There are a several articles in this Month’s Journal that may be of special interest.

1.A Yankee Lawyer’s Guide to the “Mormon Apocalypse” talks about the lawsuit against President Monson in the UK.
2. There is a new article published by The Church on becoming like God.
3. Mike Ash has several podcasts on Book of Mormon geography and people.

And more! We hope you enjoy this month’s issue.

This year we will be having our conference in Provo, Utah on August 7 & 8. We have some great speakers lined up. Save the date. Early bird registration will start in next month’s journal.

FairMormon has two electronic newsletters.

The first is this Journal, which is sent out monthly.
http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/sign_up_for_the_fair_journal.
——————————————
The second is the FairMormon Front Page.  This was originally designed to be for our internal use only, but we had such a demand that we opened it up for all who are interested.

The purpose of this daily email is to provide a raw and unfiltered look at how we are being portrayed in the media.
http://www.fairmormon.org/resources/sign-up-for-fairmormon-front-page

Change can be difficult. I see this every day in the accounting class I teach. When I ask the class,  “If an account is credited, is it increased or decreased,” many students assert that the account is increased. The correct answer is that it depends on what kind of account it is. In some cases it is an increase, but in others it is a decrease. Yet even after learning that principle, students often have difficulty moving away from culturally reinforced beliefs.

This is also true in religious subjects. To complicate things, once the topic of prophets and revelation is introduced, many of us like to stand on that to justify our culturally held opinions. That means if we heard it in Church, or from a church member, it must be directly from God. But, this can get us into difficulties. For example, I had a phone conversation this past week with someone who was still thrown by the idea that the temple ceremony could be modified. It came by revelation, therefore, it can’t be changed. Last week, I was invited in to a seminary class to talk about the belief that blacks didn’t hold the priesthood prior to 1978 because of the Curse of Cain. The implications were that was a revealed doctrine. A short discussion showed the fallacy of that belief. The Curse of Cain was taught long before 1830. But, we know that many members used to believe it and some still may.

A recent evangelical newsletter asserts that the new article on becoming like God is the “Death rattle of Mormonism.” That article states we have changed our position on becoming gods (we haven’t), changed our position on blacks and the priesthood, and that we would next be embracing gay marriage. All I can say is to quote the statement by Mark Twain, “The report of my death was an exaggeration” (New York Journal of 2 June 1897)

I have been called out more than once on radio shows that we don’t believe we will get our own planet. In one case a follow-up show made the statement that maybe Scott Gordon didn’t believe it, but it was well documented Mormon doctrine. But, if you do a search on www.lds.org for the word “Planet” you won’t find a single entry anywhere that talks about us getting our own planet. That includes lesson manuals and many years of conference talks. The only place you can find this “well-documented doctrine” is on Evangelical Christian Websites talking about what Mormon’s believe, and in jokes at Church. Before anyone jumps on me, we do believe we will participate with God in his creative process. What that means remains undefined. Undefined does not mean we should try to fill in the blanks.

Struggling members often talk about the translation method of the Book of Mormon. Even though the Church books say the Book of Mormon was translated through “The gift and power of God,” we have that painting showing Joseph Smith sitting next to the golden plates attempting to read them. And that artwork had to be approved by the prophet, so it must be 100% accurate right?. But, this discussion shows a fundamental misunderstanding of communicating through art. Ask any art professor if art is an exact representation of history. If carried to its logical conclusion, it means we have to accept a muscular Nephi wearing arm bands because the painting was printed with the Book of Mormon. Besides, who is to say that Joseph Smith didn’t at some time try to look at the golden plates to translate?

Margaret Young discussed this topic much more eloquently than I ever could. Talking about the priesthood restriction, she posted the following on her blog at http://tinyurl.com/margaretyoung:

“President Uchtdorf, LDS apostle, said to me (among other things), ‘The restoration continues.’ I love those words.

