April 2011
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
- Message from the President
- Promoting FAIR
- Donating to FAIR
- FAIR Konferenz
- The European Mormon Studies Association
- FAIR Wiki
- FAIR YouTube
- FAIR Blog
- FAIR-Cast, The New FAIR Podcasts
- FAIR FaceBook
- Mormon Scholars Testify
- FAIR’s ‘Front Page’
- FAIR Bookstore
- Ask the Apologist
- Copyright Notice and Disclaimer
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) is pleased to announce the Thirteenth Annual Mormon Apologetics Conference, August 4-5, 2011, and for a limited time you can register at the discounted Early Bird price.
- To register for the conference you can choose a “lunch included” ticket.
- If you prefer, you can choose a “lunch not included” ticket.
- You can also register for a single day option.
When you register, please list the names of all people attending and their home city and state. This can be done in the comments section of your checkout. You will not receive any “tickets,” so you may want to print out your receipt as proof of purchase. We will also have your name on a list when you check-in at the registration table.
The cost of registration will increase on June 1, so be sure to register now. All the ticket options are visible here:
The conference will be held at the South Towne Exposition Center, 9575 South State Street, Sandy, Utah 84070.
If you need a place to stay, the official hotel for the FAIR Conference is the Best Western CottonTree, just minutes away from the South Towne Exposition Center. Rooms are available for only $84 per night (plus tax), which includes high-speed wireless Internet access; a great breakfast of eggs, hash browns, waffles, French toast, etc.; and free shuttle to the conference. This special FAIR Conference room rate is only available through July 15, 2011.
To make your reservations, contact the hotel at 800-662-6886 or 801-523-8484. Use the confirmation number 902508.
The week of the conference is one of the biggest weeks of the year for conventions in the Salt Lake area, so you will want to book your room and your rental car early.
Our Webpage with all of the conference details is still under construction and all of the details will be put online soon.
Some of the speakers include Chris Watkins speaking on “Excavating the Text: Archaeological Expectations for Book of Mormon Peoples,” Steven C. Harper speaking on accounts of the First Vision, Newell Bringhurst speaking on the 2012 U.S. presidential race & “the Mormon question,” Roger Nicholson speaking on the Wikipedia wars, Don Bradley speaking on new perspectives on the Kinderhook plates, Valerie Hudson speaking on plural Marriage, Paul Fields speaking on wordprint studies, and more!
Those who have attended in the past can attest to the wealth of information shared, and the quality of the presentations. I look forward to seeing you there and hope I get a chance to talk with you face to face.
–Scott Gordon President of FAIR
PROMOTING FAIR
In order for FAIR to be ranked highly enough in the search engines to make a difference, lots of people have to link to it. We find that many people of other faiths link to the counter-cult ministry pages, which makes them show up high in the search engine rankings when someone searches for information on Mormonism. So we ask all of you to link to FAIR on your Websites, and social network pages such as Facebook. This is one way to provide service and help the work move forward.
Please link to FAIR at www.fairlds.org and to the FAIR Wiki at www.fairmormon.org.
DONATING TO FAIR
FAIR is labor of love. We are a group of volunteers who spend many hours trying to research and publish information to help members respond to critics. We try to price our conferences to be accessible to as many as possible. But, providing this information does cost money. In all of your charitable giving, please consider donating to FAIR. It is only through your donations that we are able to stay in operation.
If you can donate $10, or $10,000, every dollar helps us.
You can also mail a check to our address:
FAIR PO Box 491677 Redding, CA 96049-1677
FAIR KONFERENZ
On March 26, we had the pleasure of sponsoring a “FAIR Konferenz” in Frankfurt Germany. Our speakers were: Daniel C. Peterson who spoke on a Mormon’s view of Islam, Gerd Skibbe spoke on Constantine and the apostasy, Johann Wondra spoke on his personal experiences in doing church work behind the iron curtain, Rene Krywult spoke on grace, Ronan Head spoke on bees in the Orient and by the Jaradites. Peter Wöllauer spoke on the difficulty with translating religious texts, and Scott Gordon spoke on the Mormon image problem.
We had people attending the conference from as far away as Denmark and Norway. The only difficulty we experienced was me slaughtering some of the introductions in German. Otherwise, everyone seemed to enjoy the “Konferenz.”
