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                                             June 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 considers the impact
      of Latter-day Saints running for public office.

    * 2007 FAIR CONFERENCE. The 2007 FAIR Conference has been
      announced and the speaker list has been finalized.

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

    * RESOURCES ON THE WEB. Ken Jennings recently blogged about
      gratuitous pot-shots taken at LDS beliefs and practices. In
      addition, the Church has pre-published an interesting
      article about the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

    * 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 WIKI. The FAIR Wiki is an excellent resource for someone
      looking for a summary of an issue and for pointers to more
      detailed information. Check out the highlighted FAIR Wiki entry
      of the month.

    * FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE. Getting ready for the upcoming FAIR
      Conference is hard work, but well worth it. Check out offerings
      from previous FAIR Conferences available at the 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
Politics and Mormonism

With Mitt Romney running for president of the United States, and with
Harry Reid as the leader in the US Senate, Mormonism is coming more
and more into the public eye. We even see it coming into the popular
culture with television, movies, theater, books, and magazines
focusing on what Mormons do and don't believe. Questions are being
asked, such as

   * Are Mormons trustworthy?
   * Are Mormons secretive?
   * Do Mormons take their marching orders from Salt Lake?
   * Are Mormons willing to be suicide bombers or drink poison-laced
     Kool-Aid?
   * And what is it about that Mormon underwear?

Usually, I find my faith very distorted in these various articles and
events. But I welcome the articles since it invites discussion and
often increases understanding. I have a hard time blaming the
journalists and writers for inaccuracies because their source
information is so polarized it is difficult to separate out the good
from the bad. I feel bad for many journalists. Often what they write
gets jumped on immediately by well-meaning Latter-day Saints who are
sure the journalists have an agenda to attack the Church, even though
that is seldom true.

With that in mind, I wanted to point out two excellent articles that
help us deal with Mormonism in the public square. The first one is an
interview on The Pew Forum with LDS historian Richard Bushman and a
number of Journalists. It is well worth reading. It is titled
Mormonism and Democratic Politics: Are They Compatible? and can be
found at

    http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=148

The second article is an extremely important statement put out by the
Church concerning Mormon doctrine. You can read it here:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s224

I especially liked the following three comments:

   "Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present,
   necessarily constitutes doctrine."

   "Some doctrines are more important than others and might be
   considered core doctrines."

   "The mistake that public commentators often make is taking an
   obscure teaching that is peripheral to the Church's purpose and
   placing it at the very center. This is especially common among
   reporters or researchers who rely on how other Christians interpret
   Latter-day Saint doctrine."

It has been my observation that we all interpret data through the
lenses of our own belief and experience. This is true if we are
talking about political, scientific, historical, or religious issues.
So, for example, while LDS view the Bible as a sacred text, the idea
that it isn't perfect is seen as an attack on the Bible by those
individuals who hold it as the inerrant word of God. As we talk about
following modern prophets, others think about so-called prophets such
as Jim Jones who demand absolute compliance. This lens of belief makes
it very difficult for journalists, authors, and screenwriters to see
us as anything but a distorted reflection of their own beliefs, or if
they don't see immediate similarities, a completely alien faith. We
must work hard to build bridges and reflect our faith accurately.

Finally, as a reminder, the Church has made many statements on
political neutrality.

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s225

Hopefully the political discussions on Romney and Reid don't become a
referendum on Mormonism in the press, or a firestorm of contention in
our own pews. In any case, it looks like politics may be bringing
Mormonism out of obscurity.

--Scott Gordon
  President


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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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2007 FAIR Conference

Now is the time to sign up for the FAIR conference!

We always have a great time at the conference. You can meet the
various scholars and have them sign their books for you. Of course, we
conveniently sell the speakers' books at the conference. It is
Thursday, August 2, and Friday August 3 from 8-5. Lunch is included.

Due to some conflicts we do have one change in our speaker lineup.
Brian Hauglid won't be able to make it to the conference this year,
but we have already agreed to schedule him for next year's conference.
In his place we will have the eminently qualified Egyptologist Dr.
John Gee. He will be talking about the Book of Abraham with a
presentation titled "Papyri and Puzzles."

Sign up for the FAIR conference here:

    http://www.fairlds.org/conf07a.html

Please help us promote the FAIR conference. We are a non-profit
organization which relies on the donations and good will of others. We
work hard to make the conference affordable, but what we charge
doesn't fully cover the costs. So we hope that others will help us to
promote the event. You can download a poster of the conference here.

    http://www.fairlds.org/conf07f.pdf

If you are able, please put it on your bulletin board at church or in
another place where it may be seen by people who may be interested in
attending. Please only post the poster where it is lawful.

If you like the presentations and conferences that we sponsor, you can
make a donation to FAIR here:

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

Mark your calendars now!


