April 2003
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
- FAIR JOURNAL FEATURE: CRITICS IN WONDERLAND: THROUGH THE LIBERAL LOOKING GLASS. An examination of how LDS dissidents have misused the term “liberal.”
- NEW ON THE WEBSITE: NATURALISTIC TERMS: SOME REFLECTIONS ON A MOTTO AND TYPE OF HISTORICAL EXPLANATION. A thoughtful analysis of those who work to create a “New Mormon History.” * NEW ON THE WEBSITE: MULTIMEDIA AND PHOTO ESSAYS. An apologetics fireside, the work of anti-Mormons at April General Conference, and anti-Mormons at the Mesa Easter Pageant. * FAIR PROJECT UPDATE. Missionary brochures tackle difficult subjects, and pave the way for a FAIR international presence.
- FAIR CONFERENCE UPDATE. A new speaker is added, and a poster is available that you can download.
- MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, SCOTT GORDON. With your help, FAIR can do a great work.
- BOOK STORE SPECIALS. Build your gospel library with great offers from our online bookstore. All of our selections are prescreened for quality so you can make your purchases with confidence.
- 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.
- FAIR JOURNAL ARCHIVES
CRITICS IN WONDERLAND: THROUGH THE LIBERAL LOOKING GLASS
by Juliann Reynolds
Since the advent of such notable publications as Dialogue it has been common for believing LDS to apply the label of “intellectual” and/or “liberal” to disaffected Mormons and ex-Mormons who publicly criticize the Church. The term “intellectual” has long carried the baggage of unbelief or cynicism in Church circles.
Read the article:
Critics in Wonderland: Through the Liberal Looking Glass by Juliann Reynolds
NATURALISTIC TERMS: SOME REFLECTIONS ON A MOTTO AND TYPE OF HISTORICAL EXPLANATION
by Louis Midgley
[Editor’s Note: This paper was originally presented at the 2001 FAIR Conference.]
The adjective naturalistic is typically used to describe explanations, categories or terms that explain away or deny prophetic truth claims or miracles, however they might be understood. I will provide an example of this usage outside of an LDS setting. Edgar Krentz has described how David Friedrich Strauss (1808-1874), in his highly influential Das Leben Jesu, which first appeared in 1835, followed the trendy and highly secularized scholarly fashion of the day by providing what he called naturalistic explanations for the seemingly miraculous happenings reported in the New Testament about Jesus of Nazareth. According to Krentz, Strauss denied “the historicity of all miracles, the resurrection, and most of the content of the Gospels. However, he tried to save the eternal truths contained in the historically dubious materials through the concept of myth.” Thus, again according to Krentz, the approach to the Gospels provided by Strauss “destroys truth by its naturalistic explanations; the use of myth allows the preservation of truth in the face of rationalism. Myth allowed Strauss to place the Gospels into their own conceptual world and save their writers from being deceivers.” There have been a number of different naturalistic explanations of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
Read the article:
Naturalistic Terms: Some Reflections on a Motto and Type of Historical Explanation by Louis Midgley
MULTIMEDIA AND PHOTO ESSAYS
FAIR has added four video clips as well as two photo essays:
- “An Introduction to LDS Apologetics” A fireside presentation by Kevin Barney. (01:17:58) Kevin Barney presents “LDS Apologetics” by Kevin Barney
- “Anti-Mormon protesters at the April 2003 LDS General Conference” There are three short video clips in addition to a photo essay. Anti-Mormon protesters at the April 2003 LDS General Conference by Allen Wyatt
- “Anti-Mormon efforts at the 2003 Mesa Easter Pageant” A photo essay. Anti-Mormon efforts at the 2003 Mesa Easter Pageant by Allen Wyatt
FAIR PROJECT UPDATE
In the March 2003 issue of the Journal we announced that a new project that FAIR is presently working on. A series of one-page brochures to answer some of the most common questions which investigators ask. The topics are varied and new ones are added to our to-do list every week. This is a work-in-progress and FAIR welcomes your feedback as well as your suggestions for topics.