For those who question the changeable policy of the priesthood restriction by saying, ‘I thought God never changed,’ I suggest Elder Uchtdorf’s words. The restoration continues. God never changes, but who said we were on God’s level? We come to understand principles, to live them, and eventually to love them. We also come to understand that sometimes we have been wrong. We have, as one black pioneer put it, ‘allowed society to creep into the church.’ Once we recognize this-and remember that church leaders are not usually historians; they need help from those who have studied the issues-we make needed changes. We repent and move on. Our destiny is not wrapped in a long moment of regret but in hope for the future. Though we need reminders of how we have misunderstood things in the past, we work individually and communally to improve, to heal, and to be reconciled and restored.”

The same principles apply to other gospel topics as well.

If we study Shakespeare, it would be powerful and enlightening to discover early documents of his work. But, if we are studying computer science, early documents may be interesting, but recency is really what counts.

We live in a religious culture that values ancient work. But, we are a church of prophets and revelation. Recency is what is most important. I pray we don’t get caught in the rut of old culturally reinforced beliefs like some of my accounting students do. We need to be willing to drop our pride and accept the new light and knowledge when it comes into the world.

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There is a new excellent article on the The Church Website. The new article is titled “Becoming Like God” and has received international attention.  I highly recommend it.

Becoming Like God
https://www.lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng

This article and the past articles are in the “Gospel Topics” section of the Church’s official Website lds.org which can be found under “Teachings”. You may want to use these articles as a subject for family home evening. Here are the past articles:

Book of Mormon and DNA Studies:
https://www.lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-and-dna-studies

Book of Mormon Translation:
http://www.lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-translation?lang=eng

Plural Marriage:
http://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah?lang=eng&query=plural

Are Mormons Christian:
http://www.lds.org/topics/christians?lang=eng

Race and the Priesthood:
http://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng

First vision accounts:
http://www.lds.org/topics/first-vision-accounts?lang=eng

From “A Letter to a CES Director”

The author quotes a letter to the editor of the Hamiltonian from a John Murphy, dated 21 January 1881. Murphy stated that he interviewed David Whitmer about the Book of Mormon. The author of “A Letter to a CES Editor” states:
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In 1880, David Whitmer was asked for a description of the angel who showed him the plates. Whitmer responded that the angel “had no appearance or shape.” When asked by the interviewer how he then could bear testimony that he had seen and heard an angel, Whitmer replied, “Have you never had impressions?” To which the interviewer responded, “Then you had impressions as the Quaker when the spirit moves, or as a good Methodist in giving a happy experience, a feeling?” “Just so,” replied Whitmer. – Interview with John Murphy, June 1880, EMD 5:63
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The author fails to note that David Whitmer claimed that Murphy misrepresented him. The author prints what John Murphy said about Whitmer, but fails to acknowledge that Whitmer strongly objected to what Murphy said about him and actually published a response to it. This response is found in the same volume of Early Mormon Documents that the author cites for the Murphy quote. The author of “A Letter to a CES Director” apparently was either unfamiliar with his source(Early Mormon Documents, Volume 5), or he intentionally withheld the information to try to bolster his position.

Whitmer himself refuted Murphy’s account. The following is from “David Whitmer Proclamation, 19 March 1881,” found in Early Mormon Documents 5:69
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Unto all Nations, Kindreds, tongues and people unto whom this present Shall come.

It having been represented by one John Murphy of Polo Mo. that I in a conversation with him last Summer, denied my testimony as one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

To the end therefore, that he may understand me now if he did not then, and that the world may know the truth, I wish now standing as it were, in the very sunset of life, and in the fear of God, once for all to make this public Statement;

That I have never at any time, denied that testimony or any part thereof, which has so long since been published with that book as one of the three witnesses.

Those who know me best, well know that I have adhered to that testimony.-

And that no man may be misled or doubt my present views in regard to the same, I do now again affirm the truth of all my statement, as then made and published.

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear; It was no Delusion. What is written is written, and he that readeth let him understand.
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So, shall we believe what John Murphy said that Whitmer said? Or shall we believe what Whitmer himself said in response to Murphy’s comments?

