FAIR

Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me

Trevor Holyoak

Come, Follow Me Week 18 – Doctrine & Covenants 45

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A House of Order, a House of God: Recycled Challenges to the Legitimacy of the Church

by Cassandra Hedelius

(This is from a presentation given at the 2015 FairMormon Conference)

I. Introduction to Mormon Gnosticism

Apologetics is a very broad field and different topics can involve extremely different audiences. My topic today is a little delicate, because the audience I hope to reach is a certain group of members of the church, good and faithful and well-meaning members, who believe in God, believe in Joseph Smith’s calling as a prophet, and have no problem with most of the doctrines and truth claims of the Restoration. You may now wonder why on earth I’m even up here. The unfortunate reality is that even for such a faithful person, there’s still the possibility of spiritual danger. One particular spiritual threat is gaining strength among some church members, particularly via the internet. What we’re seeing is a modern spin on an old song–that the church has lost its way, church leaders are not inspired or in favor with God, so God has raised up new leaders outside the church hierarchy whose visions and teachings are important for us to follow. It is likely you know someone who finds this narrative persuasive, or at least intriguing, even if you don’t know that they do. It is also possible that you and I have some seemingly harmless beliefs that can lead to this danger.

Central Tension

There is an interesting central tension in our faith. On the one hand, we believe that everyone can—and should—receive personal revelation from the Holy Ghost. On the other hand, God calls prophets to receive essential revelations that are binding on each of us church members. On the other one hand, Christ said many times to ask, seek, and knock, and promised He will answer. On the other other hand, Christ said that answers come in His own time, not automatically like putting a quarter in a pop machine. On the other other one hand, He wants us to come unto him with all our hearts, which is intensely personal and can be done without help or participation from anyone else. On the other other other hand, Christ commands us to receive ordinances which by definition require another ordained person to administer them to us, leaving us helpless if no such person is available. To boil it down: there’s a tension between religion as practiced on an individual level, and the many ways access to religion is mediated through the church organization. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 18 – Doctrine & Covenants 45

Watch the 2021 Interpreter Conference

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Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses

Live Streaming of the Conference
April 23-24, 2021

Program and other details available here.

LIVE STREAMING TIMES:

  • 7:00 pm, Friday April 23 — Keynote Session
  • 8:30 am, Saturday April 24 — Morning Session
  • 12:45 pm, Saturday April 24 — Afternoon Session

TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS DURING THE CONFERENCE:

NOTE: The live-stream links will no longer be operational once the Conference finishes. We expect videos of the presentations to be available 6-8 weeks afterward. An update of the ‘Book of Moses Bibliography’ at https://interpreterfoundation.org/book-of-moses-bibliography/ will be made shortly after the conference. The combined proceedings of both conferences will appear in Fall 2021, as well as other new Book of Moses volumes. For updates, see http://interpreterfoundation.org/books/.

“The Book That Answers All the Questions”: Hugh Nibley and the Pearl of Great Price

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by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

For more information on the book, visit https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/

This is the fourth of nine weekly blog posts published in honor of the life and work of Hugh Nibley (1910–2005). The series is in honor of the new, landmark book, Hugh Nibley Observed, available in softcover, hardback, digital, and audio editions. Each week our post is accompanied by interviews and insights in pdf, audio, and video formats. (See the links at the end of this post.)

In line with Nibley’s description of the Pearl of Great Price, we borrow a chapter title from Boyd Jay Petersen’s wonderful biography on Hugh Nibley as the theme of this week’s Insight: “The Book That Answers All the Questions.”[1] [Read more…] about “The Book That Answers All the Questions”: Hugh Nibley and the Pearl of Great Price

The 2021 Interpreter Conference, “Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses,” is coming up this weekend!

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April 23-24, 2021
Presented by The Interpreter Foundation, Brigham Young University Department of Ancient Scripture, Book of Mormon Central, & FAIR
Due to the COVID-19 situation, this will be a live-streaming-only conference.

The live stream will be available here and on our Facebook page.

Come, Follow Me Week 17 – Doctrine & Covenants 41-44

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“Gladly” receiving God’s law

by Jeff Markham

The restoration of the Gospel revealed God’s law to the saints. There will be times in each of our lives when God’s law might feel like a burden. In those times, it is important to take the time to reaffirm and deepen our understanding of and appreciation for the fundamental purposes of mortality.

Let’s begin with a parable.

A certain man had three sons. It was summer, and each of the sons left home each morning to spend time with their friends. One morning, as they passed through the garage, they saw it contained three brand new, shiny bicycles, almost calling out to them to be ridden.

The first son, without even a moment of hesitation, jumped on a bike and rode off. He loved the feeling of the wind through his hair.  As he went about from place to place throughout the day, he didn’t think much about the bike. At times he left it lying on the ground. Despite his lack of concern for the bicycle, the newfound ability to quickly get to any part of town allowed him to have a lot of fun with his friends.  They went to a park, then to a fast food place, then through a forest and to the banks of a muddy creek. In the process of pushing the bike to its limits, he ended up having to walk it home with a flat tire and more than a few dents and scratches. He knew he’d have some explaining to do. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 17 – Doctrine & Covenants 41-44

Hugh Nibley on Revelation, Reason, and Rhetoric

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Post 3 of 9

by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

For more information on the book, visit https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/

This is the third of nine weekly blog posts published in honor of the life and work of Hugh Nibley (1910–2005). The series is in honor of the new, landmark book, Hugh Nibley Observed, available in softcover, hardback, digital, and audio editions. Each week our post is accompanied by interviews and insights in pdf, audio, and video formats. (See the links at the end of this post.)

