The Unauthorized Investigator's Guide to
The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints

This site is primarily intended for 3 groups of people:

 

Investigating the Truth About Mormonism

It is imperative to always remember the following two things when you make big decisions:

When somebody makes an extraordinary claim about the nature of reality, you should critically evaluate the claim before you accept it.

When somebody asks you to commit massive amounts of time and money to an organization, you have the moral obligation to make an independent, thorough analysis before you make the commitment.

Do you agree?  If so and you are sincerely trying to come to a conclusion about whether or not the Mormon Church is literally God's one and only true church, then this website is for you. This website isn't here to give you all the answers.  I do share some of my opinions, but I offer them as something for you to think about, not as the final word of ultimate truth.  The site will give you some questions you should ask and issues you should consider as you decided for yourself whether or not the LDS Church is for you.

A frequent question I get is whether or not this site is an "anti-site."  The answer is no, this site is a decidedly pro-website.  This website is pro-critical analysis, pro-clear thinking, and pro-good decision making. Most importantly, this site is pro-investigator.  It is on your side.  This site attempts to help you come to your own conclusion about Mormonism.

Being named "LDS4U," some people expect the website to a starry-eyed rhapsody about how you should fall in love with the LDS Church.  If that is what you are looking for, I'd suggest you go to this site.  LDS4U.com is the unauthorized investigator's guide to the church.  Investigators of the church by definition are questioning the truth-claims of the church. And if you serious about learning the truth, then you have got to look at both sides.  LDS4U is an abbreviation of the question, is the LDS Church for you?  You are the one who will have to live with the consequences of that decision. Therefore only you can decide.

I hear it was charged against me that I sought to destroy institutions;

But really I am neither for nor against institutions;

 (What indeed have I in common with them?—Or what with the destruction of them?)

Only I will establish in the Mannahatta, and in every city of These States, inland and seaboard,

And in the fields and woods, and above every keel, little or large, that dents the water,

Without edifices, or rules, or trustees, or any argument,

The institution of the dear love of comrades.

~Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

There is one more thought I'll share here. I've occasionally been criticized for not always being dispassionate when I share my thoughts on the various issues.  My goal isn't to be dispassionate when I write.  My goal is to be sincere. This site recognizes our common humanity.  I am a human being who decided to create a website about Mormonism.  You are a human being who is reading my site.  Although I believe that critical analysis needs to be brought to bear on important decisions, I don't believe that our humanity needs to be somehow suspended as we think about--and experience--religion. I therefore share my feelings--especially when my feelings are strong.  For good measure, I throw in a few poems and lyrics that touch me and seem pertinent to the discussion.

Learning About the Missionaries

I originally included some information about the missionaries on this site for the benefit of serious investigators.  This information proved to be a great resource to people who are curious about the missionaries but not necessarily interested in investigating Mormonism's truth claims. 

Missionaries are generally great kids who are making huge sacrifices in their endeavors to do what is right.  The section on the missionaries is intended for everyone who interacts with them or is interested in knowing more about who they are.  The objective of making people more conscious of what it is like to be a missionary and how you should treat them.

Pedantic Musings

Some people have suggested that the Church is about to explode in growth, reaching as high as 280 million by the year 2080.  If you'd like to know why I think that is unlikely read my paper on Church growth.

 

If you have a question or would like to discuss these topics, I suggest that you go to a Mormon-related bulletin board (here are some recommendations). If you'd like to contact me with comments or feedback, you may send an email to analytics@lds4u.com.