THE EUROPEAN MORMON STUDIES ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The European Mormon Studies Association is not affiliated with FAIR, but they are working to support the academic study of Mormonism in Europe. They are having a conference at Durham University in England on August 4-5. You may not be able to attend because you will be at the FAIR conference in Sandy Utah on that date, but those of you who prefer the English location can find more information about their conference here:
FAIR WIKI
Recently, several newspaper articles have appeared that discuss homosexual aversion therapy performed at BYU in the mid-1970s. During this period, a graduate student at Brigham Young University conducted a clinical study in the use of aversion therapy to treat ego-dystonic homosexuality. Ego-dystonic homosexuality is a condition where an individual’s same-sex attraction is in conflict with his idealized self-image, creating anxiety and a desire to change. At the time, the American Psychiatric Society considered ego-dystonic homosexuality to be a mental illness, and aversion therapy was one of the standard treatments. Experiments were run on a volunteer basis adhering to the professional standards of the time. FAIR examines the history of this aversion therapy in the following FAIR Wiki article: Aversion therapy performed at BYU in the 1970’s
Mormonism and gender issues/Same-sex attraction/Aversion therapy performed at BYU
Recently FAIR responded to yet another set of questions posed by an anti-Mormon ministry that has appeared on a variety of critical websites. The alleged “facts” about Mormonism given by Macgregor Ministries contain so much hyperbole that they will greatly amuse most Latter-day Saints. Nevertheless, we respond to each of these “facts” here. Facts Mormons Won’t Tell You When They Call at Your Door
A FAIR Analysis of: Facts Mormons Won’t Tell You When They Call at Your Door
FAIR YOUTUBE
Every year we are honored to hear from Dr. Daniel C. Peterson at the FAIR conference. In the 2008 conference, Dr. Peterson gave an excellent talk titled “Humble Apologetics.” It is a talk that every apologist should listen to.
Lawrence Poulsen also gives an excellent talk on Book of Mormon geography. He discusses directions, and some amazing convergences which explains Book of Mormon stories as to why they did what they did.
FAIR BLOG
Our FAIR blog is getting active with several articles and Podcasts:
“Having” a testimony? by Louis Midgley on April 1st, 2011
In what can be called “Mormon Speak,” we typically talk about “getting” and then “having” what we call a “testimony.” None of this kind of talk can be found in our scriptures, which testify to us about faith and then tell us to testify about its contents and grounds–that is, to give an apologia (or defense). Read more here:
THE FAIR-CAST, THE NEW FAIR PODCASTS
The FAIR Podcast is growing. It will now include episodes comprised of recordings of various FAIR Conference presentations from the past, as well as shorter apologetic vignettes for your listening enjoyment. The FAIR Podcast will thus be divided into categories including “Best of FAIR” and “FAIR Issues.”
Blair Hodges will continue hosting lengthier interviews on religious issues with a variety of scholars. His episodes will now be called “FAIR Conversations.” All of these categories will fall under the new umbrella name for the FAIR Podcast: “The FAIR-Cast.” The details are subject to change, but this is the overall gist of the direction we’re headed to provide a more frequent and diverse offering of podcast episodes.
Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.
With this change, we have several new Podcasts up which you will want to hear. You can access them all on the FAIR Blog at http://www.fairblog.org/ or find them directly on iTunes.
FAIR Podcast, Episode 7: Brian M. Hauglid p.1
Brian M. Hauglid joins us in this two-part episode of the FAIR Podcast to discuss his brand new book, A Textual History of the Book of Abraham. He received a BA in Near Eastern Studies from Brigham Young University and an MA and PhD from the University of Utah in Arabic and Islamic Studies. He is currently an associate professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. Along with John Gee, Hauglid is both principal investigator and general editor of the Studies in the Book of Abraham Series.
The Book of Abraham seems like one of the most difficult subjects to get an academic grip on in Mormon studies. Brian Hauglid tries to untangle some of the knots while situating his new book within the ongoing conversation about the Book of Abraham. Listeners might also be interested to check out the 2004 FAIR Conference presentation by Michael Ash and Kevin Barney, “The ABCs of the Book of Abraham” on YouTube.
The Book of Abraham for dummies
The link to the Podcast is here:
FAIR Podcast, Episode 7: Brian M. Hauglid p.1
FAIR Podcast, Episode 8: Brian M. Hauglid p.2
by bhodges on March 12th, 2011
Brian M. Hauglid discusses more about his brand new book, A Textual History of the Book of Abraham in part two.
