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Dr. Dean Helland
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"1. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote
unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
"2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let
every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. ...
"7. For I would that all men were even as I
myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner,
and another after that.
"8. I say therefore to the unmarried and
widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
"9. But if they cannot contain, let them
marry; for it is better to marry than to burn."
1 Corinthians 7:1-2, 7-9
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On Jan 13, 2007, at 11:44 AM, Dean Helland wrote to Louis
Midgley:
Dear Louis:
Your suggestion that we terminate this friendly conversation
is quite appealing, really, and I will reluctantly accept it and call it quits
if you wish. However, I feel obligated to respond to your parting comments
before doing so. In this attempt to close our conversation, you have touched on
new areas which need to be addressed.
I sent you the complete set of DVDs where my mother and I laid
out our life history entitled Momma, The Book of Mormon and Me. As
you well know, not only was I brought up in several segments of the “Restoration
Movement”, not only did my family devote all we possessed and could do with our
limited means to fulfill the Book of Mormon commands to preach its message to
the American Indian (or Lamanites), not only did we believe ourselves
commissioned in our work by the famous “Three Nephites” of the Book of
Mormon itself, but I also actively won people to our way of belief and
had started the process toward writing a book which I believed would cause a
major shift in the Christian world toward acceptance of the Book of Mormon.
Though I ended up producing a doctoral project which went diametrically counter
to these missionary efforts, I think these are elements of my history which
cannot be ignored or summarily dismissed. Not even the highly qualified
Christian theologians who shared their expertise in the excellent book
The New Mormon Challenge can claim such a personal history of once having
promoted the Book of Mormon.
Concerning Oral Robert University’s library, it has many books both
for and against Mormonism. However, I did not avail myself of them, as I had my
own extensive library on Mormonism which had been accumulated over the years as
well as additional books purchased directly from Mormon bookstores in Utah
when I undertook my doctoral project. The reason for the relatively slim
bibliography of that project--which you assume was all the sources I had at
my disposal--was due to the narrow scope of my chosen subject. It was limited
to two basic areas: 1) comparing Joseph Smith’s life with the Biblical
standards of defining true prophets and false prophets and 2) examining the
details and teachings of the Book of Mormon in light of the Bible and other data
readily available to anyone. My conclusions were that 1) Joseph Smith’s life
fell far short of Bible standards for a true prophet and that 2) the Book of
Mormon teachings depart from those of the Bible and 3) historical data in the
Book of Mormon which can be empirically tested by present-day methods flies in
the face of reputable scientific inquiry.
As for the qualifications of ORU’s seminary faculty for dealing with
this topic, you seem to ignore that they all have terminal degrees in their
areas of specialization, and are familiar with the history of Mormonism and its
interaction with other churches and American history ever since it started. You
refer to the Baptist minister John L. Smith of Utah Missions Inc., who dedicated
his ministry to helping Mormons realize the error of their ways and return to
the original Gospel as defined in the New Testament, as “goofy”, and to Ed
Decker, president of Ex-Mormons for Jesus (also known as Saints Alive in Jesus)
as a “notorious fraud and liar.” I might remind you that both these epitaphs
have been applied in many different contexts and reasons to Joseph Smith,
and with varying degrees of justification. I am sure some of them are unjustified, as pointed out by the “politically-correct” approach of Richard
J. Mouw of Fuller Theological Seminary in the Foreword of The New Mormon
Challenge, but I will also be “politically incorrect” enough to state that I
am sure that many of them are justified. After all, both Ed Decker and Joseph
Smith are part of the fallen human race and share in flaws of human nature which
present constant challenges to us all.
So you see, Louis, that while you fault ORU for its
academic qualifications to evaluate my research and final product, “Meeting the
Book of Mormon Challenge in Chile”, I seriously doubt that you could have
admired any theological institution, regardless of its academic qualifications,
that would award a degree to any work that would arrive at my considered
conclusions. In fact, I doubt that Brigham Young University itself would have
granted me a doctoral degree in theology, given the approach I took and
the conclusions I arrived at. Therefore, I do not consider my ORU degree to
have been an anomaly. Perhaps I share the distinction of being the only person
who has been awarded such an honor for my ability to present systematic evidence
showing the Book of Mormon to be a fraud and showing others how to convince
Mormons of its error and point them back to the pure Gospel as presented in
the New Testament. I think all this to be completely in accord
with ORU’s
stated mission and purpose. So, I believe that ORU did indeed “cover itself
with academic glory” when it recognized the merit of my work and awarded me that
Doctor of Ministry degree.
