• LDS Faith Crisis Quiz

    100 Questions – Mastery Level

  • Awareness Is Key

    When a loved one's testimony begins to shatter, it can be a time of great pain, disappointment, and turmoil. Effective communication is vital.

    This quiz is designed to raise awareness about the key issues that contribute to a faith crisis. It will help prepare you to interact in a meaningful way.

  •  

    Take The Quiz Now

    This quiz will help you see if you are truly prepared to discuss certain topics with a loved one or friend who is struggling.

    • You should take this quiz with an open mind and be ready to learn.

    You get 1 point for each correct answer.

    Perfect score: 100 points.

     

  • 1. According to a major LDS faith crisis study, which of the following is a primary reason that members have a faith crisis and leave the Church?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: None of the above

    None of these are among the top 18 reasons that LDS members lose their belief in the Church.

    See “Stated Reasons for Loss-of-Belief (Primary Factors),” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 31.

  • CORRECT!

    None of these are among the top 18 reasons that LDS members lose their belief in the Church.

    See “Stated Reasons for Loss-of-Belief (Primary Factors),” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 31.

     

  • 2. According to the research study, members who disclose their faith-crisis doubts experience which of the following?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See “Social Repercussions,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 32.

  • CORRECT!

    See “Social Repercussions,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 32.

  • 3. The majority of latter-day saints who suffer a faith crisis are–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Long-term members who are actively engaged and hold leadership and other callings

    See “Survey Key Findings,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 37.

    Most members who have a faith crisis also tend to be well-educated and have above-average incomes.

  • CORRECT!

    See “Survey Key Findings,” Faith Crisis Report R24B, p. 37.

    Most members who have a faith crisis also tend to be well-educated and have above-average incomes.

  • 4. For most members who have a faith crisis, the crisis is usually caused by–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: A buildup over time of many historical, social, and cultural issues

    “When bearing a nominal amount of ‘shelf issues’, many members continue with strong faith and active Church participation. Accumulating additional social and historical issues can lead to the weakening—and then catastrophic failure of the member’s faith.”

    See “Accumulation Leads to Disbelief,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 33.

  • CORRECT! 

    “When bearing a nominal amount of ‘shelf issues’, many members continue with strong faith and active Church participation. Accumulating additional social and historical issues can lead to the weakening—and then catastrophic failure of the member’s faith.”

     

    See “Accumulation Leads to Disbelief,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 33.

  • 5. Many members enter into a ‘traumatized believer’ stage when they are exposed to what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: A faith-crisis catalyst

    A faith-crisis catalyst can be any troubling issue, such as: multiple First Vision accounts, Book of Mormon translation issues (stone in hat), Masonic ties to the temple endowment, polygamy & polyandry, denial of priesthood to the blacks, Book of Mormon anachronisms, Native Americans and DNA, Book of Abraham translation issues, feminist awareness, stance on homosexuality, and many others.

    See “Traumatized Believer,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 48-49.

  • CORRECT! 

    A faith-crisis catalyst can be any troubling issue, such as: multiple First Vision accounts, Book of Mormon translation issues (stone in hat), Masonic ties to the temple endowment, polygamy & polyandry, denial of priesthood to the blacks, Book of Mormon anachronisms, Native Americans and DNA, Book of Abraham translation issues, feminist awareness, stance on homosexuality, and many others.

    See “Traumatized Believer,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 48-49.

  • 6. Almost universally, how do members feel when they have a faith crisis?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Condemned, betrayed, and abandoned by Church leaders and members

    See “Console Individuals in Faith Crisis,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 128.

    Many in faith crisis also suffer from depression, a severe identity crisis, bouts of anger, and feelings of isolation and confusion.

  • CORRECT! 

    See “Console Individuals in Faith Crisis,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 128.

    Many in faith crisis also suffer from depression, a severe identity crisis, bouts of anger, and feelings of isolation and confusion.

  • 7. What drives a traumatized member to dig deeper for more information?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Cognitive dissonance (anxiety due to conflicting beliefs)

    “Once exposed to disturbing historical information, many Traumatized Believers experience high levels of anxiety based on viewing information that contradicts their existing beliefs. This cognitive dissonance leads many to search for additional information to alleviate the conflicting beliefs.”

    See: “Cognitive Dissonance Creates a Drive for More Information,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 50.

  • CORRECT! 

    “Once exposed to disturbing historical information, many Traumatized Believers experience high levels of anxiety based on viewing information that contradicts their existing beliefs. This cognitive dissonance leads many to search for additional information to alleviate the conflicting beliefs.”

    See: “Cognitive Dissonance Creates a Drive for More Information,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 50.

  • 8. When a person has a faith crisis, why should you avoid telling them to pray, read the scriptures, attend church, have faith, etc.?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    In almost all cases, a failure to maintain the expected behavioral practices of the Church is not the cause of a faith crisis. If anything, it is the other way around. Cognitive realizations unrelated to these practices typically lead to their discontinuance.

    See “Stated Reasons for Loss-of-Belief (Primary Factors),” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 31.

  • CORRECT! 

    In almost all cases, a failure to maintain the expected behavioral practices of the Church is not the cause of a faith crisis. If anything, it is the other way around. Cognitive realizations unrelated to these practices typically lead to their discontinuance.

    See “Stated Reasons for Loss-of-Belief (Primary Factors),” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 31.

  • 9. According to the research study, what strategy is recommended when a family member has a faith crisis?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Stay together and support each other despite the faith crisis issues

    One of the most painful aspects of a faith crisis is being shunned, looked down upon, or criticized by loved ones.

    See “Support Families in Faith Crisis,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 129.

  • CORRECT! 

    One of the most painful aspects of a faith crisis is being shunned, looked down upon, or criticized by loved ones.

    See “Support Families in Faith Crisis,” Faith Crisis Report R28e, p. 129.

  • The remaining questions relate to specific faith crisis catalysts that typically cause concern for  traumatized believers.

    • Even though most of these facts have now been publically confirmed by the Church, they can still cause trauma.

    Understanding these facts and their logical relationship is important in discussing a faith crisis.

  • 10. Which statement was made by the Prophet Joseph Smith regarding the production of the Book of Abraham?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    These statements, along with many other similar references, clearly indicate that Joseph Smith considered his work with the Book of Abraham an actual translation from the Egyptian language into English.

    See: History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 236, 238, 289, 320.

  • CORRECT! 

    These statements, along with many other similar references, clearly indicate that Joseph Smith considered his work with the Book of Abraham an actual translation from the Egyptian language into English.

