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Apologetics

FAIR Issues, 6: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 6

May 25, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Challenging-Issues-and-Keeping-the-Faith-pt-6.mp3

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What happens when the average member of the Church first encounters anti-Mormon literature? Why do some members casually reject it and others become deeply unsettled? In this episode, Michael Ash explores these questions. The complete text of this article can be found at Mormon Times.

Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

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Filed Under: Anti-Mormon critics, Apologetics, Podcast

FAIR Issues, 5: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 5

May 22, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Challenging-Issues-and-Keeping-the-Faith-pt-5.mp3

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What is an “anti-Mormon?” When did anti-Mormons first appear? Is the term “anti-Mormon” pejorative? In the episode, Michael Ash discusses these issues and sets forth differences between two different types of anti-Mormons: sectarian critics and secular critics. The full text of this article is available at Mormon Times.

Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.

Filed Under: Anti-Mormon critics, Apologetics, Podcast

Best of FAIR, Episode 4: Shaken Faith Syndrome

May 18, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

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In this address from the 2008 FAIR Conference, Michael R. Ash discusses “shaken faith syndrome.” He explains that “a shaken faith typically arises from two scenarios—1) Someone loses their faith because of a disaster in their life (such as a death, divorce, or other tragedy.) 2) Someone’s faith is shaken because they are exposed to information that seems to question the truth claims of the Church.” His address focuses on the second category.

Confronting information that seems to question the truth claims of the Church can create cognitive dissonance. “When we encounter cognitive dissonance with weighty issues—such as religious beliefs—we can experience a very uncomfortable and emotional state of mind. This discomfort has been called a “negative drive state” because it causes psychological tension almost like hunger or thirst and requires immediate attention and resolution. Reducing this distress may require a change in belief or behavior. There are at least four ways in which this is generally accomplished, and we are not often consciously aware of doing so. We will either: (1) reject the new information—the competing cognition—as false; (2) reject the new information as unimportant; (3) reject old beliefs in favor of the new information; or (4) add information (additional cognitions) to validate the original belief.”

Ash goes on to explain, “When critical information destroys conclusions based on straw men or false assumptions, some members will lose their entire testimonies. The most common misconceptions that seem to factor into personal apostasy include: (A) Unrealistic Expectations of Prophets (B) Confusing Tradition With Doctrine (C) Imposing Our View on Others (D) Unrealistic Expectations of Science and Scholarship”

He concludes with some thoughts on inoculation against shaken faith syndrome: “While adding cognitions may salvage damaged testimonies, a change in paradigms before encountering challenging issues often serves as an inoculation against shaken faith syndrome. Inoculation, however, can also cause damage on its own.”

The full text of this address can be found at FAIR LDS. You can also watch the video of this presentation on YouTube.

Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

Filed Under: Apologetics, FAIR Conference, Podcast

FAIR Issues, Episode 4: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 4

May 14, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Challenging-Issues-and-Keeping-the-Faith-pt-4.mp3

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Michael Ash provides some history and background of some of the organizations that defend the Church, including FARMS (now known as the Neal A. Maxwell Institute), and FAIR. The full text of this episode can be found at Mormon Times.

Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph
Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Podcast

Best of FAIR, Episode 3: Online Apologetics

May 11, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Online-Apologetics.mp3

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Scott Gordon, President of FAIR, provides an insider’s view into the
history of FAIR and the development of online apologetics. He provides
excellent advice on how to be effective in defending the Church on the
internet. Toward the end of the presentation are testimonials from two
women whose lives have been affected by FAIR. Some of the websites he
references include FARMS (now known as the Neal A. Maxwell Institute), Mormonanity, SHIELDS, Mormon Fortress, and, of
course, FAIR LDS. There are numerous other Mormon apologetic sites. Some of these include: Mormon Haven, Mormonism Researched, and Response to Anti-Mormon Critics.

Filed Under: Apologetics, FAIR Conference, Podcast

FAIR Issues, Episode 3: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 3

May 7, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Challenging-Issues-and-Keeping-the-Faith-pt-3.mp3

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Does truth need a defense? Who should be an apologist? Why don’t the leaders of the Church engage in apologetics? Michael Ash raises these questions in this episode of FAIR Issues. The full text of this episode can be found at Mormon Times. Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Podcast

Best of FAIR, Episode 2: Humble Apologetics

May 4, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Humble-Apologetics.mp3

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In this 2008 FAIR Conference address, Daniel C. Peterson says “there is a tendency on the part of a lot of apologists, if we don’t know everything, to at least pretend that we do.” However, we often do not have a clear answer for everything. God sometimes deliberately withholds things from us to allow us freedom.

Daniel Peterson is the author of many books and articles, including Offenders for a Word, which is available, along with other talks by Brother Peterson, at the FAIR Bookstore.

Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.

Filed Under: Apologetics, FAIR Conference, Podcast

FAIR Issues, Episode 1: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 1

April 22, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

http://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Challenging-Issues-and-Keeping-the-Faith-pt-1.mp3

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FAIR Issues is a program on the FAIR-Cast that will feature a brief look at an issue in the world of apologetics. In this, the first episode of FAIR Issues, Michael Ash asks why some people leave the Church. The full text of this episode can be found at http://www.mormontimes.com/article/9758/Challenging-issues-and-keeping-the-faith-Part-1. Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore: http://bookstore.fairlds.org/manufacturer.php?id_manufacturer=4.

Tell your friends about the FAIR-Cast. Share a link on your Facebook page and help increase the popularity of the FAIR-Cast by rating it in iTunes.

Filed Under: Apologetics, Podcast

Best of FAIR, Episode 1: Apologetics 101

April 20, 2011 by SteveDensleyJr

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The “Best of FAIR” episodes of the FAIR-Cast will feature recordings of various FAIR Conference presentations. In this 2006 FAIR Conference address, Wayne Arnett discusses apologetics and what it means to be an “apologist.” He says: “An apologist is one who defends or justifies a doctrine, policy or institution.” The missionaries of our church, in one sense, are apologists as they seek to teach the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this regard, all members of the Church ought to be apologists. As Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Every member of the Church ought to know that it [the Book of Mormon] is true, and we ought to be prepared with an answer to all of those critics who condemn it.”

The text of this address is available here. Brother Arnett’s pamphlet, “Defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, A Reference Guide,” can be purchased at the FAIR Bookstore.

Filed Under: Apologetics, FAIR Conference, Podcast

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