March 2002
LATIN – apologeticus GREEK – apologetikos Apologetics: “The branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of Christian doctrines” (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009).
JOURNAL CONTENTS
- TURNING STUMBLING BLOCKS INTO STEPPING STONES: Responding to Challenging Issues in Mormonism. This year’s FAIR conference will be held at UVSC in Orem Utah on Friday August 9th and Saturday August 10th.
- DNA AND THE BOOK OF MORMON: A review of Dr. Scott Woodward’s 2001 FAIR Conference presentation of the status of DNA research in Native American genetic studies.
- NEW ON THE WEBSITE: Does Gordon B. Hinckley Understand LDS Doctrine?
- NEW ON THE WEBSITE: Anti-Mormon Efforts at the 2002 Winter Olympics–A Pictorial Tour.
- WHAT IS FAIR AND WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING? A one-page brochure about apologetics in general and FAIR in particular. Share with your friends!
- FAIR APOLOGETICS INDEX. The Index continues to grow, becoming a valuable source of LDS apologetic information.
- CHANGES AT FAIR. Making FAIR a more effective resource.
- BOOKSTORE SHIPPING SALE. Shipping is still free at the FAIR bookstore.
- ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS. Interested in writing for FAIR? Learn how you can have your apologetics work published.
- PUBLISHING NOTES. Learn how you can become more involved in FAIR and how you can reuse the material we publish.
TURNING STUMBLING BLOCKS INTO STEPPING STONES: Responding to Challenging Issues in Mormonism.
This year’s FAIR Conference will be held at Utah Valley Stake College (UVSC), located at 800 West University Parkway in Orem, Utah, on August 9th and 10th. This location is just off of the freeway and should be easily accessible. Last year’s conference was a big success among the participants, so we are following the same format.
The conference will be from 10-4 on Friday August 9th and from 9-3 on Saturday August 10th. Lunch will be included each day. This gives an opportunity to renew friendships and to eat lunch with the speakers. After you factor in the price of lunch and the accessibility of the conference speakers, you will agree that the FAIR conference is one of the best bargains out there.
The price of the conference is as follows (including 2 lunches):
- Purchase in Advance: $45 per person $75 per couple
- Pay at the Door: $65 per person $95 per couple
This year we will also sell a single-day ticket, which includes a single lunch:
- Single Day: $27.50 (in advance) $37.50 (at the door)
We will also offer discounted student tickets, but you must show a student ID at the door:
- Two-day Student Ticket, in Advance: $35 per person $55 per couple
- Two-day Student Ticket, at the Door: $55 per person $75 per couple
- Single-day student $22.50 (in advance) $32.50 (at the door)
Last year’s conference was a lot of fun. We believe this year’s conference will be great and we look forward to seeing you there.
Sign up for the conference at 2002 FAIR Conference
If you have a business and are interested in sponsoring a booth at the conference, contact us at the Webmaster.
DNA AND THE BOOK OF MORMON
by Cooper Johnson
Have you ever tried to envision the big picture with a few pieces of a thousand-piece puzzle? Come on, you puzzle buffs; you know what I’m talking about. Say I were to give you five random pieces of a thousand-piece puzzle. Would you have any chance of identifying the picture that would result from all one thousand pieces put together, from just having those five pieces? No cheating; no peaking at the puzzle box to identify the picture.
It would be an impossible task, and of the thousands of people reading this article, I doubt I could find anyone who has even attempted this task. Why would anyone take five pieces and use that to guess the “big picture?” Silly, isn’t it?
Attempting to determine the validity of the Book of Mormon with current mitochondrial DNA (MDNA) studies of the Native American populations is equally as difficult, according to Scott Woodward, Professor of Microbiology at Brigham Young University, as he addressed the attendees at the FAIR Conference last year.
The focus of the 2001 FAIR Conference was the Book of Mormon, and with the rise of genetic studies of Native American MDNA that have been reported in various press and media outlets, Dr. Woodward’s presentation on the subject of DNA and the Book of Mormon was timely and extremely enlightening for those in attendance. My purpose in this article is to summarize and outline the findings and conclusions of Dr. Woodward as per his conference presentation. I hope this will help us understand the current state of DNA evidence as it relates to Native Americans and the Book of Mormon, ultimately providing all of us a sound basis with which to judge the genetic data being produced in this area.
Article continued here:
DNA and the Book of Mormon by Cooper Johnson (Includes information on how to purchase Dr. Woodward’s complete presentation on audio CD or VHS video tape.)
NEW ON THE WEBSITE: DOES GORDON B. HINCKLEY UNDERSTAND LDS DOCTRINE?
by Michael Fordham
The August 4, 1997, edition of Time magazine published an article entitled “Kingdom Come” by David Van Biema. Since its publication, critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have pounced on a couple of sentences which they use to attack President Gordon B. Hinckley as a leader who does not understand the doctrine of the Church. An examination into the facts, however, shows that it is the critics who fail to understand just what President Hinckley stated. This is probably due to their eagerness to argue against the Church, instead of a desire to actually learn the truth about the Church. The claim of the critics is that President Hinckley dodged the issue, and that he does not understand what the church has taught in the past. And what is the issue, you ask? There is a well-known couplet in the Church that says, “As man is now, God once was; as God is now man may be.” Lorenzo Snow, President of the Church from 1898 to 1901, coined this couplet. The article in Time refers to this couplet, and the critics, as well as the interviewer, don’t seem to like the response that President Hinckley gave.