The papyri Joseph Smith used when he translated the BoA went missing for decades, but were reacquired by the LDS Church in 1967. The papyri were quickly swept up in a tornado of research. In this episode Professor Hauglid talks about criticisms and controversies surrounding the Book of Abraham. Hauglid also describes how the BoA became part of the LDS canon. In addition to some of Hauglid’s favorite devotional bits of the text, he discusses a few interesting ancient parallels.
Cosmology, astronomy, ancient parallels, parallelomania, and Doritos. All these things and more in this episode of the FAIR Podcast.
Incidentally, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship currently provides the chapters from Hauglid’s Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant online for free. Check them out here:
Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant
The link to the Podcast is here:
FAIR Podcast, Episode 8: Brian M. Hauglid p.2
“FAIR Conversations,” Episode 9: Kevin Christensen
by bhodges on April 11th, 2011
This episode of FAIR Conversations features Kevin Christensen. Kevin, a technical writer in Pensylvania, is a good representative of what Hugh Nibley acclaimed as “the day of the amateur.” Kevin has published over twenty articles in the FARMS Review and other journals from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He’s also presented at numerous Sunstone conferences and published works in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. Recently he co-authored a piece on the Book of Mormon in Oxford University Press’s book, Joseph Smith, Jr: Reappraisals After Two Centuries, edited by Reid L. Neilson and Terryl L. Givens.
Kevin joined host Blair Hodges via Skype to talk about his experiences with LDS apologetics.
“FAIR Conversations,” Episode 9: Kevin Christensen
Best of FAIR, Episode 1: Apologetics 101
by Steve Densley Jr on April 20th, 2011
The “Best of FAIR” episodes of the FAIR-Cast will feature recordings of various FAIR Conference presentations. In this 2006 FAIR Conference address, Wayne Arnett discusses apologetics and what it means to be an “apologist.” He says: “An apologist is one who defends or justifies a doctrine, policy or institution.” The missionaries of our church, in one sense, are apologists as they seek to teach the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this regard, all members of the Church ought to be apologists. As Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Every member of the Church ought to know that it [the Book of Mormon] is true, and we ought to be prepared with an answer to all of those critics who condemn it.”
The text of this address is available here.
Brother Arnett’s pamphlet, “Defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, A Reference Guide,” can be purchased at the FAIR Bookstore here.
Defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, A Reference Guide
The link to the podcast is here:
Best of FAIR, Episode 1: Apologetics 101
FAIR Issues, Episode 1: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt1
by SteveDensleyJr on April 22nd, 2011
FAIR Issues is a program on the FAIR-Cast that will feature a brief look at an issue in the world of apologetics. In this, the first episode of FAIR Issues, Michael Ash asks why some people leave the Church. The full text of this episode can be found at
Challenging issues and keeping the faith: Part 1
Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore:
Listen to this podcast here:
FAIR Issues, Episode 1: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt1
FAIR Issues, Episode 2: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt2
by Steve Densley Jr on April 30th, 2011
Is it a sin to have doubts? What if we hold some beliefs that are out of line with the views of most members of the Church? Michael Ash raises these questions in this episode of FAIR Issues. The full text of this episode can be found at Mormon Times.
Challenging issues and keeping the faith: Part 2
Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.
Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.
http://www.fairblog.org/
FAIR FACEBOOK
We hope you will check out the FAIR Facebook page and click “Like.” The more that click “Like” the better we do.
MORMON SCHOLARS TESTIFY
Mormon Scholars Testify now has 256 testimonies, representing 124 schools or organizations. There are new testimonies added every week. Many of them have very interesting stories that are uplifting and testimony building. Check out the Website and read the testimonies here:
If you like the testimonies, link to them from your Facebook or other social network.
FAIR’S ‘FRONT PAGE’
Receive daily updates containing news clippings about how the LDS Church is represented in the media. FAIR’s Front Page (FFP) is a free service; you can un-subscribe at any time. To receive this service just click on the link below, enter your email address in the white box, and push the “Sign-Up” button.
FAIR BOOKSTORE
Come to the FAIR Bookstore to find the Internet’s best selection of materials for LDS apologetics. Whether you are looking for books, study aids, DVDs, or audio products, the FAIR Bookstore has what you need. You can begin your browsing by going to our main site.
Be sure to check out the Clearance Section. We have many older books and some new books with slightly damaged covers that offer great deals to buyers.
FAIR Bookstore – Clearance Section
Clearance Special:
Jerusalem, The Eternal City (Limited to stock on hand)
David B. Galbriath, D. Kelly Ogden, Andrew C. Skinner. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1996. Softbound, 6×9″, 592 pages.