    See: History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 236, 238, 289, 320.

  • 11. Some LDS apologists think that the Egyptian papyrus was merely a catalyst that helped Joseph Smith receive direct revelation in writing the text of the Book of Abraham. This is unlikely due to which of the following?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 236, 238, 289, 320.

    Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language, Joseph Smith Papers, circa July–circa November 1835.

    See facsimiles currently contained in the Book of Abraham, Pearl of Great Price.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 236, 238, 289, 320.

    Grammar and Alphabet of the Egyptian Language, Joseph Smith Papers, circa July–circa November 1835.

    See facsimiles currently contained in the Book of Abraham, Pearl of Great Price.

  • 12. In 1967, what artifact did the New York Metropolitan Museum discover and transfer to the Church?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The original Egyptian papyrus from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Abraham

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics essay “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics essay “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.”

     

  • 13. After completing careful studies of the recovered Egyptian papyrus, who issued the following statement: “None of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham’s name or any of the events recorded in the book of Abraham”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The LDS Church

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics essay “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics essay “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.”

     

  • 14. The Egyptian papyrus and the facsimiles were actually what kind of Egyptian documents created 2,000 years after Abraham lived?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Common funerary texts that were tyipically deposited with mummified bodies

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics essay “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics essay “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham.”

     

  • 15. According to the Church’s website, how many polygamous wives did the Prophet Joseph Smith have?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Between 30 and 40

    "Careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40."

    ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo,” footnote 24.

  • CORRECT! 

    "Careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40."

    ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo,” footnote 24.

     

  • 16. The Prophet Joseph Smith entered into plural marriage when he married his second wife Fanny Alger (age 16) early in 1833. Where and when did the Prophet Elijah restore the priesthood keys to perform sealings?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: In the Kirtland Temple in April 1836

    According to Doctrine & Covenants, Section 110, the keys for the sealing power were restored through an angelic visitation in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836.

  • CORRECT! 

    According to Doctrine & Covenants, Section 110, the keys for the sealing power were restored through an angelic visitation in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836.

     

  • 17. At the time the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were practicing plural marriage, in which state was it legal to be married to more than one spouse at a time?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: None, it was illegal in all states

    “In Joseph Smith’s time, monogamy was the only legal form of marriage in the United States.”

    ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.”

  • CORRECT! 

    “In Joseph Smith’s time, monogamy was the only legal form of marriage in the United States.”

    ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.”

  • 18. According to ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org), how old was Helen Mar Kimball when the Prophet Joseph Smith (age 36) took her as his 28th wife?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 14 years old

    “Helen Mar Kimball… was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday.”

    ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.” 

  • CORRECT! 

    “Helen Mar Kimball… was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday.”

    ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.” 

  • 19. ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) states: “Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married.” Footnote 29 places the number between 12 and 14 women who were currently married to other living men. D&C Section 132 states that a wife entering into a plural marriage is required to–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Be a virgin and never be with another man

    For the plural marriage to be justified, the wives must be virgins who have “vowed to no other man.” It further states that if a wife “shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed” See: D&C 132:61-63.

    Regarding Joseph's practice of polyandry, see ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo," including footnote 29.

  • CORRECT! 

    For the plural marriage to be justified, the wives must be virgins who have “vowed to no other man.” It further states that if a wife “shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed” See: D&C 132:61-63.

    Regarding Joseph's practice of polyandry, see ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo," including footnote 29.

  • 20. How many wives did the Prophet Joseph Smith have at the time he made this declaration: “...What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago"?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Between 30 and 40

    Joseph made this statement on May 26, 1844, less than a month before his death. The statement from ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) in the Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo,” footnote 24, would apply: “careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40.”

    See: History of the church, vol. 6, p. 411.

  • CORRECT! 

    Joseph made this statement on May 26, 1844, less than a month before his death. The statement from ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) in the Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo,” footnote 24, would apply: “careful estimates put the number between 30 and 40.”

    See: History of the church, vol. 6, p. 411.

  • 21. How many pairs of sisters did the Prophet Joseph Smith take as polygamous wives?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Four

    Joseph married four pairs of sisters: Zina & Presendia Huntington (ages 20,31), Emily & Eliza Partridge (ages 19,22), Nancy & Delcena Johnson (ages 27,37), and Sarah & Maria Lawrence (ages 17,19).

    He also married a mother and her daughter, Patty Bartlett Sessions & Sylvia Porter Sessions Lyon (ages 47,23).

    See: "List of Joseph Smith's Wives," Wikipedia.

  • CORRECT! 

    Joseph married four pairs of sisters: Zina & Presendia Huntington (ages 20,31), Emily & Eliza Partridge (ages 19,22), Nancy & Delcena Johnson (ages 27,37), and Sarah & Maria Lawrence (ages 17,19).

    He also married a mother and her daughter, Patty Bartlett Sessions & Sylvia Porter Sessions Lyon (ages 47,23).

    See: "List of Joseph Smith's Wives," Wikipedia.

  • 22. What was the attitude of Emma Hale Smith, Joseph Smith’s first and only legal wife, with regard to the practice of polygamy?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: She was strongly opposed to it

    According to the Church’s website: “After Emma opposed plural marriage, Joseph was placed in an agonizing dilemma, forced to choose between the will of God and the will of his beloved Emma. He may have thought Emma’s rejection of plural marriage exempted him from the law of Sarah. Her decision to ‘receive not this law’ permitted him to marry additional wives without her consent.”

    Consequently, Joseph kept most of his plural marriages a secret from Emma.

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.”

  • CORRECT! 

    According to the Church’s website: “After Emma opposed plural marriage, Joseph was placed in an agonizing dilemma, forced to choose between the will of God and the will of his beloved Emma. He may have thought Emma’s rejection of plural marriage exempted him from the law of Sarah. Her decision to ‘receive not this law’ permitted him to marry additional wives without her consent.”

    Consequently, Joseph kept most of his plural marriages a secret from Emma.

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topic Essay, “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.”

  • 23. How long did the LDS Church officially ban black people from holding the priesthood and receiving temple ordinances?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: At least 125 years

    According to the LDS Gospel Topic Essay on Race and the Priesthood, black people were banned from the priesthood and temple ordinances from the mid-1800s until 1978. Brigham Young made an official announcement of this restriction in 1852.

  • CORRECT! 

    According to the LDS Gospel Topic Essay on Race and the Priesthood, black people were banned from the priesthood and temple ordinances from the mid-1800s until 1978. Brigham Young made an official announcement of this restriction in 1852.

