December 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
- Donating to FAIR
- FAIR Survey
- Award Winning
- FAIR Podcasts
- Award Winning FAIR Podcasts
- Special Topic
- FAIR Blog Posts
- FAIR YouTube
- FAIR Bookstore
- FAIR Facebook and Twitter
- Mormon Scholars Testify
- MormonTemples.Net
- FAIR’s ‘Front Page’
- Ask the Apologist
- Copyright Notice and Disclaimer
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
This past year, 2011, has been an amazing year for Mormonism. The National Post called 2011, “The year Mormonism went mainstream.” Indeed we have had basketball players, politicians, musicals, and ad campaigns all in the national media this year. Some breakoff groups that people confuse with us have also been the subject of television shows. The word “Mormon” appears multiple times daily in the news.
As I was contemplating on this, two thoughts came to mind.
- What is the “brand” of Mormonism? In other words, what are the talking points people use when talking about Mormonism?
- What are we doing about it?
All of us use “talking points” when we talk about large and complicated subjects. They are used as a way to describe a complicated topic using a limited number of words. What are the talking points on Mormonism? Do they include the restored gospel of Jesus Christ? Christian? Family? Good values? Honesty? Integrity? Tolerance? While many of us Latter-day Saints may believe these are the main points, from what I have seen, these aren’t the points that are coming out in the media. I am reminded of one major cable news network that did a man-on-the-street interview using the question, “Which presidential candidate believes he will become a god of his own planet?” And of course there are the oft-repeated comments that we have magic underwear and believe Jesus is the brother of Satan. Is this the new definition of Mormonism?
Just this past Friday, December 23, in the East Valley Tribune of Arizona, one letter writer tried to explain.
“…the Bible teaches Jesus is the second person of the Godhead who became flesh by coming to earth to make available the plan of salvation. And He is creator of everything in the heaven and earth. In contrast, the Jesus of the Latter Day Saints is an exalted man from another planet somewhere out in space and is the spirit brother of Lucifer. Those two are not the same and both cannot be correct. The Jesus of Mormonism is not the Jesus of the Bible, and thus Mormonism cannot be Christian.”
As I read this, I find myself in an involuntary eye roll. But, we have to acknowledge that as these types of comments are repeated over and over and over again in the national media, they will penetrate the national consciousness. People will finally know what Mormons “really believe.” Unfortunately, it is likely to bear little resemblance to what we actually believe. There is a concerted effort by some to differentiate us and to show that we are somehow “other” than they are. We are not part of the same “tribe.”
There is one of two things we can do. We can sit around and let the outside world define us, or we can step outside our comfort zone and become actively involved as both Elder Ballard and Elder Perry have asked us to do. There are many ways you can do this. One way is to join the FAIR venture MormonVoices.org. There are other options, of course. But, whatever you do, please do something. This is a great opportunity for us. But, it will only have a positive outcome if we get involved.
I hope you had a merry Christmas and my blessings to you and your family in 2012.
–Scott Gordon President of FAIR
DONATING TO FAIR
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FAIR SURVEY
Last month we put together a survey to get to know you better and to help us make decisions. For responding to the survey we offered a free copy of newly released volume of the “Joseph Smith Papers, Journals–Vol. 2 December 1841-April 1843.” Congratulations to Carl Fisher from O’Fallon, Illinois, for winning that book.
AWARD WINNING FAIR PODCASTS
The Mormon FAIR-Cast was honored with a People’s Choice Podcast Award for best podcast in the “Religion Inspiration” category.
FAIR Issues 30: Joseph’s translation shows remarkable consistency by Mike Ash on November 25th, 2011
The entire Book of Mormon was translated in a span of 65 to 75 days. As Joseph translated, he did not have any manuscripts or books from which to read. After spending hours dictating the translation, Joseph would take a break for a meal or other interruption, then pick up the translation where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him. If Joseph was dictating fiction and never had past portions read back to him, how did he keep things straight and consistent for nearly six hundred pages without forgetting at least some of the details? We stand in awe at how this relatively uneducated young man could produce a work that not only teaches eternal doctrinal principles but also weaves many tales of war, politics, migrations, and geography. Not only are the records of these events consistent, but they often match what we now know about ancient societies in the Near East and early Americas.
