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THE FAIR JOURNAL                                           August 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. FAIR President Scott Gordon recaps 
    this year's conference and comments on the recently released movie 
    "September Dawn."

  * RESOURCES ON THE WEB. The recent release of "September Dawn" has 
    been overwhelmingly rejected by critics as inaccurate, biased, and 
    polemic in nature and tone.

  * RESOURCES ON THE WEB. Laurie Maffly-Kipp discusses how Mormon 
    doctrines and attitudes affect LDS approaches to political issues.

  * 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 WIKI. The FAIR Wiki is an excellent resource for someone 
    looking for a summary of an issue and for pointers to more 
    detailed information.

  * FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE. Expand your libary with this month's specials 
    in 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

We completed another FAIR Conference with record attendance and a 
wonderful group of speakers. The Church News covered the conference in 
its August 11 edition with excellent summaries of a few of the talks.

FAIR volunteers put in many hours to ensure everything went as
planned. Now they are working trying to put the talks into a format
that can be shared over the Internet.

We had many returning visitors to the conference. This was the second 
year in a row that Clive Glenister came from the UK to attend, and 
there were many more like Clive. The pattern seems to be that once 
people attend the FAIR Conference they want to come back. Several 
people at the conference were on a first-name basis even though they 
live thousands of miles away and see each other only once a year. We 
had conference attendees from England, France, Sweden, Canada, and 
many different states in the US.

One first-year attendee reported, "The FAIR Conference is better than 
BYU Education Week, because it isn't just light stuff. It goes beyond 
what you would find in a Sunday School manual."

You can read the Deseret News article on the FAIR Conference here:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s239

You can read the Deseret news article on the video "Nobody Knows: The 
Untold Story of Black Mormons" that was shown at the FAIR Conference 
here:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s240

The Daily Herald's article on the FAIR Conference can be read here:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s241

We have already started working towards next year's conference, so 
mark your calendars. We are planning the 2008 FAIR Conference for the 
first Thursday and Friday in August, August 7 and 8. It will be well 
worth your time.

--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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RESOURCES ON THE WEB: CRITICS RESPOND TO "SEPTEMBER DAWN"

September Dawn, the long-promised movie which uses the Mountain
Meadows Massacre as a backdrop, was finally released into theaters
this past week, and the majority of the reviews are not kind.

"Zero stars" says Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid (24 
August 2007). "If the Western genre is struggling, it's because of 
terrible movies like this one."

Jack Matthews of the New York Daily News (24 August 2007) 
writes,"...disturbingly awful... 'September Dawn,' written by an 
evangelical Christian, may be the worst historical drama ever made."

Richard Nielson of The Arizona Republic (24 August 2007) writes, 
"Mormons no doubt will feel personally attacked, and they should."

Brett Register of the Orlando Weekly (23 August 2007) writes, "The 
jarring MTV-style filmmaking is so distracting and the 'messaging' so 
unsubtle that after two long hours you find yourself leaving the 
theater with a massive headache, wondering when you started to hate 
Mormons."

The film review Web site Rotten Tomatoes includes the following 
comments by critics.

  * [Director Cain] stops short of calling Osama bin Laden a Mormon 
    sympathizer, but maybe that'll be on the DVD. (Adam Graham, 
    Detroit News)
    
  * September Dawn has the ham-fisted lyricism of political ads and 
    pharmaceutical commercials. (J. Hoberman, Village Voice)
    
  * It's a toss-up as to whether September Dawn is more offensive as 
    history, as allegory or simply as lousy self-important filmmaking. 
    (Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress)
    
  * Cain has co-written and directed a film that only the most bigoted 
    of Mormon detractors could enjoy. Most viewers, if any are willing 
    to part with their money or time, will simply laugh derisively. 
    (Dan Lybarger, Efilmcritic.com)
    
  * It has the chilling certitude of the self-righteous. (Roger Moore, 
    Orlando Sentinel)
    
  * Forget Grindhouse. September Dawn is the year's first 
    honest-to-goodness exploitation flick. (Nick Schager, Slant 
    Magazine)

The film's badness has given critics a wonderful target for humorous 
jabs and jeers. Roger Ebert exercises his considerable wit with 
comments such as the following.

    "The Mormons are presented in no better light than Nazis and 
    Japanese were in Hollywood's World War II films. Wasn't there a 
    more thoughtful and insightful way to consider this historical 
    event? Or how about a different event altogether? What about the 
    Donner Party? They may have been cannibals, but at least they were 
    nondenominational."

