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Doctrine

Evaluating Claims that Contradict the Prophets

September 28, 2022 by FAIR Staff

Seven years ago, a FAIR conference presentation identified a harmful ideology among some members of the Church of Jesus Christ. It claims that God gives revelations, visits, and special priesthood ordinations to individuals outside of church leadership, and that faithful church members should follow and obey those individuals, and believe the truth of their purported visions and revelations, either along with or instead of actual church leaders. It often criticizes church leaders for being uninspired, or else claims one must read between the lines of leaders’ statements because most church members are too uninspired or unrighteous to receive greater light and deeper understanding. At the time, some of the major proponents of this ideology were Julie Rowe and Denver Snuffer.

Since then, this spiritually elitist ideology has become far more widespread than a few “remnant” groups. Our culture’s obsession with “authenticity” and personalized truth, along with confusion about scriptural principles of revelation, have made a lot of us susceptible to very harmful ideas that undermine our faith and ability to truly commune with God. [Read more…] about Evaluating Claims that Contradict the Prophets

Filed Under: Apostasy, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, Homosexuality, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Marriage, Priesthood, Prophets, Questions, Revelation

“Bamboozled by the ‘CES Letter'” by Michael R. Ash now available on audiobook!

July 14, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

We are pleased to announce that Michael R. Ash’s book, Bamboozled by the “CES Letter”, is now available in audiobook format from Audible and iTunes!

We’d especially like to thank Derrick Duncan for volunteering his time and talent to narrate it.

The e-book version is still available from the FAIR Bookstore and Amazon.

Filed Under: Anti-Mormon critics, Apologetics, Book of Abraham, Book of Mormon, CES Letter, Doctrine, Faith Crisis, First Vision, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Masonry, Michael R. Ash, News from FAIR, Polygamy, Prophets, Racial Issues, Resources, Science, Temples, Testimonies

Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3

June 6, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

by BJ Spurlock

                When reading the scriptures, especially as one reads through the Old Testament, it is always helpful to ask the following questions:

  1. Where is Jesus Christ in the text?
  2. Where do we see gospel doctrines & principles that Jesus Christ taught?
  3. Where do we see gospel doctrines & principles that living Prophets are currently teaching?

                Seeing the Savior in the text as he interacts with his covenant children is of utmost importance. Elder Henry B. Eyring (at the time) made the following promise: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Doctrine, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Old Testament, Prophets, Women, Youth

Come, Follow Me Week 23 – Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16

June 3, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-Elder-Kim-B.-Clark.mp3

Podcast: Download (82.9MB)

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Seek the Lord Jesus Christ

By Elder Kim B. Clark

(An address given at the 2020 FAIR Conference)


I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to you today. I am not only grateful to be with you, but I am grateful for all of you who seek to help people strengthen, or recover, or restore, or establish faith in Jesus Christ, and His marvelous work in our day. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 23 – Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16

Filed Under: Bible, Book of Mormon, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, FAIR Conference, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Old Testament, Podcast, Prophets, Temples, Testimonies

Come, Follow Me Week 19 – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19

May 3, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Brad-Wilcox.mp3

Podcast: Download (54.5MB)

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“Have You Been Saved By Grace?” How Do We Respond?

by Brad Wilcox

(This is from a presentation given at the 2018 FAIR Conference)

Grace, like many English words has multiple meanings. It can mean elegance and beauty. It can mean kindness and courtesy. It can be a title, ‘Your Grace.’ It can be a salutation, “Grace be unto you,” like we read in the in the New Testament, and it can also be a prayer–we’re saying grace. With so many different meanings, no wonder there’s confusion. If we go back to the Hebrew word that was translated as grace, then the word means favor or goodwill given with compassion. No wonder Christians grabbed that word to describe God’s favor, God’s goodwill given with God’s compassion. But Latter-day Saints understand that grace is not just a description of God’s attributes. It is how he engages with us as we strive to attain those very attributes. Listen to what President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 19 – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Doctrine, FAIR Conference, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Old Testament, Temples

Come, Follow Me Week 16 – Easter

April 13, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

by Scott Gordon

This week, with Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Currently, 63% of Americans identify as Christian. This is down from 75% just 10 years ago. Those who are religiously unaffiliated, sometimes referred to as “nones,” has risen to almost 30% of the US population. This is an increase of 6% in the past 5 years.[1]

Does Religion Help? [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 16 – Easter

Filed Under: Apostasy, Bible, Book of Mormon, Come Follow Me, Conversion, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, Interfaith Dialogue, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, Mental Health, Missionary Work', New Testament, Old Testament, Prophets, Testimonies

FAIR Conference Podcast #79 – Derek Sainsbury, “We mean to elect him”: Electioneer Experiences during Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign

March 25, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Derek-Sainsbury.mp3

Podcast: Download (11.1MB)

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This podcast series features past FAIR Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2021 conference. If you would like to watch all the presentations from that conference, you can still purchase the video streaming.

