by Paul Ciavardini

Created on: October 25, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2009

Ironically, the largest problem facing Mormonism at present is its past. When one reviews the history of the Mormon Church, it is easy to find things that haunt the organization today. From Joseph smiths' plural wives, to the ban from 1848 to 1978 excluding the black community from the opportunity of holding the priesthood, there are many things that members are either unaware of, or not proud to disclose. However, with the dawn of the information age it is making it increasingly difficult to sweep things under the rug.

"Some things that are true are not very useful..."

-Boyd K. Packer (President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

Boyd K. Packer could not have illustrated more profoundly or accurately the problem the church faces with the Internet. Many Mormons are unaware of large aspects of the history of their own church. For example, it's common for members to know the exact date of birth of the prophet Joseph smith, but less likely that they are aware of the way he practiced polygamy. For instance, Mormon historian Todd Compton in the book "In sacred loneliness" cites Joseph as having least 33 wives, 33 percent of which were 14 to 20 years old, ten of which were simultaneously married to other men, and 13 of which that swore court affidavits that they had sexual relations with him. Joseph Smith's involvement in polygamy is just one of many examples of things that are not very faith-promoting from an investigator or Member standpoint. As Packer said, such things are "not very useful" when trying to retain members or gather new converts.

Thirty years ago it was much more difficult to dig up the facts on Mormon history. Now thanks to YouTube, Wikipedia, and discussion boards, these stories are just a Google search away. Not only is the information readily accessible, it is even easy to stumble upon while searching the web, posting on a forum, or watching YouTube. More and more LDS (latter day saint) people are becoming aware of their history, whether it is through curiosity, or accidently stumbling upon the information. Anti Mormons, who range from evangelical Christians, to atheists, have never had an easier time getting their message out there.

Seeing as the floodgates are open, it is now virtually impossible to censor or regulate the flow of information on theses issues. Because of this, many Mormon organizations have formed a new strategy. Although not directly sponsored by the church the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR)

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