The FAIR Journal

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THE FAIR JOURNAL                                             June 2006
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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. With the annual FAIR Conference only
       a month away, now is the time to make the arrangements to come.

     * FAIR CONFERENCE NEWS. Our annual FAIR Conference is only two
       months away. Be sure to check out the speaker list and to order
       your tickets soon.

     * NEW ON THE WEBSITE. "Christ, The Firstfruits of Theosis." In
       his 2002 FAIR Conference presentation, Roger Cook looks at the
       LDS view of theosis in light of ancient Jewish and Christian
       views.

     * NEW ON THE WEBSITE. "Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL
       History." In her 2003 FAIR Conference presentation, Margaret
       Blair Young shares stories of faithful black Latter-day Saints
       from the early days of the Church.

     * NEW ON THE WEBSITE. "The ABCs of the Book of Abraham." During
       the 2004 FAIR Conference, Michael Ash and Kevin Barney gave a
       session to help Latter-day Saints understand some of the issues
       and controversies related to the Book of Abraham.

     * NEW ON THE WEBSITE. "The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day
       Saints and Freemasonry." Greg Kearney discusses the relationship
       between Freemasonry and the LDS faith in his 2005 FAIR
       Conference talk.

     * NEW ON THE WEBSITE. "A Joseph Smith Miscellany." In his 2005
       FAIR Conference presentation, Richard Bushman discusses portions
       of Joseph Smith's life that have been traditionally difficult to
       understand and looks at how these can be understood better from
       the point of view of the Prophet.

     * ASK THE APOLOGIST. Got a question you are dying to ask?
       Here's how.

     * FAIR TOPICAL GUIDE. The Topical Guide on the FAIR Web site is
       one of the most popular resources offered. Learn what is
       available and help us expand our references.

     * FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE. Build your library by taking advantage of
       this month's specials at the FAIR Bookstore.

     * 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. All of the FAIR Journal issues since
       October 2001 are on the FAIR web site.


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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

No survey has been done, but I suspect that only a small percentage of
those affiliated with FAIR are in any way "active apologists" who do
research and respond to specific attacks on the restored Gospel. Most
people who receive this Journal, who subscribe to the FAIR Apologetics
list, or who attend the annual FAIR Conference seem to be those who
are interested in learning and understanding issues that may be
troubling to Latter-day Saints or those seriously investigating the
Gospel.

The annual FAIR Conference is a wonderful time to meet with people who
share an interest in faithfully examining the history and doctrines of
the Church. You will find that the vast majority of attendees are not
scholars or experts in any field relating to apologetics, but they are
simply people who find these topics interesting and hope that a better
understanding of criticisms and responses may help them help others
who may someday be struggling with a difficult question.
If you have never attended a FAIR Conference, this is the year to
start. This year's FAIR Conference has an exciting list of speakers
and topics. We have more speakers and more topics than ever before.
But, tickets are selling twice as fast as they have in years past, and
there is some risk of selling out. If you want to ensure your seat at
the FAIR conference, sign up now right away.

      http://www.fairlds.org/conf06a.html

If you are interested in a poster to help advertise the conference,
one can be downloaded from the FAIR web site.

      http://www.fairlds.org/conf06f.pdf

No matter what your level of expertise and experience in apologetics
may be, you are sure to not only learn a lot at the conference, but
you will have a great time as well.

We look forward to seeing you in August!

--Scott Gordon
     President, FAIR


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FAIR is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so if you are in the United
States, your donation is tax deductible. Without your donations, FAIR
would cease to exist. Thank you for your support.

      http://store.fairlds.org/bi071.html


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Christ, The Firstfruits of Theosis
by Roger Cook

One of the charges made by critics of the Church of Jesus Christ is
that the LDS belief that man may become god is so thoroughly contrary
to traditional Christian belief as to place Latter-day Saints outside
the family of Christian faiths. In his 2002 FAIR Conference
presentation, Cook examines early Hebrew and Christian beliefs about
the nature of God and man and notes that the ontological differences
are not what developed in later Christian thought. "God, for Hebrews,
Jews and early Christians, is not an absolute ontologically 'other'
noetic entity who is existence itself." Cook also states, "However the 
earliest Christians and Jews pictured God and man in a way that is
strikingly similar to that of the Church of Jesus Christ."
This early belief in the nature of God and the relationship between
God and man is strikingly similar to LDS beliefs. "Both the early and
latter-day members of Christ's Church share a core doctrine of theosis
that most Christians have long since rejected."

