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The FAIR JournalThe 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 April 2007
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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 reflects on Easter and
apologetics.
* 2007 FAIR CONFERENCE. The 2007 FAIR Conference has been
announced and you can now get tickets.
* LAWSUIT UPDATE. A federal judge throws out the lawsuit
against FAIR, but an anti-Mormon ministry presses on.
* ANTI-MORMON DVD. FAIR volunteers work hard to formulate a
response to a new anti-Mormon video, and responds with some
of their own video.
* ASK THE APOLOGIST. Got a question you are dying to ask? Here's
how.
* FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE. Due to a recent move, the LDS Bookstore
will postpone its March specials until April.
* 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
During April we, along with all other Christians, celebrate Easter. It
is at this time of the year we think about the Atonement and
resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In October Conference, 2006,
Elder Dallin Oaks spoke about this and reminded us of what it means to
have a Savior. He said:
The Savior said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).
Many carry heavy burdens. Some have lost a loved one to death or
care for one who is disabled. Some have been wounded by divorce.
Others yearn for an eternal marriage. Some are caught in the grip
of addictive substances or practices like alcohol, tobacco, drugs,
or pornography. Others have crippling physical or mental
impairments. Some are challenged by same-gender attraction. Some
have terrible feelings of depression or inadequacy. In one way or
another, many are heavy laden.
To each of us our Savior gives this loving invitation: "Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly
in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).
You can read Elder Oaks' entire talk here:
http://tinyurl.com/2j43vp
Sometimes those of us who participate in apologetics get caught up in
the thrill of the argument. It sometimes becomes more important to us
to make our point, or win the discussion, than it is sincerely discuss
our differences and try to understand each other. This can happen to
both LDS and non-LDS.
There is one particular type of anti-Mormon who is very caught up in
the thrill of the fight. In their efforts to save us from the
falsehoods of Mormonism, they insult and offend, then are surprised
to find us not beating down their doors to leave Mormonism and join
them. This type of anti-Mormonism ranges from making up and changing
quotes in their material, to standing outside of temples and
conference buildings and calling our wives, daughters and sisters
"whores." I have to ask myself if Jesus would ever do that. I don't
recall him ever belittling any common believers. I suppose I should
be thankful for this type of anti-Mormon, as it gives an easy foil
for apologetics. I can't imagine this brand of anti-Mormonism ever
being effective at converting or deconverting.
I hope we never fall into the same trap. I hope we always treat our
differences with curiosity and not disdain. I hope we always welcome
members who struggle with the commandments, and I hope we always
remember the Savior in our conversations.
--Scott Gordon
President
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2007 FAIR CONFERENCE
On Thursday August 2 and Friday August 3 we will be holding our annual
FAIR Conference at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.
Some of our excellent speakers this year include:
* Richard Turley. Richard has recently been involved with new
studies and a book on the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He has
discovered new information on this tragic event.
* Steven L. Olsen. Assistant managing director of the Family and
Church History Department, Steven will be discussing "Are the
Church Archives Closed?" Is there really a top-secret collection
of Church historical documents that casts doubt on the
beginnings of the Church? Can Church history really be studied
or do we just get the whitewashed version?
* Larry Morris. Writer and editor with FARMS, Larry will be
speaking on "The Cowdery Controversies." This will include many
of the questions related to Oliver Cowdery including issues of
Book of Mormon production, his testimony and his witness.
* Brian Hauglid. Brian will be speaking on "Whence the Book of
Abraham? A Case Study for Re-Thinking LDS Apologetics." The Book
of Abraham is often the subject of apologetic questions and
Brian hopes to answer some of those questions for the believer.
* John L. Sorenson. Professor emeritus of anthropology at BYU,
Dr. Sorenson will be talking about the Book of Mormon and "The
Trajectory of Book of Mormon Studies." John is well known for
his trailblazing studies in the Book of Mormon, including the
theoretical mapping of Book of Mormon locations.
* David Bokovoy. With degrees in near-eastern and Judaic studies,
David will be speaking on that great Book of Mormon mystery:
understanding Isaiah. His presentation is titled "Isaiah in the
Book of Mormon: The Things of Joseph and the Things of the Jews."
* Craig Foster and Steven Mayfield will be speaking on the history
of anti-Mormon protestors.
