FAIR

Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me

Questions

Asking Big Questions: Why do bad things happen to good people?

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bad things happen by Maddie Christensen

The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project.

In a world full of natural disasters, instability, wars, and conflicts, many people wonder why terrible things continue to happen. It feels like we are constantly being bombarded with bad news, heartache, and grief. Through our time here on Earth, we will go through various trials and tribulations that can be hard to understand. So, why do bad things happen to people who are trying to do good? There are three main reasons:

  1. To help us learn.
  2. To help us come closer to Jesus Christ through His Atonement.
  3. To help us have empathy for those around us.

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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 1 Nephi 16–22 – Autumn Dickson

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The Second Spindle

by Autumn Dickson

I learned something this week about the Liahona that kinda blew my mind. I want to share what I learned, and then let’s take some principles from it. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 1 Nephi 16–22 – Autumn Dickson

Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 26: DNA

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I know I literally just said I was going to be better at making these posts a weekly feature again and then missed a few weeks, so I apologize for that. My dad was back in the hospital for a bit and there was holiday business. I also filmed an episode of the Come Back podcast, which should be out this coming weekend. And I was actually doing a lot of work a few weeks ago on another project for FAIR that I am very excited about. I am starting a new, investigative podcast series with two other FAIR faces you may be familiar with, Jennifer Roach and Zachary Wright. It’s going to be a podcast composed of multiple miniseries on different controversial topics in Church history and culture.

I admire and adore both of my co-hosts, and we’re already having such a great time working together. We met up before Christmas and laughed and planned and ate and filmed a few trailers, which should be out soon. We’re doing a bunch of filming this weekend, in fact. Our first miniseries should launch in early-to-mid February, and will consist of six episodes. I’ll have more to say on this soon, but we’re all very excited. The entire crew working on this project is amazing, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.

[Read more…] about Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 26: DNA

Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 25: Prophecies

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Okay, guys, the topic this week is on failed prophecies from the latter-day prophets, but only one of these four quotes he gives is actually a prophecy, and it didn’t fail.

The author, Thomas Faulk, also uses an incorrect word as the title, so I corrected it. I won’t correct his usage going forward in the portions I quote from him, but I will be using the correct word myself. So, just to clear up any confusion this flipping between spellings may cause for those who don’t know the difference, “prophecy” and “prophesy” are two completely different words. A “prophecy” is a prediction from an oracle of God that has already been given, such as those given by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. To “prophesy” is to give that prediction in the present tense. It’s an action, something somebody is currently doing. There’s only one letter’s difference between them, but they have different meanings and different pronunciations. I’m not trying to beat up on him for the error, because Heaven knows I’ve made my fair share of typos in this series. But in this case, I think the distinction is important. Also, I really don’t want to confuse anybody by constantly flipping back and forth between the two words.

[Read more…] about Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 25: Prophecies

Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 24: Blood Atonement

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Hey, guys. Long time, no see! This week should hopefully mark the return of weekly segments of this blog series. My life has been insane this summer, and I apologize for being so absent. My dad was dying of pulmonary fibrosis, and then miraculously, got a new set of lungs a few weeks ago that saved his life. He just came home from the hospital a week ago, and is still very weak. During that same time period, I also had to move, and there were two FAIR conferences, work and family obligations, and boy drama to wade through. Some of you have asked why I’m still single—it’s because I’m a magnet for Crazy. Things do appear to finally be settling back down, though, thankfully.

Speaking of the two FAIR conferences, the digital one on the Book of Mormon was a lot of fun. The talks from that one will be put into a book which should be coming out soon. The videos are being released on the FAIR YouTube channel every other Wednesday, alternating with the talks from the main conference this past August.

We’ve already begun planning next year’s main conference, and it’s shaping up to be a great conference. We’re talking about changing things up a bit with some interesting new ideas, and I will be presenting for the first time. I think I’ll be speaking on ways to navigate a faith crisis, or helping loved ones work through theirs. This will probably include subtopics like responding to anti-LDS material, studying with the Spirit, evaluating sources, and reputable resources you can turn to help you find answers to your questions. It’s a topic I’m passionate about, and unfortunately, it needs to be addressed often. It’s still very much up-in-the-air, though, as I’m still praying about what to say. I hope all of you can either come to the conference in person or catch it online afterward, because there are always some excellent talks at those conferences.