Read the article:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2002_Christ_Firstfruits_of_Theosis.html


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Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History
by Margaret Blair Young

In her 2003 FAIR Conference presentation, Young shares many stories of
faithful black Latter-day Saints who shared the trials and burdens of
establishing the Church of Jesus Christ in this dispensation. From the
time of the first black convert in 1832, through the Kirkland and
Nauvoo eras, into the pioneer and Utah colonization period, and up to
the present, black Latter-day Saints have displayed profound courage
and faith in the restored Gospel. Knowing their stories of faith is
critical to understanding the relationship of black Saints to their
white brothers and sisters in the Gospel.

Read the article:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2003_Black_Latter-day_Saints.html


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The ABCs of the Book of Abraham
by Michael Ash and Kevin Barney

The Book of Abraham is one of the more prominent issues raised by
critics of the Church. There are anti-Mormon books and films devoted
entirely to attacking the Book of Abraham, and through it the
prophetic calling of Joseph Smith. The issue is a complicated one,
however, and few Latter-day Saints are familiar enough with the
arguments made on both sides to give a faithful and accurate response
to those who are seeking to tear down the Church.
At the 2004 FAIR Conference, Ash and Barney teamed up to make a special
presentation summarizing the history of the Book of Abraham and the
problems that critics find with the English text relative to the extant
papyri.

Read the article:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2004_ABCs_of_the_Book_of_Abraham.html


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The Message and the Messenger: Latter-day Saints and Freemasonry
by Greg Kearney

A frequent attack against the Church by anti-Mormons involves the LDS
temple ceremonies. Noting similarities between the mechanics of the
endowment and rituals of Freemasonry, critics declare that the LDS
endowment is nothing more than a corrupted Masonic ceremony and cannot
be an inspired or holy sacrament. At the 2004 FAIR Conference,
Kearney, who is both an active Latter-day Saint and an active Mason,
discussed how he views the relationship between the temple endowment
and masonry.

Read the article:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2005_Latter-day_Saints_and_Freemasonry.html


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A Joseph Smith Miscellany
by Richard Bushman

Joseph Smith, as the first prophet of this dispensation, is given an
honored position in the history of the Latter-day Saints. Their
respect and gratitude for his role in God's plan is frequently
attacked and ridiculed by detractors. In his 2005 FAIR Conference
presentation, Bushman discusses how anti-Mormon (and LDS) approaches
to Joseph Smith are often shallow and misguided. Joseph Smith was
complex, he lived in a different cultural environment than we do
today, and it is easy to find fault with some things we have record of
him doing and saying when we compare him to what we think he should
have done or said.

"So we shouldn't be troubled if Joseph Smith is not a perfect
gentleman, and is even offensive to us in some way. I think it's the
nature of prophets that they are idiosyncratic, a little wild, a
little odd even. He was not a gentle self-effacing Saint which we have
some come to believe is the ideal Christian. He was, if I may quote a
phrase, a "rough stone rolling" and frankly I think it is wonderful
that the Lord should work through people like him."

Read the article:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2005_A_Joseph_Smith_Miscellany.html


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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, you may submit it through the FAIR web site.

      http://www.fairlds.org/contact.php

Questions sent to FAIR will be shared with members of FAIR, so it is not 
uncommon to receive several responses that approach the issue from different 
angles.


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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

The following are the Topical Guide updates for the month. In addition

to these new references, about 75 links have been added to the Topical

Guide pointing to completed articles in the FAIR Wiki.

* Kent P. Jackson
     "Joseph Smith's Cooperstown Bible: The Historical Context of the
     Bible Used in the Joseph Smith Translation"

     In October 1829, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery obtained the
     Bible that was later used in the preparation of Joseph Smiths new
     translation of the Holy Scriptures. It was a quarto-size King
     James translation published in 1828 by the H. and E. Phinney
     company of Cooperstown, New York. In this article we will examine
     Joseph Smith's Phinney Bible, the history of the Bible in the
     English language and in America, the roots from which the Phinney
     Bible descended, and the way it was used in the creation of the
     Joseph Smith Translation.

