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THE FAIR JOURNAL May 2005
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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 announces a few changes
in this year's FAIR Conference Speakers and discusses a
disappointing event at a recent APA convention.
* NEW ON THE WEBSITE: "Ancient and Medieval Jewish and Christian
Beliefs." In this transcript of his 2004 FAIR Conference
presentation, John Tvedtnes looks at the King Follett discourse
in light of ancient Jewish and Christian texts.
* RESOURCES ON THE WEB: John Beck, former husband of Martha Beck,
has posted a review on Amazon of her recent book "Leaving the
Saints."
* ASK THE APOLOGIST. Got a question you are dying to ask? Here's
how. This month features a response by Allen Wyatt to a problem
frequently faced by someone attempting to respond to anti-Mormon
material.
* FAIR TOPICAL GUIDE. The Topical Guide on the FAIR Web site is
one of the most popular resouces offered. Learn what is
available and help us expand our references.
* FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE. This month the Bookstore is looking forward
to the FAIR conference by looking back at past ones, plus there
are four great offers pertinent to the U.S. Memorial Day
holiday.
* 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
We are very pleased to announce another important speaker for the FAIR
Conference scheduled August 4th and 5th in Sandy, Utah. John E. Clark,
professor of anthropology at Brigham Young University and the director
and editor of the New World Archaeological Foundation based in
Chiapas, Mexico, will be speaking to us on Thursday, August 5. Dr.
Daniel Peterson of BYU (who will also speak at the conference) has
described Dr. Clark as a premiere Mesoamerican archaeologist and has
related conversations where Dr. Clark's non-LDS peers have described
Clark as a superb archaeologist. After just having spoken at the
Library of Congress Joseph Smith event, Dr. Clark has teamed up with
Matthew Roper and Wade Ardern to bring us a talk titled "Debating the
Foundations of Mormonism: The Book of Mormon and Archaeology."
How often do you get the chance to listen to a real archaeologist who
is a noted expert in his field talk about archaeology and The Book of
Mormon? I don't think you will want to miss this.
On a disappointing note, Dr. Robert Millet and Greg Johnson have had a
conflict come up so they won't be able to present this year.
But, we have an all-star line up for our conference that you won't
want to miss. For more information about the conference or to sign up
for the conference go to http://www.fairlds.org/conf05a.html. For
specific information about the speakers go to
http://www.fairlds.org/conf05b.html.
This is truly an outstanding list of speakers. I'm really excited to
be there this year.
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Recently I became acquainted with Drs. Gary Groom and Chauncey Adams,
practicing clinical psychologists and long-term members of the
American Psychological Association (http://www.apa.org/). They were
disturbed at how Mormons were portrayed at the recent APA convention
and complained to the APA about it. It seems that a film was shown at
the conference about missionary life and church life. While the film
was somewhat unflattering, the bigger problem came in the program
introduction which used sweeping negative characterizations to
describe our faith using terms such as "a corporation with no heart"
bent on using "powerful psychological techniques," "mind control,"
and "brainwashing."
Despite several attempts at discussion with the APA to point out how
this language reflected bigotry and possible hate speech, Drs. Groom
and Adams found a lack of cooperation and understanding. In light of
this they started a Web site at http://www.biasfire.com to document
the exchanges they were having.
It is my understanding that recently there has been some movement by
the APA, which is good news. However, it is disturbing to have our
faith portrayed in that manner in a professional forum without there
being a retraction or apology. It is interesting to consider how this
film may have been received had the word "Mormon" been replaced with
"Catholic" or "Jewish."
Here is the text from the program:
"This film presents a very rare look inside the Mormon Church and
its missionary program. Each year 60,000 young men and women
serve around the world seeking "converts" to the Mormon religion.
This film is the story of the missionary's life during this time.
It is a fly-on-the-wall account of how the Mormon religion
completely overtakes lives. Through flashbacks to their days as
missionaries, current and former Mormons discuss the powerful
psychological techniques used to draw and keep them in the Church
of Latter-Day [sic] Saints. As one mans says, "a mission has a
powerful and complex effect," and another, that "the Church is
corporation with no heart." It also shows why some people opt out
of the religion and the pressures they face in doing so. It is a
must-see film for any psychologist interested in mind control,
brainwashing, and self-esteem issues."
You may find you wish to express your displeasure to the APA after you
read the BiasFire Web site. The APA has contact information on their
Web site at http://www.apa.org/about/contact.html or you can send the
APA an email at public.affairs@apa.org.
You can contact Drs. Gary Groom and Chauncey Adams at
info@biasfire.com.
- Scott Gordon
President, FAIR
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FAIR relies on your kind donations to remain in business. Now is the
time to make a donation. FAIR is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so
if you are in the United States, your donation is tax deductible.
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s147
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The King Follett Discourse in the Light of Ancient and Medieval Jewish
and Christian Beliefs
by John A. Tvedtnes
In April 1844 Joseph Smith delivered a sermon at the funeral of Elder
King Follett. This sermon, heard by up to 20,000 people, has been one
of the most controversial discourses given by the Prophet and is one
that is frequently cited by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. During his lengthy discourse, Joseph Smith
discussed the nature of God the Father as an Exalted Man, the
heavenly council who participated with God in the creation, the
premortal existence of man, and the creation by "organization" rather
than "ex nihilo" as was the accepted interpretation of Genesis 1 by
Christians of his day.
Joseph Smith's revelations of God, man, and creation are often greeted
by detractors with scorn, indignation, and charges of blasphemy. Most
anti-Mormon writers insist that the Prophet Joseph grossly
misinterpreted and mistranslated the biblical text, and that his
teachings are completely out of harmony with both Christian and Jewish
theology, both modern and ancient.
