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.

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THE FAIR JOURNAL                                             July 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
      right around the corner, preparations are moving quickly to
      make sure that everyone has a great time.

    * FAIR CONFERENCE AUCTION. A tradition at our annual conference,
      the auction brings together some great deals and some
      interesting items.

    * PRESS RELEASE. A short press release you can share with family,
      friends, and anyone else interested in the conference.

    * CONFERENCE HOUSING. Need a place to stay when you come to the
      FAIR Conference? A great choice is our official hotel, just
      minutes from the South Towne Expo Center.

    * GERMAN WEBSITE. We are pleased to announce the official launch
      of the German-language FAIR Web site. In addition, we've
      included selections from the first German FAIR newsletter that
      just went out.

    * 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.

    * 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

As we prepare for our annual conference in Sandy Utah on August 3 and
4, we decided to send out the FAIR Journal now instead of waiting
until the end of the month. Right before the conference is the busiest
time of year for our FAIR volunteers, and many of our Journal
subscribers will be traveling to Utah at that time. We wanted to make
sure everyone had the conference information prior to the conference,
and we wanted to announce our new German language web site that just
went live.

If you have not already done so, sign up now for the FAIR conference.
We have an outstanding lineup of speakers that will be covering
exciting topics. You really won't want to miss this.

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

As always, we will set up a bookstore at the conference with great
deals and specials.


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FAIR CONFERENCE AUCTION

As in years past, we will have an auction table to auction off
interesting used books, so bring your used LDS or even anti-LDS books
to the conference to donate to the auction table.


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PRESS RELEASE

We sent out the following press release on the conference. Feel free
to share this with your friends. You may also wish to download and
post the FAIR publicity poster which you can find here:

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

Here is the press release:

MORMON APOLOGETICS GROUP TO MEET

SALT LAKE CITY - The Foundation for Apologetic Information and
Research (FAIR), will be sponsoring its annual conference at the South
Towne Exposition Center located at 9575 South State Street in Sandy,
Utah, on August 3 - 4, 2006 from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm each day.

Speakers will address various topics defending Latter-day Saint
doctrine, history and practice including the legal trials of Joseph
Smith, DNA and the Book of Mormon, Mark Hofmann's Mormon document
forgeries, the Book of Abraham, New World evidences of Book of Mormon
historicity, reflections on race and the restored gospel, linguistic
connections between the Middle East and the Americas, and other
issues.

The public is invited to attend the conference. More information is
available at www.fairlds.org.

FAIR is an independent organization dedicated to defending the LDS
faith through sound research and logic. FAIR is not affiliated with
nor do they receive support from The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. FAIR is made up of independent researchers who are
both members and non-members of the LDS Church.


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CONFERENCE HOUSING 

We have reserved a block of rooms with the Best Western Cotton Tree in
Sandy, Utah, for those who are traveling to the conference. To reserve
your room call 801-523-8484 or call 800-662-6886 and tell them you
want one of the rooms has been reserved for FAIR. If you don't tell
them you are with FAIR, they will tell you they're sold out--as the
rest of the hotel is sold out. You are also free to stay in any of the
other hotels in the area, but make your reservation now as there are
other conferences that weekend as well, and rooms are going fast.


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GERMAN WEB SITE

We are excited to announce our German language web site at:

   http://www.deutsch.fairlds.org/

We also have a German language FAIR Journal which we have named the
FAIR Newsletter. To sign up for future issues of the FAIR Newsletter
(in German) go to the following link:

   http://www.deutsch.fairlds.org/JoinFAIR/FAIRNewsletter.html

We have a German language FAIR apologetics group as well. This is a
mirror image of our English speaking volunteer Group. If you would
like to join that group, go to the following link:

   http://www.deutsch.fairlds.org/JoinFAIR/FAIRMitgliederliste.html

If you speak German, we can certainly use your help translating
articles into German. Feel free to translate the English-language
article that interests you and send it to us in an e-mail to our
project director, Rene Krywult at rene.krywult@aon.at or to me, Scott
Gordon, through the FAIR contact page:

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

We would like to do the same thing in other languages. So if you speak
Spanish, Portuguese, or another language and would like to assist in
this effort, please contact me through the above contact page. We move
very slowly as we are in all-volunteer organization. But we are always
looking for more volunteers who can enthusiastically get the work
done.

For those who are able to read German, here is a selection from the
first German language FAIR Newsletter:

===============================================
FAIR NEWSLETTER Juli 2006
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research
----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Unter Apologetik [..] versteht man die Verteidigung einer 
   (Welt-) Anschauung, insbesondere die wissenschaftliche 
   Rechtfertigung von Glaubens-Lehrsätzen, und den Teilbereich 
   der Theologie, in dem man sich mit der 
   wissenschaftlich-rationalen Absicherung des Glaubens befasst.
   [..]
   Während es die Funktionen der Apologetik als vernunftgemäße
   Verteidigung des eigenen Glaubens und der eigenen Weltanschauung
   auch in vielen anderen Religionen und Weltanschauungen gibt, wird
   die Bezeichnung Apologetik gewöhnlich nur für die Verteidigung des
   christlichen Glaubens verwendet. 
   http://www.wikipedia.de - Stand 10.07.2006

IN DIESER AUSGABE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  * BOTSCHAFT DES PRÄSIDENTEN – FAIR für Deutschland, Österreich und
    die Schweiz geht online
  * FAIR KONFERENZ. Die 8. FAIR Konferenz findet dieses Jahr in Sandy,
    Utah statt.
  * NEU AUF DER WEBSITE: Gott hat einen Körper (von Barry Bickmore)
  * NEU AUF DER WEBSITE: Beweise für das Buch Mormon (von Dr. Daniel
    C. Peterson)
  * NEU AUF DER WEBSITE: Ewiger Fortschritt (von Stephen E. Robinson)
  * NEU AUF DER WEBSITE: Behauptet die Bibel, unfehlbar zu sein? (vo
    Barry Bickmore).

