Argument Tracker

Critics argue that the doctrine of the Trinity (one God in three persons, co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial) is clearly taught in the Bible and that Latter-day Saints are not Christians because the

Evangelical critics argue that the Bible alone (sola scriptura) is the sufficient and final authority for all matters of faith and practice. Since the LDS Church adds the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and

Critics argue that due to differences in theology (nature of God, additional scriptures, temple practices, exaltation doctrine), Latter-day Saints should not be considered Christians. The argument res

Critics reject the LDS claim that a 'Great Apostasy' occurred after the death of the original apostles, leaving the earth without Christ's true church for approximately 1,700 years. They argue this co

Critics argue that LDS theology teaches a works-based salvation through temple ordinances, commandments, and covenantal requirements, which contradicts the biblical teaching that salvation is by grace

Critics charge that LDS theology is polytheistic because it teaches that the Father and the Son are separate divine beings, and that humans can become like God (exaltation/theosis). This allegedly vio

Critics argue that the Bible is inerrant and infallible in its original manuscripts, meaning it contains no errors of any kind. They contend that the LDS position that the Bible may contain errors due

LDS apologists raise and address the criticism that Protestantism's reliance on sola scriptura has produced thousands of denominations with contradictory interpretations, demonstrating that the Bible

Critics argue that the biblical canon is closed and that no new scripture can be added. Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4:2, and Proverbs 30:6 are cited as evidence. The deposit of faith was complete

Critics argue that the prophetic and apostolic offices ceased with the completion of the New Testament canon. The 'faith once delivered' (Jude 1:3) was complete, and Luke 16:16 is sometimes cited to a

Critics argue that Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy -- including marriages to teenage girls and women already married to other men -- is evidence of moral corruption incompatible with genuine proph

Critics accuse the LDS Church of teaching a works-based salvation system that contradicts the New Testament's emphasis on grace. They argue that requiring temple ordinances, tithing, word of wisdom ob

Critics argue that the LDS Church has changed fundamental doctrines and practices over time (priesthood ban, polygamy, temple ceremony changes, Book of Mormon text changes, shift on the location of Bo

Eastern Orthodox critics argue that their unbroken chain of apostolic succession from the original apostles disproves the need for a restoration. The church never completely fell away because the gate

Critics argue that the LDS doctrine of God having a tangible body of flesh and bones contradicts biblical passages teaching that God is spirit (John 4:24), invisible (Colossians 1:15, 1 Timothy 1:17),

Critics argue that the LDS doctrine of exaltation (humans becoming like God) is blasphemous because it blurs the Creator-creature distinction that is fundamental to biblical theology. Isaiah 14 and Ez

Critics argue that the Bible teaches creation ex nihilo (from nothing) while LDS theology teaches that matter is eternal and God organized pre-existing material. They contend that the LDS view diminis

Critics argue that LDS leaders simultaneously claim they will never lead the church astray while also making doctrinal errors, creating an irreconcilable contradiction. If prophets can err in doctrine

Critics point to the LDS priesthood and temple restriction on people of African descent (1852-1978) as evidence that LDS prophets are not truly inspired by God. The racial justifications given by chur

LDS apologists argue that Reformed/Calvinist theology, with its doctrines of total depravity, unconditional election, and limited atonement, logically leads to the conclusion that God is the author of

Critics from the classical theist tradition argue that God is absolutely simple (without parts or composition), which contradicts the LDS teaching that God has a body of flesh and bones. They appeal t

Critics point to Joseph Smith's King Follett Discourse, where he said 'We have imagined and supposed that God has been God from all eternity. I will refute that idea,' as a direct contradiction of bib

Critics label the LDS Church a cult, arguing it exhibits classic cult characteristics: charismatic founder, additional scriptures, claims of exclusive truth, control over members' behavior (Word of Wi

Critics argue that water baptism is not required for salvation, citing that Jesus' reference to being 'born of water' in John 3 does not refer to baptism, and that Paul's writings in Hebrews replace p

Atheist critics encountered on campus argue that there is no empirical evidence for God's existence, that religious belief is a product of evolution and social conditioning, and that claims about God

Critics argue that the LDS claim to exclusive priesthood authority restored through angelic visitations (John the Baptist, Peter, James, and John) is unverifiable and self-serving. They contend that t

