mormon cult, see:
[...]
Enjoy reading about the documented facts of mormon history and comparing its cultic doctrines to biblical christianity.

Are Mormons good people? Yes many are wonderful and i truly love them, respect them and admire them. Good people fall victim to religious frauds all the time - look at many cults and churches across the world.

No amount of good people or good works by good people today can justify the dishonesty and harm caused by Mr Smith and continued by his associates.

Still today....the LDS Church is indoctrinating children to pay tithing and to serve 2 year missions to spread the lie about the "only true church" etc. Their arrogance knows no bounds.

BB: In 1994, for example, Warren and Michaela Aston published the book, "In the footsteps of Lehi," revealing that plausible candidates for both Nahom (1 Nephi 16:34) and Bountiful exists in the Arabian Peninsula.
JK: Nahom & Bountiful? Sorry dude we don't want plausable candidates, we want definite confirmation!
BB: Furthermore, only a few years later, George Potter discovered a continaully flowing river in Arabia, right where the Book of Mormon states it is. This was one of the first topics discussed in the 2003 book he co-authored with Richard Wellington, entitled, "Lehi in the Wilderness."
JK: I Nephi 2:5-8 says that the River Laman emptied into the Red Sea. But, there are no rivers in all of Arabia now or in recorded history, and no river empties into the Red Sea! The Red Sea is a body of water connected to the Mediterranean Sea on the north and to the Indian Ocean on the south. When it rains, which is rare, a wadi (a dry riverbed) will carry water for a short time. But a wadi is not a river.
BB: Now, the questions of Evans can be turned on their back - How did Joseph Smith know so much about Arabia?
JK: The guy could read, books on geography and cultures wouldn't have been too far out of his reach.
BB: How did he know of the presence of a continually flowing river south-south-east of Jerusalem in Arabia, when, for decades, critics have derided such (and, in their ignorance, continue to do) as an impossibility (see 1 Nephi 2:5-8)?
JK: A wadi is not a river (read my comment above).
BB: How did he know of a burial site, *NHM* in the same direction, corresponding to "Nahom" where Ishamel was buried in 1 Nephi 16:34?
JK: It is important to note that NHM is believed to be a tribal name, not a place name, and that the three consonants can have a variety of spellings when vowels are inserted. Aston notes in his web site article that references to NHM are "usually given as NiHM, NeHeM, NaHaM etc." The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies reports that this can also be spelled "NaHM" (7:1, 1998, p. 7).
BB: In addition, how could Smith have known of a lush garden spot east of Nahom, and describe all its physical and material cultural characteristics, when, again, critics have derided Bountiful in Arabia as another impossibility?
JK: Let's not forget that Bountiful's temporary filler is only a candidate. And NHM doesn't mean NaHoM. Subsequently, this lush garden spot east of NHM maybe cactus plants.

An Comically Inept Approach to the Book of Mormon

While the author describes this book as the fruit of twenty years research, this is one more stereotyped anti-Mormon book, trading on claims that have been circulating for decades, published, and re-republished repeatedly. For his twenty years of critical investigation, he may as well have just picked up one book by Jerald and Sandra Tanner and done in all in a day. It also fits the complaint that Mosser and Owen made about the anti-Mormon genre in their famous 1997 paper, "Mormon Scholarship, Apologetics, and Evangelical Neglect: Loosing the Battle and Not Knowing It."
"In a survey of twenty recent evangelical books criticizing Mormonism we found that none interact with this growing body of literature. Only a handful demonstrate any awareness of pertinent works. Many of the authors promote criticisms that have long been refuted; ...That they make no attempt to interact with contemporary LDS scholarship is a stain upon the authors' integrity and causes one to wonder about their credibility."

Rather than interact with LDS scholarships that deals with the issues he raises, Arza Evans almost completely ignores it. He includes one reference to Sorenson's An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon (Arza, 85), and mentions Hugh Nibley once, misrepresenting the single statement he offers (Arza, 212. contrast Nibley "Dear Sterling" page 145-6 in Eloquent Witness). Readily accessible essays at FAIR, FARMS, Jeff Lindsay's site, and others deal with questions he raises. If he doesn't accept or believe our responses, fine. But one who claims to be a college professor who spent twenty years researching the issues ought to have actually engaged the relevant materials. Indeed, I find it strange that in the Introduction in which he describes himself as a "college professor" and mentions his "critical thinking skills" (page 10), he never describes where he completed his education, nor in what field, nor where he served as a professor.

