The Inquisitive Christian

Questioning everything since 1984

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I’m a 41-year-old nurse and firefighter/EMT who loves theology and exploring religion.

Category: 1 Nephi

  • The Great and Abominable Church Revisited

    This is the final chapter of 1 Nephi. I’m going to be thankful that it is much shorter than the Bible, because this is a bigger undertaking than I initially realized. Throughout this journey, I am constantly reminded of the old adage, “If It’s true, it’s not new. If it’s new, it’s not true.” This…

  • A Chronological Impossibility

    I’ve heard many a Mormon insist that the Book of Mormon absolutely must have divine origins due to Joseph Smith’s lack of education (which they exaggerate), the short time in which it was “translated” (roughly 65 days), and how cohesive it is (even though it really isn’t, as we have seen thus far). If the…

  • It’s Not Plagiarism if I Change a Few Words and Tell You to Compare it With Isaiah 48

    I recently explained to a Mormon online what the purpose of my blog was. Another chimed in with, “So, you already had your mind made up when you started reading it? Scripture is like a map that tells us how to get closer to Christ. Do you type in an address to Google maps and…

  • Uknown Metalworking and Bad Theology

    I’m back at it again, ladies and gentlemen. After a hiatus from blogging about the Book of Mormon, I decided I simply couldn’t stay away. Some have asked me why I care about this so much. I have two simple answers to this. The first is that I care about the truth, especially if it…

  • More Things That Didn’t Exist Back Then

    The title here is, I believe, precisely why the Mormon church is steadily losing members, specifically from the Millennial and Gen-Z populations. Recent data from various sources shows a steep decline in church retention of members who have been raised in the church, which you can see here: Jana Riess: Data shows Gen Zers and…

  • Another Story about Another Big Boat

    When my older brother was trying to learn multiplication, my mother would dutifully hold up flash cards at the kitchen table, expecting him to answer as quickly as possible. Only he wouldn’t. In fact, he made sure to pour himself a big glass of milk beforehand so he could conveniently “take a drink of milk”…

  • The Magic 8-Ball of Brass and Other Tales

    I procrastinated today. I promised myself I’d get this post done earlier this afternoon. I swore I would manage my time wisely today so I could relax and either do some reading or get cozy on the couch and watch some Mr. Ballen on YouTube. But life happened differently today. I went to church, wandered…

  • Satan Isn’t in Charge of Hell. Obvously.

    I had every intention of being productive today. I had lofty goals. I was going to cook up a storm in my kitchen for my monthly meal prep. But a different storm (a geomagnetic one, to be exact) disrupted the one I was planning and the power was in and out during the afternoon. With…

  • Everyone Else Goes to Satan’s Church. Not Us, Though

    I just returned from a medical missions trip to a communist third world country. I gave wound care, medical supplies, and all the energy I could muster within my exhausted frame for one main purpose: to fulfill the Great Commission, which is found in Matthew 28:18-20. It reads, “Then Jesus came to them and said,…

  • What Have You Got Against Catholics?

    You should all be grateful that the wind where I live is out of control today, because if it wasn’t, I’d be at the gun range gleefully destroying targets and not trudging through the Book of Mormon, so you all don’t have to. So here I am instead, taking a different kind of aim at…