A related but distinct argument to general Trinitarian claims: critics assert that the specific philosophical concept of consubstantiality (homoousios) is directly derivable from scripture. LDS apolog

Critics claim that because LDS theology teaches Jesus is a separate being from the Father, the spirit brother of Lucifer, and that humans can become like God, the LDS Jesus is fundamentally different

Some Catholic and Protestant critics suggest that the origin of Mormonism could be demonic, arguing that Joseph Smith's visions and revelations may have come from a deceiving spirit rather than God. T

Critics cite the CES Letter as a comprehensive compilation of unanswerable problems with LDS truth claims, covering issues from the Book of Abraham, Book of Mormon anachronisms, DNA evidence, multiple

LDS apologists argue that the trinitarian God who creates from nothing, knows the future perfectly, and is all-powerful bears direct moral responsibility for all evil and suffering, since such a God d

Critics argue that the earliest post-apostolic church fathers taught trinitarian theology or its precursors, not the LDS concept of the Godhead as three separate beings. They contend this shows the tr

Critics argue that the LDS reliance on personal spiritual feelings (burning in the bosom, praying about the Book of Mormon per Moroni 10:4) is an unreliable epistemology because people of all faiths r

Some critics argue against the LDS view of a tiered afterlife and temporary hell, insisting that the Bible teaches eternal conscious torment for the unsaved. They contend that LDS universalist tendenc

This argument, raised by LDS apologists but originally a criticism of trinitarian orthodoxy, points out that early church fathers like Justin Martyr were subordinationists who did not teach the co-equ

LDS apologists raise this argument against critics: if God created everything from nothing with perfect foreknowledge, then humans cannot have genuine free will. God created Satan knowing he would reb

Classical theists argue that God cannot be affected by anything outside Himself (divine impassibility). The LDS teaching that God has passions, weeps, desires, and has a relational nature like a human

Critics argue that Joseph Smith composed the Book of Mormon himself or with the help of others, pointing to potential source material, his storytelling abilities, and the lack of archaeological eviden

Critics argue that the LDS Church's patriarchal structure, male-only priesthood, emphasis on motherhood as women's primary role, and complementarian gender theology are inherently misogynistic and har

Critics argue that Joseph Smith used the Nauvoo Legion and Danite militia as instruments of coercion and force, creating a theocratic militia state in Nauvoo that justified armed intimidation of disse

Critics argue that Joseph Smith's claimed translation of the Book of Abraham from Egyptian papyri has been definitively disproven. The recovered papyri are common Egyptian funerary texts (Book of Brea

Catholic apologist Joe Heschmeyer argued that because LDS theology denies classical theism (God as the ground of all being, simple, immutable, impassible), Mormons are effectively atheists in the phil

Critics contend that Joseph Smith's theological views changed dramatically over time, starting with a modalist or quasi-trinitarian view in the Book of Mormon era and evolving into a plurality-of-gods

Critics use Revelation 22:18-19, which warns against adding to or taking away from 'this book,' to argue that the Book of Mormon and other LDS scriptures violate a biblical prohibition against adding

Some trinitarian critics argue that the LDS view of God as a contingent, embodied being who was once a man cannot ground objective morality the way the classical theistic God (necessary being, pure ac

LDS apologists raise the argument that the trinitarian God, particularly under Calvinist interpretations, cannot truly love everyone because he creates people he knows will be eternally damned and (in

Critics argue that because God is immutable and does not change (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19), the LDS practice of ongoing revelation that changes doctrine and practice is inconsistent with God's natur

Critics argue that the LDS doctrine of three degrees of glory (celestial, terrestrial, telestial) is not taught in the Bible. While 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 mentions different glories, critics contend t

Critics argue that the LDS practice of baptism for the dead, based on a single ambiguous reference in 1 Corinthians 15:29, has no support elsewhere in scripture and contradicts the clear teaching that

Former members who held significant callings (bishops, stake presidents) use their insider experience as evidence that the church is false, arguing they have firsthand knowledge of how the church oper

Critics argue that Book of Mormon passages describing God cursing people with dark skin (2 Nephi 5:21) reflect 19th-century American racism rather than divine revelation. Combined with historical raci