     Smith, Joseph
     http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai057.html

     Scriptures & Influential Writings > Bible > Joseph Smith
         Translation
     http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai102.html

* Richard Lloyd Anderson
     "Joseph Smith's New York Reputation Reappraised"

     The biographer of Joseph Smith's early life will know his subject
     when he relies on sources that know their subject. This truism is
     more obvious in statement than application, for non-Mormon
     biography has not faced the severe limitations of the uniformly
     hostile affidavits taken by a sworn enemy of the Mormon Prophet.
     The image thus obtained is sharply discordant from the Joseph
     Smith documented in the 1830s: a leader of physical prowess and
     vigorous manhood, a profound idealist with spontaneous humor and
     warmth, who displayed personal courage under tremendous odds. A
     similar youth in the 1820s is discovered, not by editing out
     non-Mormon sources, but finding those non-Mormon sources that
     reflect definite contact with Joseph Smith. Such a study shows
     that collecting informed statements about the Prophet will
     produce a substantial favorable judgment.

     Although initial collection of statements against Joseph Smith is
     an oft-told story, its outline is a necessary background for the
     affidavits to be analyzed. D. P. Hurlbut, excommunicated twice by
     LDS tribunals for immorality; became so personally vindictive
     that he was put under a court order restraining him from doing
     harm to the person or property of Joseph Smith. He was next
     "employed" by an anti-Mormon public committee to gather evidence
     to "completely divest Joseph Smith of all claims to the character
     of an honest man." To achieve this goal he traveled to New York
     and procured statements at Palmyra Village, the largest business
     center adjacent to the Smith farm and also at Manchester, the
     rural district that included "Stafford Street." Cornelius
     Stafford, then twenty, later remembered that Hurlbut arrived at
     "our school house and took statements about the bad character of
     the Mormon Smith family, and saw them swear to them."

     The Painesville, Ohio, editor, E. D. Howe, replaced Hurlbut as a
     respectable author, and published the affidavits in Mormonism
     Unvailed(1834), laying the cornerstone of anti-Mormon
     historiography. Howe lived to see the solidity of the edifice,
     observing forty-four years afterward in his memoirs that the book
     "has been the basis of all the histories which have appeared from
     time to time since that period touching that people." More
     accurately, Howe's writing was insignificant, but the
     Palmyra-Manchester affidavits published by him have introduced
     Joseph Smith in every major non-Mormon study from 1834 to the
     present. Yet even supposedly definitive studies display no
     investigation of the individuals behind the Hurlbut statements,
     nor much insight into their community.

     Smith, Joseph > Character
     http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai060.html

* Richard Lloyd Anderson
     "The Mature Joseph Smith and Treasure Searching"

     The past year intensified the study of the Prophet's early life
     because of the release of two "treasure letters" seeming to
     illuminate the pre-Book of Mormon period. The questionable letter
     of Joseph Smith to Josiah Stowell in 1825 has a "clever spirit"
     guarding a treasure hoard. The questionable 1830 letter from
     Martin Harris to William W. Phelps claims that Joseph spoke of a
     salamander and "old spirit" at the hill in 1827, though Joseph's
     real experience could be obscured by such a singular secondhand
     report. Publicity on these documents has stimulated research and
     reevaluation, some of it asserting a lifelong interest of the
     Prophet in paranormal discovery of riches. This paper examines the
     basis of such claims after 1827 and finds them wanting.

     Smith, Joseph > Treasure Digging
     http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai249.html

* Milton V. Backman Jr. and James B. Allen
     "Membership of Certain of Joseph Smith's Family in the Western
     Presbyterian Church of Palmyra"

     When Joseph Smith wrote his personal history in 1838, he said that
     about the time of his first vision, in 1820, four members of his
     family had joined the Presbyterian faith: his mother, Lucy; his
     brothers, Hyrum and Samuel; and his sister Sophronia. Until
     recently Mormon historians have presented little corroborating
     evidence, but an examination of the Presbyterian Church records in
     Palmyra has shown that at least three of the Smiths were part of
     that congregation in 1828, although by that time they had become
     inactive.