 A Yankee Lawyer’s Guide to the “Mormon Apocalypse”A British man named Tom Philips has filed a fraud action in England against President Thomas Monson and is claiming that it will bring on the “Mormon Apocalypse.” However, rather than inciting fear and panic among the faithful, if they know about the case at all, the most common response is one of bewilderment among Mormons and non-Mormons alike. That is due partly to the fact that it seems quite odd that someone would pursue a case for fraud that is based on faith claims and personal opinions. But, at least for Americans, the odd nature by which the claim has arisen procedurally is equally puzzling.

 As an American civil defense lawyer, I think I have been as befuddled by this case as anyone. So I’ve consulted British lawyers and legal sources and come up with the following guide to what Phillips has called, the “Mormon Apocalypse.”

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/17/a-yankee-lawyers-guide-to-the-mormon-apocalypse/

Thanking God’s Advocates, the Promoters of the Cause

Today in Gospel Doctrine I played the role of Devil’s advocate. I spent the last 10 or 15 minutes leading a discussion about the children who died when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, when God sent the Flood, when Christ died on the cross and Nephite cities were burned, buried, and sunk, and when Alma and Amulek watched as women and children were burned to death before their eyes.

Several of the commenters sought to defend God’s justice using familiar arguments (like the idea that there are some things worse than death) or evasions (like the idea that maybe there were no children in Sodom who were not already engaged in or tainted by sin). Some of these arguments make more sense than others to me, but for me no combination makes the problem go away entirely. The whole idea of using modern reasoning to try and justify these stories seems futile given the existence of ancient explanations that are, themselves, just as bad.

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/25/thanking-gods-advocates-the-promoters-of-the-cause/

LDS Church Essays Tackle Controversial Issues

In a fireside devotional given at Utah State University in November 2011, Elder Marlin K. Jensen, an emeritus Seventy and former Church Historian and Recorder for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, included a question and answer segment in his remarks. During this Q&A, one member of the audience asked about the concerning trend of Church members, particularly younger members, leaving the Church over controversial historical issues they encounter online and elsewhere. “Is the Church aware of that problem?” the questioner asked. “What about people who are already leaving in droves?” Jensen’s response to this question has gone viral, having been reported in the press and discussed on a number of blogs and other sites. “The fifteen men that are above me in the hierarchy of the Church . . . really do know. And they really care. And they realize that, maybe, since Kirtland we’ve never had a period of-I’ll call it apostasy-like we’re having right now, largely over these issues.” Jensen then explained that the Church was then in the process of creating resources to address these concerns. “So we are trying to create an offering that will address these issues and be available for the public at large and to people who are losing their faith or have lost it.”http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/19/lds-church-essays-tackle-controversial-issues/

 

Fair Issues 42: Dismissing Book of Mormon Geography Inaccuracies

The traditional LDS folk-belief asserts that the Lehites arrived to a nearly vacant New World,…this assumption – like many other assumptions about the about the Book of Mormon – comes from a naïve reading of the text that was filtered through the 19th century misunderstanding of the human migrations that populated the ancient New World.

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/07/fair-issues-42-dismissing-book-of-mormon-geography-inaccuracies/

Fair Issues 43: Why aren’t other peoples mentioned in the Book of Mormon?

Why didn’t Nephi include explicit information about “others” in the small plates?  Unlike the large plates – which recorded the more mundane, political and warring elements of Nephi history – the small plates focused on Nephite “ministry.”In this podcast brother Ash explains why the “other” peoples who lived in the larger New World population are missing from the Book of Mormon.

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/14/fair-issues-43-why-arent-other-peoples-mentioned-in-the-book-of-mormon/

Fair Issues 44: Logical arguments for existence of “others” in Book of Mormon times

The Book of Mormon doesn’t mention “others” for at least two reasons: 1) the early material from the Large Plates – which may have mentioned “others” – was not included in our English translation, and 2) the Small Plates were focused on the ethnogenesis and religious ministry of the Nephi people and would have been unconcerned with any “others” in such a narrative.http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/21/fair-issues-44-logical-arguments-for-existence-of-others-in-book-of-mormon-times/

Fair Issues 45: What about statements that say the Lehites came here alone?