Hugh Nibley was a master at taking ancient history and applying its lessons to our day. One of the best examples of this is within his writings on revelation, reason, and rhetoric — or to use Greek equivalents: mantic, sophic, and sophistic views about how we come to know things.[1] Nibley’s perspectives are wonderfully summarized and discussed within BYU professor Eric Huntsman’s chapter of Hugh Nibley Observed.[2] [Read more…] about Hugh Nibley on Revelation, Reason, and Rhetoric

“The Book Nobody Wants”: Hugh Nibley and the Book of Mormon

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Post 2 of 9

by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

For more information on the book, visit https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/

This is the second of nine weekly blog posts published in honor of the life and work of Hugh Nibley (1910–2005). The series is in honor of the new, landmark book, Hugh Nibley Observed, available in softcover, hardback, digital, and audio editions. Each week our post is accompanied by interviews and insights in pdf, audio, and video formats. (See the links at the end of this post.)

In an eloquently written chapter of Hugh Nibley Observed, Marilyn Arnold highlighted Nibley’s profound disappointment that most people don’t share his deep love for the Book of Mormon:[1]

He alludes to it ironically as “the Book Nobody Wants,” allowing as how the world acts “as if the Book of Mormon were being forced on [it] against its will.” Then he adds an ironic comment that is pure Nibley: “Only the practiced skill and single-minded determination of the learned has to date enabled them to escape the toils of serious involvement with [the Book of Mormon].”[2]

[Read more…] about “The Book Nobody Wants”: Hugh Nibley and the Book of Mormon

Come, Follow Me Week 15 – Doctrine & Covenants 30-36

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Thomas Marsh and the Individualized Instructions of Doctrine & Covenants 30-36

by Steve Densley

            Various sections of the Doctrine and Covenants consist of instructions to specific individuals. It may be that this is illustrated no better than in sections 30 through 36. In these sections we read about individualized revelations directed to various men who were called on a mission to the Lamanites (Peter Whitmer, Parley P. Pratt, and Ziba Peterson), some called to share the gospel at home and minister in the church in surrounding areas (David Whitmer, John Whitmer, Thomas B. Marsh, Ezra Thayre, Northrop Sweet, Orson Pratt, & Edward Partridge), and one was given a special assignment to be the scribe for Joseph Smith as he worked on his translation of the Bible (Sidney Rigdon).

As we read these sections, we are reminded perhaps of our own patriarchal blessings or other blessings in which we are set apart for some Church service and are given insight and direction as to how to carry out our assignments and generally conduct our lives. These kinds of blessings can come to be more meaningful with time as we look back on specific events of our lives and how those events were perhaps foreshadowed through prophetic instruction.

As we read Section 31, for example, we are left wondering if the life of Thomas B. Marsh may have been much different if he had followed the direction he received more closely. And, of course, the instruction he received can be applied in our personal lives and may similarly make our lives better if we heed the counsel provided here. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 15 – Doctrine & Covenants 30-36

Who Was Hugh Nibley?: Announcing a New, Landmark Book, “Hugh Nibley Observed”

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Post 1 of 9

by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

For more information on the book, visit https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/

This is the first of nine weekly blog posts published in honor of the life and work of Hugh Nibley (1910–2005). Each week our post will be accompanied by interviews and insights in pdf, audio, and video form — some short and some longer.

Today, April 1, is not only April Fool’s Day (an irony Hugh Nibley would appreciate), but also the eleventh anniversary since the appearance of the nineteenth and last volume of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, entitled One Eternal Round. This book was Hugh’s master work, decades in the making.

This series is our way of celebrating the availability of a new, landmark publication entitled “Hugh Nibley Observed.”[1] It is available today in softcover, digital, and audio versions, and, in May, a beautiful hardback edition. The book contains many never-before-told anecdotes and stories that weave together Nibley’s life and scholarship. We hope it will not only delight and inspire old friends already familiar with Nibley’s work but also many new friends who may have heard stories about the man but have never read anything by or about him. [Read more…] about Who Was Hugh Nibley?: Announcing a New, Landmark Book, “Hugh Nibley Observed”

Come, Follow Me Week 13 – Doctrine and Covenants 29

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The Blessing of Living Prophets

By David W. Smith

Doctrine and Covenants 29 contains powerful teachings. From it we learn important truths regarding the Second Coming and the fall of Adam and Eve.

In this week before general conference, I want to use this section and the context in which it was received to promote confidence in, and emphasize the importance of, living prophets.

Angels to Declare Repentance

Satan tempted Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They did so, were cast out of the Garden of Eden, and became subject to physical death. However, the Lord put a condition on that death:

“But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son” (verse 42). [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 13 – Doctrine and Covenants 29