Ebert's entire review can be read at:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s235

If you would like to read more comments on the film, or if you need a 
place to show your neighbors what the world thinks of the film, you 
can see it on our FAIR wiki, here:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s231

In recent days we have seen a flustered author of the film suggest 
that the overwhelming rejection and ridiculing of September Dawn must 
be part of an official Mormon conspiracy to control and manipulate the 
American movie critic industry. Although this amusing conspiracy 
theory has been picked up and discussed by some disgruntled critics of 
the Church, it remains to be seen if it will garner the critical mass 
needed to sustain it as an enduring urban legend along side of other 
silly accusations such as the Mormon church owning Coca Cola or the 
Washington Temple having a replica of the Oval Office in preparation
for a Mormon takeover of the US government.

This new conspiracy theory has been greeted with amusement by most 
LDS. When hearing about this conspiracy theory, one LDS wrote jokingly 
(referring to the film's terrible 16% approval rating on one Web 
site),

    Brother Ebert is a reliable foot soldier in our war against the 
    Gentiles. When, in a conference call with all of our movie 
    critics, President Hinckley issued the order, "Mormons, do your 
    duty!" and 84% answered, "We hear and obey!" Brother Ebert's voice 
    was the loudest and the most resolute. In the coming revolution, I 
    suspect he'll be given more than the usual number of Gentile 
    houses and concubines. Truly, his reward shall be great.

The film director claims no anti-Mormon bias, but it seems that one 
organization by the name of "WingClips" offers clips from the movie to 
"use in your church, school or other non-profit organization for 
FREE." Along with these allegedly inspirational clips they write,

    "The film is primarily driven by a Romeo and Juliet-type love 
    story, which helps to better understand the disparity in values 
    and ideals between the Mormons and the Christian settlers. The 
    filmmakers pull no punches in exposing the violent and immoral 
    foundation that the Mormon religion was built upon."

If you would like to get a taste of what is described as "Movie clips 
that illustrate and inspire" you can view them here, but be forewarned 
that you will be watching an example of anti-Mormon bigotry.

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s232 

The Mountain Meadows massacre was a terrible thing. And no one should 
make excuses for what happened. But if you want more accurate 
information about the event and to be better informed, you can find 
the information on the FAIR wiki page.

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s233


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RESOURCES ON THE WEB: "A MORMON PRESIDENT? THE LDS DIFFERENCE"

This year we have seen a flood of articles about Mormons and politics. 
These articles have appeared because Mitt Romney's bid for the White 
House has spark an intense discussion of how the religious views of an 
LDS politician affect his or her position on criticals issues.

Dr. Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp, a member of the faculty of the University 
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has written a particularly 
insightful essay that seems to capture the nuances and complexities of 
LDS teachings and practices. Maffly-Kipp focuses on three critical 
areas: religious authority, moral values, and attitudes concerning 
church and state. Within these areas she explores the wide range of 
beliefs and practices among Latter-day Saints that inevitably arises 
from the LDS emphasis on moral agency.

Maffly-Kipp concludes:

    "In 1845, Mormons left the U.S. for the western territories so 
    that they could practice their religion freely. America followed 
    them, annexed the territories and once again persecuted them on 
    religious grounds. Now, in the early 21st century, Mormons are 
    part of the American mainstream as educators, bankers, 
    businesspeople and politicians. Have we moved beyond the questions 
    forced on Senator Reed Smoot? Or do we still interpret Mormon 
    insularity and secrecy, so understandable given LDS history, as a 
    mark of disloyalty, disrespect or ill intent? Mitt Romney's 
    candidacy is testing these boundaries once again."

Read the article:

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s234


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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.


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

* Warren P. Aston
    "Newly Found Altars from Nahom"

    Aston reports on his examination of the ancient NHM altars and how 
    they relate to Book of Mormon archaeology.

    Book of Mormon > Archaeology and the Book of Mormon
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai024.html

    Book of Mormon > Old World Context > Nahom
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai269.html

* Various FAIR wiki editors
    "FAIR Wiki on the First Vision"

    The FAIR wiki page has been updated to include many additional 
    links that respond to nearly every aspect and criticism relating 
    to the First Vision.

    Early LDS History > First Vision
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai063.html

* Richard E. Turley, Jr.
    "The Mountain Meadows Massacre"

    In a recent Ensign article, professional historian Richard Turley 
    talks about the events and environment that led to the Mountain 
    Meadows Massacre. He talks about who was involved as well as who 
    was not.