While I recognize that more than one LDS Church leader has implicitly or explicitly stated that the New World was uninhabited before arrival of the Jaredites, there is no official statement or revelation on this issue.

In this podcast Michael Ash explains the traditional folk view of Book of Mormon populations and the possible extended understanding that can come from a closer look at the meaning of lands, nations and there inhabitants.

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/28/fair-issues-45-what-about-statements-that-say-the-lehites-came-here-alone/

4th Watch 12.5: Flexibility

In this podcast brother Scarisbrick relates our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the principle of being flexible in our understanding and the growth that can take place when we allow the Lord to bend us towards His will for His purposes. This freedom allows us to grow and deal with the vicissitudes of life and avoid the pain of a ridged belief system based on preconceived ideas or misunderstandings that may have clouded our values.  The continual growth that the Lord has intended for us will be strengthened by this short but important reminder that the principle of flexibility is designed to increase our strength.

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/03/05/4th-watch-12-5-flexibility/

Mormon Fair-Cast 204: What is a Christian?

What does it mean to be a “Christian?” Does a Christian believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus? Does a Christian believe in prophets? Do Christians believe everything that is in the Bible? What if they believe things that are not in the Bible? Do Christians believe that one must repent in order to be saved? These questions are addressed in this episode of Religion Today, with Martin Tanner, which originally aired on KSL Radio on April 7, 2013.http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/03/03/mormon-fair-cast-204-what-is-a-christian/

Mormon Fair-Cast 203: Odds are you are Going to be Exalted

Many Latter-day Saints worry whether they’re capable of reaching the celestial kingdom. Are these anxieties born of a sense of unworthiness, or is it that we just don’t think we can “do it all?” Author Alonzo L. Gaskill believes that such pessimism results from misunderstanding God’s great plan of happiness and what it is that the Lord actually requires of us. In this hope-filled book, he reviews the teachings of the scriptures and modern prophets to instill in readers a greater sense of God’s unfailing love and mercy and of His power and desire to exalt His children. Exaltation may be not only possible but probable!http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/27/mormon-fair-cast-203-odds-are-you-are-going-to-be-exalted/

Mormon Fair-Cast 202: Barry R. Bickmore, “Restoring the Ancient Church”

Mills Chrenshaw who is the host of the program “Drive Time Live” on K-Talk AM 630 radio in Salt Lake City Utah interviews Barry Robert Bickmore about his book “Restoring the Ancient Church: Joseph Smith and Early Christianity.”  In this interview brother Bickmore relates how the teachings of the early Church are reflected in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.This book meticulously examines the earliest teachings of Christianity and how some of those teachings were modified, abandoned, or forgotten in the centuries following the death of the Apostles. By exploring the writings of early Christian leaders, Dr. Bickmore is able to recover those early teachings while illustrating the significance they played in the theology and Christology of the pristine Christian Church. Most importantly for Latter-day Saints, Dr. Bickmore demonstrates that many of forgotten early Christian teachings were restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.

http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/24/fair-cast-202-barry-r-bickmore-restoring-the-ancient-church/

FairMormon Frameworks 15: Jim McConkie on Preserving and Nurturing FaithJim McConkie, author of Looking at the Doctrine and Covenants Again for the Very First Time, and nephew of Bruce R. McConkie, talks about how he has maintained his own faith and how he helped prepare his own children to face difficult issues that can challenge our faith.http://blog.fairmormon.org/2014/02/14/fairmormon-frameworks-15-jim-mcconkie-on-preserving-and-nurturing-faith/

 

The New York Times published article titled “Missions Signal a Growing Role for Mormon Women“. Reporters Laurie Goodstein and Jodi Kantor are asking for input. “We are inviting Mormons to share thoughts on the role of women in the church. For those of other faiths we invite you to share your experiences as well.” The questions asked are:

1. Do you feel that your faith encourages or limits women’s leadership?
2. If you are a Mormon woman, how is your life like or not like your mother’s or your daughter’s?
3. Tell us a story about being a woman in the Mormon Church today.

You may want to participate!

