This is an explanatory note for a series of posts under the heading, “What Mormons Believe About …” Links to each post of this series appear at the bottom of this post.

In these posts, I have attempted to present Mormon teachings accurately and fairly. Much of the material is quoted directly from the official website (www.lds.org) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Everything that appears within quote marks can be found on the LDS website by using that site’s search tool.

Unlike many anti-Mormon websites, I have not quoted any material from the Journal of Discourses (JD). The JD is a 26-volume set of sermons from the 1800s by Brigham Young and other Mormon pioneers. Brigham Young succeeded Joseph Smith as LDS President and as such is considered a “prophet of God.” The JD contains some of the teachings that are most objectionable to Christians, and many anti-Mormon teachers refer to it frequently. The LDS has distanced itself from the JD, describing it as “not an official publication” and stating that it contains some “speculative teachings.” Still, even the LDS cites the JD frequently on its own website. However, in these posts I have not relied on JD material, but only on material found on the LDS official website.

Here are links to installments of this series:

• “What Mormons Believe About … God”

• On a personal level, I have written a post explaining how I recently became involved in studying Mormonism, in: “Accidental Detour into the Strange World of Mormonism”