Dr Paul Allen

"Sex and Violence" in the Bible is a survey of explicit content in God ’s Word. It is just over 200 pages of examining those parts of the Bible that we so often pass over and so rarely hear from the pulpit. While such a book could so easily prove base and puerile, Joseph W. Smith wrote this one for noble purposes and with a deep desire honor God. The book is divided into three parts. In the first part Smith examines what the Bible says about sex and sexuality, from the good and beautiful to the dark and ugly. He looks at the laws and regulations that guarded sexuality, he looks at the many euphemisms used to describe sex and sexual body parts, and he looks at biblical stories where sexuality was badly misused in adultery, prostitution, voyeurism, homosexuality, and the like. The very fact that the Old Testament contains prohibitions against sex with animals shows that there is no point too low in depraved man’s descent into base and animalistic behavior. This whole sec...

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805 in Sharon, Vermont . When he was a child his family moved to Palmyra in western New York where there was a lot of revivalism and religious fervor due to the Second Great Awakening . The wild enthusiasm and the many denominations present confused Smith and he was uncertain of what to believe and how to worship. As he writes in  The Pearl of Great Price : “In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.” In 1820, in this time of confusion, Smith read James 1:5 which instructs those who lack wisdom to request it from God. He immediately withdrew to a wooded area near his home to pray for wisdom and it was at...

Image via Wikipedia Mormonism is back in the news. And with two Mormon presidential candidates, including Mitt Romney (the front runner for the Republican nomination), there’s a good chance we will be hearing much more about Mormonism for the next twelve months. Denny Burk has a very helpful piece on whether Mormonism is a cult , and Albert Mohler has written a thoughtful article on “Mormonism, Democracy, and the Urgent Need for Evangelical Thinking.” I won’t repeat their arguments, except to reiterate Mohler’s reminder that voting for a president should include examining the candidate’s religious beliefs, but should include other considerations as well. Presidential elections are important. But believing the truth is even more important. With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to provide a brief overview of Mormon history and theology. I won’t try to debunk Mormonism or prove Christianity. But I hope this quick survey will show that the two are not the same. Cover v...