This site contains positive information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That church is often referred to as the Mormon Church or LDS Church, and members of that church are often referred to as Mormons, LDS, or LDS people. We hope this site will help strengthen the faith of members of that church and will provide answers to persons asking questions about that church. This site is not the place for people to speculate about religious matters. I have other blogs on Speculations about Mormonism and Science and Mormonism.
You are invited to leave replies to individual pages explaining your viewpoints or asking questions. However, replies are moderated, and replies that I believe are attacks on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be removed. The main criteria that I use in deciding if a reply is an attack is the “tone” of the reply. We are friends, even though we may differ in our religious beliefs. Our conversations need to have a feeling of “friendliness” and the sharing of viewpoints rather than a feeling of “argument” and attempts to prove that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is right or wrong.
In addition, comments, whether for or against the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that are overly long will be removed. The phrase “overly long” is ambiguous, and my judgment about the length of comments is final. As you consider leaving comments, please keep in mind that comments give visitors the opportunity to reply to comments made by me or by others in this blog. They are not the place for long discourses about particular religious concepts.
Replies considered spam will also be removed. Replies having links to commercial sites but having content appropriate to this site will be edited to remove the links; otherwise, the replies will be deleted. Unfortunately, because English is my only language, replies not in English will be removed even though they may be appropriate replies. The first time a person replies in this blog, I will review that comment. If the comment is approved, the person can post additional replies without having them moderated.
A number of years ago, I discussed the Gospel (online) over a four-year period with persons not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’ve put my responses to them into a book in which I give my understanding of the basic teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and answer many criticisms of the church. In addition, I have a Gospel Defense section that serves as an educational resource for Latter-day Saints who answer questions about the church. That section contains a copy of several days of intense (time wise) electronic discussions with critics of the church. The Gospel Defense section also contains my replies to critical emails and comments that I’ve received from visitors to this site.
I’ve written a number of essays on topics that relate to religion, and those essays are posted in the site. In addition to my writings, this site has pages of inspirational and fun things that I hope you’ll enjoy.
This site uses the blog format so people can reply to individual pages, but it is really a traditional website that uses pages instead of posts. New pages may be added from time to time, but new posts will probably not be added.
Even though this site concerns The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I speak for myself as an active member, and I do not represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or its members.
Thanks for stopping by!
Allen's Mormon (LDS) Site 
whats up everyone
great forum lots of lovely people just what i need
hopefully this is just what im looking for, looks like i have a lot to read.
Thank you so much for the tip (on the WordPress forum) on how to embed YouTube videos. I tried it and it seems to work for me.
nice site, breath of fresh air!
Hi–I just wanted to share this link with you. It’s my recent story in the New Republic about the LDS community in D.C. http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/104239/the-network-mormons-potomac-DC?passthru=ZGMwNWY0YjljNjRmOTM2MWU4MzgyNTY5ZmEzMzViZTQ
Thanks, Eliza, for the link and the nice article. I lived in the Washington area for two years. The first year was as a single and the second year as a married. I was a member of the Washington, DC ward that met in the chapel on 16th Street. The ward, as you pointed out in your article, was the “singles” ward of the area. My wife and I, though, met at Utah State University, and I imported her to the Washington Ward.
She and I were Stake Missionaries; we had more baptisms than the full time missionaries because the ward members knew us and trusted us. We conducted tours of the granite ward building, using the stained glass windows as “visual aids”. There was only one Stake, and my wife and I (who lived in College Park, MD) drove to Virginia to pick up military members and take them to a Fireside in Washington.
I remember an outing next to the Potomac, not far from Washington’s home. New homes were being offered for $27,000. Now, those homes probably sell for over a million.
While in Washington, we attended concerts on the Potomac, next to the Watergate apartments, long before Watergate became a political word. Other concerts at Rock Creek come to mind. I remember the 4th of July fireworks while sitting at the base of the Washington Monument. We enjoyed weekly concerts at the Nat. Gallery of Art.
We left Washington shortly after the beltway was finished; the Temple was built later after we were gone. Later while living in Massachusetts we made annual trips to the Washington temple.
I also grew up in the DC area, was baptized in the Washington Ward and helped during the dedication of the Washington Temple. I have since become Catholic and would love to dialogue with others on the various aspects of the LDS Church and Catholic faith. Obviously, there is much in common but also much that differs in ways I find most interesting.
Very excellent post, i’m currently in the process of considering bankruptcy|applying for bankruptcy|declaring bankruptcy} because i have no other choice I’m also looking at no credit check banking.
Do you have a twitter account I can follow?
I hope you’re able to get things sorted out. I do have a Twitter account; see the AboutMe page. Another possibility is to subscribe to the comments feed. I make almost no posts of new pages, and activity in this site is reflected in comments to posts.