     

  • 24. According to the Prophet Brigham Young, a Church member who marries a black person should be–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Put to death on the spot, according to God's eternal law

    “If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so.”

    See: Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, p. 110.

  • CORRECT! 

    “If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so.”

    See: Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, p. 110.

  • 25. Which LDS Apostle taught: “If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get a celestial resurrection.”

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Mark E. Peterson

    Mark E. Peterson, “Race Problems – As They Affect the Church,” August 27, 1954, p. 16.

  • CORRECT! 

    Mark E. Peterson, “Race Problems – As They Affect the Church,” August 27, 1954, p. 16.

  • 26. Who said: “It is not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the Church from the days of its organization, to the effect that Negroes may become members of the Church but that they are not entitled to the Priesthood…”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The LDS First Presidency

    Official Statement of the First Presidency to BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson dated August 17, 1951. See: John Lewis Lund, The Church and the Negro, p. 89.

  • CORRECT! 

    Official Statement of the First Presidency to BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson dated August 17, 1951. See: John Lewis Lund, The Church and the Negro, p. 89.

  • 27. The Book of Mormon teaches that dark human skin is caused by what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: A curse from God for being disobedient or rebellious

    The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that people are cursed with a dark skin when they fail to heed God’s commandments. See 2 Nephi 5:21-23; Alma 3:5-10, 14-17; Mormon 5:14-15.

  • CORRECT! 

    The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that people are cursed with a dark skin when they fail to heed God’s commandments. See 2 Nephi 5:21-23; Alma 3:5-10, 14-17; Mormon 5:14-15.

  • 28. The Book of Mormon teaches that a person’s dark skin will become white if they do what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Repent of their sins and become righteous

    White skin is a manifestation of worthiness and being favored of God. See 1 Nephi 11:13-15; 13:14-15; Jacob 3:8; 3 Nephi 2:14-16; 19:25-30; Mormon 9:6.

  • CORRECT! 

    White skin is a manifestation of worthiness and being favored of God. See 1 Nephi 11:13-15; 13:14-15; Jacob 3:8; 3 Nephi 2:14-16; 19:25-30; Mormon 9:6.

  • 29. The first two editions of the Book of Mormon contained the phrase “a white and a delightsome people” (2 Ne. 30:6). This was later changed in all subsequent editions to–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Pure and delightsome people

    Compare the wording of 2 Nephi 30:6 in the 1830 and 1837 editions (“white”) to subsequent editions (“pure”).

  • CORRECT! 

    Compare the wording of 2 Nephi 30:6 in the 1830 and 1837 editions (“white”) to subsequent editions (“pure”).

  • 30. Apostle Wilford Woodruff wrote: “If any man mingle his seed with the seed of Cain, the only way he could get rid of it or have salvation would be to come forward and…” what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: have his head cut off and his children killed

    See: Wilford Woodruff Journal, entry of January 1852 (PDF archive copy p. 28), in reference to a teaching of Brigham Young.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Wilford Woodruff Journal, entry of January 1852 (PDF archive copy p. 28), in reference to a teaching of Brigham Young.

  • 31. Which twentieth-century LDS prophet was a leading proponent of racial segregation?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    As were also President Harold B. Lee and Apostles J. Reuben Clark, Henry D. Moyle, and Mark E. Peterson.

    See: Harris, Matthew L.; Bringhurst, Newell G. The Mormon Church and Blacks: A Documentary History (2015), p. 67.

  • CORRECT! 

    As were also President Harold B. Lee and Apostles J. Reuben Clark, Henry D. Moyle, and Mark E. Peterson.

    See: Harris, Matthew L.; Bringhurst, Newell G. The Mormon Church and Blacks: A Documentary History (2015), p. 67.

  • 32. According to ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org), Joseph Smith made money by using a ‘seer stone’ to search for what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Buried treasure

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation.”

     

  • 33. Where did Joseph get the seer stone that he used for treasure hunting and translating the Book of Mormon?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: He found it while digging a well

    See: According to the ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation,” footnote 18, Joseph found a seer stone while digging a well around 1822.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: According to the ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation,” footnote 18, Joseph found a seer stone while digging a well around 1822.

     

  • 34. According to documents published by the Church, a few months prior to receiving the gold plates Joseph Smith was arrested and tried in 1826 in Chenango County, New York, of what crime?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Using a seer stone in a fraudulent manner by pretending "to discover where lost goods may be found"

    See: Joseph Smith Papers, Introduction to People vs Joseph Smith, and linked copies of primary source documents.

    Also, "Joseph Smith and the criminal justice system," Wikipedia.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Joseph Smith Papers, Introduction to People vs Joseph Smith, and linked copies of primary source documents.

    Also, "Joseph Smith and the criminal justice system," Wikipedia.

  • 35. When Joseph Smith showed Wilford Woodruff the seer stone in late 1841, Wilford recorded that he had now seen the–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Urim & Thummim

    Woodruff recorded: “I had the privilege of seeing for the first time in my day the URIM & THUMMIM.”

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation,” footnote 21.

  • CORRECT! 

    Woodruff recorded: “I had the privilege of seeing for the first time in my day the URIM & THUMMIM.”

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation,” footnote 21.

  • 36. According to ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org), when the Prophet Joseph Smith used the seer stone to translate the Book of Mormon, how was it done?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: He placed the stone into a hat, pressed his face into the hat, and read aloud English words that appeared on the stone

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation.”

    Also, Russell M. Nelson, “A Treasured Testament,” Mission Presidents Seminar, Provo, UT, June 1992.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “Book of Mormon Translation.”

    Also, Russell M. Nelson, “A Treasured Testament,” Mission Presidents Seminar, Provo, UT, June 1992.

     

  • 37. Book of Mormon witness Martin Harris, who served as one of the scribes for the translation, had some unusual experiences, including which of the following?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: BYU Professor Ronald W. Walker, “Martin Harris: Mormonism’s Early convert,” p. 35.

    Also, John A. Clark letter, August 31, 1840, Early Mormon Documents, vol. 2, p. 271.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: BYU Professor Ronald W. Walker, “Martin Harris: Mormonism’s Early convert,” p. 35.

    Also, John A. Clark letter, August 31, 1840, Early Mormon Documents, vol. 2, p. 271.

  • 38. Who said: “…there is no authentic statement in the history of the Church which states that the use of such a stone was made in that translation”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Joseph Fielding Smith

    See: Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 225.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p. 225. 

