Testable Claims

Church leaders have produced testable claims during the history of the church, and many of those claims have fallen apart as time has passed. In my opinion, leaders’ failure to pass their own tests is convincing evidence that the church is a man-made organization and not inspired by God.

Kinderhook Plates

Fewer topics are more detrimental to the truth claims of the church than the Kinderhook Plates. Consider this oft-quoted line from Rough Stone Rolling:

Church historians continued to insist on the authenticity of the Kinderhook Plates until 1980 when an examination conducted by the Chicago Historical Society, possessor of one plate, proved it was a nineteenth-century creation.¹

The plates, if you are unfamiliar with them, were a set of bell-shaped brass plates, pictured below.

Joseph Smith insisted he translated a portion of the plates. He taught they contained the history of the person they were buried with, who was a descendant of Ham. Unfortunately for Joseph, the plates were a forgery.

I am stumped by Joseph’s inability to discern the forgery. I do not understand how he was able to translate (apparently using his translation gift from God) these plates that contained no meaningful information.

The church itself appears to be grasping at straws to find an explanation for this. I propose a simple explanation: Joseph failed to demonstrate any prophetic or divine translation ability and was not truly a prophet of God.

The Book of Abraham

I discuss the Book of Abraham in the section about the Pearl of Great Price. In summary, the Book of Abraham demonstrates that Joseph Smith was not inspired by God when he dishonestly claimed to translate the book.

Prophetic Revelation

Throughout the scriptures, God has revealed many significant and destructive events through His prophets, including the destruction of cities, wars, famines, droughts, and plagues. Given this historical precedent, it is perplexing that the church has often seemed surprised by a multitude of similar events in modern times.

For instance, despite many church buildings being located in arid regions such as Idaho, Utah, and Arizona, the church frequently maintains large lawns and appears to be careless about water usage. It is surprising that church members have not been counseled to limit their water consumption and conserve resources to mitigate the worsening drought conditions in these areas. Additionally, while some efforts were made to reduce reliance on in-person church meetings, the church seemed unprepared for the onset of COVID-19. Despite the critical importance placed on temple ceremonies, baptisms, and the sacrament for one’s exaltation, the church had to make retroactive adjustments to temple ceremonies, meeting procedures, and other activities to accommodate the pandemic’s restrictions.

Moreover, the church does little to proactively prepare its members for potential crises, apart from encouraging those with the means to stockpile food, water, and other essentials. This practice appears inconsistent with the character of the God described throughout the scriptures, who often provides guidance and warnings to His people. Additionally, wars and protests have disrupted the lives of many Latter-day Saints around the world, seemingly without any forewarning or counsel from God. In another instance, a prophet once revealed that the Book of Mormon was a record of the primary ancestors of indigenous peoples, yet the text had to be altered retroactively in light of advancements in genetic research.

Furthermore, despite generations of prophets teaching that professional opportunities and other blessings are directly tied to tithing, a disclaimer in Footnote 20 of Russell Nelson’s recent General Conference talk left me confused.

This is not to imply a cause-and-effect relationship. Some who never pay tithing attain professional opportunities, while some who pay tithing do not. The promise is that the windows of heaven will be opened to the tithe payer. The nature of the blessings will vary.²

This statement raises questions about the reliability of the church’s teachings on tithing and blessings.

Ultimately, I have seen no convincing evidence to suggest that Russell Nelson or any prophet throughout the church’s history possesses prophetic abilities that surpass those of individuals who are simply skilled at research. In recent years, I have been more impressed by scientifically based forecasts than by the accuracy of any prophetic declarations. This disparity further complicates my understanding of the church’s claims regarding divine guidance and the role of its leaders.

Patriarchal Blessings

I would encourage a thorough exploration of the Patriarchal Blessing Revelator produced by Fuller Consideration. This resource provides a fascinating look at the promises made in patriarchal blessings, many of which have not come to fruition. For instance, numerous individuals, including many who were born well over 110 years ago, were promised they would be alive for the Second Coming of Christ. This claim raises significant questions about the reliability of such prophetic assurances. Additionally, many people, including those who are still single or have never married, were promised marriage, which has not materialized for them. Furthermore, a considerable number of individuals were assured financial stability and other temporal blessings that ultimately did not come to pass. These examples highlight a pattern of unfulfilled promises that can be disheartening for those who have placed their faith in these blessings.

It is important to note that patriarchal blessings are often filled with vague language and contingencies that can make it easy to interpret them in various ways. As I have revisited my own patriarchal blessing, I have come to realize that the promises contained within it are general enough to apply to nearly any church member. Their counsel often consists of broad guidance that could be applicable to anyone, such as the instruction to devote time to preparing for service in the church. This realization has led me to draw parallels between the general statements found in my patriarchal blessing and the kinds of predictions one might hear from a fortune teller at a carnival.

Ultimately, this experience has prompted me to reflect on the nature of patriarchal blessings and their role within the church. While they are intended to provide comfort and guidance, the lack of specificity and the prevalence of unfulfilled promises can lead to disillusionment for many members. It raises important questions about the nature of divine revelation and the expectations placed on individuals who seek spiritual direction through these blessings. As we navigate our faith journeys, it is essential to critically examine the teachings and practices of the church, including the significance and implications of patriarchal blessings in our lives.

Word of Wisdom

In my opinion, the Word of Wisdom serves as compelling evidence against Joseph Smith’s abilities as a revelator. It seems unlikely that a divine being would provide guidance that reflects generic health advice from the 1800s, especially when God is believed to possess the ultimate understanding of the human body. This raises questions about the modern interpretation of the Word of Wisdom, particularly regarding its prohibitions and allowances. For instance, the current stance against consuming coffee and tea overlooks the significant health benefits these beverages can offer³. Conversely, the acceptance of sugar and artificial sweeteners, both of which have been linked to serious health issues, seems contradictory to the intent of promoting health.⁴ Additionally, the original text of the Word of Wisdom indicated that beer was acceptable, yet it is now deemed inappropriate.⁵ Furthermore, the guidance regarding water—suggesting that it need not be filtered or boiled—could have potentially prevented illness and death among early church members.

The text of the Word of Wisdom states the following:

And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.⁶

This promise of specific blessings for all saints who obey the commandments is particularly intriguing. The use of universal quantifiers implies that every faithful individual should experience these benefits. However, a single counterexample can invalidate such a sweeping claim.

I present such a counterexample: many faithful saints, including several members of my own family, live with chronic health conditions despite their diligent adherence to the Word of Wisdom and other commandments. These individuals often struggle with fatigue and cannot run without becoming weary. Additionally, many suffer from bone diseases, and missionaries—who are typically very strict in their obedience—frequently encounter serious health complications.

Given these observations, I argue that the Word of Wisdom was not inspired by God. The lack of promised blessings for many faithful members suggests that there was no divine influence in the creation of this commandment or its associated promises. This raises important questions about the nature of revelation and the expectations placed on church members regarding their adherence to the Word of Wisdom. As we reflect on these issues, it becomes essential to critically evaluate the teachings and practices of the church, particularly those that claim divine origin.

Conclusion

I propose that these simple examples are sufficient to demonstrate that the church’s testable claims do not withstand scrutiny. Certainly, I argue, an omniscient, omnipotent God would fulfill the promises His prophets make, and certainly He would inspire leaders as accurately and helpfully as possible. The failure of so many testable claims calls the legitimacy of the entire church organization into question.