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Please could someone pass me contact details for the new mormon church in Johnston Milford haven many thanks
http://lds.org has a meeting-house locator. Go to that locator and enter Johnston Milford haven in the search field. You’ll see information about the church there. Here is the link to that information.
https://www.lds.org/rcmaps/?lang=eng#ll=51.83956,-4.525227&z=9&m=google.road&q=Johnston%20Milford%20haven&x=find&find=c:%22Milford%20Haven%22,s:%22Wales%22,n:%22United%20Kingdom%22,ll:%2251.714306,-5.042697%22
If that link isn’t working when you click on it, go to the locator as explained above. By the way, my roots go back to South Wales. See http://welshleigh.org/genealogy/ My ggf immigrated from Wales to Utah in the mid 1850s.
I hardly leave a response, but i did some searching and wound up here Allen’s Mormon (LDS) Site | Basic Beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I actually do have a couple of questions for you if it’s allright.
Could it be only me or does it look like some of these responses look like
they are coming from brain dead individuals? 😛 And,
if you are writing at other sites, I’d like to keep up with everything fresh you have to post. Would you list of the complete urls of your social pages like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?
Here are links that may be of interest to you.
http://oldmanrunning.org (personal blog)
http://runninginjuryfree.org (training site)
http://lulu.com/spotlight/allenleigh (training site as book)
http://facebook.com/allenleigh007
http://sciencemormonism.blogspot.com
http://doesclimatechange.blogspot.com
http://hamradiobasics.blogspot.com/
http://read.rifflebooks.com/profile/share/128608
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I really hope to see the same high-grade content from you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own blog now 😉
Hi! I’ve been following your website for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the great job!
I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site.
I really hope to see the same high-grade content from you in
the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me
to get my own website now 😉
I have a question. I was deeply in love with a woman and she was deeply in love with me. We had plans on getting married even though we were together three months. She died in a car accident. I survived she didn’t. I’ve never loved a woman like I loved her. Do you think god could make an exception for us to bond in heaven?
Hi Lorenzo,
My understanding of the scriptures is that God doesn’t make exceptions. I believe that baptism by water is necessary. Not all people, of course, have an opportunity for baptism by water by Priesthood authority, and God, in his wisdom and justice, gives all persons that opportunity, either for themselves in this life or by proxy in the next life. When we die, we still exist. Missionary work will continue in the next life, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, in providing salvation for us, was the great proxy — he did something for us that we couldn’t do for ourselves. We, in turn, can be proxies for others who can not do the ordinances themselves, such as baptism. So, Lorenzo, I believe you and your loved one will have the opportunity to be together if you fulfill all of the commandments that Christ has given. He doesn’t make exceptions, but he does insure that ALL people will have a full opportunity to partake of his goodness, including being together for eternity with him and our Father in Heaven.
Brother Mack I am so sorry for your loss and for the sorrow and pain you must feel. I pray Allen’s words will bring comfort to you and that the Lord will bless you with the desires of your heart if it be His will. Have you read “The Bridge” by Stacey Averett? A very touching LDS book that closely resembles your situation. I hope it’s okay to suggest a good book here. I promise it’s an LDS book, quite wholesome, and it left me pondering for days after finishing it because it is so well written. Just want to help in some way.
I found this place today like a limping stray dog that’s been kicked in the ribs. I wanted to cry when I looked at the country lane with the Savior glowing brightly. I haven’t had a chance to explore yet but absolutely intend to because I realize now that among you here truly is home. This site is a recommended site on http://www.moroni10.com/LDS_links.html. A beautifully done website by an amazing brother who truly blesses us with his love for the Church and the Savior and us.
I attempted to share the goodness we have with our art, music, testimony of Jesus Christ, without being “pushy” with the foundations of our doctrine. I just wanted to be a friend amongst them like Ammon. Now I know a small taste of what the pioneers endured along with the prophets. As soon as it was learned I am a member of the Church, the “false religion, not Christian” teeth and claws came out. To say my heart felt cut into a million pieces is an understatement. And among those who profess a same love/commitment to the Savior.
Instead of a contentious debate I chose to remain an example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. I did bear my testimony of the Savior and because of the accusations I stood up for our foundational beliefs. I then left them with our friendship as a Church, and prayers for their well being with no hard feelings.
So, that being said, may this limping dog come in for awhile and find rest and healing by the warming fire of Truth and Fellowship? I am so hurting right now and very emotional. Oh brothers and sisters, with this pain, I have learned a valuable lesson.
And the lesson is this: We truly need to know our Savior and stay close to Him. We truly need to be found immersed in the scriptures daily and on our knees in prayer. We truly need to be ready to give an answer to every man the reason of the hope that is in us. We truly need to have a testimony of the Savior, the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the living prophet. We are sure to face worse than this in the future as the scriptures suggest. I pray for us all here for these blessings.
