Before his death, one of the gifts Joseph Smith Jr. left behind is the mysterious role of “patriarch” in the church. Evidently, these men are able to channel god’s personal crystal ball(s) and disseminate his will to recipients under their divinely guided hands, providing details about their pre-mortal life, offering promises and guidance for this life, and peering into the life beyond. Termed a “patriarchal blessing”, these personalized revelations from god become little “liahonas” for the members, and serve to exacerbate feelings of elitism and pride coupled with inadequacy, unworthiness, and confusion.
The church claims to be "the only true and living church on the face of the earth". What makes a church true? Beyond that...
The 4th Article of Faith in the Mormon church begins, "We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith...
It may sound like a spell from the Harry Potter movies, but it's just a fancy way of saying "pathological lying". We take a...