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The FAIR Journal
The FAIR Journal is published monthly. It contains information about new apologetic information
at the FAIR Web site. If you would like to sign up to receive the FAIR Journal automatically,
click here.
To return to the index of past FAIR Journal issues, click here.
THE FAIR JOURNAL November 2003
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The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research
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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, Fourth
Edition, 2000.)
INSIDE THE JOURNAL
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* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: DEFENDING THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS. Announcing a handy new reference guide written
by Wayne Arnett. This book is great for use by apologists and
anyone affected by anti-Mormon materials.
* FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE. Great deals for that special someone on your
Christmas list. Order by December 1 to ensure delivery by
Christmas.
* HUMOR: ANTI-MORMONS AT TEMPLE SQUARE. A cartoonist weighs in with
his assessment of street preachers and their activity around
Temple Square in recent years.
* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: FEEDING THE MULTITUDES--BEING FISHERS OF MEN.
You can now read a transcript of Ross Baron's popular 2001 FAIR
presentation.
* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: THE GADIANTON ROBBERS IN MORMON'S THEOLOGICAL
HISTORY--THEIR STRUCTURAL ROLE AND PLAUSIBLE IDENTIFICATION. This
2002 FAIR Conference presentation by Brant Gardner provided great
insight into the probable Mesoamerican setting for the Book of
Mormon.
* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: THE MISTAKES OF MEN--CAN THE SCRIPTURES BE
ERROR-FREE? LDS critics are quick to point out "problems" in the
Book of Mormon. In this 2002 FAIR Conference presentation, John
Tvedtnes examines how those same types of problems exist in the
Bible, as well.
* MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, SCOTT GORDON.
* ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS. Interested in writing for FAIR? Learn how
you can have your apologetics work published.
* PUBLISHING NOTES. Learn how you can become more involved in FAIR
and how you can reuse the material we publish.
* FAIR JOURNAL ARCHIVES
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Defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
by Wayne D. Arnett
FAIR is pleased to announce the publication of a handy new reference
guide for those who wrestle with the fruits of anti-Mormon arguments
and criticisms. Author Wayne Arnett wrote "Defending the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Reference Guide" in a very
readable style, so it is valuable to readers of all ages and
knowledge levels. The information packed into its 48 pages is
invaluable to understanding not only why people criticize the Church,
but how the motives and tactics of critics can be dealt with.
Take a look at the TOC:
Introduction
Purpose of this Guide
A Few Definitions
Setting the Stage
Why the Critics?
The Strategy
A Little Perspective!
Double Standard?
What is a Prophet?
To Be a Critic
Doomed?
Cast of Characters
A Common Example
Silver Bullets
A Rare Exception
Faith is Required
Conclusion
Internet Resources
Suggested Reference
The reference guide covers concepts such as why do anti-Mormons fight
against the Church, what types of anti-Mormons are there, what types
of tactics do they use, and how should one approach anti-Mormon
arguments. It is a well-reasoned approach to dealing with a sometimes
difficult topic area.
"Defending" is appropriate for anyone swayed by anti-Mormon literature
or tactics. The guide is formatted so that it can be easily mailed (it
will fit in a standard business envelope) or can fit in a pocket.
Best of all, "Defending" is only $3.95. I think most of us know
someone who could benefit from this valuable reference guide. You can
find more information here:
http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/#books
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FAIR ONLINE BOOKSTORE
Do you have that hard-to-shop-for scholar on your Christmas list? Are
you by chance one of those (endearing, yet extraordinarily frustrating
when it comes to Christmastime) people?
Look no further than our own FAIR online bookstore for that sure-to-
please gift. And don't forget to point or even shove friends and
family towards it as well for their Christmas Shopping!
FAIR has over 1,000 books and other items for sale. We can't exactly
claim to be one-stop shopping for Christmas (yet), but we definitely
are great for finding that perfect gift for the gospel students and
serious researchers among us. You can order the book *you* want for
Christmas, give it to your spouse as a gift, then you can read it when
he or she is done.
