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Guide Home > Doctrinal Issues > Basic Gospel Principles > Faith > Faith & Reason
Additional TopicsThe following are additional topic areas related to Faith & Reason. If there is a bracket number after the topic, that number indicates how many actual articles there are related to that subject. If the link for the topic is not live, it simply means the topic is a 'planned area' for future growth. FAIR ResourcesThese links are either to Web pages hosted on the FAIR Website, or to FAIR Papers. FAIR Papers are short articles about specific topics or questions, written by members of FAIR. These articles can be downloaded and read in PDF format and are intended to be distributed by e-mail or print for the general use of our patrons. (To read FAIR Papers you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. It can be downloaded free from the Adobe Web site.) Click on a title below to visit a FAIR Web page or to read the latest version of a FAIR Paper. "When the Prophet Speaks, Is the Thinking Done?," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, February 2002) An examination of the misconception that the LDS practice blind obedience when it comes to their leadership. Cooper Johnson, Can We Trust Our Feelings?. Some critics claim that an LDS testimony is nothing more than relying on "feelings" -- feelings, they argue, which are not trustworthy. Johnson tackles this accusation. Sam Katich, "Blind Faith and the LDS," (Mesa, Arizona: FAIR, 22 October 2002) Do Mormons blindly follow their leaders and simply do what they're told? A thoughtful response using the words of LDS leaders. Ensign ArticlesThese articles cited below provide information on the topic of this page. The Ensign is one of the official publications of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When you click on one of the article links below, you are whisked to the article found in the archives of the Church's Web site. Robert J. Bazyk, "Inquiry beyond Reason," Ensign, July 1979, 23. I tried to reason my way to the truth, but that only got me through the door. From there I had to learn faith. Edwin Brown Firmage, "Recovering and Discovering Truth," Ensign, April 1981, 38. How do people go about learning the Truth? Dallin H. Oaks, "How can I distinguish the difference between the promptings of the Holy Ghost and merely my own thoughts, preferences, or hunches?," Ensign, June 1983. Earl J. Roueche, "Does membership in the Church limit agency?," Ensign, March 1988, 21. Other ResourcesThe resources listed below are related items available on the Web that should be of interest. These links are to information not located on the FAIR Web site. Stephen R. Gibson, "Do Only Prophets Think For the Church?," One-Minute Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions (Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers) Is it true that for members of your church, once the prophet speaks the thinking has been done? Stephen R. Gibson, "Why Trust in "Burnings in the Bosom"?," One-Minute Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions (Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers) Why do Mormons put their trust in a "burning in their bosoms" while real Christians put their trust in the Bible? Daniel C. Peterson and William J. Hamblin, "Is Spirituality All in Your Head?," (City Unknown: MeridianMagazine.com) A new area of religious study known as neurotheology attempts to map brain activity at the time of spiritual experiences. Noel B. Reynolds, "Reason and Revelation," BYU Speeches (30 June 1981) Noel Reynolds notes the usefullness of education in helping the Saints recognize the difference between the whisperings of the Spirit and sentimentalism. Gerald Smith, No Such Thing As Proof. W. John Walsh, Are Mormons Brainwashed?. W. John Walsh and Stephen R. Gibson, Do LDS Only Trust in Their Feelings and Ignore Facts and Common Sense?. Sectarian and secular critics often claim that Mormons ignore hard facts which are often (supposedly) contrary to LDS beliefs, but trust instead on subjective and unreliable feelings. John W. Welch, "And with All Thy Mind," BYU Speeches (30 September 2003) John Welch looks at the scriptural directives that our "minds" become involed in the conversion process. (PDF; also available in MP3 at the "Multimedia" section of the Topical Guide.) John W. Welch, "Study, Faith, and the Book of Mormon," BYU Speeches (10 May 1988) John Welch shows how study, as well as faith, can strenghten one's testimony. Recommended ReadingIf you are interested in more information about the topic of 'Doctrinal Issues,' you may want to refer to the books listed below. These books are available in the FAIR Bookstore; click on a link to find more information. Willard Morgan, From Critic to Convert: A Critic Challenges His Way to Mormonism (Horizon Publishers, 1995). A former agonistic critic gives non-argumentative answers to anti-Mormon questions using scripture, history, and common sense. Richard I. Winwood, In Defense of Truth (Video) (Keystone Foundation). A candid video with responses to anti-Mormon criticism complemented by testimonies of scholars.
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September 28, 2008
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