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FAIR Staff

Book Review – First Vision: Memory and Mormon Origins

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book cover
Available in the FairMormon Bookstore

First Vision: Memory and Mormon Origins by Steven C. Harper is the latest entry into the fascinating scholarship focused around what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints refer to as Joseph Smith’s First Vision. However, as discussed by Harper in this latest volume, the First Vision wasn’t always styled as such. Nor did the young boy prophet’s theophany always occupy its present prominent place in the faith’s founding narrative.

Dr. Harper is not a newcomer to his subject and has published and presented on the First Vision before in a number of Latter-day Saint scholarly venues.[1] He is comfortable with the scholarship and historiography of his subject, and is able to present his research extremely clearly to his readers as a result. This volume: [Read more…] about Book Review – First Vision: Memory and Mormon Origins

Book Review – Your Sister in the Gospel: The Life of Jane Manning James, A Nineteenth-Century Black Mormon

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Available in the FairMormon Bookstore

Quincy D. Newell’s new book Your Sister in the Gospel: The Life of Jane Manning James, A Nineteenth-Century Black Mormon is a unique and valuable addition to the fields of both Mormon Studies and nineteenth-century American History.

As Newell points out in her introduction, Jane Manning James’s story is “important because it troubles the waters” and “expands our understanding of nineteenth-century African American history beyond the standard narratives.”[1] That story is not as well-known as it should have been, and has been neglected by many scholars, perhaps, as Newell speculates, because Jane’s “membership in the LDS Church leads many scholars to see her as a dupe or a victim.”[2] Her narrative seems to move in a separate direction than many of the others. Instead of moving from “slavery to freedom”, Jane goes from being born free into a church that “treats her as a second-class citizen.”[3]

[Read more…] about Book Review – Your Sister in the Gospel: The Life of Jane Manning James, A Nineteenth-Century Black Mormon

Jim Bennett: Standing My Ground

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[Jim Bennett is the author of “A Faithful Reply to the CES Letter from a Former CES Employee“]

So it’s been a few days since Bill Reel published our twelve hours of recorded conversations we had for his Mormon Discussions podcast. And since then, I’ve been wading through the comments and finding that the consensus seems to be that in our Historic Podcast Battle for Church Trueness, Bill won handily, and I, and the Church, lost.

That assessment comes from the regular audience for Bill Reel’s podcast, which I’d be willing to bet includes far more disaffected or former church members than it does active Latter-day Saints. I expected their reaction to what I said to be interpreted through a far more skeptical lens than my own, and it doesn’t surprise me to see them giving the victory to “their guy” instead of me. Even so, I don’t think their interpretation is a fair or objective assessment of the discussion that took place.

I did not know Bill Reel prior to these podcasts, but a mutual friend thought it would be fun to see the two of us go “toe to toe” about the response I’d written to the CES Letter. My reply, perhaps naively, was that I was happy to speak to anyone about it, but I wasn’t interested in a debate so much as a discussion. Bill agreed to that, and we had the first of six early-morning recording sessions a few weeks ago. I thought the exchanges were respectful; I thought Bill gave me ample opportunity to represent my position, and I was overall pleased with the conversation as a whole.

Then they were published, and comments like the following started rolling in:

[Read more…] about Jim Bennett: Standing My Ground

Church Developments and Their Timescales

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I was recently thinking about some of the significant programmatic changes that have happened in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the last few years. People have evaluated them in various ways and labeled them a success or failure, but popular opinion often swings on short-term thinking. For example, when, in October 2012, President Monson announced changes in the age limits for full-time missions, some made the coupled assumptions that this would either result in a proportional increase in convert baptisms or it should be considered a failure. It did not lead to a large increase in convert baptisms and some considered it only on that basis; however, this hasty act of labeling ignores a foundational bad assumption as well as a host of secondary effects that potentially act on a much longer time scale and are interesting in their own right.

