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Jennifer Roach Lees holds a Master in Divinity as well as a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She is a licensed mental health therapist and lives in Utah.
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Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson
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Why Moses Never Entered the Promised Land
by Autumn Dickson
Moses was not allowed to go into the promised land with the rest of the Israelites. He wandered in the desert with them for 40 years, saw the promised land from a mountaintop, and returned to God before he could step foot into that land.
Deuteronomy 34:4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
The event that caused Moses to be barred from the promised land came at a time when the Israelites needed water. At one point in their sojourn, Moses was commanded to smite a rock in order to provide water for the Israelites, and it worked. At another time, Moses was commanded to speak to the rock in order to provide water. Instead, Moses hit it again. Because of this, the Lord told Moses that he would not step foot in the promised land. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson
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How to Complain to the Lord
by Autumn Dickson
In Numbers 11, we read about the Israelites getting sick of their miracle, namely the manna in the wilderness which fed them. They remembered all the good food they used to eat in Egypt, and they were mad about eating the same thing for every meal.
Numbers 11:10 Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.
Moses gets so sick of the Israelites complaining that he asks the Lord to kill him rather than having to deal with them anymore (same, Moses, same). The Lord responds by sending too much meat until they get sick of it.
I want to share my own story, and then I’ll bring it back to the Israelites. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27 – Jennifer Roach Lees
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson
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The Spy Report That Cost 40 Years
by Autumn Dickson
The Israelites are wandering in the wilderness before they’re led to the promised land. They’re having experiences with God and learning difficult lessons. They’re being provided for even if it’s not everything they had in mind. They have had experiences of faith as well as experiences where they betrayed the witnesses they had received. Let’s talk about one of the times they were rebellious and unfaithful.
In Numbers 13, Moses sends twelve spies (one from each tribe) into Canaan. Depending on where you read in the bible (see Deuteronomy 1), the timelines differ slightly. One suggests the people wanted to spy; one suggests the Lord recommended it. Either way, the church seems to emphasize the Lord’s approval of the mission.
The spies come back with the following report. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Numbers 11–14; 20–24; 27 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson
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Repenting of Unintentional Sin
by Autumn Dickson
In my last post, we talked about Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. As a quick review in case you missed the last post, this day was a solemn event with an undercurrent of joy. The main ritual of the day included two identical male goats. One goat would be sacrificed with its blood spread on the Holy of Holies and its fat burned on the altar. The priest would lay his hands on the second goat, pronounce the intentional and unintentional sins of Israel upon it, and then send the goat out into the wilderness. The first goat represented the payment of Israel’s sins. The second goat represented the guilt being taken away from them.
The detail that I want to explore from this ritual is when the priest symbolically transferred the sins of Israel onto the second goat. There are parallels to Christ in all of these steps and details, but that’s the one I want to talk about today. Here’s the verse that teaches us about this. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19 – Jennifer Roach Lees
August 2026 FAIR Conference
FAIR CONFERENCE ARCHIVE · 2026
2026 FAIR Conference
Back to Basics · August 5–7, 2026 · Lehi, Utah
The 2026 FAIR Conference, themed Back to Basics, brought together scholars, historians, educators, and faithful voices to explore foundational questions about Latter-day Saint history, scripture, and doctrine. Presentations addressed Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, Church history, temple worship, and navigating questions of faith. Browse the conference presentations below, with available transcripts, speaker information, and related resources.
Conference Presentations
Published presentations · Alphabetized by speaker
Scott Gordon examines how the adversary seeks to undermine faith in Jesus Christ through distrust, criticism, and division. Drawing on scripture and decades of experience in Latter-day Saint apologetics, he explores how believers can recognize these strategies, strengthen their faith, and respond to challenges with knowledge, discernment, and Christlike charity.
Ron Rhodes examines what he calls the “faith crisis industry,” focusing on the financial structures, social media strategies, and community-building efforts of organizations critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Using publicly available financial filings and social media metrics, he argues that financial incentives can shape the production and distribution of critical content while urging Latter-day Saints to respond to those experiencing faith crises with clarity, charity, and compassion.
Additional Conference Presentations
Transcripts and presentation resources will be added as they become available.
Thomas Alexander — The 1844 to 1847 Succession Crisis in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Michael R. Ash — Shaken Faith Syndrome
Kendall Buchmiller — What is (and is not) Doctrine
Josh Coates — Black Saints and the Priesthood and Temple Restriction: Statistics on Three Positions
Gerrit Dirkmaat — Joseph Smith’s Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon
Brett Dowdle — “Here is Brigham”: The Private Character of Brigham Young
Keith Erekson — Which Sources Should I Trust?
Paul Fields — Authorship Attribute Analysis of D&C 132
Brant Gardner — Can I Trust the Book of Mormon? My Half Century Quest to Answer that Question
John Gee — The Book of Abraham: A Status Report
Casey Griffiths — Approaching Hard Questions in Church History and Doctrine
Matt Grow — “A Record Shall Be Kept”: The Mission of the Church History Department
Brian Hales — Joseph Smith: A Reluctant Polygamist
Janiece Johnson — Unravelling the Story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
Meagan Kohler — Why God is Getting in the Way of Your Happiness
Jennifer Roach Lees — Doctrinal Differences and “Heretical” Teachings
Mark Ashurst-McGee — Joseph Smith and Treasure Digging
James Perry — Historical and Contemporary Patterns: European Latter-day Saints, 1837-present day
Daniel C. Peterson — Why Apologetics? The Case for Defending the Faith
Jasmin Rappleye — Sacred, Secret, or “Cultish”? Demystifying the Latter-day Saint Temple
Neal Rappleye — A Beginners Guide to Book of Mormon Apologetics
Matt Roper — Accidental Evidence for the Book of Mormon
Robert Stephenson— Representations of the Church in Media
Anthony Sweat — The Restoration Continues: Let us Continue in it!