------------------------------
BOTSCHAFT DES PRÄSIDENTEN

Vielleicht haben Sie es schon selbst erlebt: Ein Zeitungsartikel oder
eine Fernsehsendung bringt „Informationen“ über die Kirche Jesu
Christi der Heiligen der Letzten Tage in ein unvorteilhaftes Licht
setzen. In so einem Fall warten wir oft darauf, daß die
PR/PA-Beauftragten der Kirche den Fehler korrigieren. Aber was tut
man, wenn man auf ein Buch stößt, oder ein eMail zugesendet bekommt,
das „Enthüllungen“ über den Mormonismus verheißt? Was, wenn man selbst
Fragen hat, die man nicht beantworten kann, weil einem die Fakten
fehlen?

So ging es dieser Tage einigen JAEs, die von einem gewissen Manfred
Trzoska angeschrieben wurden, der sie als „Freunde der Wahrheit“
bezeichnete, nur um dann zu behaupten, die Kirche Jesu Christi der
Heiligen der Letzten Tage informiere nicht aufrichtig, sondern gebe
nur gefilterte, zensierte und gefälschte Informationen weiter. Er
macht Werbung für die älteste antimormonische Website im
Deutschsprachigen Raum und für seine Übersetzungen von
antimormonischen Schriften, Großteils aus dem ersten Viertel des 20.
Jahrhunderts.

Ist da was Wahres dran? Fälscht die Kirche Informationen? Betreibt sie
Zensur? Was ist die Wahrheit?

Hier kommt FAIR ins Spiel: Es ist unser Auftrag, die Angriffe, die
gegen die Lehren, die Glaubenspraxis und die Führer der Kirche Jesu
Christi der Heiligen der Letzten Tage gerichtet sind, mit gut
dokumentierten, leicht lesbaren Texten zu widerlegen.

FAIR verwendet dazu aktuelle Wissenschaft, Kirchenlehren, historische
Literatur und gesunde Logik, um solide Antworten zu geben.

Wir sehen unsere Aufgabe nicht darin, andere Gemeinschaften oder
Personen anzugreifen, sondern wir bieten verläßliche Informationen an.

FAIR wurde 1997 in den USA gegründet, heute hat unsere Organisation
über 300 aktive Mitglieder. Mit dem 10. Juli 2006 ist auch unsere
Deutsche Website verfügbar, die von treuen Kirchenmitgliedern aus
Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz geführt wird. Das FAIR
Journal, die englischsprachige Ausgabe des FAIR Newsletters, hat
derzeit über 7000 Abonnenten. 

Das Deutschsprachige Projekt fängt klein an: Mit vier eigenen Artikeln
und einigen von FARMS, BYU. Natürlich wächst unsere Artikeldatenbank
(der Themenführer) mit der Zeit. Manche Artikel werden aus dem
Englischen übersetzt (sie stammen von http://www.fairlds.org , unserer
englischsprachigen Site), andere werden von unseren Mitgliedern
geschrieben.

Sollten Sie auf unserer Site die gewünschte Antwort nicht finden,
schreiben Sie uns doch ihre Frage: fragen@fairlds.org. Die Mitglieder
unserer Apologetenliste werden sich um eine Antwort für Sie bemühen.

Selbstverständlich wird Ihre eMail vertraulich behandelt.

Hinweisen möchte ich noch auf unsere jährliche FAIR Konferenz. Sie
findet nun schon das achte Mal statt, und ich bin mir sicher, dass sie
auch dieses Jahr ein Erlebnis wird.

Dieses Jahr sprechen Wayne Arnett, Mike Ash, Joseph Bentley, Matthew
Brown, Claudia Bushman, Brant Gardner, Brian Hauglid, Marcus Martins,
Steve Mayfield, Kim Östman, Dan Peterson, Matt Roper, David Stewart,
Brian Stubbs, George Throckmorton, und Allen Wyatt zu uns (Eine
Beschreibung der Sprecher und ihrer Themen finden Sie hier:
http://www.fairlds.org/conf06b.html).

Allgemeine Informationen über die Konferenz erhalten Sie hier:

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

Wir wünschen Ihnen viel Vergnügen und Erbauung beim Besuch unserer
Site und hoffen, Sie bei unserer Konferenz willkommen zu heißen.

--Scott Gordon
  Präsident, 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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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


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FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE

The FAIR LDS Bookstore is busy getting ready for the year's biggest
event--the bookstore at the annual FAIR Conference. When you come to the
conference, stop by the bookstore and take advantage of some great deals.

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.

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.

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.

If you like what FAIR does and you agree with our mission, we invite you to support FAIR in any way you are able. You can make a donation, or visit our Membership page for additional support ideas. FAIR only succeeds through the efforts of our gracious volunteers.

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