* Terryl Givens. Terryl is the acclaimed author of two classic
apologetic books that every LDS household should own: "By the
Hand of Mormon" and "The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and
the Construction of Heresy." He will be speaking on understanding
outside traditions on the pre-existence.
* Blake Ostler. A returning presenter for FAIR, Blake will be
speaking on spiritual experiences as the basis for belief and
commitment.
This is just a small sampling. There will be others speaking, as well.
(We wouldn't dream of leaving out Dan Peterson.) We are also planning
a panel discussion on the future of anti-Mormonism. Of course, at this
early date we must include the disclaimer that speakers and talk
titles are not guaranteed and are subject to change.
This year’s conference is not one to be missed. The regular price to
attend this two-day conference is $59.95, but to encourage people to
sign up early (and to keep our volunteers from having a heart attack
trying to handle last minute sign-ups), you can register for only
$49.95 between now and the end of May. This earlybird registration fee
is a non-refundable donation, allowing you to attend all sessions on
both days for a discounted price. You can find out more information
about signing up here:
http://www.fairlds.org/conf07a.html
Mark your calendars now! We look forward to seeing you at the
conference!
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LAWSUIT UPDATE
We were very happy to learn within the past month that the lawsuit
filed against FAIR by Utah Lighthouse Ministries was dismissed, with
prejudice, by a federal district judge. A very simplified explanation
of the lawsuit is as follows. (Those who are following this case,
please don't write in and criticize this explanation. It is difficult
to summarize many pages of legal text into a paragraph or two.)
The suit was based on one of our FAIR volunteers creating a Website
that was a parody of the Utah Lighthouse Ministries Website, poking
fun at the efforts of the Tanners and providing links to information
critical of their work. Only 25% of the links on the site pointed to
articles at FAIR, with the majority pointing to articles at FARMS.
The Website was the work of a FAIR volunteer and not part of the
efforts of FAIR. Utah Lighthouse Ministries made the claim that
because the Website's author was a volunteer with FAIR and because
FAIR had an online bookstore, the volunteer's Website didn't fall
under protected speech, but rather under commercial speech. This,
according to the ministry, resulted in trademark infringement.
The issues raised in this case were new territory for the Tenth
Circuit federal court. After examining all the evidence and hearing
all the arguments, the court ruled that there was no commercial use
for the volunteer's Website, that links to FAIR didn't make it
commercial, and that there was no infringement. Consistent with
rulings elsewhere in the country, the judge threw out the lawsuit
and ruled on all points in favor of the defendants, including FAIR.
You can read the court's full decision in the PDF file at this
address:
http://www.fairlds.org/Decision.pdf
Being involved in such a lawsuit for the last two years has not been
fun. It is tiring and grating to be the brunt of such malicious
actions. And when all is said and done, this lawsuit appeared to be
nothing but a way to silence critics of Utah Lighthouse Ministries
and to shut down FAIR. While admitting all along that they suffered
negligible or no monetary damages, the Tanners said early in the
lawsuit that they would settle if FAIR paid them over $60,000 and
admitted guilt. For an all-volunteer organization like FAIR, such a
settlement would be tantamount to dissolving the organization, a fact
that the Tanners' attorney stated he had no problem with.
Even though the judge ruled in favor of the defendants and against
Utah Lighthouse Ministries, it doesn't look like Sandra Tanner is
finished. Rather than practice the Christian creed that they preach,
last week Utah Lighthouse Ministries formally filed a notice of intent
to appeal to the full Tenth Circuit court in Denver.
What is almost surreal in this case is that Utah Lighthouse Ministry
is suing FAIR for trademark infringement, a practice they seem to have
no problem with doing themselves. The LDS Church owns the trademark to
"Book of Mormon," but http://www.bookofmormon.com is owned by Utah
Lighthouse Ministries and redirects to their Website. It is not a parody
or a critique; it is a direct and permanent redirect of a trademarked
term to their own site, which they readily admit *is* a commercial site.
This lawsuit by Utah Lighthouse ministries follows in the wake of
earlier suits filed by Walter Martin against the LDS Church and Kurt
Van Gordon against FARMS and SHIELDS. The Tanners seem to be following
what is becoming a regular pattern among some anti-Mormons: When you
can't win in the court of public opinion, try to silence your critics
in a court of law.