While browsing through the store, be sure and check out our Christmas
specials for some extra savings:
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s105
A word of warning, though--to ensure Christmas delivery you need to
make up your mind and your order before December 1st. Christmas
specials are limited for certain items to on hand stock to avoid any
possible delay and disappointment Christmas morning, so order early to
get the best deal on the widest selection.
You can also find our normal great selection of monthly specials at
the FAIR LDS Bookstore:
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s002
- The FAIR Bookstore Staff
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Humor: Anti-Mormons at Temple Square
Some Christians, perhaps over-zealous, feel that the best way to
witness their faith is to actively protest Mormonism. Where better to
do this than in the heart of Mormonism--Temple Square in Salt Lake
City.
The antics of anti-Mormons at General Conference has been well
documented in the past. The odd "Christian" behavior of anti-Mormon
protesters is grist for the cartoonist's pen. Greg Kearney, a FAIR
member and political cartoonist, gives his take on their behavior in
this humorous cartoon:
http://www.fairlds.org/Humor/Anti-Mormons_at_Temple_Square.html
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Feeding the Multitudes: Being Fishers of Men
by Ross Baron
One of the most popular presentations at our past FAIR Conferences is
the one given in 2001 by Ross Baron. He described a series of
community firesides that he conducted, along with the response by
those in the community. The firesides were a direct response to
increased anti-Mormon activity in Southern California. They were a
great success, with over 1,000 people attending.
The audio and video of Ross' presentation have been available on the
FAIR Web site for some time. Now we have available an edited
transcript of his presentation.
Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2001_Feeding_the_Multitudes_Being_Fishers_of_Men.html
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The Gadianton Robbers in Mormon's Theological History: Their
Structural Role and Plausible Identification
by Brant Gardner
The Gadianton robbers are a specific instance of the larger set of
events and concepts revolving around what the Book of Mormon calls
secret combinations. These secret combinations show up in connection
with the Jaredites, then they disappear. They reappear scant years
prior to the arrival of the Savior in the New World, and then
disappear for over two hundred years. Finally, they reappear to play
a role in the final denouement of the Nephites. While the majority of
the conflicts in the Book of Mormon occur with the Lamanites, the most
destructive conflicts are those that come at the hands of the secret
combinations, and specifically the Gadianton robbers. The Lamanites
might be the Nephites' most common enemy, but the Gadianton robbers
are the most dangerous. This combination of longevity, sporadic
appearance, and ultimate danger, make the Gadianton robbers and secret
combinations an important study in understanding the message of the
Book of Mormon. The elucidation of this complex interaction of time,
text, and meaning must necessarily center on both Mormon's text and
the ancient cultural environment of that text.
Read the presentation: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2002_Gadianton_Robbers_in_Mormons_Theological_History.html
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The Mistakes of Men: Can the Scriptures be Error-Free?
by John A. Tvedtnes
Criticisms of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its
scriptures and teachings come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from
outright lies to exaggerations from misunderstandings to logical
fallacies, and occasionally touch on real issues or areas for which we
do not have sufficient information. I find it ironic that with such a
wide range of approaches from which to choose, most critics select
falsehoods and exaggerations. I believe that they employ these methods
because of their a priori assumptions--often false--about our religion
and their misguided views of the Bible and of Christian history.
Read the presentation: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2002_Can_the_Scriptures_be_Error-Free.html
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
I would like to thank you all for the support that you give to FAIR.
We have received several e-mails from people who have found answers to
questions by using the FAIR resources. Without your support, we would
not be able to provide this valuable service.
Now is a good time to make a (US tax-deductible) donation to FAIR. I
know I sound like a broken record asking for money each month. But
FAIR is a grassroots organization, and we only survive because of the
many small donations that we receive. While we have no paid staff,
and no one receives any income from FAIR, there are ongoing expenses
that have to be paid.
Please consider us for a donation this year. As an alternative to a
small donation, if you would like to sponsor a FAIR conference, send
an e-mail to me at FAIR President.
NEWS OF THE BLACK WEBSITE
Last month we launched a new Website dedicated to black members of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at www.blacklds.org. While
the Website is still new and needs additional work, we have received
many positive comments and e-mails about it. Just this Sunday I had a
member walk up to me at Church to thank us for this new resource. The
following e-mail is one of several that we received this month.