More importantly, the book does not display much in the way of the critical thinking skills I would expect from a college professor. For instance, on page 28 he says that the Book of Mormon says nothing about Passover, Feast of the Tabernacles, "scapegoats, sabbatical years, jubilees, thank offerings, unleavened bread, ephods, usury, purification, circumcision, idolatry, witchcraft, sorcery, or unclean animals." In response to these two sentences, compare "Sons of the Passover" page 196-198 of Re-exploring the Book of Mormon; John Tvedtnes's famous essay "King Benjamin and the Feast of the Tabernacles" in By Study and By Faith vol 2, 1990, pages 197-237 and Diane Wirth, "Decoding Ancient America, the chapter on "Parallels Between Hebrew and Nephite Festival" pages 27-33. For scapegoats, see John W. Welch, "On the Right or the Left: King Benjamin and the Scapegoat" in Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon (1999), pages 107-109; For Jubilees, see John W,. Welch and Terrence Szinc, "King Benjamin's Speech in the Context of Ancient Israelite Festivals" pages 190-199. For thank offerings, see "What Were Those Sacrifices Offered by Lehi?" in From Jerusalem to Zarahemla by S. Kent Brown, pages 1-8. The Book of Mormon claims to be "an abridgment" from more complete records made by post-Christian prophet with a military background, designed to teach that "Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations." (Title page and Mormon 1). Hence, I don't see that unleavened bread, ephods, usury, or unclean animals as particularly urgent topics. Not every Biblical book discusses them. Moroni 8:8 quotes Christ as saying that "the law of circumcision is done away in me." (Arza had claimed that the Book of Mormon never mentions circumcision (page 29). Mormon 1:19 condemns the presence of witchcraft and sorcery in his time. And the Book of Mormon as a whole contains at least 20 passages condemning idolatry. (See the index.) The ignorance that Arza can demonstrate in a few sentences calls for volumes of response.

Arza includes a chapter on "Plagiarism From Other Books," and discusses Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews. He quotes from the Roberts Study. He cites a Dialogue essay on the topic, and a Sunstone essay. Fair enough. However he does not mention that Brigham Young University published an edition of View of the Hebrews, nor does he mention the single most important paper on the topic is one by John W. Welch, published in 1985, "Answering B. H. Roberts Questions and an "Unparallel." There have also been several essays in the FARMS Review, the Improvement Era, and the Ensign on the topic. Evans shows no awareness of any of this, and consequently provides no response.

His chapter 3 is Titled "Beware of False Prophets" and says that "the Bible offers a simple test," and cites Deuteronomy 18:20-22 as the test. Early last year FAIR published my detailed paper "Biblical Keys for Discerning True and False Prophets", which quotes and analyzes 28 Biblical tests for true prophets and corresponding tests for false prophets. The only test that Arza considers is one that the Bible demonstrates is the one most qualified by precept and example, and the one most abused in practice within the Bible.

In trying to depict the Book of Mormon as inaccurate in its discussion of Old and New World settings, Azra not only ignores readily available information, but also typically misreads the text. For instance, as an example of "Serious Geographical Errors" he claims that "Lehi's family couldn't possibly have taken their provisions and traveled 170 miles from Jerusalem to the Red Sea in just three days." (Arza, 78). But back in 1985 John Welch's paper on "Finding Answers to B. H. Roberts Questions" had observed that "The journey began at Lehi's house (1 Ne. 2:4), which from Jerusalem was "down" into another land called the land of the family's inheritance (1 Ne. 3:22), which could have been some distance south of Jerusalem. From there, the family went "into the wilderness" (1 Ne. 2:4) and from there they traveled "three days in the wilderness" (1 Ne. 2:6). (Welch,. 11, and see the video "Journey of Faith" and the Potter and Wellington book on Lehi in the Wilderness which demonstrates that the equivalent of a three-day camel journey took them to the upper end of the their candidate for the Valley of Lemuel directly down to the Red Sea.

On the same page, Azra asks of the Book of Mormon Sidon, "Where is the river?" Larry Poulson recently examined all of the passages in the Book of Mormon that describe the River Sidon, the axis for most of the action in the Book of Mormon, and extracted the salient characteristics of that river. As he observes, "The river Sidon is mentioned 37 times in 28 different verses with accompanying directional and geographic information related to at least six different geographical locations." (Search for Larry Poulson and Book of Mormon for his website.) He then performed a computer search of a 3D satellite map of the entire Western Hemisphere to find candidates that matched the description. For a real world river that begins in a narrow strip of wilderness that reaches from a sea west to a sea east, that begins flowing from East to West, then turns North, and then empties into an Eastern sea, he found exactly one candidate. This turns out to be the Grijalva, which several LDS models, including John Sorenson's, put forward as a candidate for the Sidon.

You get the idea. I should not have to multiply examples. To be impressed by this book, you must be sufficiently uninformed as to be able to take it at face value. I'm afraid I can't bring that naïve a reading. He constantly ignores important sources (for instance, Richard L. Anderson on Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses). He typically misreads sources that he cites, misinterprets what he cites correctly, and uncritically cites dubious sources (compare Arza 137, top of page and his note 7 with Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, 575, note 99, which shows that Arza is not citing Hale's own report, but an unsupported second-hand account by Peter Ingersol that also misses the correct location for the event). Arza tells even stories without citing anything. For example, see page 138, the undocumented "Revelations from Secret Informers" section and compare Bushman, 123-4. This is a dreadful book, funny in its ineptitude, pathetic in its constant pop psychologizing and rationalizations, and sad in that it takes itself and its conclusions so seriously.