An enduring folk apologetic for 19th century plural marriage has been to assert that it was justified because a shortage of men. Looking at raw Census data, John Widtsoe [1] debunked that notion, but did not end its popular appeal. Widtsoe’s conclusions have been embraced by critics [2] who wish to create cognitive dissonance for members who may have put too much weight on that folk rationale for plural marriage. On the other end of the spectrum, Brian C. Hales [3], a speaker at this year’s FAIR conference, also dismissed the folk apologetic and concentrated on rebutting critics’ plural marriage rationale (primarily as lust fulfillment) and supporting theological rationales (primarily as part of the restoration and preparation for conditions in the next life).
FAIR Conference
2010 FAIR Conference Review
We had another great conference this year, with 350 people attending in person, and about 50 listening online. We were treated to 15 presentations and also had the opportunity to socialize, browse the bookstore, and bid in a silent auction. Tanya Spackman received the John Taylor Defender of the Faith award for her work on Mormon Scholars Testify. You can view photos of the conference at the FAIR Facebook page.
William Schryver’s presentation on the Kirtland Egyptian Papers received some press before the conference, and did not disappoint. You can view it here. (A browser plug-in may be required.)
There have been articles about many of the presentations published in Mormon Times, Deseret News, and LDS Church News:
- FAIR conference: Same-sex marriage and the role of religion
- FAIR conference: Secret Mormon codes and Egyptian papers
- FAIR conference: LDS doctrine clear on divinity of one God
- FAIR conference: ‘Gender equality is the brick of Zion,’ speaker says
- FAIR conference: What if the U.S. president were a Mormon?
- FAIR conference: Joseph Smith’s discovery of ancient patterns
- FAIR Conference: Roper’s take on Book of Mormon geography
- Mormons need to work to increase favor
- FAIR conference: Defend the Book of Mormon by studying names, origins
- Nibley editor says scholar was bolstered by research
- ‘Be Ready’ to Defend Faith
Transcripts will be posted at http://www.fairlds.org when they are ready. MP3s and DVDs will be made available for purchase at the FAIR bookstore.
Gospel Principles Chapter 10: Scriptures
This week’s lesson is on the scriptures. As you can imagine, there are numerous articles available from FAIR that relate to this chapter. In most cases, rather than providing links to individual articles, I will simply make reference within each part to relevant pages from the FAIR Topical Guide on our main web site, as well as the Topical Guide on our wiki site. This week I will also take the opportunity to highlight presentations from past FAIR conferences that go along with each topic. (And if you enjoy reading the conference presentations, you are invited to join us this year on August 5 and 6.)
As a reminder, “If you have been called to teach a quorum or class using [the Gospel Principles] book, do not substitute outside materials, however interesting they may be. Stay true to the scriptures and the words in the book. As appropriate, use personal experiences and articles from Church magazines to supplement the lessons.” (“Introduction,” Gospel Principles, (2009), pg. 3.) The resources provided here are not meant to replace or supplement the prescribed lesson material, but are for use in personal study and to help provide background knowledge for answering any issues that may arise in class.
The Scriptures Are Available to Us Today
Open canon vs. closed canon
Supposed contradictions in the scriptures
The Mistakes of Men: Can the Scriptures be Error-Free?
The Bible
The Corruption of Scripture in the Second Century
As Far as it is Translated Correctly: The Problem of Tampering with the Word of God in the Transmission and Translation of the New Testament
FAIR wiki
FAIR Topical Guide
The Book of Mormon
Joseph the Seer—or Why Did He Translate With a Rock in His Hat?