FAIR Issues 30: Joseph’s translation shows remarkable consistency by Michael Ash
Mormon FAIR-Cast 62: “A Most Remarkable Book” by SteveDensleyJr on November 27th, 2011
In this KSL Radio interview, Religion Today host, Martin Tanner, talks with Tyler Livingston, Stephen Smoot and Mike Ash, some of the producers of the recently released DVD on the Book of Abraham called “A Most Remarkable Book: Evidence for the Divine Authenticity of the Book of Abraham”
This broadcast is posted by permission of KSL Radio.
Mormon FAIR-Cast 62: “A Most Remarkable Book”
You can purchase a copy of the video here:
MOST REMARKABLE BOOK, A: EVIDENCE FOR THE DIVINE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM Written and directed by Tyler Livingston. Edited by JD Julander. 70 minutes.
AWARD WINNING FAIR PODCASTS SPECIAL TOPIC
This month, the award-winning FAIR podcast started a series of interviews relating to various aspects of homosexuality and the LDS Church. These insightful and poignant interviews are worth listening to.
FAIR Examination 1a: Why would a gay man with AIDS join the Church? by SteveDensleyJr on November 30th, 2011
Steven Wilson is a member of the Church living in the San Francisco Bay area. Twenty years ago, he was introduced to the Church by a recently returned missionary he met in a gay bar. The two eventually moved in together and during the next seven years, Steven developed addictions, contracted AIDS and became severely depressed. As Steven’s condition worsened and he began to feel that he was going to die, he turned to an in-depth investigation of the Church.
This is his story about how he joined the Church, and eventually became an ordinance worker at the Oakland Temple. He is now happy and no longer experiences temptations with same gender attraction. He was baptized by the same returned missionary that first introduced him to the Church and with whom he has lived for the past 20 years. During the past 13 years of active Church membership, the two men have maintained a close bond of love, friendship and brotherhood within the gospel. He attributes his success in overcoming same gender attraction and his addictions to the Church’s 12 Step Addiction Recovery Program and to the atonement of Jesus Christ. He shares his thoughts on gay marriage, President Packer’s October, 2010 Conference talk, and his strong testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
FAIR Examination 1a: Why would a gay man with AIDS join the Church?
FAIR Examination 1b: Why would a gay man with AIDS join the Church? by SteveDensleyJr on November 30th, 2011
This is the second half of a two part interview with Steven Wilson.
FAIR Examination 1b: Why would a gay man with AIDS join the Church?
FAIR Examination 2: An active LDS mother with same gender attraction by SteveDensleyJr on December 7th, 2011
When we think of people with same sex attraction, we usually don’t imagine a temple-married, active LDS, mother of two. Yet that is what we find in this interview with “Samantha.” Interestingly, a person such as she may not be as uncommon as we often believe. LDS Family Social Services estimates that 4-5 members in the average LDS ward experience same gender attraction. Most of those are married with children. In this interview, “Samantha” tells about her experiences with Church leaders at BYU and in her home ward over the years. She also helps to provide insight into how fellow family members and ward members can help lift the burden of someone who experiences same gender attraction.
FAIR Examination 2: An active LDS mother with same gender attraction
FAIR Examination 3a: Two mothers of sons with same gender attraction by SteveDensleyJr on December 14th, 2011
How do Mormon parents respond when they find out they have a son or daughter with same sex attraction? What happens when the child decides the leave the Church and engage in homosexual activity? What can parents do to show love for such a child while still remaining faithful to the Church? In this episode, two active, LDS mothers talk about their experiences raising sons who are involved in homosexual relationships. It should be noted that they will not be referred to by name out of respect for their sons and for other family members, and they did not feel comfortable using pseudonyms.
FAIR Examination 3a: Two mothers of sons with same gender attraction
FAIR Examination 3b: Two mothers of sons with same gender attraction by SteveDensleyJr on December 14th, 2011
This is the second part of a two part interview.
