Keith Erekson
Bio: Keith Erekson is an author, teacher, and public historian who has published on topics including politics, hoaxes, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, and Church history. He grew up in Baltimore, served a mission in Brazil, and earned advanced degrees in history and business. He works for the Church History Department in efforts to encourage outreach and historical engagement.
Title: Real vs. Rumor: How to Dispel Latter-day Myths
Abstract: “Rumors, hoaxes, conspiracy theories, forgeries . . . our culture is currently awash with misinformation and disinformation about everything from politics to health care to religion. How can we recognize rumors? Are Latter-day Saints particularly susceptible to them? How can we discern and embrace what is “real” (Alma 32:35)?”
Dan Peterson
Bio: Daniel C. Peterson is the president of the Interpreter Foundation, which publishes the online periodical Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, produces books, convenes conferences, and sponsors a weekly radio program: https://interpreterfoundation.org. He and his wife were the executive producers of the 2021 theatrical film Witnesses and have served in the same capacity for its 2022 docudrama sequel, Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.
A native of southern California who earned his doctorate at UCLA after study at BYU, in Jerusalem, and in Cairo, he retired on 1 July 2021 as a professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University, where he had taught since 1985.
Formerly director of research and chairman of the board of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), now BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, he is also a former president of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology and is currently a member of the board of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy.
Dr. Peterson served in the Switzerland Zürich Mission (1972-1974), and, for approximately eight years, on the Gospel Doctrine writing committee for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also presided for a time as the bishop of a singles ward adjacent to Utah Valley University.
He is married to the former Deborah Stephens, of Lakewood, Colorado, and they have three sons and three granddaughters.
Title: “The Decision Tree of Life, or, Why I Can’t Unbelieve.”
Abstract: The logical possibilities regarding the truth or falsity of the Book of Mormon aren’t infinite. In fact, they’re few in number and quite simple. And clearly laying them out is a useful exercise—an exercise that, when the evidence is taken into account, seems to point us in one unmistakable direction.
René Alexander Krywult
Bio: René Alexander Krywult, a native of Vienna, Austria, Europe, has been a member of FAIR almost since the beginning. 37 years ago he first read an anti-Mormon book. Since then he devoted himself to giving faithful answers to topics raised by the critics. René is a software developer and project manager. He served in many positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including as a Counselor in bishoprics and as Institute teacher. He is happily married, and they have four children and five grandchildren.
Title: “Fear is the path to the dark side – Navigating the shallows of misinformation”
Abstract: “Is reading anti-Mormon material dangerous? How can we know if an information is trustworthy? How can we recognize if someone tries to manipulate us? What methods do manipulators use in order to get their fake news past our guards, and how do we safeguard against them? Answers to the above questions are crucial when we are confronted with attacks on our faith.
At age 14, I encountered my first anti-Mormon book, and it shook me, but in the end, this experience strengthened my testimony, and I decided to become someone who can provide answers to critical questions. In the years to follow I saw people lose their testimonies over anti-Mormon literature, and I wanted to know why they reacted so differently from how I did and found a few guiding principles and tools that helped me.
To keep this a practical presentation, I will use the CES Letter, a widely spread anti-Mormon publication to show how manipulators work, how to recognize them, and how to deal with their tactics.”
Jennifer Roach Lees
Bio: Jennifer Roach Lees holds a Master in Divinity as well as a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She is best known for her research into how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints handles cases of sexual abuse. She has spoken at the annual FAIR conference on this topic, as well as on the dynamics involved in Bishops interviewing teenagers alone. Jennifer is a licensed mental health therapist and lives in Utah.
Title: Responding to Sexual Abuse Cases in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Abstract: In recent years a number of shocking cases of abuse involving members of the church have come to light. These cases are reported in the media as evidence that the Church is a haven for sexual predators. Accusations are made that the church knowing puts children in danger to protect their own reputation. But is this true? In this lecture I will present research demonstrating that the church is not a hot-bed for abuse as has been portrayed.
Ben Spackman
Bio: Ben Spackman is a historian of religion, science, and scriptural interpretation. His formal studies include ancient near eastern history, ancient Semitic languages, and American religious history. His doctoral dissertation examines the Latter-day Saint conflict between evolution and creationism in the 20th century.
Title: “Science and Scripture: Friends, Enemies, or Other?”
Abstract: My goal is to decrease science/religion conflict by establishing two points. First, the historical diversity of thought by Church leaders about scripture, science, and particular issues shows that Church members can take a variety of approaches. Second, there are significant reasons to avoid the assumption that ancient scripture in particular intended to reveal scientific facts.
Scott Gordon
Bio: Scott Gordon serves as President of FAIR (Faithful Answers, Informed Response) which can be found online at www.fairlatterdaysaints.org. FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping members deal with issues raised by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has an MBA and a BA from Brigham Young University. He is currently an instructor of business at Shasta College in Redding, California and teaches business classes online at BYUI. Scott has held many positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including serving as a bishop, ward mission leader, seminary teacher, and member of the elder’s quorum presidency. He is married, has five children and 14 grandchildren.
Title: I Learned it on the Internet: Maintaining Faith in Today’s Online World
Abstract: It used to be that criticisms of the Church were discussed by those few people who read the books written by professional critics. Now with the Internet, those old criticisms have been resurrected and repackaged into engaging videos consumed by our youth. Internet influencers now drive the discussion. What is to be done?