Derek Sainsbury, “We mean to elect him”: Electioneer Experiences during Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign

Derek’s book, Storming the Nation: The Unknown Contributions of Joseph Smith’s Political Missionaries, is available from the FAIR Bookstore.

Derek R. Sainsbury has worked for 26 years in the Seminaries and Institutes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Currently, he is an instructor in the Church History and Doctrine department at Brigham Young University. He holds a PhD in American History from the University of Utah. He is the author of “Storming the Nation: The Unknown Contributions of Joseph Smith’s Political Missionaries,” the award-nominated first book-length treatment of Joseph Smith’s presidential campaign. He has also authored other academic articles and conference papers. He volunteers for Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants Central. He resides in Bountiful, Utah with his wife Meredith and their three sons and three dogs.

Filed Under: Doctrine, FAIR Conference, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Podcast, Politics, Priesthood, Prophets, Racial Issues, Revelation

Come, Follow Me Week 9 – Genesis 24–27

February 22, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Jeffrey-Thayne.mp3

Podcast: Download (10.9MB)

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Worldview Apologetics: Revealing the Waters in Which We Swim

by Jeffrey Thayne

(This is from a presentation given at the 2021 FAIR Conference)

Introduction

Let’s imagine two roommates, James and Greg, who both attend BYU. They live under the same roof, they are both practicing Latter-day Saints, and they both claim to believe in the doctrines taught by the Proclamation on the Family about sexuality and gender. However, despite these shared beliefs, the way they experience Church culture, policies, practices, and traditions couldn’t be more different. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 9 – Genesis 24–27

Filed Under: Apologetics, Come Follow Me, Doctrine, FAIR Conference, Faith Crisis, Homosexuality, Jesus Christ, Perspective, Philosophy, Podcast

Come, Follow Me Week 8 – Genesis 18–23

February 17, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ValerieHudson.mp3

Podcast: Download (10.8MB)

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Polygamy as an Abrahamic Sacrifice

by V.H. Cassler

(From a presentation originally titled “A Reconciliation of Polygamy,” given at the 2011 FAIR Conference; edited here for clarity and length)

Today we are going to talk about polygamy but probably in a different way than you have heard about it before. That is, we are going to talk about the doctrinal ins-and-outs of it rather than historical practices.

During the period of time when the restored Church was commanded by the Lord to practice polygamy, some practiced it without any discernible hardship and still others with great pain. Contemporary Church members may look back upon that period with acceptance, or indifference, or discomfort, and I would like to say at the outset that I don’t see that diversity of feelings is harmful that people differ in their reactions to polygamy I don’t think is the issue. Rather, since the new and everlasting covenant of marriage is at the heart of the work of eternal life and godhood; confusion about the nature and form of lawful marriage ordained by God is harmful. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 8 – Genesis 18–23

Filed Under: Bible, Come Follow Me, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, FAIR Conference, FAIR Conference, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Marriage, Old Testament, Perspective, Podcast, Polygamy, Prophets, Women

Come, Follow Me Thoughts to Keep in Mind – The Covenant

February 6, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

https://media.blubrry.com/mormonfaircast/www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Kerry-Muhlestein-Abrahamic-Covenant.mp3

Podcast: Download (16.7MB)

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The Abrahamic Covenant, Its Influence on Scriptures, and What that Has to Do with Us

by Kerry Muhlestein, author of God Will Prevail: Ancient Covenants, Modern Blessings, and the Gathering of Israel

The Abrahamic covenant is a central theme of the Old Testament, and really of all scripture. Every prophetic writer, whether in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Mormon, or the Doctrine and Covenants, assumes that you know and understand the Abrahamic covenant, and writes based on that assumption. As a result, when we are not familiar with this covenant, there are a number of things in every book of scripture that we miss. We lose some of the message and the rich power in the scriptures without even realizing it. Studying the Old Testament is an excellent time to rectify this situation. This year we are afforded the opportunity to read about the establishment of the covenant and to study some of the places where it is most fully explained. This will allow us to start to understand the covenant the way President Nelson has been asking us to. President Nelson certainly realizes the significance of the covenant, and has been energetically teaching about it throughout his apostolic career, and has even asked us to study the blessings promised to Israel in the covenant.[1] There is no better time than this Come Follow Me year to come to more fully share President Nelson’s desires for us to better recognize, understand, and appreciate what it means to be heirs to the Abrahamic covenant. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Thoughts to Keep in Mind – The Covenant

Filed Under: Bible, Book of Abraham, Book of Mormon, Book of Moses, Come Follow Me, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, General Conference, Jesus Christ, Marriage, New Testament, Old Testament, Podcast, Priesthood, Prophets, Temples

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