FAIR

Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me

Administrative notices

New Name and New Directions

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In 1997 a small group of Internet message board warriors started an organization named the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, or FAIR. FAIR was staffed by young, strident defenders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, our really cool name soon created problems.  People asked, “What does the word “Apologetic” mean?”[1]  “Why are you apologizing?” “What is it that you actually do?”

It was confusing. So that people weren’t always stumbling over our name, in 2013, we changed it to FairMormon. We thought of ourselves as Mormon, and we want the facts to be covered “FAIRly”. The name was perfect! As the then Vice President of FAIR, Steven Densley, exclaimed, “Hopefully this will be easier to remember and will allow us to spend more time doing apologetics rather than spending our time explaining what apologetics is.”[2] [Read more…] about New Name and New Directions

BYU New Testament Commentary Online Conference March 6, 2021

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The Epistle to the Hebrews: Radiating the Great Principles of the Restored Gospel

We are pleased to announce the release of the newest commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is authored by Richard D. Draper and Michael D. Rhodes, produced by the Brigham Young University New Testament Commentary, and published by BYU Studies, Provo, UT 84602. Available through https://byustudies.byu.edu. On Saturday, March 6, 2021, a free public video conference will be held on Hebrews and the Latter-day Saints, “Radiating the Great Principles of the Restored Gospel.”

A Live Opening Webinar
Saturday March 6, 2021
9:00 am–10:45 am
No pre-registration needed.

Join the program at https://zoom.us/j/95770639916 for the opening session with Eric Huntsman, John Welch, Michael Rhodes, and Richard Draper. For the full schedule of thirteen videos, visit https://www.byunewtestamentcommentary.com/online-conference-march-6-2021/.
For the playlist of all the video presentations on March 6, visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXbAVRWvW61YxGGxH2xqj1MulRbjefwqs. For Q&As, email your questions to [email protected].

A flyer may be downloaded here.

FairMormon Finances

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The mission of FairMormon is to “provide well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” [1]   As such, we support fully the leadership of the church, its teaching and practices. That said, FairMormon is an independent organization that is not funded, nor run, nor even directed, by church leadership.

The three main sources of income for FairMormon are contributions from individuals and groups, revenue from conferences, and book sales. FairMormon has never received donations from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Nor has it received funds through Deseret Trust or the Foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FairMormon has received two donations from the More Good Foundation. One was a $2,000 donation that was part of a fundraising effort that was matched. The other was in 2018 when a $125,000 donation was made, which we were very grateful for because FairMormon was in financial difficulties at the time. At no time has the More Good Foundation ever told Fairmormon what to do. They do, however, use some of our information in their videos.

The More Good Foundation is also an independent organization funded through contributions. According to their website, they  “operate several websites along with social media pages where persons of other faiths can learn about the Church, and where individual members of the Church can share their beliefs. We also provide training and support for members interested in sharing their beliefs online.” [2] Their website also states that they are “primarily funded by the generous donations of individuals. It may also receive funds from trusts, corporations, and foundations, including Deseret Trust Company (a donor-advised fund), and the Foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Foundation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes donations to many organizations and is funded by the revenues of wholly owned, for-profit companies” (emphasis added). [3] In addition, their website states “The More Good Foundation operates independently from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More Good Foundation is not managed or directed by the Church.” [4] [Read more…] about FairMormon Finances

Interpreter Conference

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by Jeffrey Bradshaw

Beginning in the 1970s, a few scholars, most notably Hugh W. Nibley, began to point to evidence relating to the ancient context of the Book of Moses. However, over-enthusiastic scholars (admittedly, at times, including myself) have not always been careful in their research and sometimes have gone farther in their claims than the evidence warrants. As a result, some of the early enthusiasm for comparative studies has waned and, paralleling the course of biblical studies, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme where comparisons of scripture to the ancient world became less common.

Now the pendulum is swinging back the other way. We hope that the presentations at the conference will reflect the still increasing maturity of the field, relying on more well-defined methodologies designed to better assure the reliability of their results — avoiding the extremes of both parallelomania and parallelophobia. In addition to more well-defined methodologies, recent research has also benefitted from new discoveries and better understandings of the manuscripts and other material remains of the cultures and religious traditions of the ancient Near East.

The conference is based on the premise that significant patterns of resemblance to ancient manuscripts not available during the lifetime of Joseph Smith and of unexpected conformance to conditions imposed by an archaic setting are potential indicators of antiquity that are best explained when the essential element of divine revelation is acknowledged. [Read more…] about Interpreter Conference

Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses

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2020 Interpreter Foundation Conference

 

Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses

September 18-19, 2020
Brigham Young University, Tanner Building, Room 251
(If temporary COVID-19 restrictions preclude gathering on campus, we will hold the conference virtually. For late-breaking news, watch this website.)

Presented by
The Interpreter Foundation
Brigham Young University Department of Ancient Scripture
Book of Mormon Central
FairMormon

Because we believe that the Book of Moses includes authentic history, the possibility of evidence for that belief interests us as scholars. Although the primary intent of Joseph Smith’s translations is to meet the needs of modern readers, not to provide precise matches to texts from other times, we consider significant patterns of resemblance to ancient manuscripts that the Prophet could not have known and of unexpected conformance to conditions imposed by an archaic setting as potential indicators of antiquity that are best explained when the essential element of divine revelation is acknowledged. [Read more…] about Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses

2019 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award

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Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award, Spencer Marsh!

Each year, FairMormon awards the John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award to a volunteer who made meritorious contributions to FairMormon’s mission and outstanding personal efforts in helping defend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Potential recipients are nominated by members of the FairMormon management team and recipients are selected by the board of directors.

Prior recipients include:

  • 2018 Michael W. Hickenbotham
  • 2017 Marion Allen
  • 2016 Julianne Hatton
  • 2015 Nick Galieti and Ben McGuire
  • 2014 Trevor Holyoak
  • 2013 Neal Rappleye and Hales Swift
  • 2012 Steve Densley and Cassandra Hedelius
  • 2011 Ken Kyle
  • 2010 Tanya Spackman
  • 2009 Roger Nicholson
  • 2008 Tyler Livingston
  • 2007 Greg Smith
  • 2006 Mike Parker
  • 2005 Mike Ash
  • 2004 Marc Schindler (posthumously)
  • 2003 Sharon Bunch
  • 2002 Allen Wyatt
  • 2001 Scott Gordon

Donate to FairMormon on Facebook for #GivingTuesday on Nov. 27 and it will be matched!

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Thanks for all the donations! We couldn’t exist without you! We were able to raise a total of $5,233 (before matching)!

If you would still like to donate, you can do it here at any time. Thanks for your help!

 

Today is #GivingTuesday! Facebook and PayPal are matching a total of up to $7 million of donations made through Facebook. Help us today by donating at https://www.facebook.com/donate/262507577691633/

There are no fees on donations — 100% of the donations go to FairMormon!