FAIR

Apologetics

His Power Is for You

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Repentance, Worth, and the Real Meaning of Godliness

Have you ever worried that your repentance doesn’t count anymore—because you’ve had to ask for forgiveness again? Or that your standing with God depends on your performance?

In her talk “Your Repentance Doesn’t Burden Jesus Christ; It Brightens His Joy,” Sister Tamara W. Runia offers a powerful message of hope, identity, and covenant belonging. She dismantles perfectionism, reframes repentance as joy, and affirms that God’s love is constant—even when our progress feels slow. [Read more…] about His Power Is for You

FAIR Questions: Are William Clayton’s journals and other evidences suggesting Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage just “revised history”?

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FAIR has a service where questions can be submitted and they are answered by volunteers. If you have a question, you can submit it at https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/contact. We will occasionally publish answers here for questions that are commonly asked, or are on topics that are receiving a lot of attention.

 

QUESTION:

My dear friend shared with me some information suggesting Joseph Smith’s involvement in plural marriage was doctored in after the fact by Brigham Young and his associates, especially William Clayton. To support this, they refer to public speeches by Joseph and Hyrum Smith, denying participation in plural marriage. So much of what we know depends on what is in the William Clayton diaries, which they say is possibly “revised history.” I also noted that it was announced that the William Clayton Diaries would be made available a few years back, but haven’t been yet. Do you know of any further information on that?

[Read more…] about FAIR Questions: Are William Clayton’s journals and other evidences suggesting Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage just “revised history”?

Spiritually Whole in Him

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Finding Wholeness While Waiting for Healing

I think we have all wondered why God doesn’t heal every pain, fix every struggle, or resolve every heartache right now—especially for those who earnestly follow Him. Watching my parents, family members and children go through so many difficulties has taught me just how much we all long for relief—for miracles. 

Through these challenges, I’ve begun to learn something life-changing: wholeness isn’t about a life free of trials. It’s about a heart full of Christ. Illness or death doesn’t mean God’s disfavor. Trials—if we let them—can bring us closer to Him, not farther away.

In her General Conference message Spiritually Whole in Him, President Camille N. Johnson reminds us of this truth. She teaches that while physical and emotional healing may come later—in the Lord’s time—we can be made spiritually whole now through faith, repentance, and covenant connection with Jesus Christ. [Read more…] about Spiritually Whole in Him

Straining Against the Wind

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Choosing Christ in a World of Opposition

Have you ever felt disoriented by how much resistance seems to follow faithful living? Whether in a classroom, a family gathering, or scrolling through your feed, you may have encountered voices that belittle your beliefs, question your values, or mock your faith in prophets and scripture.

In his message Divine Helps for Mortality, President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency affirms a profound and empowering truth: opposition is not a sign that something is wrong—it’s a sign that something eternal is at stake. God’s plan doesn’t shield us from difficulty; it places us in it—so we can choose Christ, grow in spiritual strength, and become something more than we were. [Read more…] about Straining Against the Wind

Classic FAIR – Defending the Faith – David L. Paulsen, 2004

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“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph Smith: Defending the Faith” by David L. Paulsen at the 2004 FAIR Conference

Scott asked me if I would share with you some of my work defending our LDS understanding of God and to that end I have prepared a bibliography. There’s two sets of materials being passed out, one is a packet. There is a copy of the bibliography in that packet and then there’s two individual sheets and you should either get the packet or the pair of two separate sheets and you’ll find the bibliography in one of them. I’ve also copied a few reprints of articles.

As time permits, I want to look at two or three of these articles but before I launch into a consideration of those, I’d like to provide just a little personal background if you will indulge me that will perhaps explain how I developed a passion for apologetics and also put apologetics in a proper perspective.

Growing up in Ephraim in Sanpete County I was acquainted, and then only casually, with four non-Mormons–two of whom subsequently converted. There must’ve been some in my community who openly challenged Mormon beliefs, but somehow I never encountered them. My first exposure to such challenges occurred after my sophomore year of college when I began my tour of active duty with the United States Army Reserve.

CONTINUED HERE

Beauty for Ashes

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Receiving Eternity’s Gifts Through Christ

Have you ever felt that no matter how much you believe in Christ, His promises feel just out of reach—like peace, healing, or wholeness belong to someone holier, stronger, or more deserving?

In his Easter message Eternity’s Great Gifts: Jesus Christ’s Atonement, Resurrection, Restoration, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offers a sweeping and tender reminder: God’s eternal gifts are not reserved for the perfect—they are extended to all. What matters most is not whether the gift is offered (it is!) but whether we are willing to receive. [Read more…] about Beauty for Ashes

And We Talk of Christ: Forgiving Through His Light

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Receiving the Light of Christ—and Letting Go of What We Cannot Carry

Have you ever wondered what it actually means to forgive someone—especially when the pain they caused hasn’t gone away?

In his tender and Christ-centered address, And We Talk of Christ, Elder Gary E. Stevenson reminds us that Jesus Christ is the Light we receive—and the Light we share. His Atonement is not just about removing our sins, but about transforming our sorrows into peace and our suffering into joy. [Read more…] about And We Talk of Christ: Forgiving Through His Light

Prepared to Meet Him

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Overcoming Fear, Comparison, and Inaction in the Light of Christ

What does it really mean to be ready to meet the Savior—at His Second Coming or at the end of our mortal journey?

In his message Personal Preparation to Meet the Savior, Elder Dale G. Renlund teaches that Christ’s return should not fill us with fear, but with hope. Using three parables from Matthew 25, Elder Renlund outlines a pattern of preparation not based on dramatic change or public deeds, but on quiet, faithful consistency. [Read more…] about Prepared to Meet Him

The Times of Restitution Are Now

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From Passive Observers to Active Participants in God’s Prophetic Work

Have you ever assumed that the Restoration was something that happened once—and now we’re just meant to follow along?

In his deeply doctrinal message, “The Times of Restitution of All Things,” Elder David A. Bednar challenges that assumption. Quoting Acts 3:21, he draws our attention not just to what God has restored, but what He continues to restitute—through us. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized in 1830, yes—but that event was part of a prophesied restitution of all things foretold by prophets throughout time. And we are not merely witnesses to it—we are meant to be agents in it.

Elder Bednar’s invitation is clear: learn the message, prove it for yourself, and act on it. The Restoration isn’t only about what God did through Joseph Smith—it’s about what He is now doing through each of us. So the question is: Are we content to be acted upon? Or will we choose to act in faith as disciples in the final dispensation? [Read more…] about The Times of Restitution Are Now

New ‘Gospel Topics’ published today

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The following new items, which all relate to apologetics, have been published on the Church’s website today:

Church Financial Administration
Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Religion vs. Violence

It also appears that the “Gospel Topics Essays” and “Church and Gospel Questions” have been consolidated into a new “Topics and Questions” section, which you will find if the links above redirect you to the contents page instead of the individual articles. In that case, you can navigate to the articles from the index on the left of the page. (As of 5/23, it appears that the redirection has been fixed.)