The problem started with faulty assumptions. The first of these is that those who convert are in some sense “caused” by missionaries rather than merely facilitated. It is rooted at least partly in the experiences of a past era in which people in the United States and other sociopolitically similar areas could be reached by door-to-door salesmen and, correspondingly, that an increase in the number of people engaged in these activities would result in a proportionate gain in initial interest, teaching, baptisms and so forth. This assumption of course ignores years of entreaties that finding is the duty of the members of the Church while teaching is the responsibility of the full-time missionaries and that we should cease praying only that the missionaries find the honest in heart but rather that we should instead pray to be able to open our own mouths to share the gospel and invite others to come unto Christ. The reality is then that the model upon which the assumption (that more missionaries would lead to proportionately more convert baptisms) was based was largely invalid and the members of the Church should realize that missionary finding only ever constitutes a modest portion of the the success of the Church’s missionary efforts. The reality is members letting their light shine, setting examples of good works in the world and sharing the gospel in their individual circumstances, combined with a certain number who find the Church of Jesus Christ through their own individual searching are together a far more stable and effective source of interest.

[Read more…] about Church Developments and Their Timescales

Responding to Abuse

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The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of peace and good will.  The healing of relationships is an important goal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ do not condone abuse of any type.  General Conference talks over the last several decades have made clear that abuse is not the Lord’s way and is never acceptable for members in good standing [a search for “abuse” in the General Conference section of lds.org produces many talks which address this concern].

Before 1995, training provided to local leadership was less formalized, leaving local leaders to determine how to deal with offenders and how to counsel victims. Since that time, the governing handbooks have clarified the strong position of the church that protection of victims is a primary priority for local leadership.

In 1995, a Handbook* was published concerning this issue. In one of the sections, the stance of the Church against abuse was given teeth by instructing that abusers should not be given callings or have a temple recommend until they have repented. [Read more…] about Responding to Abuse

Anger Without A Cause? – President Oaks and a False Narrative

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The debate surrounding LGBT issues is one high in emotion and passion, with all sides having strongly held beliefs and entrenched views. Often, the flash point of these debates revolves around the religious beliefs of those who question the morality of LGBT behavior. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no exception to this rule, being one of the more conservative religions when it comes to this topic. One church leader in particular has himself become a lightning rod on the subject.

“Harmful rhetoric” and “discrimination” were alleged to have been a part of President Dallin H. Oaks’ recent General Conference talk entitled Truth and the Plan. These claims were made by Lori Davis, a Board Member of a group called Mama Dragons, a group whose stated purpose is to provide support for Mormon and former Mormon mothers of LGBT children. A brief review of social media and other contemporary news articles will quickly demonstrate that the Mama Dragons were not alone in their feelings that some wrong was committed by Elder Oaks. Others actually implied that people may have to call a crisis line following the talk. Such drastic condemnation would certainly lead the reasonable reader to ask what horrible thing President Oaks said to possibly elicit such a strong response.

Unfortunately, despite the strong rhetoric, many who made the condemning statements on social media and elsewhere failed to cite what words were actually offensive. General indignation seemed to be sufficient for those people. Some, fortunately, were more specific. I’d like to look at several of them, and analyze what they might tell us about this issue, how those from different viewpoints are approaching it, and what we can learn from it. [Read more…] about Anger Without A Cause? – President Oaks and a False Narrative

It’s the Final Four in the Bookstore!

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It’s the Final Four! (Days to ship for Christmas Delivery, that is!)

Remember the FairMormon Bookstore as you round out your gift giving!  

Special deals include:

Most other titles available in our bookstore are also below retail price, so take some time to find other great selections, as well! And giving a gift from the FairMormon Bookstore gives TWICE – all Bookstore proceeds directly support FairMormon!

Celebrating Two New Books in the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project: The Nature of the Original Language of the Book of Mormon

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Royal Skousen

On Tuesday, September 25, at 7 p.m., BYU Professor Royal Skousen will speak on the just-published The Nature of the Original Language, parts 3 and 4 of volume 3 of the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project. The lecture will include additional commentary by Stanford Carmack, Skousen’s collaborator in authoring and researching these two new books.

The presentation is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Assembly Hall of the Hinckley Center at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Parking is available after 6 p.m. in the large lot east of the Hinckley Center (Lot 16).

The lecture will be videotaped and made available in the weeks following the presentation. The event is sponsored by BYU Studies and the Interpreter Foundation. For further information, contact BYU Studies (801-422-6691 or [email protected]).

The two new books are now available for purchase from BYU Studies, the joint publisher of these books, along with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS).