In his presentation, Tvedtnes looks at ancient Christian and Jewish
writings pertaining to a heavenly council and creation by ordering
chaotic matter. It is clear that though the Prophet Joseph was at odds
with the theology of nineteenth century Christendom, he was teaching
concepts remarkably close to beliefs held by some early Christians and
ancient Hebrews. Joseph's interpretation and translation of Genesis
chapter 1 is surprisingly consistent with traditions to be found in
both extrabiblical Jewish writings and within the Bible itself, and
his teachings can clearly be seen as part of the "restoration of all
things."
Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2004_King_Follett_Discourse_in_the_Light_of_Ancient_Beliefs.html
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Response to Martha Beck's "Leaving the Saints"
by John Beck
Martha Beck's "tell-all" book has been on the market for many weeks.
Although the initial flurry of interest has died down, many people are
still troubled by the accusations Beck levies against her father, Hugh
Nibley, and her characterization of LDS beliefs and culture. Martha's
former husband, John Beck, posted some comments about Martha's book
and recollections on amazon.com on May 8, 2005.
Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s177
Note: after this page comes up, search for "John Beck" to find his
review.
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ASK THE APOLOGIST
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 Web site as a FAIR paper or brochure. If you have a
question, simply mail it to our Questions address. Email sent to this
address will be shared with members of FAIR, so it is not uncommon to
receive several responses that approach the issue from different
angles.
Recently a person wrote to FAIR asking for help in dealing with some
anti-Mormon handouts being distributed by a local church. The person
wasn't sure even where to start in order to respond. One of the
respondents from FAIR was Allen Wyatt, who laid out a methodology for
dealing with this common form of anti-Mormon writing that consists of
vast amounts of negative material on a wide range of topics.
Wyatt suggests that rather than attempt to respond in toto to the
"shotgun tactics" of this type of literature, the person should
identify specific topics that are of greatest interest to the
inquirer and then to deal with each individually and thoroughly.
Wyatt points out some general principles to follow when attempting to
discuss anti-Mormon issues, and he points to some specific resources
available to answer the challenges frequently raised.
Read the article: http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Answering_Shotgun_Anti-Mormonism.html
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FAIR TOPICAL GUIDE
The Topical Guide is one of the most important LDS apologetic
resources available. If you aren't familiar with this part of FAIR's
Web site, check it out at
http://www.fairlds.org/apol
In future issues of the Journal, we will keep you informed of new
additions in the Topical Guide. If you are aware of anything that can
be added, please contact our Topical Guide Coordinator, Mike Ash, at
FAIR Contact Page
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FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE
Can't wait until this year's FAIR Conference? Revisit past conferences
with CD, DVD, or Windows Media Video presentations for the apologetic
novice, the religious scholar, and everyone in between. Each
presentation is now 1/3rd less than their original price! In addition,
our volume discounts and MP3s are also lower than ever. Please note
that the Windows Media Video disks contain *two* presentations per
disc!
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s178
Plus, in honor of Memorial Day, we have 50% discounts on DVD
documentaries about Latter-day Saint servicemen and the inspiring
Helmuth Huebener story. You can also order the award winning feature
film "Saints and Soldiers" in DVD for 25% off. Remember, if you'd like
these items in time for Father's Day on June 20th, be sure to order
early!
--> Saints and Soldiers (DVD Video)
German soldiers fired upon a group of unarmed American prisoners on
Dec. 17, 1944 near the Belgian town of Malmedy. In the event now known
as the "Malmedy Massacre", 86 of the soliders were killed. This is
where Saints and Soldiers begins as it follows a few U.S. soldiers who
escape into the woods.
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s179
--> Saints at War: Korea (DVD Video)
Nobody relates the story of war better than those who lived it
firsthand. In this compelling compilation, the authors have gathered
candid and sincere recollections from dozens of Latter-day Saint
servicemen who served in Korea and Vietnam-including moving accounts
from Russel M. Nelson, Hartman Rector Jr., and Joe J. Christensen.
These histories vividly convey the hardships, friendships, fears, and
inspirational experiences of veterans, whose memories linger to this
day. With hundreds of captivating images, this book is a portrait of
how faithful Latter-day Saint soldiers behaved and survived during one
of the twentieth century's most turbulent times.
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s180
--> Saints at War: World War II (DVD Video)
"Saints at War" documents the experiences of Latter-day Saints in
World War II, combining over 200 remarkable stories-from Church
leaders and veterans around the world-with hundreds of images that
capture the essence of faith in the midst of war. It includes accounts
from Thomas S. Monson, James E. Faust, Boyd K. Packer, David B.
Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, and others.
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s181
--> Truth & Conviction: The Helmuth Huebener Story (DVD Video)
By 1941, Hitler's Nazi regime had seized unbelievable control over the
German people, dictating what they read, what they said-even what they
believed. Helmuth Huebener led a resistance group composed of himself
and two of his childhood friends from his LDS Church branch. The three
of them carefully distributed flyers throughout Hamburg that denounced
Hitler and his propaganda machine. This documentary chronicles what
happened to these young men, and the ultimate price paid by those who
dared to stand up for the truth.
http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s182
- 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 &
Support FAIR" link.
If you are interested in apologetics and would like to participate
actively in FAIR you should consider joining our apologetics e-mail
list. Visit www.fairlds.org and click on the "Join & Support FAIR"
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).
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FAIR JOURNAL ARCHIVES
For past issues of the FAIR Journal, go to
http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Journal
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Copyright (c) 2005 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and
Research (FAIR). All rights reserved.
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.