  • 39. Who said: “Just as the arch crumbles if the keystone is removed, so does all the Church stand or fall with the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Ezra Taft Benson

    See: Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon – Keystone of Our Religion,” General Conference, October 1986.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon – Keystone of Our Religion,” General Conference, October 1986.

  • 40. What “sudden death” proposition did Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland make about the Book of Mormon?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: "...everything in the Church – everything – rises or falls on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon”

    Elder Holland declared that if the Book of Mormon is not true, “this Church and its founder are false, a fraudulent deception from the first instance forward."

    See: Jeffrey R. Holland, “True or False,” New Era, June 1995.

  • CORRECT! 

    Elder Holland declared that if the Book of Mormon is not true, “this Church and its founder are false, a fraudulent deception from the first instance forward."

    See: Jeffrey R. Holland, “True or False,” New Era, June 1995.

  • 41. In 1811, when Joseph Smith was about six years old, his father Joseph Smith Sr. had a “very singular vision” which became part of the Smith family lore. This vision included–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith, The Prophet And His Progenitors For Many Generations, chapter 14.

    Compare Lehi's vision, 1 Nephi 8:9-27.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph Smith, The Prophet And His Progenitors For Many Generations, chapter 14.

    Compare Lehi's vision, 1 Nephi 8:9-27.

  • 42. The Book of Mormon, which contains “the fulness of the everlasting Gospel” (JS History 1:34), doesn't include teachings about which of these vital LDS doctrines?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Eternal families, sealing ordinances, and exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom

    See: Content of the Book of Mormon itself (all editions).

    Also, note the absence of Book of Mormon references in the LDS Topical Guide for the subjects Genealogy and Temple Work, Eternal Family, Celestial Glory, etc.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Content of the Book of Mormon itself (all editions).

    Also, note the absence of Book of Mormon references in the LDS Topical Guide for the subjects Genealogy and Temple Work, Eternal Family, Celestial Glory, etc.

  • 43. What conclusions were drawn by Thomas Stuart Ferguson, president of the LDS Church’s New World Archaeological Foundation, after searching for Book of Mormon archaeological evidence for 25 years?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: “…it is fiction… what is in the ground will never conform to what is in the book”

    See: Ferguson correspondence of February 1976.

    Letter 1

    Letter 2, p. 1

    Letter 2, p. 2

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Ferguson correspondence of February 1976.

    Letter 1

    Letter 2, p. 1

    Letter 2, p. 2

  • 44. Who said: “Archaeologists and other scholars have long probed the hemisphere's past and the society does not know of anything found so far that has substantiated the Book of Mormon”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The National Geographic Society

    See: Letter to Luke Wilson, Institute for Religious Research, August 12, 1998.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Letter to Luke Wilson, Institute for Religious Research, August 12, 1998.

  • 45. Who said: “It can be stated definitely that there is no connection between the archaeology of the New World and the subject matter of the Book of Mormon. There is no correspondence whatever between archaeological sites and cultures as revealed by scientific investigations and as recorded in the Book of Mormon, hence the book cannot be regarded as having any historical value from the standpoint of the aboriginal peoples of the New World"?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The Smithsonian Institution

    See: Letter from Frank H.H. Roberts, Jr., Smithsonian Institution, dated February 16, 1951, photographically reproduced in The Book of Mormon Examined, by Arthur Budvarson, la Mesa, California, 1959, p. 37.

    See also, “Mormons and Archaeology: An Outside View,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1973, pp. 41, 42, 46.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Letter from Frank H.H. Roberts, Jr., Smithsonian Institution, dated February 16, 1951, photographically reproduced in The Book of Mormon Examined, by Arthur Budvarson, la Mesa, California, 1959, p. 37.

    See also, “Mormons and Archaeology: An Outside View,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Summer 1973, pp. 41, 42, 46.

  • 46. Extensive genetic research has concluded that Native Americans are descendants of what people who arrived in America over 14,000 years ago?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Asian

    See: “Genetic history of indigenous peoples of the Americas” and notes.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Genetic history of indigenous peoples of the Americas” and notes.

  • 47. Among many other sources, where are we told that Native Americans are “Lamanites,” the literal descendants of Jewish ancestors who came to the Americas in 600 BC?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: “Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” April 1845. D&C 28:9, 14; 32:2; 54:8. Letter to John Wentworth, Editor, Chicago Democrat, 1842. JS History 1:34.

    The Book of Mormon Introduction (prior to 2007) stated that the Lamanites were the “principal ancestors of the American Indians.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” April 1845. D&C 28:9, 14; 32:2; 54:8. Letter to John Wentworth, Editor, Chicago Democrat, 1842. JS History 1:34.

    The Book of Mormon Introduction (prior to 2007) stated that the Lamanites were the “principal ancestors of the American Indians.”

  • 48. Despite being specifically named in the Book of Mormon, which of the following did not exist in the Americas during Book of Mormon times (2500 BC to 400 AD)?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Horses, chariots, elephants, cattle, swine, steel

    Some examples from among numerous sources: R.J.G. Savage & M.R. Long, Mammal evolution, an illustrated guide (1986), Facts on File, pg. 202. Sharon Levy, "Mammoth Mystery, Did Climate Changes Wipe Out North America's Giant Mammals, Or Did Our Stone Age Ancestors Hunt Them To Extinction?” On earth, winter 2006, pp. 15-19. Gongora, J., and C. Moran. 2005. "Nuclear and mitochondrial evolutionary analyses of Collared, White-lipped, and Chacoan peccaries (Tayassuidae)," Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 34, pp. 181-189. Science Daily, Texas A&M University, Agricultural Communications, December 29, 2006.

  • CORRECT! 

    Some examples from among numerous sources: R.J.G. Savage & M.R. Long, Mammal evolution, an illustrated guide (1986), Facts on File, pg. 202. Sharon Levy, "Mammoth Mystery, Did Climate Changes Wipe Out North America's Giant Mammals, Or Did Our Stone Age Ancestors Hunt Them To Extinction?” On earth, winter 2006, pp. 15-19. Gongora, J., and C. Moran. 2005. "Nuclear and mitochondrial evolutionary analyses of Collared, White-lipped, and Chacoan peccaries (Tayassuidae)," Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 34, pp. 181-189. Science Daily, Texas A&M University, Agricultural Communications, December 29, 2006.

  • 49. According to the Book of Mormon, how many soldiers perished in the final great battles of the Jaredites, Nephites, and Lamanites, in the vicinity of the Hill Cumorah?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 2.2 million

    See: Ether 15:2; Mormon 6: 11-14.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Ether 15:2; Mormon 6: 11-14.

