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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.

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THE FAIR JOURNAL November 2004
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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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* MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT. Scott Gordon discusses recent
comments made by Dr. Richard Mouw, president of the Fuller
Theological Seminary, who was recently invited to speak in the
Salt Lake Tabernacle.

* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: "Did B.H. Roberts Abandon His Faith in the
Book of Mormon?" and "Evasive Ignorance: Anti-Mormon Claims that
B.H. Roberts Lost His Testimony." In these two articles, McKay V.
Jones exposes the erroneous assertion by anti-Mormon critics
that B. H. Roberts, General Authority and scholar, lost his
testimony of the Book of Mormon.

* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: "Did Brigham Young Say that He Would Kill an
Adulterous Wife with a Javelin?" Mike Parker examines Brigham
Young's often-quoted statement to show how anti-Mormons have
pulled it out of its original context and ignored its biblical
reference.

* RESOURCES ON THE WEB: "How to Respond to Enemies of the Church.
An Open Letter from a Father to His Missionary Son." Meridian
Magazine publishes Richard LaJeunesse's letter on defending the
faith.

* ASK THE APOLOGIST. Got a question you are dying to ask? Here's
how. Also, this month the Journal features a response by Kevin
Barney to a question about the wording used in the Joseph Smith
Translation and the Book of Mormon.

* FAIR ONLINE BOOKSTORE. Now is the time to visit the FAIR
bookstore to take advantage of our pre-Christmas discounts of up
to 60% off list price.

* 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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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

On Sunday, November 14, noted evangelical speaker Dr. Ravi Zachariah
and Fuller Theological Seminary president, Dr. Richard Mouw, spoke in
the Salt Lake City tabernacle to an interfaith audience. This was an
historic occasion meant to promote understanding and to develop better
relations between the different denominations.

On that evening, Dr. Mouw made some notable comments, many of which
bear repeating. "Our public relations between our two communities have
been--to put it mildly--decidedly unfriendly," Dr. Mouw said. "From
the very beginning, when Joseph Smith organized his church in 1830, my
evangelical forebears hurled angry accusations and vehement
denunciations at the Mormon community--a practice that continues from
some evangelical quarters even into this present day. And I think it
is fair to say that some Mormons have on occasion responded in kind.
Friendship with each other has not come easily for our two
communities."

Dr. Mouw then went on to describe his meeting together with LDS
scholars and forming friendships. He then stated, "I know that I have
learned much in this continuing dialogue, and I am now convinced that
we evangelicals have often seriously misrepresented the beliefs and
practices of the Mormon community. Indeed, let me state it bluntly to
the LDS folks here this evening, we have sinned against you. The God
of the Scriptures makes it clear that it is a terrible thing to bear
false witness against our neighbors, and we have been guilty of that
sort of transgression in things we have said about you. We have told
you what you believe without making a sincere effort first of all to
ask you what you believe."

According to the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Press (BP), Dr.
Mouw later clarified his comments by stating, "There is a "discernible
pattern of sinning against LDS" members by evangelicals. He also said
that authors such as Walter Martin, who "oversimplified Mormon
teaching," and Dave Hunt, who represented Mormonism as "Satanic in its
inspiration and practice," are "bearing false witness."

We at FAIR welcome Dr Mouw's comments and believe they will help in
promoting understanding between our communities. They come to us as a
breath of fresh air. But not everyone agrees. There are some in the
evangelical community who were upset by his comments, believing they
might "give credence to the Mormon message by muddying the waters,"
and "[send] a message to Mormons that they are a part of mainstream
Christianity."

Dr. Mouw's complete speech can be read at

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/156/story_15656.html

Two other articles discussing the event can be read at

http://www.christianpost.com/dbase/education/590/section/1.htm
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=19612

We understand that most evangelical Christians don't believe that LDS
are following the "true gospel." While there are legitimate
differences in our beliefs, we have always maintained that the
Mormonism taught by many of the anti-Mormons bears little resemblance
to the faith that we follow. We are grateful for Dr. Mouw for having
the courage to agree.

- Scott Gordon
President, FAIR

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Did B.H. Roberts Abandon His Faith in the Book of Mormon?
by McKay V. Jones

Evasive Ignorance: Anti-Mormon Claims that B.H. Roberts Lost His
Testimony
by McKay V. Jones

In both of these articles, Jones reviews the evidence and reasoning
used by anti-Mormon critics who claim that B. H. Roberts, a General
Authority during the late 19th and early 20th century, lost his
testimony of the Book of Mormon. The charges stem from several papers
written in the 1920s by Elder Roberts in which he examines arguments
that critics could use to attack the historicity and divinity of the
Book of Mormon.

Elder Roberts correctly points out that enemies of the Church could
and did attack the Book of Mormon on numerous fronts, areas where
science and/or scholarship of his day either failed to support or even
seemed to oppose the Book of Mormon claims. Elder Roberts' own
explanation for his writings was that he was "describ[ing] potential
future lines of attack on the Book of Mormon in order to equip 'future
Defenders of the Faith' to respond to them."

But contrary to modern anti-Mormons' assertions, there is no evidence
that Elder Roberts' testimony wavered at any time up to his death.
Indeed, there is substantial evidence to the contrary. To the end,
Elder Roberts' statements, public and private, and his whole-hearted
service to the Church and restored Gospel all testify of his abiding
belief in the Book of Mormon as divinely inspired scripture. Elder
Roberts died in 1933, a generation too early to see the rise in Book
of Mormon scholarship among Latter-day Saints, but he was a convincing
witness that the Book of Mormon could be defended as the word of God.

Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/Book_of_Mormon/Did_BH_Roberts_Abandon_His_Faith_in_the_Book_of_Mormon.html

Read the extended article: http://www.fairlds.org/Book_of_Mormon/Anti-Mormon_Claims_that_BH_Roberts_Lost_His_Testimony.html

More information is available on this topic in Professor Daniel C.
Peterson's review of James Spencer's "The Disappointment of B. H.
Roberts" as published in the FARMS Review of Books.

Read the review: http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?id=248&table=review

------------------------------
Did Brigham Young Say that He Would Kill an Adulterous Wife with a
Javelin?
by Mike Parker

Anti-Mormon critics frequently comb through 19th century writings and
sermons looking for comments that can be used to disparage Latter-day
Saint leaders. Their goal is to persuade members, investigators, and
those outside the Church that those leaders were undeserving of any
claim to divine inspiration and that consequently the Church itself
must be false. Such snippets can only achieve the intended shock value
when pulled from their literary and cultural environments.

One frequently-used comment was made by Brigham Young in 1865. In an
address delivered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, President Young spoke
of being able to put a javelin through an adulterous wife's heart.
Standing alone, such as statement is shocking to readers today. What
eager critics fail to do is to explain then context in which this was
given, particularly the Biblical allusion to Numbers 25:6-15.

In his paper, Parker discusses this and other statements involving
"blood atonement" and shows how modern anti-Mormons misrepresent the
statements of early Church leaders.

Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Did_Brigham_Young_Say_He_Would_Kill_an_Adulterous_Wife_with_a_Javelin.html

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How to Respond to Enemies of the Church
by Richard LaJeunesse

A recent edition of Meridian Magazine included an interesting article
dealing with apologetics. It is a letter written by LaJeunesse to his
son, who was on a mission. In this lengthy letter, LaJeunesse gives
his son a number of pointers in dealing with people who attack LDS
beliefs.

LaJeunesse's advice focuses on how to properly reason with people who
are trying to prove something about The Church of Jesus Christ rather
than how to deal with attacks on specific Mormon beliefs. He shares
four specific guidelines that are important when responding to someone
who is attempting to prove a point.

1) Set standards of proof. Understand what can and cannot be proved
and agree on how truth can be found and understood.

2) Start with the nature and character of God. This is "where every
intelligent discussion of religion should begin in any event."

3) Always examine the premise of any argument. Often those who attack
the Church do so with assumptions about how a prophet should always
act, what the Book of Mormon claims about New World civilizations, or
inerrancy in prophetic writings.

4) Hold anti-Mormons to the same standards to which they hold the
Church. Arguments that a critic finds absolutely convincing may seem
less impressive when shown that similar reasoning and assumptions can
be used to disprove his own beliefs.

Read the article: http://www.ldsmag.com/articles/041115Respond.html

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ASK THE APOLOGIST

A recent question sent to FAIR involved the wording used in the Book
of Mormon and the Joseph Smith Translation (JST). The specific
question was why the words of Christ recorded in the Book of Mormon
weren't exactly restored by Joseph Smith when he was preparing the
JST. Kevin Barney responded by looking at the underlying assumptions
of the question and by looking at how Joseph's changes to Matthew
compare with others who have considered this particular scripture.

Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/Bible/Joseph_Smith_and_Matthew_6_13.html

For those interested in studying the available JST manuscripts, the
complete collection is now available from the FAIR Bookstore in the
recently published "Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible:
Original Manuscripts."

http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s143

Also available through the FAIR Bookstore is a reprint of the 1972 BYU
Studies article "The 'New Translation' of the Bible, 1830.1833:
Doctrinal Development during the Kirtland Era."

http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s144

FAIR invites the public to submit questions relating to LDS beliefs,
practices, and history. Some questions are asked sincerely by members
and investigators, others are clearly hostile questions challenging
the veracity of the Church and its teachings. Many of these responses
may end up on the website as a FAIR paper or brochure. If you have a
question, simply mail it to our Contact address.

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FAIR ONLINE BOOKSTORE

With Christmas less than a month away, many people are still looking
for the perfect gift for a friend or relative. Skip the frustration of
holiday crowds by shopping with the FAIR Bookstore while also saving
time and money. Our shipping rates are extremely low and purchases
are not subject to sales tax.

http://store.fairlds.org

While browsing through the store, be sure and check out our Christmas
specials. We are heavily discounting many items that we have in stock.
We have over 35 items that have been discounted by as much as 60%.

You can go directly to our Christmas specials at

http://store.fairlds.org

A word of warning, though--to ensure Christmas delivery you need to
order by December 9th unless you don't mind paying higher shipping
rates. Christmas specials are limited to items in stock to avoid any
possible delay and disappointment Christmas morning, so order early to
get the best deal on the widest selection.

- The FAIR Bookstore Staff

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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 to the FAIR Journal Editor, Paul McNabb
(FAIR contact page). 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 figures, 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 website (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 "Join &
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If you are interested in apologetics and would like to participate
actively in FAIR you should consider joining our apologetics e-mail
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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 us at
webmaster. We have a fairly liberal policy of using our
material as 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 website (www.fairlds.org).

--------------------------------
FAIR JOURNAL ARCHIVES

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FAIR is not owned, controlled by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided on this site are the sole responsibility of FAIR, and should not be interpreted as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief or practice.

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Last Updated June 12, 2006
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