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FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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This page is still under construction. We welcome any suggestions for improving the content of this FAIR Answers Wiki page. |
In today's internet-based society, finding information is getting ever easier. Unfortunately, interpreting this information is getting ever harder. With so much information available, learning how to identify helpful and truthful information is becoming ever more important.
For most of its existence, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been Church members' primary source of information about the Church's history, doctrine, and practices. In the internet age, this is often no longer the case (at least among members in the United States). Information about Church history, doctrine, and practices is available from a wide variety of sources online, some faithful to the Church, some against the Church, and others somewhere in between.
The problem many members now face is how to interpret the information they find from these other sources, and how to compare their interpretation of this information with how they interpret information coming from the Church. Often this challenge leads to what many call a "faith crisis." While understanding principles about information, interpretation, and sources can help in addressing "faith crises," it is important to first address the emotional component of a faith crisis.
Once the emotional component has been addressed, we can then support our approach using logic and reason. In doing so we should remember what Elder Neal A. Maxwell often taught (quoting Austin Farrer): "Though argument [logic/reason] does not create belief, the lack of it destroys belief. What seems to be proved may not be embraced, but what no one shows the ability to defend is quickly abandoned. Rational argument does not create belief, but it nourishes a climate in which belief may flourish."[1] Logic and reason will never lead someone to faith in Jesus Christ and His restored Church. Only revelation can do that. But logic and reason can help address people's concerns that may be creating doubt in their faith.
In developing our reasoning, we use information in an attempt to demonstrate that some belief can at least be true. This information comes from records, which are compiled by people (sources). Understanding information and records can help in addressing doubts. Understanding the perspective and bias of sources is also important.
In our context, information can be objective (descriptive) or subjective (normative).
Information can come from a primary or secondary source.
Finally, information can be direct or indirect.
Information is contained in records. Records are either original or derivative.
When evaluating information and records, it is important to understand the source of the information or record. In addition to affecting the category of information or record provided, knowing the source helps to be aware of whatever perspective or bias affected the information and records searched or cited. (Everyone has some sort of perspective or bias, and anyone who thinks they don't are deceiving themselves. If you want to know more about biases, just do an internet search for something like "everyone has a bias.")
There are various ways to evaluate information and records about Church history, doctrine, or practice. A few are included here. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor a complete explanation of the ways.
BYU professors Anthony Sweat and Kenneth Alford encourage asking five questions about an account or information discussing Church history:[2]
Question: Do I need to have a faith crisis in order to have "real" faith?
The term faith crisis usually means that someone begins to doubt previous spiritual experiences to the point of questioning if the experiences, and beliefs founded on them, actually happened or are true. This is different from asking questions about (and striving to understand) those experiences and the beliefs founded on them.
Some people have a faith crisis and in doing so decide to study more fully if their spiritual experiences were real and if the beliefs founded on those experiences are true. Sometimes this can lead to a renewed faith. However, having a faith crisis is not necessary in order to more fully understand our experiences and beliefs. We can choose to deepen our faith without a faith crisis.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf encouraged us to ask questions and affirmed that a faith crisis is not necessary to find more truth: "We are a question-asking people because we know that inquiry leads to truth. . . . God commands us to seek answers to our questions and asks only that we seek 'with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ.' . . . Fear not; ask questions. Be curious, but doubt not! Always hold fast to faith and to the light you have already received. Because we see imperfectly in mortality, not everything is going to make sense right now" ("The Reflection in the Water," CES devotional, 1 November 2009).
For further study, consider the following: Jeffrey Thayne, "Worldview Apologetics: Revealing the Waters in Which We Swim," 2021 FAIR Conference Patrick Mason, "The Courage of Our Convictions: Embracing Mormonism in a Secular Age," 2016 FairMormon Conference Jeffrey R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe," April 2013 general conference
J. Spencer Fluhman, "Faith in the Past: Church History in an Information Age," address given at LDS Business College, 7 Oct 2014FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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