Thank you SO MUCH brother Allen for being here today for me to find you. My tears are now tears of joy!
Your sister in Jesus Christ,
Glenda
Sorry, I meant to mention that my experience was among a multi denominational site in my above comment. Please forgive my error.
Wow! What an amazing lesson!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
I have found something that is being greatly over looked in the Book of Mormon.
I am having great difficulty in getting a response to it even from Mormons and it is beginning to bother me.
The thing I have found is the Liahona ball in 1 Nephi Chapter 16. It is clearly giving directions just like our modern GPS and it is also clearly receiving text messages like our phones today do.
The purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince the Jew and the Gentile of Jesus Christ. So what could be more evident to someone living today than to see a modern device existing back in 600 B.C? Joseph Smith would also have to be credited with the 3 ring binder since that wasn’t patented until 56 years after the Book of Mormon was published. We have evidence of a book, a binder , a translation device and a navigation device with text messaging.
Everyone I show this to is just stunned and nobody seems to want to embrace it. I’m beginning to feel like my fellow Momons don’t deserve anything new because they can’t accept what they have already.
Help!
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MY HUSBAND COVERED TO THE CHURCH IN2011.WE WERE WORKING TOWORDS A TEMPLE MARRAIGE.HE DIED FROM PARKINSONS IN APRIL.I AM 7TH GENERATION LDS.I AM WORKING ON GETTING MY ENDOWMENTS SO I CAN MARRY HIM BY PROXY.
WHAT IF I SHOULD DIE BEFORE THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED.I AM NOT EXPECT ING THAT BUT I WASNT EXPECTING HIM TO DIE EITHER.NO ONE SEEM TO have an answer.
I’m sorry to hear about the death of your husband. Keep in mind that temple sealings are only a promise of what may happen. If you die before you receive your endowments and sealing, your children or later generations can have your endowment and sealing performed, but the Lord, through the Holy Spirit of Promise, has the final say. All people who are worthy of actual sealings will have them performed, some in this life and some after they have passed.
Joseph Smith said “that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book,” (History of the Church, vol. 4, p. 461). Allegedly it was translated by the power of God. Nevertheless, it has some 4,000 changes in it. Some are mere spelling corrections, but others are significant changes. Why is this so, if the book of Mormon was translated accurately by the hand of God? Why would the Mormon Church continue to change the work even after Joseph Smith’s death?
Hi Manny,
When Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, he was referring to the content of the book, not to the format, spelling, and punctuation of the book. The Book of Mormon was published 185 years ago, and the church has made changes to the content of some verses to clarify the meaning of those verses; some words in the English language have a different meaning today than they had when Joseph Smith used those words. In addition, Joseph Smith was human, like us, and had his weaknesses in use of the English language. The Book of Mormon states that if there are mistakes in the book, they are the mistakes of man not of God. The same applies to the translation of the book.
Checking out Scriptures
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11)
This is important, for Luke carefully draws a sharp contrast here between the rabble in Thessalonica — with their unthinking, prejudiced minds, and their emotional, impulsive actions — and these Jews in Berea, who were more noble. In what did their nobility consist? Well, not merely in receiving the word, but also in checking it out with the Scriptures. A noble person is one who has not only an open mind but also a cautious heart. He will not accept a teaching unless he checks it with the Scriptures.
That is what the Scriptures are for. They are your guide so that you can tell what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong. And unless a Christian does this, he is lost in a sea of relativism, where he does not know what is right or what is wrong. Your mind becomes confused and blinded and you can be misled and manipulated, as the rabble in Thessalonica manipulated the crowd there, unless you have the nobility to check things out according to the Scriptures. That is what these Jews did, and it was a tremendous help. They checked up on the Apostle Paul.
The value of this story to us, and the reason Luke includes it, is that we might learn the necessity of testing any man’s word. Do not listen to just one man’s CD’s, or read only one man’s books or messages. It is a very dangerous practice. You will be misled by his errors and you will not know how to recognize them. Never give yourself to following a single man. Paul writes to the Corinthians: “You who do this are carnal. You follow Apollos or Cephas or Paul, but we are all provided for your instruction. You need us all…” (1 Corinthians 1:12, 3:22).
Do not ever limit yourself to a single man’s ministry. Do not read only the messages published in your own church and take them as Scripture. Check them out in the Scriptures and with other teachers. Establish what the Word of God says. That is the authority. How delighted Luke is to commend these Bereans for their nobility in doing this very thing!
Allen: My e-mails to you keep bouncing back, so I thought I’d give this a try. I’m trying to find a photo of Francis Webster’s house in Cedar; I think his address was 83 North 200 East. I hope everything is okay at your house. Penny Webster-Scholten
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