You say, “your divinity degree certainly did not qualify you to teach
French and Spanish.” I never claimed that my theological degrees qualified me
to teach French and Spanish. I do think, however, that they qualified me to go
to South America to help raise up a Bible Institute for the national Pentecostal
churches so that, besides giving them a solid grip on the Bible, they would
not fall prey to aberrant religious groups like the Mormons. I also think that
it gave me a basis to go to France and Africa and preach in crusades and teach
in ministers’ conferences. As a matter of fact, I did not just “happen to know
those languages.” I picked up my French and my major in Spanish at another
distinguished educational institution, Arizona State University, in Tempe. It
is now the largest university in the United States, with over
61,000 students. I don’t think you will attack their academic credibility. I
was there granted a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education.
It was on that basis that I was certified in the State of Arizona as
qualified to teach Spanish, French and English in any high school in the
state. After returning to the U.S. from the foreign mission field and joining
the ORU faculty, I renewed my teaching credentials in the State of Oklahoma. I
am certified to teach Spanish and French in any public school in this
state. Due to this official certification as a language teacher as well as my
two theological degrees, I was appointed to teach "Theological French” on the
graduate school level in ORU’s seminary, The School of Theology and Missions. I
didn’t “just happen” to know Spanish and French any more than you “just
happened” to know political science and get
a job in that area at BYU.
ORU does hire Ph.D.s in Spanish and French who publish
scholarship in those areas. However, you surely are aware that the
largest foreign language classes are for the beginners and do not require
a doctor’s degree in that foreign language. You force me here
into self-disclosure, which I am reluctant to do for it might seem
like boasting. But I have been known as the “work horse” of the modern language
department for carrying heavy work loads with large numbers of students when
necessary, and also often doubling up on the heavy summer school teaching
schedule. Due to my facility with Spanish which was acquired during my stint of
fifteen years in Chile, teaching theology as well as writing articles and books
in that language, I was appointed to teach the upper-division course of Spanish
Composition for all Spanish majors and minors. I believe that BYU also has
professors that have a variety of degrees that specially qualify them to teach
their courses. You say that I seem to you to be “a tad defensive” about these
things. Actually, I thank God for every bit of my academic training and
am willing to present it for inspection by all.
As for my not being ashamed for the “anti-Mormon nonsense” in which
I have been involved, nor having “remorse for misleading people,” as you claim,
no, I am not ashamed. First of all, I deny that I am involved in “anti-Mormon
nonsense”. As I have said before, I consider the Mormons to be “my people”, if
for no other reason than the circumstances of my own birth and early formation
as a believer in the Book of Mormon. I simply share with Mormons, and all who
care to listen, things that are not “revealed” about Mormonism by their
leaders. This does not mean their leaders do not know them. Rather, they have
chosen to suppress them or even call them “lies” when they actually
know otherwise.
I believe that my mission to the Mormons is to help them
realize that they are sinners who must repent, leave their old ways and depend
fully on the shed blood of Jesus Christ for their salvation. I don’t think that
is “anti-Mormon.” I think it is “pro-Mormon”. I am doing what I know will get
Mormons to heaven, the heaven of the Bible and not the fantasy heaven presented
by Mormonism on the basis of personal worthiness. Therefore, I do not seek to
please you, Louis, but Christ. And I am honored when you try to heap shame on
me, for I am firmly convinced that I am working for the cause of the real Jesus
Christ of the Bible.
I hope this explains my position clearly enough. As for aberrations
that exist among Pentecostals and charismatics, I am quite aware of them and
work with my colleagues to help them improve their lives and ministries. However, the standard is always the same, the New Testament. I
think the New Testament and especially the Book of Acts presents the authentic
model for all Pentecostals to follow and should do so for all true Christians.
This is my
response to your last message, to set the record straight before we end this
“dismal conversation.” I do hope you will pass it on to your friends on the
“Skinny” network.
However, let me point out that we still have not discussed
many things you pointed out in your “critique” of my doctoral project which
anyone can easily access on the internet in both French and English, Playing
with Half a Decker: The Countercult Religious Tradition Confronts the Book of
Mormon. That was what initiated our conversations, and I feel you have
continually evaded the truly weighty issues it brought up. I am sorry we have
not been able to explore them. I will discuss them anyhow with other people—
especially with my dear Mormon friends—whom I believe need
enlightenment on these subjects to stir them to truly seek God for the salvation
of their souls. Some of this material is presented in articles on
www.deanhelland.com, which I hope you will review from time to time. So I
guess it’s time to say “adieu.”
Your friend always,
Dean Helland
NOTE: All correspondence with Dr.
Dean is made with the understanding that it may be used in part or in whole on
this website or elsewhere.
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Dr. Helland's Articles in English
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