Science and the Book of Mormon
Mormon’s Editorial Method and Meta-Message
A Real People, Time, and Place: Contextualizing the Book of Mormon
A Social History of the Early Nephites
The Gadianton Robbers in Mormon’s Theological History: Their Structural Role and Plausible Identification
Changes in the Book of Mormon
Nephi’s Neighbors: Book of Mormon Peoples and Pre-Columbian Populations
The Children of Lehi: DNA and the Book of Mormon
DNA and the Book of Mormon
Monotheism, Messiah, and Mormon’s Book
The Case for Historicity: Discerning the Book of Mormon’s Production Culture
Explaining Away the Book of Mormon Witnesses
Debating the Foundations of Mormonism: The Book of Mormon and Archaeology
The Protean Joseph Smith
Arabia and the Book of Mormon
FAIR wiki
FAIR Topical Guide
The Doctrine and Covenants
I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church
Dispelling the Black Myth
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Plural Marriage* (*but were afraid to ask)
The Reliability of Mormon History Produced by the LDS Church
FAIR Topical Guide – Blacks and the Priesthood
FAIR wiki – Blacks and the Priesthood
FAIR wiki – Polygamy
FAIR Topical Guide – Polygamy
FAIR wiki – Doctrine and Covenants
FAIR Topical Guide – Doctrine and Covenants
The Pearl of Great Price
Revised or Unaltered? Joseph Smith’s Foundational Stories
Book of Abraham 201: Papyri, Revelation, and Modern Egyptology
The Larger Issue
The Message of the Joseph Smith Translation: A Walk in the Garden
Adam in Ancient Texts and the Restoration
FAIR wiki – First Vision
FAIR Topical Guide – First Vision
FAIR wiki – Pearl of Great Price
FAIR Topical Guide – Pearl of Great Price
Words of Our Living Prophets
Statements by Church leaders
Revelation after Joseph Smith
Journal of Discourses
FAIR Topical Guide
Studying the Scriptures
The Impact of Mormon Critics on LDS Scholarship
The Fallacy of Fundamentalist Assumptions
“Uh oh!” to “Ah ha!” in Apologetics: 20/20 Foresight for a Faithful Future in Defending the Church
Spiritual Experiences as the Basis for Belief and Commitment
“Believest thou…?”: Faith, Cognitive Dissonance, and the Psychology of Religious Experience
What I Learned about Life, the Church, and the Cosmos from Hugh Nibley
Gospel Principles Chapter 8: Praying to Our Heavenly Father
This week’s lesson is on prayer. Below is a list of links taken from the main FAIR web site and the FAIR Wiki, which may help in discussing possible questions or issues that could potentially come up while studying this topic. Again, please note that by providing these resources we are not suggesting that they be included in any lessons taught. Rather, they are intended to be used as helps by the instructor or participating class members in case the issues do come up during class or personal study.
FAIR Conference: Friday open thread
Sorry I’m a little late getting this up today. Anyone with Internet access in the conference hall is invited to comment here on Friday’s presentations.
If your commenting on your own blog or other site, please feel free to link to it here.
- John Lynch, “‘Uh oh!’ to ‘Ah ha!’ in Apologetics—20/20 Foresight for a Faithful Future in Defending the Church”
- Brant Gardner, “Joseph the Seer, or Why Joseph Translated with a Rock in His Hat”
- Ron Hellings, “Joseph Smith and Modern Cosmology”
- Matthew Brown, “Brigham Young’s Teachings on Adam”
- Greg Smith, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Plural Marriage (*But Were Afraid To Ask)
- Richard Sherlock, “Mormonism in the Public Square”
- Daniel Peterson, “The Temple as a Place of Ascent to God”
FAIR Conference: Thursday open thread
Anyone with Internet access in the conference hall is invited to comment here on Thursday’s presentations.
If your commenting on your own blog or other site, please feel free to link to it here.
- Wade Miller, “Science and the Book of Mormon”
- Vickey Taylor, “The Sariah Dilemma: Finding Increased Faith When Our Children Misplace Their Own”
- John Gee, “The Larger Issue”
- Ugo Perego, “Haplogroup X in Light of Recent Book of Mormon Claims”
- McKay White, “The Kirtland Safety Society: The Myths, the Facts, and the Prophet’s Good Name”
- Ron Barney, “The Reliability of Mormon History Produced by the LDS Church”
- Robert White, “On Being An Apologist: Imperatives, Predicaments, Perils, and Blessings”
FAIR Conference starts Thursday morning
After months of preparation, the 2009 FAIR Conference begins tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM.
If you haven’t preregistered and you live in the Salt Lake area, at-the-door registration will be available both days. Video streaming is also being offered for $20. Details available at FAIR’s conference web page.
The FAIR blog will have an open thread for conference participants to comment on the talks. Check back tomorrow!
