FAIR is having a free virtual conference this weekend entitled “Understanding and Defending the History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Friday evening, the keynote speaker will be Matthew McBride talking about Saints, Vol. 4 (which is coming out later this month). Saturday there will be other speakers talking on church history topics throughout the day. It will be streamed on the FAIR YouTube channel. More information is here.
The 2024 annual conference, FAIR and Valiant Voices: United in Faith, will be held Thursday, August 8 and Friday, August 9. The beautiful new location is the American Heritage School in Salt Lake City.
Questions? [Read more…] about Our Annual Conference Agenda Is Now Available
by Vickey Taylor
(This was originally presented at the 2009 FAIR Conference. It’s being reprinted here to go along with this week’s Come, Follow Me lesson.)
The Book of Mormon begins in a manner that I love. Nephi—a child who never misplaced his faith in God and in Christ—summarizes that he was well educated [because he had “goodly parents”—parents whose net worth allowed him the privilege to study], that his life & the life of his family were wrought with affliction, and that his days, nevertheless, were highly favored of the Lord.
It is interesting to think of how the account would have come out if Lehi had written it, if one of Nephi’s older brothers had written it (wouldn’t that have been interesting!) or if Sariah, Nephi’s mother, had given us the account. As a mother myself, I have a unique ‘take’ of the things that happen in my family; different in perspective, I am sure, from the account you would get from one of my children.
I feel certain that Sariah must have had a dilemma, leaving her home behind and traveling into the wilderness with her husband and children, some of whom were out of control and wreaking havoc for the rest of them. Murmuring a bit, she came to understand the Lord’s purposes. It surely must have helped her, as a mother, to deal with the children whose faith was very much misplaced. [Read more…] about The Sariah Dilemma: Finding Increased Faith When Our Children Misplace Their Own
This year’s conference was well-attended with the venue full to capacity and many more participating via online streaming. Topics were wide-ranging, such as portrayals of the Church in the media, DNA and the Book of Mormon, abuse in the church, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the accuracy of the Journal of Discourses, and the necessity of horror in the gospel. One reviewer on a recent Interpreter radio show said, “I’ve attended this for a number of years and this was probably one of the best conferences… [the talks] just got – if anything – better as the conference went on.” [Read more…] about What happened at the FAIR Conference this year?
I was hoping to get this done before the FAIR Conference this past week, but life got in the way so I’m a little late. It was absolutely lovely to meet so many of you in person! I finally got the chance to meet so many friends I’ve only ever met online before, and that was a real treat for me. I also picked up some new books, including one I’ve cited essays from on multiple occasions, so that makes me happy.
There were some fantastic presentations that I will 100% be citing in the future, and I learned a lot, which is always fun for me. Those of us sitting in the back right corner completely geeked out over a few of the presentations, and I can’t wait for the full transcripts and notes to be available. A friend called it “Nerdfest 2023” and he wasn’t wrong, but it was a great time.
We are delighted to announce the publication of a book of essays in honor of renowned Latter-day Saint scholar and apologist, Daniel C. Peterson, for his remarkable work and dedication in defending The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book is entitled Steadfast in Defense of Faith and was published by The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books. The book was presented to Dr. Peterson at the 2023 FAIR Conference, where he was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement, Defender of the Faith award by FAIR President, Scott Gordon. [Read more…] about Celebrating the Contributions of Daniel C. Peterson in Defending the Latter-day Saint Faith
The deadline for purchasing in-person tickets is fast approaching – tomorrow, Friday July 28, at noon MT! Hey, I totally get it – buying tickets for events can sometimes end up on the back burner. But let me give you some great reasons why you shouldn’t procrastinate getting those tickets for the 2023 FAIR Conference: [Read more…] about Tomorrow is the deadline to buy FAIR Conference tickets!
I know what you’re probably thinking at this point:
“Sure, this sounds like a great conference – but it’s really more for scholars than for an ‘ordinary’ person like me. Besides, I’m pretty busy right now. There’s just not enough time for me to go to a lot of meetings that really don’t have anything to do with me and my life. Maybe another time.”
But guess what? THIS is the time. And it has EVERYTHING to do with your life and the life of your loved ones. [Read more…] about Time is running out to buy your FAIR Conference tickets!
“God loves all of us. He loves those of different faiths and those without any faith. He loves those who suffer. He loves the rich and poor alike. He loves people of every race and culture, the married or single, and those who experience same-sex attraction or identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. And God expects us to follow His example.”[1] In light of the fact that 4 out of 10 Americans now report that some of their close friends or family members are gays or lesbians, it’s increasingly important to know how best to support our loved ones while staying true to our faith. [Read more…] about 4 days left to buy conference tickets!
I know it’s easy to justify watching the free streaming at home, in your jammies. But just consider this – attending the 2023 FAIR Conference in person offers several advantages over viewing it virtually via streaming. [Read more…] about In-person ticket sales end in 5 days!