     Smith, Joseph > Family and Background
     http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai058.html

* Marvin S. Hill
     "Money-Digging Folklore and the Beginnings of Mormonism: An
     Interpretive Suggestion"

     Over the years, LDS church historians have responded to claims
     that the Mormon movement because as a money-digging speculation
     with accounts that minimize or deny any such connections. It has
     been seemingly assumed until very recently that if Joseph Smith
     believed in and practiced magic to find buried treasure then his
     story of the inspired discovery of the plates of the Book of
     Mormon may be suspect. Needless to say, the recent appearance of
     two letters with gold digging implications gave new life to the
     discussion of Mormon origins in these terms. The first is
     purportedly written by Joseph Smith in 1825 to Josiah Stowell. The
     second is attributed to Martin Harris, written in 1830 to W. W.
     Phelps.

     Smith, Joseph > Treasure Digging
     http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai249.html


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FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE

The FAIR LDS Bookstore is celebrating the hot days of summer with some 
really hot prices. The Bookstore has chosen four great books for the 
hot deals of summer. Remember that when you support the FAIR LDS 
Bookstore you are also supporting FAIR.

You can find these great buys this month when you click "specials" in 
the FAIR Bookstore.

==> "The Savior and the Serpent," by Alonzo L. Gaskill (Deseret Book,
     2005, hardbound, 239 pages, ISBN 1-59038-521-7)

The Fall of Adam and Eve--one of the "three pillars of eternity"--is 
essential to the plan of salvation. And yet, how many of us really 
understand it? In "The Savior and the Serpent," Alonzo L. Gaskill 
explains the purpose of the Fall and its meaning for our lives, for in 
a very real sense, their Fall is the story of our fall.

You can purchase this book for $13.27, 30% off its retail price. It is 
regularly priced $18.95.)

==> "Investigating the Book of Mormon Witness," by Richard Lloyd
     Anderson (Deseret Book, 1981, paperbook, 206 pages,
     ISBN: 0-87579-242-1)

Published in every edition of the Book of Mormon are testimonies of 
eight witnesses who saw the metal plates from which the Prophet Joseph 
Smith translated the ancient scriptural account and of three witnesses 
who not only say the plates but who were shown them by an angel. Who 
were these witnesses? Can we take their testimonies seriously?

You can purchase this must-have classic book for $9.77, 30% off its 
retail price. (It is regularly $13.95.)

==> "Organize My Kingdom: A History of Restored Priesthood," by John
     A. Tvedtnes (Cornerstone Publishing, 2000, paperbook, 320 pages,
     ISBN 1-929281-08-0)

A detailed examination of the government of God--the priesthood 
organization of the Church--from the very beginning of the Restoration 
to the present day.

You can purchase this book for $11.87, 30% off its retail price. (It 
is regularly priced at $16.95.)

==> "A Latter-Day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament," by Ellis T.
     Rasmussen (Deseret Book, 1993, paperbook, 718 pages,
     ISBN 1-57008-788-1)

Who hasn't yearned for a reliable guide while exploring the 
scriptures--especially when lost in the bewildering landscape of the 
Old Testament, where there is much to wonder about?

In this commentary Ellis T. Rasmussen ably guides us through a reading 
of the Old Testament. His explanations will be welcomed by those 
taking a tentative first step into the ancient writings. They will 
also be welcomed by more seasoned travelers.

You can purchase this book for $15.37, 30% off its retail price. (It 
is regularly priced at $21.95.)

To see all of our specials in one place, visit this special page:

      http://store.fairlds.org/specials.html

Thanks for your continued support of the FAIR Bookstore.

- 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, clearly
identify that your source was FAIR, and add a link to the FAIR Web
site (www.fairlds.org).


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

For past issues of the FAIR Journal, go to

     http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Journal

	  
--------------------------------
Copyright (c) 2006 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and
Research (FAIR). All rights reserved.

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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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