FAIR Examination 3b: Two mothers of sons with same gender attraction
FAIR Examination 4: Fred & Marilyn Matis by SteveDensleyJr on December 21st, 2011
Fred & Marilyn Matis are Co-Authors with Ty Mansfield of the book published by Deseret Book called, “In Quiet Desperation: Understanding the Challenge of Same Gender Attraction.” Fred and Marilyn are the parents of Stuart Matis, a young man who struggled with same gender attraction. After successfully serving a mission for the LDS Church, Stuart returned home and continued to struggle with same gender attraction for many years until, in February of 2000, at the age of 32, he took his own life. Since that time, Fred & Marilyn have reached out to other individuals who experience same gender attraction and their families to help foster better understanding and support for those who struggle with the unique challenges of same gender attraction.
FAIR Examination 4: Fred & Marilyn Matis
FAIR BLOG POSTS
We have one excellent blog post this month that is well worth reading.
Bethany Blankley and the “Mormon Question”
by Stephen Smoot on December 12th, 2011
The great German literary demigod Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once remarked: “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.” My reading of Bethany Blankley’s recent Huffington Post article has confirmed Goethe’s fear as being my own. In the doleful cacophony that sounds forth from the ranks of fundamentalist Evangelical critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ms. Blankley is more than suitable at playing first-chair violin. She is an adept Konzertmeisterin who plays with a zealous gusto that is by no means forced into a decrescendo by facts or evidence.
The accusation that Latter-day Saints are not Christians is not new, and it is not it likely to go away anytime soon. So long as fundamentalist Evangelicals dominate the religious landscape of modern America, the benighted Mormons can anticipate this Hydra to rear its ugly heads incessantly. All of the efforts of the Latter-day Saints to quell this tired assertion will almost certainly be in vain, as misinformation, misrepresentation and outright calumny continue to capture the imagination of an ignorant public with scandalous tales of the moral and theological debauchery and baseness of the Mormons.
Bethany Blankley and the “Mormon Question” by Stephen Smoot
FAIR YOUTUBE
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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 Specials
Clearance Special:
On the Road with Joseph Smith (Limited to stock on hand)
Richard Bushman, Salt Lake City: Kofford Books, 2006, softbound, 158 pages.
After living with Joseph Smith for seven years, biographer Richard Lyman Bushman went “on the road” for a year. After delivering the final proofs of his landmark study, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling to Knopf in July 2005, Bushman crisscrossed the country from coast to coast, delivering numerous addresses on Joseph Smith at scholarly conferences, academic symposia, and firesides. This startling candid memoir concludes eleven months later with an article written for Common-Place in August 2006.
Bushman confesses to hope and humility, an unexpected numbness when he expected moments of triumph, and genuine apprehension as he awaited reviews. He fretted at the polarization that dismissed the book as either too hard on Joseph Smith or too easy. He yields to a very human compulsion to check sales figures on amazon.com, but partway through the process stepped back with the recognition, “The book seems to be cutting its own path now, just as [I] hoped.” His favorite review was “not . . . filled with praise, but it seemed to understand what I was up to.”
For readers coming to grips with the on-going puzzle of the Prophet and the troublesome dimensions of their own faith, Richard Bushman, a temple sealer and stake patriarch but also a prize-winning scholar, openly but not insistently presents himself as a believer. “I believe enough to take Joseph Smith seriously,” he says. He draws comfort both from what he calls his “mantra” (“Today I will be a follower of Jesus Christ”) and also from on-going engagement with the intellectual challenges of explaining Joseph Smith. “I personally think it is never good to let problems like this swim vaguely around in your head,” he encourages one disturbed reader. “Take the top three and write them down. . . . Be sure you get all the facts right. . . Ask yourself, “Why does this seem contrary to what a prophet would do? . . . . At the same time, . . . be fair. . . . Don’t let your feelings swamp you.” Bushman sets the example of how to do it.
