Articles by Jonathan EllisJonathan Ellis·Follow3 min read·Dec 20, 2016--ListenShareFull list of Jonathan’s articles on Mormon history and on the modern Mormon church.On Church HistoryFact-checking Mormon History: Did Charles Anthon Authenticate Joseph’s Translation of Reformed…Early in 1828, Joseph Smith wrote out some characters from the gold plates that Martin Harris took to classical scholar…medium.comFrom the Archives: Joseph Smith’s First Vision in Historical Context: How a Historical Narrative…Greg Prince wrote “Joseph Smith’s First Vision in Historical Context” for the Journal of Mormon History.medium.comFact-Checking Mormon History: Could Joseph Smith have Authored the Book of Mormon?Skeptics have put forth several theories of Book of Mormon authorship that do not require believing in golden plates…medium.comWhy do Mormons Believe that Satan Controls the Water?Most Mormons raised in the Church have a vague understanding that Satan controls the water. This is occasionally seen…medium.comThe Origin of the Book of AbrahamThe Book of Abraham is Mormon scripture translated by Joseph Smith from Egyptian papyri acquired in Kirtland in 1835…medium.comFrom the Archives: Essential Readings on PolygamyYou’ve heard about early Mormon polygamy. Maybe you’ve read the Church essays.medium.comPrimary Sources in Mormon History: David Whitmer’s An Address to All Believers in ChristDavid Whitmer was an early supporter of Joseph Smith, hosting Joseph and Oliver Cowdery for most of the translation of…medium.comHow Nineteenth Century Mormons Understood PolygamyIn 1852, Brigham Young decided to acknowledge Mormon polygamy in public for the first time. He did so by having Orson…medium.comFact-checking Mormon History: Did Brigham Young order the Mountain Meadows Massacre?This week, as America mourned those lost in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, some Mormons quietly remembered another…medium.comAcknowledging the Seer Stone: Eight parts truth, two parts spinThe LDS Church this week published Joseph the Seer, which explains how Joseph Smith used a seer stone to translate the…medium.comFact-checking Mormon History: was Joseph Smith a Convicted Con Man?Last week, the Joseph Smith Papers published the records of Joseph Smith’s legal trials. Today, it added the printer’s…medium.comThe Week in Mormonism, 5/22/16: Deutero-Isaiah Explained, What South Park Got WrongDr. David Bokovoy is the author of Authoring the Old Testament (also at Amazon and Deseret Book), where he draws on his…medium.comThe Week in Mormonism, 11/29/15: 19th Century Phrases in the Book of Mormon; Ken Jennings on the…Top Storiesmedium.comOn the Modern ChurchFact-Checking Mormon History: The Brethren Didn’t Know Enough to Teach Accurate HistoryRichard Bushman recently articulated what is becoming a popular narrative to defend the Church’s track record on…medium.comMormon Doctrines Changed in my LifetimeGordon B. Hinckley, who was president of the Church during my teenage years and my mission, liked to emphasize that the…medium.comWhy Are the Children of Gay Parents Newly Unwelcome in the Mormon Church? (Updated)Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs…medium.comFact-Checking Mormon History: Did the Church Lie about its Past?Lying for the Lordmedium.comDangerous Ideas and the ChurchBeware the Internetmedium.comWhy are Mormons so Eager to Believe that the End is Near?Mormons have been looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus and the accompanying end of the world since Joseph…medium.comThe Choice to BelieveSophisticated Mormon apologists today understand that very little in the traditional narrative of Joseph Smith and the…medium.comWomen in the RestorationWith a new milestone for Latter-day Saint women in the news this week, I thought it would be instructive to look at the…medium.comMaking Sense of the TempleOne of the modern articles of faith of Mormonism is that temple work for the dead is vitally important to their…medium.comAre progressive Mormons doomed to disappointment?In an opinion piece for the Salt Lake Tribune, Julienna Viegas-Haws outlined ten steps that the Church of Jesus Christ…medium.comThe Week in Mormonism, 5/1/16: What Tyler Glenn and Jeffrey R. Holland Have in CommonTyler Glenn, lead singer of the Neon Trees and subject of a recent hours long interview on Mormon Stories, released his…medium.comMiscellaneousBook reviews of Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis, Faith Shift, Planted, and When Mormons Doubt.L. Whitney Clayton vs Hugh B. Brown on Intellectual Curiosity.Transcript of Claudia and Richard Bushman’s Remarks at Faith Again.Transcript of Mormon Stories 2011 interview with Michael Coe.