[Read more…] about Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 24: Blood Atonement

By Study and Faith – Episode 9: Cognitive Dissonance

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by Zachary Wright

Introduction

For today’s introduction, I’d like to share a story from my own faith journey with you.  In High School, I found myself in a dispute with a classmate who consistently challenged my faith.  He didn’t believe in God, and he was very argumentative and combative regarding why he was right.  I found myself thrown into a loop…it had been the first time I was forced to really consider my faith.  I had deeply spiritual experiences, but those didn’t seem to answer his questions.  I felt like I was on the defense, like my head was on fire.  Everything I had ever believed in seemed to flip upside-down.  I began poring over everything I had learned, trying desperately to find out what I could trust, and clinging to whatever truth I could find.  In psychology, this is referred to as “Cognitive Dissonance,” and it’s something that critical thinkers need to be aware of in order to be successful. [Read more…] about By Study and Faith – Episode 9: Cognitive Dissonance

Asking Big Questions: Why Is Going to Church Important?

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by Lyndie Jackson

The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project.

Saturdays and Sundays are safeguarded days for most people. Between school, work and other activities, our weeks get hectic and weekends are reserved for relaxing with family and friends and accomplishing tasks that could not be finished during the week. But faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with members of other religions, carve out time during their weekends to attend church meetings.

Church attendance is important for many reasons, not the least of which are to worship God, to feel the Spirit, and to keep God’s commandment to honor the Sabbath day. There are many other reasons to attend church meetings, such as renewing our covenants with God, learning the gospel, and joining a community of believers. Our lives can be exceedingly blessed by going to church, even (and maybe especially) when it feels like a sacrifice.

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Asking Big Questions: How Do I Deal with Questions I Don’t Have the Answers To?

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by Craig Lindquist

The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project.

Have you ever felt that the proverbial “windows of heaven” are too often fastened tightly shut for you? You would not be alone, as most of us have. Assuming that they are not shut because of serious misdeeds, what do we do when we need the revelation that flows through those windows but cannot get it? There is no easy answer. Even after much prayer, fasting, studying the scriptures, or conversations with priesthood leaders, answers can still be hard to find. Nevertheless, in our own struggle we can gain much understanding and appreciation for others who also search for answers from above.

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FAIR Questions: What did President Nelson mean by “the kind of body with which you will be resurrected” in his General Conference talk?

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FAIR has a service where questions can be submitted and they are answered by volunteers. If you have a question, you can submit it at https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/contact. We will occasionally publish answers here for questions that are commonly asked, or are on topics that are receiving a lot of attention.

Question:

In the time since General Conference, we have had several questions about the resurrection – whether our bodies will be resurrected in their perfect form, and what the difference would be between a Celestial versus a Terrestrial or Telestial resurrected body. [Read more…] about FAIR Questions: What did President Nelson mean by “the kind of body with which you will be resurrected” in his General Conference talk?

Asking Big Questions: How Can I Make the Repentance Process Less Intimidating?

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by Craig Lindquist

The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project.

A friend recently asked about my thoughts on making repentance less intimidating. My immediate answer was, “Well, perhaps we should get President Nelson to stop using the words ‘daily’ and ‘repentance’ in the same sentence!”1 We both had a chuckle, but while pondering his question, I recalled my first experience with repentance. It was both challenging and liberating.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH REPENTING

As a young man I stole a tool from a local merchant. Later, I began to feel a desire to set my life right with the Lord. This required a visit to my bishop, who, despite my misgivings, was kind and loving. He taught me about the Lord’s love for me and His gratitude for my repentance. He also explained the necessity of making things right. I soon found myself in a checkout line of that same store explaining to the cashier that I wanted to pay for a tool I had stolen years before. Not knowing what to do, she called the manager over and the two of them talked it over with me. But not in private! I can still feel the stares of those waiting in line.

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