The Nature of the Original Language (NOL) continues the analysis of the Book of Mormon [Read more…] about Celebrating Two New Books in the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project: The Nature of the Original Language of the Book of Mormon

Seven reasons to attend (or stream) the FairMormon Conference

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Conference registration is ending on July 26! We recently had some fun with another list, here are seven amazing (and this time, completely serious) reasons to attend or stream our conference:

1. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the FairMormon Conference.
Yes, 20 years! Can you believe it? This is going to be a landmark conference.

2. This year we will have our first EVER full day devoted to women in the church.
This special day is in addition to our regular two day conference (making the complete conference three days long) and is in conjunction with the Church History Department. All are welcome, but the topics will focus on women’s topics and issues.

3. Attending & streaming supports FairMormon – it’s a chance to give back to the volunteers.
FairMormon needs your help to survive. Without your support, we will cease to exist. Attending (or streaming) the conference is one of the best ways to give back. And in return, you get to hear some amazing speakers, meet new people, and build your testimony. A win-win for all.

4. Over 20 sought-after speakers. Exactly as many intriguing topics.
Speaking of speakers, our lineup this year is stunning. We will hear from some well known personalities (such as Brad Wilcox, Steven Harper, and Dan Peterson), among others. You will learn about LDS women in India, and members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Book of Abraham, horses in the Book of Mormon, dealing with barriers to belief, same sex attraction, and the new Mormon history. It a year not to be missed!

5. Stream your favorite talks for an entire year.
If you can’t attend in person, we offer a streaming option. Watch the conference from the comfort of your home. For those who are too busy on the days of the conference to watch, purchasing streaming will allow you to watch the talks at any time after the conference for up to a year. In other words, you can enjoy conference no matter your circumstance.

6. Check out new titles and old favorites in the onsite Bookstore.
For those who attend, you’ll get to enjoy pursuing our the many many titles in our bookstore and take home some awesome reading to help you continue your learning and growth in gospel scholarship and apologetics.

7. A generous donor is offering to double donations now and through the conference.
This is something you can take advantage of whether you attend or not, but starting now, for every $1 you donate to FairMormon, an incredibly generous donor will donate $2 up to $7,000. After that, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000! This is a critical time for us, and your donation and conference attendance will go a long way is securing FairMormon’s future.

So, we hope to see you there, either in person or over the internet! Feel free to reply if you have any questions.

P.S. There is a special discount for seminary and institute teachers. Please ask your Seminaries and Institute supervisor about the discount or send us an email.

Purchase Tickets Now:

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A Review of: Exploring the Apocrypha from a Latter-day Saint Perspective by Dr. Jared W. Ludlow.

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The first book of the Standard Works I studied in Early Morning Seminary was Doctrine and Covenants. I remember how puzzled I was to read D&C 91:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly;

2 There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.

3 Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated.

4 Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;

5 And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom;

6 And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited. Therefore it is not needful that it should be translated. Amen.

Having come from a Catholic background, I first didn’t know what the LORD was talking about, but our teacher then explained that this is the protestant name for what I knew as the deuterocanonical books. This left me with more questions, as for me those books had always been scripture (Catholic background, as I said), and now I heard that they were – basically –a noncanonical mixed bag.

But reading D&C 91 more carefully, I saw that the LORD was not as negative about them as I had thought first, and I studied them for myself.

Dr. Jared W. Ludlow

Back in those days, a book like Jared Ludlow’s Exploring the Apocrypha from a Latter-day Saint Perspective would have been very helpful to me. Ludlow is Professor of Ancient Scripture and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Brigham Young University. His primary research interests are with texts related to Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, which is exactly the time period most of the Apocrypha come from. So, the author sets the stage by first discussing Apocrypha in general, including their history, and second, by showing the attitude to and usage of these ancient books LDS leaders have shown throughout church history. The main part is dedicated to discussing the contents of each one of the apocrypha, its problems and its highlights.

Aimed at the beginner, who has never read these ancient works, the book is easy to read and you do not need any background knowledge to understand and enjoy it. But being a general introduction for the interested public, a primer, and in order to be interesting to its intended audience, it does not deal with topics in depth.

So, if you have not read the apocrypha so far, if you want to get a quick overview, and if you want to know if they are worth your time, Jared Ludlows book is exactly right for you.

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René A. Krywult, 45 years old, was born and lives in Vienna, Austria, Europe. He has been a member of FairMormon since 1998, and in 2004 he started the German branch of FairMormon. A software developer by profession his apologetic main interests are patristics, comparisons between different branches of Christianity, and interdenominational communication.