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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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RESOURCES ON THE WEB

Anyone who pays attention to references by traditional and online
media to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knows that
the Church is frequently treated as fair game for all kinds of
ridicule and attacks, often in ways that would be considered socially
unacceptable if carried out against other religions or ethnic groups.
In his blog, Ken Jennings comments on this unfortunate phenomenon and
gives examples where this kind of treatment has occurred.

    http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?p=414

The Church has added a new article written by Richard Turley on their
Web site with a clear explanation of the Mountain Meadows Massacre and
the events leading up to it. You can find that article here:

   http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s226

Brother Turley will be one the featured speakers at our FAIR
Conference in August. Sign up now to learn more.



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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.

* John Gee
    "Eyewitness, Hearsay, and Physical Evidence of the Joseph Smith
    Papyri"

    Egyptologist Dr. John Gee examines what we know about the
    translation of the Joseph Smith Papyri.

    Scriptures and Influential Writings > Pearl of Great Price >
        Book of Abraham
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai125.html

* Daniel C. Peterson
    "'Ye Are Gods': Psalm 82 and John 10 as Witnesses to the Divine
    Nature of Humankind"

    Dr. Daniel Peterson shows how the LDS belief in a divine council
    is as home in the Bible.

    Doctrinal Issues > Plan of Salvation > Premortal Life
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai005.html

    Doctrinal Issues > Afterlife > Deification
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai011.html

* Neal A. Maxwell
    "By the Gift and Power of God"

    Elder Maxwell discusses the translation of the Book of Mormon.

    Book of Mormon > Translation Process
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai120.html

* John Gee, William Hamblin, Daniel Peterson
    "'And I Saw the Stars': The Book of Abraham and Ancient Geocentric
    Astronomy"

    Drs. Gee, Hamblin, and Peterson make a compelling argument that
    the Book of Abraham's view of astronomy fits neatly into way seen
    by the ancient world and is contrary to how Joseph Smith would
    have understood the cosmos in his day.

    Scriptures and Influential Writings > Pearl of Great Price >
        Book of Abraham
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai125.html

* Kevin L. Barney
    "The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources"

    While there seems to be a disconnect between Egyptological
    interpretations of the Book of Abraham facsimilies and what Joseph
    Smith gave us, Kevin Barney argues that we need, instead, to
    understand how early Jews would have understood the facsimiles
    during the period when the Joseph Smith Papyri was produced.

    Scripture and Influential Writings > Pearl of Great Price >
       Book of Abraham
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai125.html

Book Reviews
    "Joseph Smith: Making of a Prophet" by Dan Vogel
    Reviews by: Alan Goff; Andrew H. Hedges and Dawson W. Hedges;
       Larry E. Morris; Kyle Walker

    "Under the Banner of Heaven" by John Krakauer
    Reviews by: Craig L. Foster; Richard E. Turley, Jr.

    Reviews
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai186.html


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FAIR WIKI

The FAIR Wiki project was started in 2006 to provide a more flexible
and searchable resource for Latter-day Saints and others to get
answers to Gospel questions. The Wiki is by design always a "work in
progress," with many editors at FAIR contributing to articles on a
daily basis. You can access the FAIR Wiki at:

    http://www.fairwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page

This month we would like to highlight the wiki entries on the First
Vision.

    http://www.fairwiki.org/index.php/First_Vision_accounts

The First Vision has become a favorite issue for critics of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph Smith recounted his
experiences a number of times over the decades following this vision,
and he did not use the same words in each retelling. Critics have
spent a great deal of effort contrasting every known version of the
First Vision story and have argued against its authenticity because of
discrepancies that they claim prove that Joseph had made up the
experience.

The FAIR Wiki entry responds to almost every known argument against
the First Vision. This is an excellent resource for someone who needs
to know more about the First Vision accounts and who needs to defend
this foundational event in LDS history.

Thank you for all of the positive comments about our review of the
Search for the Truth DVD. We have received several requests to put the
review into one file for downloading or for printing. We have taken
your suggestion and created a PDF version of the review here

   http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s227


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FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE

The volunteers at the FAIR Bookstore are busy getting things ready
for the upcoming FAIR Conference. In preparation for the conference,
you may want to take a look at some of the audios and videos
available from conferences in previous years. We have a full
selection available here:

   http://store.fairlds.org/bi076.html

You'll find presentations available from a wide variety of people,
including Richard Bushman, Matthew Brown, Davis Bitton, Dan Petersen,  
Brant Gardner, John Clark, Roger Keller, and a host of others. Check
out what is available; it is a great way to get ready for this year's
conference!

- 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).


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FAIR JOURNAL ARCHIVES

For past issues of the FAIR Journal, go to

     http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/journal

--------------------------------
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.

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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Last Updated July 16, 2007
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