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/02/us/a-growing-role-for-mormon-women.html?smid=tw-share&_r=3

The Church’s comment on the article is here: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-york-times-missions-signal-growing-role-mormon-women
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Faiths file Amicus Brief on Marriage
The Church Joined with other faiths to file a legal brief in support of marriage. By following this link you can read about it, and you can click on a link within the article to read the legal brief in full.
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/faiths-file-amicus-brief-on-marriage-cases-before-tenth-circuit-court

 

Come to the FairMormon Bookstore to find the Internet’s best selection of materials for LDS apologetics. Whether you are looking for books, study aids, DVDs, or audio products, the FairMormon Bookstore has what you need. You can begin your browsing by going to our main site. http://bookstore.fairlds.org/

Be sure to check out the Clearance Section.  We have many older books and some new books with slightly damaged covers that offer great deals to buyers.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/category.php?id_category=19

 Clearance Special:

 ► My Redeemer Lives! (Clearance)

Limited to stock on hand

 Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson, Editors.  Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, in cooperation with Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2011. Hardbound, 6×9″, 144 pages.  Brigham Young University Easter Conferences, 2010

Through a variety of observances, ceremonies, and celebrations, Christians around the world express their faith that their Redeemer lives. Annually, Christians celebrate his life, his death, and his gift to mankind at different times and in different ways. These can be wonderful times to bear testimony of him, to express gratitude for him, to show our love to him, and to increase our faith in him.

Beyond those occasional moments of formal devotion, how do Christians adequately express love and gratitude for all Christ has done and for all he continues to do? The Lord provides the answer: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). As we do things that require faith in the Savior, our faith in him increases. We may not want to do some things, but he makes it possible for us to accomplish every assignment – be it building a boat, retrieving some brass plates, having a child, filling a calling, caring for someone with emotional or physical challenges, settling differences or overcoming anger or any other difficult chapter in our life. Remember that every act of love given, every sacrifice made by us, and every assignment fulfilled is but a tiny reflection of the Savior’s unending love, sacrifice, and help.

As we often find ourselves in challenging circumstances, let us remember that in the greatest act of love and sacrifice ever performed. Jesus defeated all the forces of evil and wrought the Atonement and the Resurrection for the eternal benefit and joy of all mankind. What an example! May each of us, like him, accept every duty offered us and continue faithful until someone in authority says, “It is finished.”

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1188

Retail Price: $14.99

Special FairMormon Price: $9.74 (35% Discount)

 ► Guess Who Wants To Have You for Lunch? (Clearance)

Limited to stock on hand

 Alan Denison and Darryl L. Barksdale, Orem, Utah: Granite Publishing & The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, 2nd ed. 2002, 6×9″ softbound, 165 pages.

If you have attended a General Conference, you’ve probably seen them. If you have ever attended a temple dedication or Open House, you’ve probably seen them. If you’ve ever served a full-time mission, you’ve probably run into them. Some think they’re the Boogeyman incarnate. What do we do with them? How do we handle our investigators or loved ones when they come into contact with anti-Mormon materials? What do we do? What do we say? How do we find answers to the myriad of accusations leveled against the Church? If you have ever asked any of these questions, then this book was written just for you. In it, we will show you the 5 main reasons why anti-Mormons do what they do, and how they go about doing it. We will explain some of the logical fallacies used to deceive Latter-day Saints, and why their writings are not even accepted by their own scholars. We will teach you how to defend the faith with love to those who are in danger of losing theirs.

“For over 167 years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the target of those who insist that Joseph Smith was a liar, a fraud, an adulterer, and, at the very least, a false prophet. Few religions have endured the torrent of criticism, slander, and false witness that has been leveled at the Church by generation after generation of anti-Mormons. Yet, for the most part, these relentless attacks have been met with silence.” (p. 2)

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=204

Retail Price: $11.95

Special FairMormon Price: $5.98 (50% Discount)

 ► Mormon People, The: The Making of an American Faith (Clearance)

 Limited to stock on hand.

 Matthew Bowman.  New York: Random House, 2012.  Hardbound, 6.5×9.5″, 352 pages.

