The Breaking of the Mormon Code by Matt Paulson

Leonardo Decaprio played Frank W. Abagnale, Jr, a scam artist, in the hit movie “Catch Me If You Can.” In Abagnale's book, by the same name, he chronicled his true-life story as a phony airline pilot, check forger, counterfeit lawyer, and bogus college professor. Abagnale tells how he deceived the Brigham young University (BYU) administration into hiring him to teach one summer in order to meet college girls.  This story was one of the first evidences that showed how BYU could be easily deceived. On the BYU campus exists the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) which has a staff that cannot resist writing about me in sarcastic tones. By reviewing Drs. Daniel Peterson and Stephen Ricks' seven page article, Comparing LDS Beliefs with First-Century Christianity, along with their book, Offenders for a Word,  I fear that I will again be touted that the result is "bald assertions, gratuitous insults, and blather."  This "blather" is my attempt to establish the truth apart from the distortions of Christian history presented by the scholars of the LDS Church. Latter-day Saints or BYU professors certainly will not welcome this analysis.  Evangelical books on Mormonism are hastily labeled as "anti-Mormon" even if they are honest, factual, or indisputable.  Even so, their intolerable attitude prevents fair treatment. Certainly, I would welcome a FARMS response on this effort. FARMS is a Mormon think-tank, which seeks to repudiate the opposition (anti-Mormons), applaud its supporters and justify the many peculiar Mormon doctrines. FARMS is at the forefront in confronting Christian apologetic ministries, book by book, and taking them apart, line by line, or precept upon precept.

Earlier I had reviewed Comparing LDS Beliefs published in the Ensign, a Mormon Church magazine.  This review struck a nerve with only one person at FARMS and he challenged me to look at Offenders for a Word because this book had altered, corrected, and refined the points in Comparing LDS beliefs. Over the years I have collected the contradictions and falsehoods generated by Mormon scholars. Recent discoveries by Christian and secular scholars on Mormonism, like DNA evidence against the Book of Mormon, prompts me to assemble my research and document the abundant and serious offensives by LDS scholars. It becomes apparent that the best arguments against Mormonism are ignored, dismissed or muddled by the Mormon experts. In contrast, the best arguments to prove Mormonism in error are contained in this book. Every Christian should know the basics to defend Christian doctrines, (Jude 3, 1Peter 3:15). This information will help build genuine, persuasive, and biblical support of classical Christianity. Also, this work will demonstrate that Mormonism is not Christian and it cannot stand on its own merits. This debate is not about opinions; it is the establishment of certain theological facts. Against the classical Christian truth Mormon scholarship will, as you will see, utilize inane accusations, misquotes and equivocation. This is what I call the breaking of the Mormon Code.