- Retail Price: $14.95
- Special FAIR Price: $10.47 (30% Discount)
How to Remember Everything in the Book of Mormon (Limited to stock on hand)
David R. Larsen. Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, 2007. Softbound, 6″x9″, 211pgs. ISBN: 1599550992
The admonition to remember is given more than a hundred times in the scriptures. And it’s easy to see why. How can we apply the teachings of Christ in our lives if we can’t remember them? In this book readers will discover:
- Ten strategies used by memory experts at Harvard, Stanford, and Brigham Young University for developing an amazing memory.
- How to instantly recall the location of any Book of Mormon teaching or story.
- How to employ music to memorize scriptures faster and more effectively.
- How to remember the essence of any verse in the Book of Mormon.
- How to keep your memory sharp and clear as you mature in years.
- How to access the power of the greatest memory aid God has given us.
- Fascinating insights from Dr. Michael Ballam about Lehi and the role of music in preserving scripture.
- Retail Price: $14.99
- Special FAIR Price: $9.89 (34% Discount)
Book of Mormon, 1830 Edition (Limited to stock on hand)
Joseph Smith, Jr., (Translator), Palmyra, New York: E. B. Gradin Company, 1830 5.25×8″ softbound reprint by Archive Publishers, Grantsville, Utah.
This is a copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon published in Palmyra, New York, by the E. B. Grandin Company. This edition contains all of the original misspellings, lack of punctuation, and the explanation for the “lost” 116 pages of the Book of Lehi.
- Retail Price: $23.95
- Special FAIR Price: $15.81 (34% Discount)
Doctrinal Insights to the Book of Mormon, Volume 1 (Limited to stock on hand)
K. Douglas Bassett, Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, 2007, 8.5×11″ softbound, 332 pages.
1 Nephi Through 2 Nephi
This magnificent compilation of the best quotes given by General Authorities and LDS scholars will add valuable insight to your personal study. Easy-to-read formatting, clear organization, and bite-sized nuggets of truth make this book a superb asset and a perfect addition to your gospel library.
- Retail Price: $24.99
- Special FAIR Price: $17.49 (30% Discount)
Doctrinal Insights to the Book of Mormon, Volume 2 (Limited to stock on hand)
K. Douglas Bassett, Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, 2007, 8.5×11″ softbound, 284 pages.
Jacob Through Alma
This magnificent compilation of the best quotes given by General Authorities and LDS scholars will add valuable insight to your personal study. Easy-to-read formatting, clear organization, and bite-sized nuggets of truth make this book a superb asset and a perfect addition to your gospel library.
- Retail Price: $24.99
- Special FAIR Price: $17.49 (30% Discount)
January Specials:
FAIR Bookstore – Monthly Specials
Verse by Verse: The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi through Alma
D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. Hardbound, 6″x9″, 476 pages.
Do you want to expand and deepen your study of the Book of Mormon? If so, you will find what you’re looking for in this commentary written by gospel scholars D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner.
This volume is the first of a two-volume, reader-friendly exploration of the book of scripture that is the keystone of our religion.
It incorporates sound doctrinal commentary with quotations from General Authorities and explanations of difficult passages–all sprinkled generously with the authors’ own experiences to illustrate great lessons and personal applications.
Interspersed with the commentary are feature articles that offer new glimpses into such topics as angels who have come to earth, names and titles of God, Israel and Zion in Latter-day Saint usage, the Isaiah chapters of First and Second Nephi, the allegory of the olive tree, and prophecies of Christ.
Highly informative and easy to read, this commentary on the Book of Mormon provides stimulating views that complement the scriptures. It will be treasured by anyone who wishes to understand more fully the teachings of those whom the Lord called in the land of promise to testify of him.
- Retail Price: $35.99
- Special FAIR Price: $28.79 (20% Discount)
Verse by Verse: The Book of Mormon, Alma 30 through Moroni 10
D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew C. Skinner. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2011. Hardbound, 6″x9″, 379 pages.