With Mormonism on the verge of an unprecedented cultural and political breakthrough, an eminent scholar of American evangelicalism explores the history and reflects on the future of this native-born American faith and its connection to the life of the nation.

In 1830, a young seer and sometime treasure hunter named Joseph Smith began organizing adherents into a new religious community that would come to be called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and known informally as the Mormons). One of the nascent faith’s early initiates was a twenty-three-year-old Ohio farmer named Parley Pratt, the distant grandfather of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In The Mormon People, religious historian Matthew Bowman peels back the curtain on more than 180 years of Mormon history and doctrine. He recounts the church’s origin and development, explains how Mormonism came to be one of the fastest-growing religions in the world by the turn of twenty-first-century, and ably sets the scene for a 2012 presidential election that has the potential to mark a major turning point in the way this “all-American” faith is perceived by the wider American public-and internationally.

Mormonism started as a radical movement, with a profoundly transformative vision of American society that was rooted in a form of Christian socialism. Over the ensuing centuries, Bowman demonstrates, that vision has evolved-and with it the esteem in which Mormons have been held in the eyes of their countrymen. Admired on the one hand as hardworking paragons of family values, Mormons have also been derided as oddballs and persecuted as polygamists, heretics, and zealots clad in “magic underwear.” Even today, the place of Mormonism in public life continues to generate heated debate on both sides of the political divide. Polls show widespread unease at the prospect of a Mormon president. Yet the faith has never been more popular. Today there are about 14 million Mormons in the world, fewer than half of whom live inside the United States. It is a church with a powerful sense of its own identity and an uneasy sense of its relationship with the main line of American culture.

Mormons will surely play an even greater role in American civic life in the years ahead. In such a time, The Mormon People comes as a vital addition to the corpus of American religious history-a frank and fair-minded demystification of a faith that remains a mystery for many.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1373

 Retail Price: $26.00

Special FairMormon Price: $15.60 (40% Discount)

 Monthly Specials: http://bookstore.fairlds.org/category.php?id_category=50 

► Bible vs. The Book of Mormon, The: A Closer Examination (DVD)

 Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research. 2009. DVD. ISBN: 189303609x

 In 2006, Living Hope Ministries released a video entitled The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon, which compares evidence for the two books of scripture as authentic ancient religious texts. Citing what they claim are ample evidences for the Bible, they find such evidences lacking in the Book of Mormon. Thus, the producers conclude that The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is not what it claims to be. FairMormon examined the video and found that it fails to account for current LDS and non-LDS scholarship, does not properly represent LDS scripture or doctrine, and contains other misleading information.

In response, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FairMormon) interviews anthropologist, linguists, semiticists, and other scholars who correct the errors and misleading information presented by Living Hope Ministries. As they do so, we also discover several evidences supporting LDS claims that The Book of Mormon is an ancient text, which strengthen the case for its divine authenticity. Even so, LDS scholars conclude that the truth claims of both books of scripture cannot be proven through scientific evidence. Rather, the eternal truths taught in scripture must be revealed by God through the power of the Holy Ghost.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=684

 Retail Price: $9.99

Special FairMormon Price: $6.99 (30% Discount)

► Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, The – Vol. 2 July 1831 – January 1833

 Matthew C. Godfrey, Mark Ashurst-McGee, Grant Underwood, Robert J. Woodford and William G. Hartley, Volume Editors. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 2013.  Hardbound, 7.25×10.25″, 591 pages.

This second volume of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers opens in the summer of 1831 with the designation of Jackson County, Missouri, as the location of Zion and follows a period of administrative growth and doctrinal development in the church Joseph Smith founded. The volume contains revelations, correspondence, minutes of meetings in which Joseph Smith participated, and licenses provided to church officers. It documents the creation of the United Firm, the decision to print Joseph Smith’s revelations, and the first meeting of the School of the Prophets. The volume also illuminates Joseph Smith’s family life through two poignant letters from Joseph to his wife Emma.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1544

 Retail Price: $54.95

Special FairMormon Price: $42.86 (20% Discount)

  ► Prophet’s Voice, A: Messages from Thomas S. Monson

 Thomas S. Monson.  Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 2012.  Hardbound, 6×9.5″ 528 pages.