Critics argue that Brigham Young's Adam-God doctrine was not merely a personal theory but was taught with the highest level of authority, including in the temple endowment ceremony, making it an offic

Critics argue that the Book of Mormon reads like a 19th-century Protestant text rather than an ancient document, containing anachronistic theology, KJV language, and addressing controversies specific

Ex-Mormon critics argue that the LDS Church's emphasis on obedience suppresses individual identity, creates shame cycles around normal human behavior, and prioritizes institutional conformity over per

Ex-Mormon critics argue that authentic self-expression and personal autonomy are more important than obedience to religious authority, and that the LDS emphasis on submission to prophetic authority su

Critics argue that the LDS Church uses eternal family relationships as emotional leverage, telling members that leaving the church means losing their families forever, creating a coercive system that

Critics argue that the hypostatic union -- Jesus being fully God and fully man in two natures united in one person -- is coherent Christian doctrine, and that the LDS rejection of it in favor of separ

Critics argue that the Book of Mormon, particularly Mosiah 15:1-4, teaches modalism (the heresy that God is one person manifesting in three modes) rather than a trinitarian or social trinitarian view

Trinitarian apologists argue that the persons of the Trinity are distinguished through relations of origin (generation and procession) while sharing one divine essence, and that this is a coherent mod

Critics point out that the golden plates from which Joseph Smith claimed to translate the Book of Mormon have never been independently verified. No one else has translated them, they were returned to

Critics question the LDS doctrine that celestial marriage (temple sealing) is required for the highest degree of exaltation, arguing that this makes salvation dependent on marital status rather than f

Critics argue that Joseph Smith was not a unique prophetic figure but part of the broader Campbellite restorationist movement of the early 19th century. They claim he adopted and modified ideas from A

LDS apologists address the criticism that prominent Christian apologists like Frank Turek misrepresent or are ignorant about actual LDS beliefs, attacking straw-man versions of Mormon doctrine. The un

Critics argue that the LDS concept of 'Abrahamic tests' (being asked to do something difficult or seemingly contradictory on faith) can be used to justify blind obedience to church leaders. They conte

The broader cultural criticism, represented by figures like Joe Rogan who have mocked LDS beliefs, reflects a societal tendency to dismiss Mormonism as absurd without serious engagement. This criticis

Critics argue that there is no archaeological, genetic, linguistic, or botanical evidence supporting the historicity of the Book of Mormon. No Nephite cities, coins, weapons, or DNA evidence of Israel

Critics use Psalm 51:5 ('in sin did my mother conceive me') and related passages to argue that all humans are born with a sinful nature inherited from Adam, contradicting the LDS teaching (Moroni 8:8)

Critics and skeptics argue that Adam and Eve could not have exercised genuine free will in the Garden of Eden because they lacked knowledge of good and evil. Without this knowledge, they could not hav

Critics argue that LDS members unfairly dismiss the ecumenical creeds as 'abominations' without understanding them, while simultaneously expecting others to engage respectfully with LDS scriptures and

Critics argue that the LDS Word of Wisdom prohibition on alcohol contradicts the Bible, which depicts wine as a blessing from God (Psalm 104:15), records Jesus making wine at Cana and instituting comm

This is actually an LDS counter-argument: Jonah prophesied Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days, but it wasn't because the people repented and God changed His mind. By the same standard critics use t

Critics cite unfulfilled prophecies of Joseph Smith, such as the prophecy to build a temple in Independence, Missouri during his lifetime, as evidence that he fails the biblical test of a true prophet

Critics argue that Joseph Smith's Kirtland Safety Society was a fraudulent banking scheme that bilked members out of their savings, and that Joseph falsely claimed divine endorsement for the venture.

Critics argue that the LDS Church's policies on LGBTQ+ members, including restrictions on transgender members and opposition to same-sex marriage, are bigoted, harmful, and contribute to elevated suic

Critics argue that the LDS Church uses clergy-penitent privilege and its abuse hotline to protect itself legally rather than to protect victims, routing abuse reports through church lawyers rather tha

In interfaith debates, the question is posed to both Protestant and LDS apologists: if God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does he not save everyone? This challenges both traditions' models of sal