Latter-day Saints are well aware of the significance of the great city of Jerusalem in our theology and in the history of God’s dealings with his people. Here is a unique contribution to the literature of the Church prepared by three professors who have a combined total of thirty-five years residence and experience in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, the Eternal City studies the Holy City from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 2000 — from Melchizedek to the Millennium. It is the first treatment of the significance of Jerusalem from an LDS point of view. Through the disciplines of theology, history, geography, anthropology, archeology, linguistics, and political science, the book is a comprehensive analysis of Jerusalem’s multifaceted influence on world history through forty centuries.
- Retail Price: $24.95
- Special FAIR Price: $14.95 (40% Discount)
Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban (Limited to stock on hand)
H. Clay Gorton, Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 1994 First Edition, 6×9″ hardbound, 298 pages.
Since the brass plates of Laban were in existence prior to 600 B.C., the Book of Mormon Isaiah is the most ancient scriptural record of Isaiah’s writings in existence. It is taken in this work as the standard from which the biblical accounts are evaluated.
In this work the author makes a meticulous word-by-word comparison of the 404 verses in the 20 Isaiah chapters, identifying each instance where the wording is not identical. The comparison clearly demonstrates that the Book of Mormon Isaiah is, as it claims to be, a copy of an ancient manuscript which predates all the other manuscript versions of Isaiah. This comparison provides convincing evidence that the Book of Mormon is a true historical document and that the Prophet Joseph Smith was inspired in its translation.
The differences between the Book of Mormon and King James versions are compared with English translations of the Greek Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate and the Hebrew Masoretic texts. The author has found that 115 of the 348 differences between the Book of Mormon and Bible texts actually alter the meaning of the passages. These differences, far from being random variations resulting from inadvertent scribal errors, clearly indicate that the King James and other Bible versions contain intentional deviations from the original meaning – deviations designed to justify Israel in its apostate beliefs and practices. A number of chiasma common to the two accounts give clear evidence of Book of Mormon supremacy, as they are found degraded in the King James version.
It is further conclusively shown that the Book of Isaiah was an intact writing prior to 600 B.C., which forcefully negates the claims of the higher critics that the Book of Isaiah was a compilation of multiple authors in post Isaianic times.
This book is a powerful aid to the understanding of the Isaiah message and should be a welcome addition to the libraries of both the serious student and the casual reader.
- Retail Price: $19.98
- Special FAIR Price: $9.99 (50% Discount)
Latter-day Saint Social Life (Limited to stock on hand)
James T. Duke, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft Publishers, Religious Studies Center/Brigham Young University Specialized Monograph Series;, vol. 12, 1998, 6×9″ hardbound, 535 pages.
Latter-day Saint Social Life collects, in one volume, the best scholarship describing and analyzing the social conditions in which Latter-day Saints live and how the values, beliefs, and practices of the gospel affect their lives. This research portrays a growing church with devoted members who enjoy a healthy and commendable lifestyle.
- Retail Price: $24.95
- Special FAIR Price: $12.47 (50% Discount)
May Specials:
The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon: A Closer Examination (DVD)
Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research. 2009. DVD. ISBN: 189303609x
In 2006, Living Hope Ministries released a video entitled The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon, which compares evidence for the two books of scripture as authentic ancient religious texts. Citing what they claim are ample evidences for the Bible, they find such evidences lacking in the Book of Mormon. Thus, the producers conclude that The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is not what it claims to be. FAIR examined the video and found that it fails to account for current LDS and non-LDS scholarship, does not properly represent LDS scripture or doctrine, and contains other misleading information.
In response, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) interviews anthropologist, linguists, semiticists, and other scholars who correct the errors and misleading information presented by Living Hope Ministries. As they do so, we also discover several evidences supporting LDS claims that The Book of Mormon is an ancient text, which strengthen the case for its divine authenticity. Even so, LDS scholars conclude that the truth claims of both books of scripture cannot be proven through scientific evidence. Rather, the eternal truths taught in scripture must be revealed by God through the power of the Holy Ghost.
- Retail Price: $9.99
- Special FAIR Price: $7.99 (20% Discount)
Joseph Smith and the Doctrinal Restoration, 34th Annual Sperry Symposium
Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 2005. Hardbound, 6.25×9.25″, 422 pgs.
The Sperry Symposium is sponsored annually by Brigham Young University and the Church Educational System in honor of Sidney B. Sperry. In the course of his forty-five-year career as a religious educator, Dr. Sperry earned a reputation for outstanding teaching and scholarship. The symposium seeks to perpetuate his memory by fostering continuing research on gospel topics.