    Early LDS History > Mountain Meadows Massacre
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai170.html

* Richard E. Turley, Jr.
    "The Mountain Meadows Massacre"

    A press release on the Mountain Meadows Massacre was recently 
    posted on the Church's web site (note that this is the same as the 
    Ensign article).

    Early LDS History > Mountain Meadows Massacre
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai170.html

* Diane E. Wirth
    "Queztlcoatl, the Maya Maize God, and Jesus Christ"

    Wirth looks at the early American traditions about Quetzlcoatl and 
    how this deity may correlate to the Book of Mormon's event 
    regarding the appearance of Jesus Christ to the inhabitants of the 
    New World.

    Book of Mormon > New World Context > Queztlcoatl
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai265.html

* Ehab Abunawara
    "Into the Desert: An Arab View of the Book of Mormon"

    As an Arab convert to the Church, Abunuwara talks about how the 
    Book of Mormon's Lehite journey matches the culture of his 
    ancestors.

    Book of Mormon > Old World Context
    http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ai280.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 recent changes to the 
article on the First Vision. Joseph Smith's First Vision is one of the 
most frequently attacked events in LDS history. From that single event 
Latter-day Saints derive doctrines relating to the Great Apostacy, the 
Restoration, continuing revelation, and the nature of God. Over the 
years critics have tried every tactic to attack the First Vision, 
including denying its historicity, claiming satanic origins, and 
attacking specific doctrines that derive from it.

The FAIR Wiki article on the First Vision now includes three 
additional sections. Each section represents a general class of issues 
or topics. Within each section there is a list of specific issues and 
a link to a FAIR Wiki article that responds to that issue. Those wiki 
articles in turn will give an overview of the arguments and responses 
related to that topic and will provide many links to online and 
in-print resources.

The three new sections of the wiki article are:
    Specific First Vision issues: 18 topics
    1832 account issues: 11 topics
    Other individuals' accounts of the First Vision: 15 topics

Check out this page and other resources on the FAIR wiki.

    http://www.fairlds.org/cgi-bin/site.pl?s242


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FAIR LDS BOOKSTORE

Take a look at this month's specials and take advantage of these great 
savings!

--> People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture

Dr. Terryl Givens, New York: Oxford University Press, 2007, 6x9" 
hardbound, 432 pages.

Terryl Givens traces the rise and development of Mormon Culture from 
the days of Joseph Smith in upstate New York, through Brigham Young's 
founding of the Territory of Deseret on the shores of Great Salt Lake, 
to the spread of the Latter-day Saints around the globe. Mormonism has 
never been more prominent in public life. But there is a rich inner 
life beneath the public surface, one deftly captured in this 
sympathetic, nuanced account by a leading authority on Mormon history 
and thought.

You can purchase this book for $23.96, 20% off its retail price. (It 
is regularly $29.95.)

    http://store.fairlds.org/prod/p9780195167115.html

--> The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition

Edited by Grant Hardy, University of Illinois Press, 2005, softbound, 
736 pages.

This great reader-friendly version of our familiar scripture reformats 
the complete, unchanged 1920 text in the manner of modern translations 
of the Bible, with paragraphs, quotations marks, poetic forms, topical 
headings, multichapter headings, indention of quoted documents, 
italicized reworkings of biblical prophecies, and minimized verse 
numbers. The book has charts, maps, and a glossary of names. If you've 
never seen this book before, it will provide you with new insights 
into the Book of Mormon.

You can purchase this book for $17.47, 30% off its retail price. (It 
is regularly $24.95.)

    http://store.fairlds.org/prod/p025207341X.html

--> Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament

Ellis T. Rasmussen, Salt Lake City: Desert Book Company, 1993, 
softbound, 718 pages.

Encountering a certain Ethiopian who was reading from the scroll of 
Isaiah, Philip asked, "Understandest thou what thou readest?" The man 
replied, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" (Acts 8:30-31).

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 classic 
commentary, now available in this paperback edition, 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. But they will also be welcomed by more 
seasoned travelers--those already familiar with the terrain--who seek 
added meaning, deeper insights, and broader applications in their 
study of the Old Testament.

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

    http://store.fairlds.org/prod/p1570087881.html

We want to help you find what you need in the FAIR Bookstore!

--FAIR Bookstore Volunteers


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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

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

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Last Updated October 31, 2007
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