Evidence discovered during the course of the lawsuit indicates that
the Tanners received over $30,000 in donations within a few months of
filing their lawsuit. We haven't asked for any donations, but if
anyone would like to support FAIR as we move through the upcoming
appeals process, we certainly wouldn't turn away such tax-deductible
generosity.
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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
You can also contact FAIR via the U.S. Postal Service using the
following address. (NOTE: This is a new mailing address for FAIR.)
FAIR
P.O. Box 491677
Redding, CA 96049-1677
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ANTI-MORMON DVD
We are very happy with the response our volunteers put together on the
new anti-Mormon Joseph Smith video that is being distributed around
the country. It was amazing to watch the selfless work done by people
at http://www.JosephSmithDVD.org.
Volunteers spent time going through the DVD point by point and writing
responses. Then others looked at their answers and spent time editing
and making improvements. Many, many hours were put in by our volunteer
team. All of this was done in a very short time period. This was quite
a selfless effort.
Additionally, many more questions came into the FAIR Website because
of this DVD. Again, our volunteers spent time writing answers to the
questions. We are very grateful for the efforts of the FAIR members.
Our response was included in several news reports and is even
referenced on the LDS church Website as an outside source.
You can also find a video response to some of the issues raised in
the anti-Mormon video at this URL:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3834802585534874400&hl=en
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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 LDS BOOKSTORE
The FAIR LDS Bookstore is now relocated and all in one place. With
this change we now will be able to offer you better service. The
bookstore has chosen three great books for this month special.
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.
==> "Shared Beliefs, Honest Differences," by Dwight E. Monson (Horizon
1998, hardbound, 240 pages, ISBN 0-882-90633-X)
"Shared Beliefs, Honest Differences” covers a broad spectrum of
religious doctrines. It deals with both contrasts and similarities
between Mormon and Evangelical beliefs providing a viable basis for
communication between those of differing faiths.
Important biblical teachings dealing with "saving grace" and "good
works" are thoroughly covered. The author presents the requirements
for salvation, pointing out the areas of agreement among all
Christians and the core differences in doctrine between LDS teachings
and those of other denominations.
The final chapter presents the importance of revelation through
prophets, both in the Bible and other writings. The stature of the
Bible relative to other scriptures is discussed, and the author shows
that living prophets and ongoing revelation indeed exist.
You can purchase this book for $13.99, 30% off its retail price. It is
regularly $19.98.
==> "Oliver Cowdery Scribe, Elder, Witness," edited by John W. Welch
and Larry E. Morris (Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious
Scholarship, 2006, paperbook, 436 pages, ISBN: 978-0-8425-2661-6)
Oliver Cowdery's life stands as a testimony of the restored gospel of
Christ. This volume, which includes an award-winning article on the
return of the Second Elder, helps readers understand and appreciate
the remarkable Oliver Cowdery, renowned as Book of Mormon scribe,
recipient with Joseph of restored priesthood power, witness with
David Whitmer and Martin Harris of the visit of Moroni, and cofounder
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
You can purchase this book for $13.99, 30% off its retail price. It is
regularly $19.95.
==> "I Have an Answer," by Dr. David Pressley Bowman (Cedar Fort,
2003, paperbook, 308 pages, ISBN 1-55517-708-5)
There are times when well-meaning non-LDS neighbors and friends ask
questions about the Church. "I Have an Answer" is the perfect resource
to provide the answers they are seeking on dozens of subjects. The
book is also a valuable aid for members and missionaries to strengthen
their testimonies of the restored gospel.
Written in a smooth, easy-to-read style and organized alphabetically,
this book is a must for every LDS family seeking greater understanding
of Christ's gospel.
You can purchase this book for $13.99, 30% off its retail price. It is
regularly priced at $19.95.
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 Web site. 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,
by going to
http://www.fairlds.org/contact.php
An appropriate article would be one that affirms the truthfulness of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While LDS apologetics involves refuting critics of the Church, its
doctrines, and its leaders, articles don't necessarily have to deal
with anti-Mormonism. FAIR will consider articles that deal with new
evidence of the Book of Mormon, scriptural passages that involve a
unique LDS interpretation, a viewpoint or quote from the early
Christian Fathers or other historical figures, an inspiring missionary
story, Church history, a view on a current event related to the
Church, or a piece from an 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 "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 by going to
http://www.fairlds.org/contact.php
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/pubs/journal
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Copyright (c) 2007 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.
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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. 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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