Jeffrey Thayne — By What Measure? Why the Same Doctrine Looks Different to Different Saints
John Thompson — Framing the Facsimiles: The Book of Abraham’s Relationship to the Egyptian Vignettes
Wendy Ulrich — When Loved Ones Leave: Maintaining Faith and Relationships
Walker Wright — Nourishing the Roots: How Temple Recommend Questions Can Reground Faith
Original 2026 FAIR Conference Schedule & Information
FAIR Conference 2026
August 5–7, 2026
Thanksgiving Point Showbarn | Lehi, Utah
This archive preserves the original conference schedule, program, and sponsors for historical reference.
Download the original PDF program
Conference Schedule
Day 1 – Wednesday, August 5, 2026
- 7:10 PM – Scott Gordon: Unmasking the Strategies of the Enemy
- 7:40 PM – Anthony Sweat: The Restoration Continues: Let us Continue in it!
Day 2 – Thursday, August 6, 2026
- 9:10 AM – Mark Ashurst-McGee: Joseph Smith and Treasure Digging
- 9:40 AM – Brian Hales: Joseph Smith: A Reluctant Polygamist
- 10:10 AM – Brett Dowdle: “Here is Brigham”: The Private Character of Brigham Young
- 10:45 AM – Gerrit Dirkmaat: Joseph Smith’s Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon
- 11:15 AM – John Thompson: Framing the Facsimiles: The Book of Abraham’s Relationship to the Egyptian Vignettes
- 11:45 AM – John Gee: The Book of Abraham: A Status Report
- 1:15 PM – Casey Griffiths: Approaching Hard Questions in Church History and Doctrine
- 1:45 PM – Thomas Alexander: The 1844–1847 Succession Crisis
- 2:15 PM – Josh Coates: Black Saints and the Priesthood and Temple Restriction: Statistics on Three Positions
- 2:45 PM – Janiece Johnson: Unravelling the Story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
- 3:25 PM – Jasmin Rappleye: Sacred, Secret, or “Cultish”? Demystifying the Latter-day Saint Temple
- 3:55 PM – Keith Erekson: Which Sources Should I Trust?
- 4:25 PM – Ron Rhodes: Understanding the Faith Crisis Industry - How Doubt is Monetized
- 4:55 PM – Robert Stephenson: Representations of the Church in Media
Day 3 – Friday, August 7, 2026
- 9:10 AM – Meagan Kohler: Why God is Getting in the Way of Your Happiness
- 9:40 AM – Walker Wright: Nourishing the Roots: How Temple Recommend Questions Can Reground Faith
- 10:10 AM – Wendy Ulrich: When Loved Ones Leave: Maintaining Faith and Relationships
- 10:45 AM – Matt Roper: Accidental Evidence for the Book of Mormon
- Paul Fields: Authorship Attribute Analysis of D&C 132
- 11:45 AM – Michael R. Ash: Shaken Faith Syndrome
- 1:15 PM – Matt Grow: “A Record Shall Be Kept”: The Mission of the Church History Department
- 1:45 PM – Jennifer Roach Lees: Doctrinal Differences and “Heretical” Teachings
- 2:15 PM – Kendall Buchmiller: What is (and is not) Doctrine
- 2:45 PM – Jeffrey Thayne: By What Measure? Why the Same Doctrine Looks Different to Different Saints
- 3:25 PM – Brant Gardner: Can I Trust the Book of Mormon? My Half-Century Quest to Answer that Question
- 3:55 PM – Neal Rappleye: A Beginner’s Guide to Book of Mormon Apologetics
- 4:25 PM – James Perry: Historical and Contemporary Patterns: European Latter-day Saints, 1837–Present
- 4:55 PM – Daniel C. Peterson: Why Apologetics? The Case for Defending the Faith
Sponsors
Media Sponsor: Meridian Magazine
Platinum Sponsor: The Interpreter Foundation
Faith Creators Alliance Sponsorship: Faith Creators Alliance
Gold Sponsors: The Church History Library; Greg Kofford Books; Religious Studies Center; Scripture Central
Silver Sponsors: Wilford Woodruff Papers: A Rich & Holy Legacy; Maya and Olmec Connections
Conference Partner: Moon's Rare Books
Sponsor participation does not constitute endorsement by FAIR. The views and opinions expressed by conference speakers and sponsors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAIR or its Board of Directors.
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson
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Still Holding On To Guilt?
by Autumn Dickson
This week we’re learning about the sacrifices and rituals of the Israelites in the wilderness. They had a temple that would go with them as they travelled, and there was immense symbolism all throughout this temple. Much of this symbolism was meant to draw the attention of the Israelites towards the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was called a sacrifice, but it was actually a blessing. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson
Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson
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The Idols We Don’t Call Idols
by Autumn Dickson
The Israelites were delivered by incredible miracles. The plagues were immense in and of themselves, but the parting of the Red sea was next level. The Lord had freed the Israelites through marvelous power, just as He promised.
A short time later, the people find themselves in the wilderness. Moses is lingering up on the mountain away from everyone, and the Israelites have gotten antsy. They convince Aaron to make them an idol to worship. Aaron tells them to bring their earrings, he melts them down, and makes a golden calf. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Exodus 19–20; 24; 31–34 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson
