Websites critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are popping up regularly, some gaining more traction than others. FAIR has responded specifically to some of them, like the so-called “CES Letter,” “Letter to My Wife,” and MormonThink. There are many other similar websites that FAIR has not responded to, partly because the topics raised in these sources are usually addressed in our wiki anyway, and partly because many of these sites overlap, because they are mostly re-hashing old arguments. [Read more…] about Yet another critical website pretending to be something it’s not – “LDS Discussions”
Joseph Smith
Come, Follow Me Week 35 – Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150
The Hymns of the Temple
Part 2
by Matthew L. Bowen
Praise is a dominant word in the latter third of the Psalter. The imperative plural Hebrew verbal expression hallelujah (halĕlû-yāh), “praise ye the Lord,” marks the beginning and ending of many of these temple hymns. In ancient Judah, ascending into the temple to praise Jehovah was a fundamental religious obligation. The gospel writer Luke notes that after the Ascension, Jesus’s earliest disciples “were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God” (Luke 24:53). The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ had given the disciples a sense of how the temple pointed to his incarnation and his unique role in saving Israel and all humanity (compare, for example, Mark 14:58; John 1:14; 2:19). [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 35 – Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150
Come, Follow Me Week 34 – Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86
The Hymns of the Temple
Part 1
by Matthew L. Bowen
The Psalms, originally written in Hebrew poetry,[1] were the hymns of the ancient Jerusalem temple.[2] Everything in them should be read and reflected upon with that in mind. Additionally, as Latter-day Saints, we are obligated to consider how these texts, within their temple and covenant context, can better connect us to the atonement of Jesus Christ in our time, just as they connected ancient Israelites and Judahites to Jehovah. The Psalms have much to teach us about the nature of God’s redemption and the role of the temple in that redemption.
Psalm 49 – The Price of Redemption, Christ’s Infinite Atonement, and the Temple
In Psalm 49, the futility and folly of earthly riches is expressed in terms of the value of God’s redemption. A key “atonement” term in Psalm 49 is the Hebrew pādâ and its nominal (noun) cognate pidyôn, “ransom” or “redemption”: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 34 – Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86
“Bamboozled by the ‘CES Letter'” by Michael R. Ash now available on audiobook!
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.
The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 62
Part 62: CES Letter Other Concerns/Questions [Section D]
by Sarah Allen
Before we get started, something happened this week that I wanted to address. This particular matter is resolved and I’m not trying to call anyone out, but I wanted to say this in case something similar happens in the future: I know that there is a lot of dishonesty and manipulation in this Letter, and a lot of people have been personally affected in some way by those lies. Feelings are high, I get that. But there is a difference between calling out dishonesty and insulting a fellow child of God. I try very hard not to personally attack Jeremy but rather, his words. If anyone reaches out privately to vent their frustrations with him, I will not allow him to be called names or otherwise insulted in my private messages. He is a child of heavenly parents, like we all are, and he deserves to be treated as such. As frustrating as this Letter can be, Jeremy deserves our prayers, not our condemnation. I do pray for him, and I hope the rest of you will join me in that.
With that said, the CES Letter picks back up with the second topic header of this section, “CHURCH FINANCES.” [Read more…] about The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 62
Come, Follow Me Week 24 – Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3
by BJ Spurlock
When reading the scriptures, especially as one reads through the Old Testament, it is always helpful to ask the following questions:
- Where is Jesus Christ in the text?
- Where do we see gospel doctrines & principles that Jesus Christ taught?
- 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
The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 60
Part 60: CES Letter Other Concerns/Questions [Section B]
by Sarah Allen
Today I’d like to finish out the first topic header of this section. For those who don’t remember, this header is titled “CHURCH’S DISHONESTY, CENSORSHIP, AND WHITEWASHING OVER ITS HISTORY.” Last week, we covered the Priesthood restriction again, and this week, we’ll be talking about Zina Huntington, Brigham Young, and Church Historian Steven E. Snow. If we have room after that, we’ll push on to the next topic header, but that’ll probably have to happen next week.
The CES Letter picks up with the following: [Read more…] about The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 60
The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 59
Part 59: CES Letter Other Concerns/Questions [Section A]
by Sarah Allen
We’re starting the last section of the CES Letter besides the conclusion, so it’s just a few more weeks of this series. This particular section is a hodgepodge of all of the different things Jeremy could think of that didn’t quite fit in the other sections, as well as other questions that revisit some of the ones already asked.
Jeremy begins with a quote taken from Richard Bushman, noted historian and author of Rough Stone Rolling, that was given during an informal fireside at someone’s home, filmed, clipped into a short, 2-minute video, then handed over to various critics to pass around: [Read more…] about The CES Letter Rebuttal — Part 59
Come, Follow Me Week 20 – Numbers 11-14; 20-24
Rejecting the Living Prophets by Following Future Prophets
by J. Max Wilson
(Adapted from his post at Sixteen Small Stones)
One of the key doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we have living prophets and apostles today who are authorized by God to receive revelations for the Church and for the world. The scriptures are full of stories of how the people of the Church rejected the messages of the living prophets, often justifying themselves by appealing to the words of previous prophets. Even Jesus was rejected by appealing to Moses or Abraham.
As President of the Twelve Apostles, Ezra Taft Benson warned: “Beware of those who would set up the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence.” [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 20 – Numbers 11-14; 20-24
Come, Follow Me Week 18 – Exodus 24; 31-34
Exodus, The Law of Moses, Covenants, and the Temple
by Ben Spackman
(This originally appeared on Ben Spackman’s blog)
Now that we’re getting into the desert Exodus narrative, we’re going to encounter what scholars call “legal sections” of scripture, that is, the details of the Law of Moses. I’m not interested in these so much as I am in the way the Israelites entered into the law, by covenant. So, let’s talk about these a bit more from an ancient Near Eastern perspective
The desert
Parts of a Covenant
Although there are differences, a covenant is functionally very similar to a contract or treaty. Among the ancient Israelites and their neighbors, the covenant pattern had several parts, though not every part was expressed in every covenant, nor was the order of these elements rigidly fixed. Understanding this pattern can help us understand the scriptures and the temple ordinances. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me Week 18 – Exodus 24; 31-34