This past month we’ve added a six-part series on various Book of Mormon anacronisms written by Mike Ash. An “anachronism” is something that doesn’t fit the time or place for which it is claimed. For example, a tale of King Henry VIII watching television would be anachronistic (wrong time frame). Hunting zebras in Greenland would also be anachronistic (wrong place – zebras don’t live in Greenland). The Book of Mormon has frequently been charged with containing numerous anachronisms.
For a preview of the “missionary” brochures:
FAIR CONFERENCE UPDATE
Clear your calendar, book your plane tickets, and buy your tickets for the upcoming FAIR Conference on August 7th and 8th in Orem UT.
We are really excited about this year’s lineup. We have several speakers that would pack the house if they came to your Know Your Religion activity for your stake. At the FAIR Conference, you can listen to them, ask questions of them, eat lunch with them, and have them autograph their books (which you can pick up at the conference.)
We have speakers on the Book of Abraham, the Mountain Meadows massacre, Book of Mormon evidences, DNA and the Book of Mormon, grace and works, and many other subjects.
We have Egyptologists, historians, professors, ex-pastors, explorers, researchers and scientists all working to bring you high quality information on these topics.
Since last month, we have made another great addition to the lineup. In light of the 25th anniversary of the priesthood revelation, Armand Mauss, PhD, professor emeritus of sociology and religious studies at Washington State University will be addressing issues related to that event.
We need your help advertising this conference. Advertising the conference is one of the biggest expenses that we have and costs us thousands of dollars. The more word-of-mouth advertising we can do, the more able we are to keep the price of the conferences at a reasonable level.
Download this flyer and post it up at your institute and ward building (with permission of course):
http://www.fairlds.org/poster03.pdf
Pass it out to your friends, and put it up on your Web site. Most importantly, invite your friends to come with you to the conference.
See you at the FAIR conference!
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
If you think FAIR is doing a good job, please donate!
I know that sounds blunt, and it isn’t something you want to hear. You donate to the church, you donate at work, and you donate to your kids. I know. I do that too. I understand. I have one missionary out, and I am sending the second out this month.
FAIR has been successful and is growing, and I want to keep it that way. I have received emails from members all over the world thanking us for providing information which has helped them through a difficult time or answered questions that they perceived to be difficult.
But it costs money to operate.
There are anti-Mormon ministries that are very well funded. IRR has given out thousands of videos and books for free. Living Hope Ministries has also given out thousands of videos for free. I wish we could do that.
Your donation is needed.
With your donation, we will pay for hosting and advertising the upcoming FAIR conference. We will print pamphlets and books for those who need them. We will cover our operating expenses. Someday, if we ever get the funding for that specific project, we would like to do a video.
Just as a reminder, the operating expenses of FAIR do not include any salaries or draws for our volunteers. We have no paid staff. Our time is all donated.
So instead of going out to lunch this week, donate to FAIR. Instead of going to the movies, donate to FAIR. Instead of making the down payment on your new home, donate to FAIR–OK, I’m kidding about that last suggestion. But you can still donate to FAIR.
You can donate at:
You can also donate by mailing a check to FAIR, PO Box 491677, Redding, CA 96049. FAIR is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation. All donations should be tax deductible, but check with your tax advisor.
-Scott Gordon FAIR President
BOOK STORE SPECIALS
- The Gate of Heaven: Insights on Doctrines & Symbols of the Temple by Matthew B. Brown
- Personal Writings of Eliza Roxcy Snow Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, Editor
- Religions of the World: A Latter-day Saint View by Spencer J. Palmer, Roger R. Keller, Dong Sull Choi, and James A. Toronto
- Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2 Volume DVD set) Edited and produced under the direction of Richard E. Turley, Jr. Detailed information on these specials is located later in this issue of the FAIR Journal.
FAIR Bookstore – Monthly Specials
We’re interested in any suggestions you may have to improve our service as well. Let us know what you need and what you want.
-The FAIR Bookstore Staff
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 FAIR Publications 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 Join FAIR link to join this list.
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 Web site (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.