  • 50. According to the LDS First Presidency, where is the Hill Cumorah located?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Western New York State, USA

    “Brother Sparks inquired about the location of the Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon, where the last battle between the Nephites and Lamanites took place. The Church has long maintained, as attested to by references in the writing of General Authorities, that the Hill Cumorah in western New York state is the same as referenced in the Book of Mormon.”

    Letter to Bishop Darrell L. Brooks from the Office of the First Presidency, October 16, 1990. (First Presidency on that date was Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson.)

  • CORRECT! 

    “Brother Sparks inquired about the location of the Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon, where the last battle between the Nephites and Lamanites took place. The Church has long maintained, as attested to by references in the writing of General Authorities, that the Hill Cumorah in western New York state is the same as referenced in the Book of Mormon.”

    Letter to Bishop Darrell L. Brooks from the Office of the First Presidency, October 16, 1990. (First Presidency on that date was Ezra Taft Benson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Thomas S. Monson.)

  • 51. After extensive archaeological searches in and around the Hill Cumorah in New York during many years, what Book of Mormon artifacts have been discovered?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: None of the above

    “In accord with these general observations about New York and Pennsylvania, we come to our principal object—the Hill Cumorah. Archaeologically speaking, it is a clean hill. No artifacts, no walls, no trenches, no arrowheads. The area immediately surrounding the hill is similarly clean. Pre-Columbian people did not settle or build here.”

    See: John E. Clark, BYU, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, vol. 13:1, p. 151.

  • CORRECT! 

    “In accord with these general observations about New York and Pennsylvania, we come to our principal object—the Hill Cumorah. Archaeologically speaking, it is a clean hill. No artifacts, no walls, no trenches, no arrowheads. The area immediately surrounding the hill is similarly clean. Pre-Columbian people did not settle or build here.”

    See: John E. Clark, BYU, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, vol. 13:1, p. 151.

  • 52. An 1808 map of Africa refers to the Comoros Islands (featured in Captain Kidd pirate stories) as ‘Camora’. What is the name of its capital city?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Moroni

    See: Map and article “Comoros” on Wikipedia.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Map and article “Comoros” on Wikipedia.

  • 53. What was the standard spelling of the name Cumorah in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Camorah

    See: Book of Mormon, 1830 edition.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Book of Mormon, 1830 edition.

  • 54. Which of the following places from the region where Joseph Smith lived are surprisingly similar to place names found in the Book of Mormon?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    Hellam, PA (Helam, Mosiah 23:19) Alma, NY (Alma, Mosiah 24:20) Jacobsburg, OH (Jacobugath, 3 Nephi 9:9) Jerusalem, OH (Jerusalem, Alma 24:1) Jordan, PA (Jordan, Mormon 5:3) Kishkiminetas, PA (Kishkumen, 3 Nephi 9:10) Lehigh, PA (Lehi, Alma 51:24) Moraviantown, ON (Morianton, Alma 50:25) Lake Noah, OH (Noah, Alma 49:12) Oneida, NY (Onidah, Alma 47:5) Rama, ON (Ramah, Ether 15:11) Ripple Lake, ON (Ripliancum, Ether 15:8) Sodom, OH (Sidom, Alma 15:1) Shiloh, PA (Shilom, Mosiah 7:5). 

    See: Commentary and primary sources cited at Church Education System Letter, pp. 13-14.

  • CORRECT! 

    Hellam, PA (Helam, Mosiah 23:19) Alma, NY (Alma, Mosiah 24:20) Jacobsburg, OH (Jacobugath, 3 Nephi 9:9) Jerusalem, OH (Jerusalem, Alma 24:1) Jordan, PA (Jordan, Mormon 5:3) Kishkiminetas, PA (Kishkumen, 3 Nephi 9:10) Lehigh, PA (Lehi, Alma 51:24) Moraviantown, ON (Morianton, Alma 50:25) Lake Noah, OH (Noah, Alma 49:12) Oneida, NY (Onidah, Alma 47:5) Rama, ON (Ramah, Ether 15:11) Ripple Lake, ON (Ripliancum, Ether 15:8) Sodom, OH (Sidom, Alma 15:1) Shiloh, PA (Shilom, Mosiah 7:5). 

    See: Commentary and primary sources cited at Church Education System Letter, pp. 13-14.

  • 55. The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was "the most correct of any book on earth.” Including minor corrections, how many changes have been made to the Book of Mormon since it was first printed?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 100,000+

    “If one counts every difference in every punctuation mark in every edition of the Book of Mormon, the result is well over 100,000 changes,” Fair Mormon, Book of Mormon Textual Changes.

    Note that some of these changes are doctrinally substantive, such as for example the insertion of the phrase "the son of" in 1 Nephi 11:18, 21, 32; and 13:40. Or replacing the word "white" with the word "pure" in 2 Nephi 30:6.

  • CORRECT! 

    “If one counts every difference in every punctuation mark in every edition of the Book of Mormon, the result is well over 100,000 changes,” Fair Mormon, Book of Mormon Textual Changes.

    Note that some of these changes are doctrinally substantive, such as for example the insertion of the phrase "the son of" in 1 Nephi 11:18, 21, 32; and 13:40. Or replacing the word "white" with the word "pure" in 2 Nephi 30:6.

  • 56. What nineteenth-century book that predates the Book of Mormon contains dozens of striking parallels?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    For a list of examples, see: Church Education System Letter, pp. 16-25.

  • CORRECT! 

    For a list of examples, see: Church Education System Letter, pp. 16-25.

     

  • 57. In the 1769 King James Bible (the edition owned by Joseph Smith), the book of Isaiah contained twelve significant translation errors. How many of these errors are also found in the Isaiah passages in the Book of Mormon?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of them

    See: Table and commentary, “1769 KJV Errors in Book of Mormon,” Church Education System Letter.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Table and commentary, “1769 KJV Errors in Book of Mormon,” Church Education System Letter.

  • 58. In an attempt to explain the absence of pre-Columbian "horses" and "chariots" referenced in the Book of Mormon, LDS apologists speculate that the chariots were wheelless sleds pulled by what animals?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Tapirs

    See: Daniel C. Peterson, “Yet More Abuse of B. H. Roberts,” BYU Maxwell Institute, 1997.

    Also, “Horses in the Book of Mormon,” Fair Mormon, October 2007.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Daniel C. Peterson, “Yet More Abuse of B. H. Roberts,” BYU Maxwell Institute, 1997.

    Also, “Horses in the Book of Mormon,” Fair Mormon, October 2007.