Article continued here:
Does President Gordon B. Hinckley Understand LDS Doctrine? by Michael Fordham
NEW ON THE WEBSITE: ANTI-MORMON EFFORTS AT THE 2002 WINTER OLYMPICS–A PICTORIAL TOUR
These pictures document the efforts of some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These pictures were taken on the afternoon of February 15, 2002 in Salt Lake City, during the 2002 Winter Olympics. They were taken along South Temple between West Temple and Main Street by Gary Bowler.
The links provided under each picture provide additional information that explain these sensationalistic claims. We allow all people to worship who, where, or what they may–and trust the reader can determine if picketing a sacred edifice is Christian behavior.
Thanks to Allen Wyatt for putting this together and assembling the answers, linked to the pictures. Excellent work!
See the pictures and answers (click on pictures for answers) at this page:
Anti-Mormon Efforts at the 2002 Winter Olympics by Allen Wyatt
NEW ON THE WEBSITE: WHAT IS FAIR AND WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING?
by Gary Bowler
Why does FAIR exist and what is apologetics all about? Author Gary Bowler has prepared a one-page brochure that you can download (in PDF format), print, and share with your friends. If you know someone that is looking for a great place for truthful answers about the LDS, share this with them. View the brochure here:
What is FAIR and Why Are You Apologizing? (PDF)
FAIR APOLOGETICS INDEX CONTINUES TO GROW AND GAIN POPULARITY
We continue to add content to the Apologetics Index. Now we not only have many Ensign articles on the various topics indexed, but we also have many LDS Web sites on the Internet indexed. You will also find articles and papers from the FAIR site, many articles from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, free information from the FARMS site, and several electronic books.
Next time you have a gospel question, you no longer have to try to remember which Web site the answer might be on. You can go to www.fairlds.org, click on the Apologetics Index link, click on that one topic and find a list of great responses from all over the Internet. You can also use our handy keyword search feature.
The use of the Apologetics Index continues to rise. We have Sunday School teachers and Seminary teachers using it now to help prepare for their lessons. We hope this will be a great resource for you.
CHANGES AT FAIR
by Scott Gordon, President
There are changes happening at FAIR to provide you with better service. We are a growing organization. This means the opportunities and the responsibilities grow on a daily basis. With this in mind, effective this month we are turning the reins of the FAIR Journal (this newsletter) over to Cooper Johnson, a long-time FAIR member. Cooper is well suited to the position of Journal Editor, and I think he is a better writer than I am anyway.
Even though I step down as Editor of the FAIR Journal, I will continue to have input as President of FAIR. I really appreciate Cooper’s willingness to take on this project. Take a look at his article on DNA and the Book of Mormon in this issue.
We also have a new FAIR Bookstore Manager. Michael Bennett will be taking on that formidable task. I am looking forward to improved service and selection at the bookstore.
FAIR is an all-volunteer organization that relies on donated time and money. Thanks to Coop, Michael and to all those who help support our mission.
Scott Gordon President FAIR
ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
We welcome article submissions for the FAIR Web site. If you would like to submit an article, please review the editing guidelines at:
Submit your article to the FAIR Journal Editor. An appropriate article would be one that affirms the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While LDS apologetics (in the broadest sense) deals with refuting critics of the Church, articles don’t necessarily have to deal with anti-Mormonism, but may deal with some new evidence of the Book of Mormon, some interesting scripture interpretation, a viewpoint or quote from the early Christian Fathers or other historical figure, an interesting lesson idea, an inspiring missionary story, Church history, or your view on a current event related to the Church or a piece from a historical journal.
We may also accept articles from people who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that may not necessarily meet the guidelines of supporting the church if it is a topic of general interest to people involved in apologetics.
A submission may range in length from several pages to a single paragraph.
PUBLISHING NOTES
FAIR is not owned, controlled by or affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided in the FAIR Journal and on the FAIR Web site (http://www.fairlds.org) are the sole responsibility of FAIR, and should not be interpreted as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief or practice.
If someone has forwarded this e-journal to you and you would like to join you should go to www.fairlds.org and click on the Membership link.
If you are very interested in apologetics and would like to actively participate in FAIR you should consider joining our apologetics e-mail list. Visit www.fairlds.org and click on the Membership link to join this list as well.
If you manage your own e-mail list, and wish to include some of these thoughts or articles on your list, contact us through our Web site, at this page: www.fairlds.org/contact.psp. We have a fairly liberal policy of using our material so long as you contact us first to gain permission and clearly identify that your source was FAIR and by adding a link to the FAIR website (www.fairlds.org).
If you would like to sign up to receive the FAIR Journal automatically, click here.
To return to the index of past FAIR Journal issues, click here.