Brother Gordon,
I am a relatively new reader (about 2.5 months) of the articles
that you and your team publish on www.fairlds.org. I am a member
living in Trinidad. Our population is made up mainly of descendants
of African slaves and descendants of Indian indentured labourers
brought here after the abolition of slavery. We have approx. 1600
members (out of a population of approx 1.3 million) here including
the 34 or so missionaries. I am amazed, however, that in
conversation with a non-member, even when the person knows of the
location of one of our five branches, he/she seems surprised that
there are non-whites in the Church.
I have often found myself feeling inadequately prepared to deal
with some of the anti- material or accusations that may come our
way. The articles on your site help my confidence level to increase
making me feel more equipped to deal with these instances should
they arise.
I am especially grateful for the new www.blacklds.com site
published. The page on history nearly brought tears to my eyes as I
read about what the leaders of the Church dealt with the issue of
slavery. Seeing our black history alongside American black history
allowed me to see them (the Church's leaders) in an historical
context that gave me an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Thank you for all that you do.
Regards, Emrol
To make the Website easier to find, we have added several new Website
addresses. You can now find the Black Mormon Website at any of the
following URLs:
www.blacklds.org
www.blacklds.com
www.blackmormon.org
www.blackmormon.com
www.ldsblacks.org
www.ldsblacks.org
If you would like to receive e-mails from the Black LDS Website, send
an e-mail to FAIR President and write in the subject line "add
me to the blacklds e-mail list." Then, as items are added, or things
are changed, we will send out an occasional e-mail notifying you.
TRANSLATION PROJECT
We have several articles translated into other languages, but need
Webmasters who will post the articles and maintain the Websites in
those languages. We need people who are committed to the cause. It
would mean posting the articles as well as working with others to
translate articles from the FAIR Website. You don't need to have a
Website of your own--you just need to be willing and able to work on
a FAIR Website in a foreign language.
If you are interested and willing, please e-mail Allen Wyatt at
the Webmaster. The pay and benefits are great working at FAIR.
You will be paid the same as what the president of FAIR gets--lots of
blessings and a feeling of satisfaction.
-Scott Gordon
President, FAIR
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ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
We welcome article submissions for the FAIR Journal and website. If
you would like to submit an article, please review the editing
guidelines at:
http://www.fairlds.org/EdStyle.pdf
Submit your article or any inquiries to the FAIR Journal Editor. An
appropriate article would be one that affirms the truthfulness of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While LDS apologetics (in the broadest sense) deals with refuting
critics of the Church, articles don't necessarily have to deal with
anti-Mormonism, but may deal with some new evidence of the Book of
Mormon, some interesting scripture interpretation, a viewpoint or
quote from the early Christian Fathers or other historical figure,
an interesting lesson idea, an inspiring missionary story, Church
history, or your view on a current event related to the Church or a
piece from a historical journal.
We may also accept articles from people who are not members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that may not necessarily
meet the guidelines of supporting the Church if it is a topic of
general interest to people involved in apologetics.
A submission may range in length from several pages to a single
paragraph.
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PUBLISHING NOTES
FAIR is not owned, controlled by or affiliated with the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided
in the FAIR Journal and on the FAIR Web site (http://www.fairlds.org)
are the sole responsibility of FAIR, and should not be interpreted as
official statements of LDS doctrine, belief or practice.
If someone has forwarded this e-journal to you and you would like to
join you should go to www.fairlds.org and click on the Membership
link.
If you are very interested in apologetics and would like to actively
participate in FAIR you should consider joining our apologetics e-mail
list. Visit www.fairlds.org and click on the Membership link to join
this list as well.
If you manage your own e-mail list, and wish to include some of these
thoughts or articles on your list, contact the Webmaster. We
have a fairly liberal policy of using our material so long as you
contact us first to gain permission and clearly identify that your
source was FAIR and by adding a link to the FAIR Web site
(www.fairlds.org).
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FAIR JOURNAL ARCHIVES
For past issues of the FAIR Journal, go to
http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Journal/
If you would like to sign up to receive the FAIR Journal automatically,
click here.
To return to the index of past FAIR Journal issues, click here.
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