  • 59. Who said: “Because of their Masonic characters the ceremonies of the temple are sacred and not for the public”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The First Presidency

    See: Messages of the First Presidency, vol. 4:250, October 15, 1911.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Messages of the First Presidency, vol. 4:250, October 15, 1911.

  • 60. Which notable early LDS leaders were Masons prior to assuming key roles in Mormonism?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Joseph Smith Sr, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball

    See: “Historical Connections,” Mormonism and Free Masonry.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Historical Connections,” Mormonism and Free Masonry.

  • 61. How long after the Prophet Joseph Smith joined the Masons did he introduce the temple endowment?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 7 weeks

    Joseph Smith became a Master Mason on March 15, 1842. History of the Church, vol.4, ch.32, p. 550.

    He introduced the temple endowment in Nauvoo on May 4, 1842. "Endowment (Mormonism)," Wikipedia.

    All those who intially received the endowment were Freemasons.

  • CORRECT! 

    Joseph Smith became a Master Mason on March 15, 1842. History of the Church, vol.4, ch.32, p. 550.

    He introduced the temple endowment in Nauvoo on May 4, 1842. "Endowment (Mormonism)," Wikipedia.

    All those who intially received the endowment were Freemasons.

  • 62. Church leaders teach that the LDS endowment is the correct restored version of an apostate endowment handed down from the days of Solomon’s temple. This is unlikely because–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    “We have the true masonry. The masonry of today is received from the apostasy which took place in the days of Solomon and David. They have now and then a thing that is correct, but we have the real thing.”

    See: “Heber C. Kimball and Family, The Nauvoo Years,” BYU Studies Quarterly, vol. 15:4, article 7, p. 12; “From origin to Grand Lodge Freemasonry,” History of Freemasonry; A. Rowland, “The Purposes of the Temple,” Bible Hub.

  • CORRECT! 

    “We have the true masonry. The masonry of today is received from the apostasy which took place in the days of Solomon and David. They have now and then a thing that is correct, but we have the real thing.”

    See: “Heber C. Kimball and Family, The Nauvoo Years,” BYU Studies Quarterly, vol. 15:4, article 7, p. 12; “From origin to Grand Lodge Freemasonry,” History of Freemasonry; A. Rowland, “The Purposes of the Temple,” Bible Hub.

  • 63. How many major changes have been made to the LDS temple endowment since the Prophet Joseph Smith restored the “correct” version in 1842?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 33

    See: “Timeline,” The LDS Endowment.

    "Major changes to Mormon temple ceremony, especially for women," Religion News, January 3, 2019

    Also, David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship, San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Timeline,” The LDS Endowment.

    "Major changes to Mormon temple ceremony, especially for women," Religion News, January 3, 2019

    Also, David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship, San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994.

  • 64. Which of the following is a requirement in order for a member to qualify for a temple recommend?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Pay 10% of your income to the Church

    See: “Temple Recommend Interview Questions,” Question 10.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Temple Recommend Interview Questions,” Question 10.

  • 65. If your loved one is getting married in an LDS temple, and you do not have a temple recommend, what happens?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: You won't be allowed to attend your loved one's marriage

    Only ‘worthy’ members who hold a valid temple recommend are allowed to enter LDS temples.

    See: “Entry Requirement,” Temple (LDS Church).

  • CORRECT! 

    Only ‘worthy’ members who hold a valid temple recommend are allowed to enter LDS temples.

    See: “Entry Requirement,” Temple (LDS Church).

  • 66. As part of the LDS temple endowment ceremony, you make covenants (serious commitments) to the Church. Which is true regarding those solemn oaths?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: You are not permitted to know in advance exactly what these commitments are

    See: “Covenant portion,” Endowment (Mormonism).

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Covenant portion,” Endowment (Mormonism).

  • 67. Prior to 1990, temple participants took oaths promising never to reveal certain parts of the temple endowment, under penalty of what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Death

    See: “Timeline,” The LDS Endowment.

  • CORRECT! 

    See:  “Timeline,” The LDS Endowment.

  • 68. According to the Church, there are how many different versions of Joseph Smith’s first vision?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 9

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “First Vision Accounts.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: ChurchofJesusChrist.org (formerly LDS.org) Gospel Topics Essay, “First Vision Accounts.”

  • 69. The earliest record of the First Vision, written by Joseph Smith himself in 1832, differs in what significant way from the canonized version in the Pearl of Great Price?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: Original account in Joseph’s own handwriting, History, circa Summer 1832.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Original account in Joseph’s own handwriting, History, circa Summer 1832.

     

  • 70. In the 1838 canonized version of the First Vision, Joseph says he went to inquire of the Lord “to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join.”  In the original 1832 account, Joseph explained that before going to pray he already knew–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: “there was no society or denomination that was built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ”

    See: Original account in Joseph’s own handwriting, History, circa Summer 1832.

    Also, "...for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong," Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith–History 1:18.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Original account in Joseph’s own handwriting, History, circa Summer 1832.

    Also, "...for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong," Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith–History 1:18.

     

  • 71. No mention of the 1820 First Vision has ever been found in any historical record (newspaper, letter, journal, tract, minutes, etc.) written or published between 1820 and 1832. This seems rather odd considering–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith–History 1:22-23.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith–History 1:22-23.

     

  • 72. In April 1990 General Conference, Apostle Russell M. Nelson counseled Church members to stop using the word “Mormon.” Then what happened?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Both of the above

    See: Russell M. Nelson, “Thus Shall My Church Be Called,” General Conference, April 1990

    Gordon B. Hinckley, “Mormon Should Mean ‘More good’,” General Conference, Oct 1990

    LDS Newsroom, “I’m a Mormon Campaign”; "I'm a Mormon" website; "I'm a Mormon" YouTube channel; "I'm a Mormon" campaign, Wikipedia; LDS Newsroom, Feature film “Meet the Mormons.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Russell M. Nelson, “Thus Shall My Church Be Called,” General Conference, April 1990

    Gordon B. Hinckley, “Mormon Should Mean ‘More good’,” General Conference, Oct 1990

    LDS Newsroom, “I’m a Mormon Campaign”; "I'm a Mormon" website; "I'm a Mormon" YouTube channel; "I'm a Mormon" campaign, Wikipedia; LDS Newsroom, Feature film “Meet the Mormons.”

  • 73. After the death of President Monson in 2018, what revelation did newly sustained prophet Russell M. Nelson announce at a special news conference and in his General Conference address?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Both of the above

    See: “The Name of the Church,” LDS Newsroom, August 16, 2018.

    Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” General Conference, October 2018.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “The Name of the Church,” LDS Newsroom, August 16, 2018.

    Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” General Conference, October 2018.

  • 74. In 2017, Apostle M. Russell Ballard said: “We would have to say, as two Apostles who have covered the world and know the history of the Church and know the integrity of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve from the beginning…”

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: “there has been no attempt on the part of the Church leaders to try to hide anything from anybody”

    See: “Apostles Answer Questions about Standards, Doubts during YSA Face to Face,” November 2017.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Apostles Answer Questions about Standards, Doubts during YSA Face to Face,” November 2017.

  • 75. According to one research source, how many instances of the Church purposely hiding or censoring information can be readily documented?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 29

    See: “The Hiding of Church History,” Prove All Things; Hold Fast to Good, updated February 2018.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “The Hiding of Church History,” Prove All Things; Hold Fast to Good, updated February 2018.

  • 76. The Hassan BITE Model has a checklist of 92 techniques used by cults to control their members. About how many of these 92 techniques does the LDS Church use, including the ones used to control missionaries?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 80

    See: “Assessing the Mormon Church Using Steven Hassan’s BITE Model for Cults,” Mormon Faith Crisis.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Assessing the Mormon Church Using Steven Hassan’s BITE Model for Cults,” Mormon Faith Crisis.

  • 77. In April 2006 General Conference, Thomas S. Monson explained: “…the Church is not wealthy.” This statement seems rather odd considering that the LDS Church–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Owns over 5,000 valuable debt-free properties, $32 billion in publicly traded stock, numerous for-profit businesses, and a high-end shopping mall

    See: Thomas S. Monson, “Our Sacred Priesthood Trust,” General Conference, April 2006.

    2017 Church statistical report showing 33,847 wards and stakes (figure an average of 3 units per building); Media report of the LDS Church's US stock holdings; Estimate of the LDS Church's tithing income; Corporations owned by the LDS Church; the City Creek mall.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Thomas S. Monson, “Our Sacred Priesthood Trust,” General Conference, April 2006.

    2017 Church statistical report showing 33,847 wards and stakes (figure an average of 3 units per building); Media report of the LDS Church's US stock holdings; Estimate of the LDS Church's tithing income; Corporations owned by the LDS Church; the City Creek mall.

  • 78. In October 2012, Cragun and Reuters estimated that the LDS Church brings in approximately how much in tax-exempt tithing contributions each year?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: $7 billion

    See: “LDS Church Makes Money By Mormon Donations,” Huffington Post, October 12, 2012.

    Also, Salt Lake Tribune report regarding LDS Church finances.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “LDS Church Makes Money By Mormon Donations,” Huffington Post, October 12, 2012.

    Also, Salt Lake Tribune report regarding LDS Church finances.

  • 79. In April 2018, President Russell M. Nelson said: “poverty continues from one generation to another, until people pay their tithing.” Which of the following is true?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: "Dowry is not the Lord's way," Deseret News, April 16, 2018.

    “These Are the Richest Countries in the World,” Fortune, November 17, 2017. 

    Country Resources (use Reaching the nations + [country name]), Cumorah.com. Assumes 50% of members pay tithing.

    “List of countries by GDP (nominal),” Wikipedia.

    Pew Research report on income ranges by religion, 2016.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: "Dowry is not the Lord's way," Deseret News, April 16, 2018.

    “These Are the Richest Countries in the World,” Fortune, November 17, 2017. 

    Country Resources (use Reaching the nations + [country name]), Cumorah.com. Assumes 50% of members pay tithing.

    “List of countries by GDP (nominal),” Wikipedia.

    Pew Research report on income ranges by religion, 2016.

  • 80. According to an article in the Ensign magazine, you should pay tithing to the Church before you pay for what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Water, electricity, rent, and food for your family

    See: “Sacred Transformations,” Ensign, December 2012.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Sacred Transformations,” Ensign, December 2012.

  • 81. According to a 1983 General Conference talk, members who don’t pay tithing won’t have what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: An eternal family and exaltation

    See: Hartman Rector Jr., “That Ye May Have Roots and Branches,” General Conference, April 1983.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Hartman Rector Jr., “That Ye May Have Roots and Branches,” General Conference, April 1983.

  • 82. In General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson explained: “…our Church has no paid ministry.” Although local ward and stake leaders are not paid, which higher leaders receive up to $120,000 or more per year as a “living allowance”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, Presiding Bishopric, First Quorum of the Seventy, temple and mission presidents

    Compensation paid to upper LDS ecclesiastical positions totals approximately $82 million a year, not including benefits such as housing, vehicles, free tuition, pensions, etc.

    See: 2017 Church statistical report (421 mission presidents; 159 temple presidents). General Authorities and General Officers (109 qualifying male general authorities).

    Presiding Bishopric letter regarding Living Allowance Increase dated January 2, 2014.

  • CORRECT! 

    Compensation paid to upper LDS ecclesiastical positions totals approximately $82 million a year, not including benefits such as housing, vehicles, free tuition, pensions, etc.

    See: 2017 Church statistical report (421 mission presidents; 159 temple presidents). General Authorities and General Officers (109 qualifying male general authorities).

    Presiding Bishopric letter regarding Living Allowance Increase dated January 2, 2014.

  • 83. Who said: “It is wrong to criticize leaders of the Church, even if the criticism is true”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Dallin H. Oaks

    See: Transcript of Dallin H. Oaks as featured on PBS “The Mormons Part Two,” 2007.

    Also, YouTube video of the interview.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Transcript of Dallin H. Oaks as featured on PBS “The Mormons Part Two,” 2007.

    Also, YouTube video of the interview.

  • 84. According to Apostle Boyd K. Packer, what are the dangers to the Church?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: LGBTQ and feminist movements, scholars and intellectuals

    See: Boyd K. Packer, “All-Church Coordinating Council,” May 18, 1993.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Boyd K. Packer, “All-Church Coordinating Council,” May 18, 1993.

  • 85. In 1975, the First Presidency announced a policy stating that only men were allowed to offer prayers in what meetings?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: “New Information on Church Policies,” Ensign, August 1975.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “New Information on Church Policies,” Ensign, August 1975.

  • 86. When was the first time a woman was allowed to offer a public prayer in LDS General Conference?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: April 2013

    See: Peggy Fletcher Stack, “First prayer by woman offered at Mormon conference,” Salt Lake Tribune, April 2013.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Peggy Fletcher Stack, “First prayer by woman offered at Mormon conference,” Salt Lake Tribune, April 2013.