Much of President Monson’s time has been spent at pulpits and in meetings around the world, and this collection contains many of his speeches that are difficult to find elsewhere.

Throughout his nearly fifty years as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, President Thomas S. Monson has presented countless messages of wisdom, inspiration, and doctrinal insight. He is perhaps best known for his gift of weaving true accounts into his addresses, bringing gospel principles to life through the enlightening experiences of individuals he has met or heard of in his ministry.

A Prophet’s Voice brings together more than fifty of these classic addresses, including all the major general conference sermons President Monson has given since becoming the sixteenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Filled with warmth and reflection, these messages demonstrate the worth of every soul and the power of personal examples in our lives.

President Monson finds lessons in all kinds of everyday experiences, and he is known and loved for sharing those lessons in a way that reaches the hearts of his listeners. This landmark collection of his greatest messages will be a treasured addition to any gospel library.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1436
Retail Price: $32.99

Special FairMormon Price: $24.75 (25% Discount)

  ► Women in Eternity Women of Zion

 Alma Don Sorensen and Valerie Hudson Cassler. Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, Inc., 2004.  Softbound, 6×9″, 310 pages.

Women in Eternity, Women in Zion is a superb discussion of the standing of women and of gender relations in general in LDS culture and theology. In contrast to the common view that women have importance only secondary to men, this book emphatically illustrates the LDS position that women and men have equal status in the eternities and supports the statement with extensive quotes from the scriptures and LDS authorities.
-B. Kent Harrison, emeritus professor of physics and astronomy, BYU
This book is an in-depth exploration of the richness of LDS beliefs concerning men, women, and their equality in the Great Plan of Happiness.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1079

 Retail Price: $18.95

Special FairMormon Price: $15.16 (20% Discount)

 ► Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon 2nd ed.

 

Joseph Allen and Blake Allen.  American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, 2011.  Softcover, 7.25 x 9.25″, 956 pages.

The second edition of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon is an all new presentation of the original LDS bestseller, featuring numerous developments and discoveries of the last twenty years regarding Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon.

The text discusses the correlation of Stela 31 at Tikal as it relates to the decisive battle at Cumorah, a comparison of the Maya name Mormon with the Nahuatl name Tehuantepec, the discovery of the name of the Jaredite King Kish, including his date and place of birth, a comparison of Mesoamerican written languages and two high civilizations with the languages and civilizations of the Nephites and Jaredites, and much more.

This exhaustively-researched, full-color publication includes numerous photographs and more than 140 maps that correlate Book of Mormon sites with current Mesoamerican geography.

 

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1286

 Retail Price: $43.99

Special FairMormon Price: $35.19 (20% Discount)

► Continuous Atonement, The

 Brad Wilcox.  Salt Lake City, UT:  Deseret Book Company, 2009.  Hardbound, 6″ x 8.25″, 222 pages.

Christ doesn’t just make up the difference. He makes all the difference.

“I’ll never do it again,” we say – and then we do it. In a world full of challenges, temptations, and even addictions, it is easy to lose hope for ourselves and those we love. During times of discouragement, we must remember that the purpose of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is not just to cleanse and console, but also to transform – and that takes time. Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done -all we can do.” He is with us every step of the way, and His Atonement will be available as long as the perfecting process takes – continually.

This book offers valuable insights about God, Christ, and our relationship with them. Each chapter contains clear examples that will uplift and motivate. Profound doctrine is made accessible and difficult concepts are presented in such simple ways that over and over the reader will say, “I’ve never thought of it like that before.” That kind of change of belief will help bring about a change of behavior.

Most members of the Church acknowledge that perfection is a long-term process, but overlook the continuous nature of Christ’s Atonement that makes that process possible. Peace is found not by giving up or erasing the need to change, but by turning to the One who makes change possible and realizing that we get lots of chances to start again. So, if at first you don’t succeed either, don’t find excuses. Find the Savior and the blessings of His continuous Atonement.

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/product.php?id_product=1493

 Retail Price: $21.99

Special FairMormon Price: $17.59 (20% Discount)

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