Verse by Verse, the Book of Mormon is a two-volume, user-friendly commentary that balances doctrinal commentary with quotations from General Authorities, cultural and linguistic insights, and thorough but intelligible helps for understanding difficult scriptural passages. Informational sidebars also provide new glimpses into topics such as angels who’ve come to earth; names and titles of God; the Holy Ghost; moral cleanliness; how prophets testify of Christ; the importance of record keeping; Book of Mormon teachings about war; what it means to be a covenant people; and the love of God. The authors have created a valuable resource for students of the scriptures, young and old alike.
- Retail Price: $31.99
- Special FAIR Price: $25.59 (20% Discount)
An Approach to the Book of Mormon: Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Volume 6
Hugh Nibley. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1988. Hardcover, 6-1/4×9-1/4″, 554 pages.
Readers of An Approach to the Book of Mormon, the sixth volume in the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, will find erudite and sometimes unexpected insights into this book of scripture — as evidenced by this excerpt from the preface to the 1964 edition. (p.xii-xiii)
“When in 1946 this writer composed a little treatise called Lehi in the Desert from limited materials then available in Utah, he had never knowingly set eyes on a real Arab. Within the last five years Aneze tribesmen and citizens of Mecca, including even guides to the Holy Places, have been his students, in Provo, of all places, while Utah has suddenly been enriched with a magnificent Arabic library, thanks to the inspired efforts of Professor Aziz Atiya of the University of Utah. As if it were not enough for the mountain to come to Mohammed, those sons of the desert who came to Provo found themselves taking a required class in the Book of Mormon from the compiler of this manual. Naturally he was more than curious to see how these young men would react to the Book of Mormon treatment of desert themes, and invited and even required them to report frankly on their impressions. To date, with only one exception, no fault has been found with Nephi on technical grounds. The one exception deserves the attention of all would-be critics of the Book of Mormon.
“It was in the first class ever held in “Book of Mormon for Near Eastern Students,” and the semester had barely begun when of course we ran smack into the story of how Nephi found Laban dead drunk in a dark alley and cut off his head — a grisly tale that upsets Nephi himself in telling it. As we rehearsed the somber episode, I could detect visible signs of annoyance among the Arab students — whispered remarks, head-shakings, and frowns of dissent. Finally, toward the end of the hour, a smart young man from Jordan could hold out no longer. “Mr. Nibley,” he said, plainly speaking for the others, “there is one thing wrong here. It doesn’t sound right. Why did this Nephi wait so long to cut off Laban’s head?” Since I had been expecting the routine protests of shock and disgust with which Western critics react to the Laban story, I was stunned by this surprise attack; stunned with a new insight into the Book of Mormon as a message from another age and another culture.”
- Retail Price: $49.95
- Special FAIR Price: $39.96 (20% Discount)
Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon
John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Briham Young University, 2008, 6.25″ x 9.25″ Hardcover, 522 pgs.
The Legal Cases in the Book of Mormon begins with a discussion of important background information, including legal practices in the ancient Near East, the ideal of righteous judgment, and the legal cases recorded in the Bible. Welch then devotes a chapter to each of the legal cases in the Book of Mormon-from the formative cases of Sherem and Abinadi to the landmark trials of Nehor and Korihor, the wrenching prosecution of Alma and Amulek, and the politicized proceedings of Paanchi and Seantum. Because the Nephites strictly observed the Law of Moses until the coming of Christ, this book examines the laws, arguments verdicts and punishments of these cases in the light of biblical law.
- Retail Price: $34.95
- Special FAIR Price: $27.96 (20% Discount)
Mormons Believe….What?!: Fact and Fiction About a Rising Religion
Gary C. Lawrence. Orange County, California: The Parameter Foundation, 2011. Hardbound, 6×9″, 243 pages.
A lively analysis of the facts and fictions surrounding Mormonism – a religion mysterious to some, misunderstood by many, and maligned by more than a few. Sprinkling each chapter with results from his national polls, Lawrence produces the go-to guidebook for the person who wants to understand “just enough” about this increasingly visible religion.
- Retail Price: $24.95
- Special FAIR Price: $19.96. (20% Discount)
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MORMON SCHOLARS TESTIFY
Mormon Scholars Testify now has 325 testimonies, representing 142 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:
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MORMONTEMPLES.NET
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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.