  • 87. President J. Reuben Clark taught that if you as a woman dress such that “you appeal to the baser passions of men, and if so clothed you shall be assaulted…” you should–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: take at least part of the blame yourself

    See: J. Reuben Clark, “Plain Talk to Girls,” Improvement Era, August 1946.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: J. Reuben Clark, “Plain Talk to Girls,” Improvement Era, August 1946.

  • 88. Apostle M. Russell Ballard counseled the women of the Church–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Don't talk too much in ward council meetings and don't assume a role that's not yours

    See: M. Russell Ballard, Europe Area Sisters’ Meeting, September 9, 2014.

    Also, M. Russell Ballard, “Men and Women and Priesthood Power,” Ensign, September 2014.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: M. Russell Ballard, Europe Area Sisters’ Meeting, September 9, 2014.

    Also, M. Russell Ballard, “Men and Women and Priesthood Power,” Ensign, September 2014.

  • 89. Apostle Richard G. Scott taught that when a woman is assaulted, the Lord may prompt her to do what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Recognize a degree of responsibility for the abuse, which her priesthood leader may assess

    See: Richard G. Scott, “Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse,” General Conference, April 1992.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Richard G. Scott, “Healing the Tragic Scars of Abuse,” General Conference, April 1992.

  • 90. In September 2018, former LDS bishop Sam Young was excommunicated from the Church because he openly campaigned for what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Protection of children during closed-door interviews involving sexually explicit questions

    See: “Mormon Bishop Sam Young Excommunicated for Wanted to Stop Sexually Explicit Interviews of Children,” Newsweek, September 17, 2018.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Mormon Bishop Sam Young Excommunicated for Wanted to Stop Sexually Explicit Interviews of Children,” Newsweek, September 17, 2018.

  • 91. On April 24, 2016, Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland said: “... a week ago Thursday we created 15 stakes, and we are doing that más o menos every week, more or less…. The week before it was 12… we are talking double digit stakes every week.” In reality, the Church actually created how many new stakes in April 2016?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: 0

    See: Jeffrey R. Holland, Young Single Adults address, April 24, 2016.

    Note: The word “succeeding” in the newsroom descriptions indicates an existing stake reorganization, not the creation of a new stake–

    March 2016: 7 new stakes (1.75/week); April 2016: 0 new stakes (0/week); May 2016: 6 new stakes (1.5/week); June 2016: 3 new stakes (0.75/week); July 2016: 6 new stakes (1.5/week)

    5-Month AVERAGE = 1 new stake/week

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Jeffrey R. Holland, Young Single Adults address, April 24, 2016.

    Note: The word “succeeding” in the newsroom descriptions indicates an existing stake reorganization, not the creation of a new stake–

    March 2016: 7 new stakes (1.75/week); April 2016: 0 new stakes (0/week); May 2016: 6 new stakes (1.5/week); June 2016: 3 new stakes (0.75/week); July 2016: 6 new stakes (1.5/week)

    5-Month AVERAGE = 1 new stake/week

  • 92. Apostle Boyd K. Packer said: “That is a malicious and destructive lie.” To what was he referring?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: The idea that some people are born with an attraction to their own gender

    See: Boyd K. Packer, “Message to Young Men,” General Conference, October 1976.

    Also, LDS pamphlet, “To Young Men Only.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Boyd K. Packer, “Message to Young Men,” General Conference, October 1976.

    Also, LDS pamphlet, “To Young Men Only.”

  • 93. Regarding “Children of a Parent Living in a Same-Gender Relationship,” LDS administrative Handbook 1 states what policy?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: A minor child (adopted or natural) may not receive a name, blessing, be baptized, confirmed, ordained, or recommended for a mission

    See: Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops, section 16:13.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Handbook 1: Stake Presidents and Bishops, section 16:13.

  • 94. Regarding the nature of homosexuality, Boyd K. Packer taught what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: All of the above

    See: Boyd K. Packer, “Message to Young Men,” General Conference, October 1976.

    Also, LDS pamphlet, “To Young Men Only.”

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Boyd K. Packer, “Message to Young Men,” General Conference, October 1976.

    Also, LDS pamphlet, “To Young Men Only.”

  • 95. Who said: “Sometimes masturbation is the introduction to the more serious sins of exhibitionism and the gross sin of homosexuality”?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Spencer W. Kimball

    See: Spencer W. Kimball, “Love vs. Lust,” BYU address, January 5, 1965.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Spencer W. Kimball, “Love vs. Lust,” BYU address, January 5, 1965.

  • 96. Apostle Dallin H. Oaks said: “I believe in retaining criminal penalties on…” what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: sex crimes such as homosexuality and other forms of deviate sexual behavior

    See: Dallin H. Oaks, “The Popular Myth of the Victimless Crime,” Brigham Young University Press, 1974.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Dallin H. Oaks, “The Popular Myth of the Victimless Crime,” Brigham Young University Press, 1974.

     

  • 97. According to the LDS booklet “Homosexuality” (prepared for use by local leaders working with gay members), what is the cause of homosexual behavior?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: Disturbed family background, poor relationship with peers, unhealthy sexual attitudes, early homosexual experience

    See: “Homosexuality,” LDS manual, second edition, 1981.

    Also, Jeffrey R. Holland, “Face to Face for Young Single Adults,” 2016.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: “Homosexuality,” LDS manual, second edition, 1981.

    Also, Jeffrey R. Holland, “Face to Face for Young Single Adults,” 2016.

  • 98. Apostle Mark E. Petersen taught that one way to overcome the habit of masturbation is–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: “dress yourself for the night so securely that you cannot easily touch your vital parts”

    See: Homosexuality: Welfare Services Packet 1, p 16, 1973 (quote attributed to Mark E. Petersen).

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Homosexuality: Welfare Services Packet 1, p 16, 1973 (quote attributed to Mark E. Petersen).

  • 99. Russell M. Nelson taught: “While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as..." what?

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: unconditional

    See: Russell M. Nelson, "Divine Love," Ensign, February 2003.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Russell M. Nelson, "Divine Love," Ensign, February 2003.

     

  • 100. To avoid implying that you approve of your gay child’s same-sex partner, Apostle Dallin H. Oaks suggests telling your child who is visiting home–

  • Sorry, wrong answer...

    Correct choice: “don’t expect us to take you out and introduce you to our friends, or deal with you in a public situation”

    See: Dallin H. Oaks, interview on “Same-Gender Attraction,” 2006.

  • CORRECT! 

    See: Dallin H. Oaks, interview on “Same-Gender Attraction,” 2006.

  • End of Questions

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