Contributors include: Richard Lyman Bushman, Richard E. Turley jr., Scott C. Esplin, Mary Jane Woodger, and many more.
- Retail Price: $24.95
- Special FAIR Price: $19.96 (20% Discount)
In Harm’s Way: East German Latter-Day Saints in World War II
Robert P. Minert. Provo, Utah: Brigham Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2009. Hardbound, 8.5×11″, 545 pages.
This long-awaited, 545 page volume contains riveting stories of many of the 7,600 members of the LDS Church in East Germany. These Saints found themselves in a precarious situation when World War II broke out in September 1939. They were compelled to live under the tyranny of Nazi Germany and thus to participate in offensive and defensive military actions. The story of how they lived–and died–under those conditions has never been told.
In Harm’s Way brings together the powerful accounts of hundreds of Church members, preserved in personal interviews, journals, letters, and photographs. Their stories of joy and suffering are presented in this book against the background of the rise and collapse of the Third Reich. Readers will be amazed at the faith and dedication demonstrated by these Saints, young and old, military and civilian. The Religious Studies Center at BYU has printed a limited number of copies of the book, so order early to ensure you get copies before they are all sold out.
- Retail Price: $29.95
- Special FAIR Price: $23.96 (20% Discount)
Creation of the Earth for Man, Views of an LDS Geologist
Wade E. Miller. Highland, Utah: Miller Enterprises, 2010. Softbound, 6×9″, 291 pages.
Reviews:
…rich in both scientific facts and simple faith. It reminds me of the historical geology course I took from him as an 18 year old freshman. Then as now, his teaching informs and encourages the curious believer. I’m grateful that he has put into writing the testimony that strengthened me and a host of fellow students. -Henry J. Eyring, author of “Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring”
Calling upon his experience as both a professional Paleontologist and a life-long member of the LDS Church, Dr. Miller helps students navigate the complex interface between religious and scientific truth. This book is an approachable, well-documented treatment of the “big questions”. – Dr. Scott M. Ritter, Chairman, Department of Geological Science, BYU
…this book recounts a deeply personal search for a productive accommodation of his science and faith. This book is broadly informative and clearly written, and will be profitable to all students of Latter-day Saint doctrine. – Dr. Duane E. Jeffrey, Professor of Biology, BYU
Dr. Wade E. Miller is an internationally recognized scientist, and a faithful Latter-day Saint. In this outstanding book Brother Miller couples his deep knowledge of science and the scriptures to demonstrate that faith in God and faith in science can be harmonious. Whether you have a science background or not, this work is an invaluable resource for those who wish to more fully understand the mechanics as well as the spiritual significance of the Creation. -Dale E. Miller, Retired Member of the Second Quorum of Seventy
- Retail Price: $19.95
- Special FAIR Price: $15.96 (20% Discount)
The Obligation to do Apologetics (2010 FAIR Conference MP3)
Once purchased, the mp3 will be automatically sent your email account. You will have 7 days to download.
Daniel Peterson, The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research 2010; Presentation from the 2010 FAIR Apologetics Conference, in MP3 format.
- Retail Price: $4.95
- Special FAIR Price: $4.47 (10% Discount)
Joseph Smith and the Biblical Council of Gods (2010 FAIR Conference MP3)
Once purchased, the mp3 will be automatically sent your email account. You will have 7 days to download.
David Bokovoy, The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research 2010; Presentation from the 2010 FAIR Apologetics Conference, in MP3 format.
- Retail Price: $4.95
- Special FAIR Price: $4.47 (10% Discount)
How Americans View Mormonism and What We Can Do About It (2010 FAIR Conference MP3)
Once purchased, the mp3 will be automatically sent your email account. You will have 7 days to download.
Gary Lawrence, The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research 2010; Presentation from the 2010 FAIR Apologetics Conference, in MP3 format.
- Retail Price: $4.95
- Special FAIR Price: $4.47 (10% Discount)
Thank you for shopping in our FAIR bookstore!
ASK THE APOLOGIST
The public is invited to submit questions related to LDS *apologetic* issues to “Ask the Apologist.” This feature can be accessed by clicking on the following link:
Mark the box labeled “Questions (for the FAIR apologists).” Then fill in accurate information in the five white boxes and push the “Send Comments” button. All inquiries will be shared with members of the FAIR List and the questioner may receive multiple responses from FAIR volunteers. All responses reflect the opinions of the respondents only and not the official position of FAIR or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
