South Korea is increasingly becoming a hotbed for cults. A few of them have successfully made their way into the United States through aggressive but sometimes secretive and covert means. On this episode of the Profile, we talk with Chris, a former member of the cult of Shincheonji (pronounced shin-shon-JEE), a group that began in South Korean in 1984. Chris will share with us what Shincheonji teaches, how he became involved, their tactics, and finally how he escaped.

Related Links: Free access to additional resources including some related Watchman Fellowship Profiles:

• Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shincheonji by Steve Matthews: www.watchman.org/ProfileSCJ
• Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Shincheonji (in Korean) by Steve Matthews: www.watchman.org/SCJ_Korean
• Apologetics Profile podcast on Shincheonji with Steve Matthews [Part 1]: www.watchman.org/SCJ1
• Apologetics Profile podcast on Shincheonji with Steve Matthews [Part 2]: www.watchman.org/PodcastSCJ2
• Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on World Missionary Society Church of God by Steve Matthews: www.watchman.org/WMSCOG
• Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Patterns in the Cults by James Walker: www.watchman.org/Patterns
• Watchman Fellowship 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: www.watchman.org/Abuse

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: www.watchman.org/Notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/Give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

The Book of Abraham is considered to be sacred scripture by mainstream Latter-day Saints today. Joseph Smith claimed that the Egyptian papyri from which the Book of Abraham had come was the authentic, autograph original of Abraham himself, detailing his sojourn in Egypt. But through a series of events, those original papyri which were thought to have been lost, resurfaced in 1966 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is now widely acknowledged, even by some in the mainstream LDS Church, that Smith's translation was not in accordance with what the papyri actually described.

We continue with our July 2024 presentation from Eric Johnson of Mormonism Research Ministry (www.MRM.org) about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Here on part two, Eric provides more details about the origins and translations of the Book of Abraham. We also feature a question-and-answer session with Eric and our Watchman Fellowship Utah Mission Team. This training took place at MRM's new Utah Christian Research Center in Draper, Utah (www.utahchristianresearchcenter.com).

Eric Johnson has been a student of Mormonism since 1987 when he first served as a summer missionary to Utah. Eric graduated from San Diego State University as well as at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Eric cohosts the daily radio program Viewpoint on Mormonism and writes for MRM’s Mormonism Researched newsletter. He is the co-author of Answering Mormons’ Questions: Ready Responses for Inquiring Latter-day Saints (Kregel, 2013), Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker Book, 2015) and Introducing Christianity to Mormons (Harvest House, 2022).

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

• Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

Who was Joseph Smith? Even after nearly 200 years since the first Book of Mormon was published in 1830, Smith remains something of an enigma. He is viewed as a charismatic farm-boy prophet and martyr by Latter-day Saints and a public enemy, adulterer, and charlatan by many others. How did Smith write the Book of Mormon and convince his followers he had received another testament of Jesus Christ? This week and next on the Profile, we feature Mormonism Research Ministry (www.MRM.org) staff member Eric Johnson. Our two-part broadcast is an exclusive training presentation Eric gave our Watchman Fellowship's Utah Mission Team this past July about Joseph Smith and how the Book of Mormon came to be. This training took place at MRM's new Utah Christian Research Center in Draper, Utah (www.utahchristianresearchcenter.com).

Eric Johnson has been a student of Mormonism since 1987 when he first served as a summer missionary to Utah. Eric graduated from San Diego State University as well as at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Eric cohosts the daily radio program Viewpoint on Mormonism and writes for MRM’s Mormonism Researched newsletter. He is the co-author of Answering Mormons’ Questions: Ready Responses for Inquiring Latter-day Saints (Kregel, 2013), Mormonism 101: Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Baker Book, 2015) and Introducing Christianity to Mormons (Harvest House, 2022).

Related Links: Get the rest of the story including some of our most popular podcasts on Mormonism, access to some of our key LDS articles and our free, 4-page Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism):

• Watchman Fellowship articles on Mormonism: watchman.org/LDS
• Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: watchman.org/Mormonism
• Apologetics Profile podcast What Is the Gospel? with Mormon apologist Scott Gordon and Christian apologist James Walker (YouTube): watchman.org/GordonWalker
• Apologetics Profile podcast "Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions," with Rob Bowman: watchman.org/1stVision

Additional Resources

FREE: We are also offering a subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

PROFILE NOTEBOOK: Order the complete collection of Watchman Fellowship Profiles (over 600 pages -- from Astrology to Zen Buddhism) in either printed or PDF formats here: watchman.org/notebook.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.