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Science

Classic FAIR – DNA and The Book of Mormon – Ryan Parr, 2005

June 11, 2025 by Trevor Holyoak Leave a Comment

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“DNA and The Book of Mormon” by Ryan Parr at the 2005 FAIR Conference

I would like to thank the organizers of the conference for being invited to talk about two really great subjects and that is the Book of Mormon and DNA which, when you look at its structure and its design, is no less of a divine inspired molecule!

We live in a very exciting age. Now, by the time you finish watching CNN you may not think that, but there is a lot of good that is going on in the world today and actually we call- so this is sort of a public service announcement on DNA—you’ll often hear the word “genome” and genome refers to the entire complement of genes that each one of us has and for humans that’s between 30-80,000 genes and this is really going to be the basis of an economic revolution in countries that will take note. In fact Bill Gates has said that if he had the opportunity to do it over again he would be in biotechnology because with the early days of this type of research, it was pre-1995 (they call the ancient days), and now since we’ve actually looked at and deciphered the entire human genome there are many things that we think we can now do. We can use DNA as a biosensor to detect what we’re thinking; all types of diseases; cancers that now we treat after their clinical manifestations; long before there are clinical manifestations; so we really stand on a cusp and a threshold of a revolution much like the antibiotic revolution of the last century.

CONTINUED HERE

Filed Under: Book of Mormon, DNA, FAIR Conference, FAIR Conference, Podcast, Science

Classic FAIR – The Fallacy of Fundamentalist Assumptions – Blake Ostler, 2005

May 28, 2025 by Trevor Holyoak Leave a Comment

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“The Fallacy of Fundamentalist Assumptions” by Blake T. Ostler at the 2005 FAIR Conference

I’d like to begin my presentation (there should have been an outline that was handed out that you have in front of you). But I want to begin a bit off outline. I was amused- I was reading this morning that we have (and Chris Buttars is a good friend of mine) and he’s wondering whether he should introduce intelligent design into Utah schools. And I was thinking intelligent design? Chris is a Mormon and he probably doesn’t even realize what he would be teaching isn’t Mormon cosmology.

And I was reading another article—as a matter of fact just last night—about how the Big Bang proved this story of Genesis and I was thinking, apparently the people who read- who know all about the Big Bang have never read Genesis. (Laughter)

CONTINUED HERE

Filed Under: Anti-Mormon critics, Bible, Book of Abraham, Doctrine, Doctrine and Covenants, FAIR Conference, FAIR Conference, Interfaith Dialogue, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, New Testament, Old Testament, Podcast, Science

Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 26: DNA

January 11, 2024 by Sarah Allen

I know I literally just said I was going to be better at making these posts a weekly feature again and then missed a few weeks, so I apologize for that. My dad was back in the hospital for a bit and there was holiday business. I also filmed an episode of the Come Back podcast, which should be out this coming weekend. And I was actually doing a lot of work a few weeks ago on another project for FAIR that I am very excited about. I am starting a new, investigative podcast series with two other FAIR faces you may be familiar with, Jennifer Roach and Zachary Wright. It’s going to be a podcast composed of multiple miniseries on different controversial topics in Church history and culture.

I admire and adore both of my co-hosts, and we’re already having such a great time working together. We met up before Christmas and laughed and planned and ate and filmed a few trailers, which should be out soon. We’re doing a bunch of filming this weekend, in fact. Our first miniseries should launch in early-to-mid February, and will consist of six episodes. I’ll have more to say on this soon, but we’re all very excited. The entire crew working on this project is amazing, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with.

[Read more…] about Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 26: DNA

Filed Under: Anti-Mormon critics, Apologetics, Book of Mormon, DNA, Evidences, Faith Crisis, LDS Culture, LDS History, Prophets, Questions, Resources, Science Tagged With: Letter For My Wife

By Study and Faith – Episode 1: What is Critical Thinking?

June 4, 2023 by Trevor Holyoak

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by Zachary Wright

Have you ever wanted to problem-solve better? Not just the daily issues we deal with, but the massive world-changing problems we deal with constantly? What about wanting to be more effective in your study? Have you ever wanted to learn to differentiate between what’s true and what’s not? Maybe you’re not as ambitious, but you want to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ and learn more about Him and His gospel. All these skills, and more, apply at least some form of critical thinking skills, and I’m here to help you learn how to be a more effective critical thinker. [Read more…] about By Study and Faith – Episode 1: What is Critical Thinking?

Filed Under: Apologetics, Book of Mormon, By Study and Faith, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Podcast, Questions, Resources, Science, Zachary Wright

“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

FAIR Conference Podcast #73 – Ben Spackman, “Through a Glass, Less Darkly: The 20th Century History of Genesis and Evolution”

January 3, 2022 by Trevor Holyoak

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

Ben Spackman, Through a Glass, Less Darkly: The 20th Century History of Genesis and Evolution

Ben Spackman is a PhD candidate in American Religious History at Claremont. His dissertation examines the intellectual roots of LDS creationism and evolution in the 20th century. Prior to his work at Claremont, he received a master’s degree and did PhD work in Old Testament languages and literature at the University of Chicago. He is a guest editor of a special edition of BYU Studies dedicated to biological evolution and LDS faith, and writes at BenSpackman.com.

Filed Under: Bible, FAIR Conference, FAIR Conference, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Podcast, Prophets, Revelation, Science

Rethinking Revelation and the Human Element in Scripture

December 23, 2021 by Trevor Holyoak

Available in the FAIR Bookstore

by Michael R. Ash

Those who have read any of my writings in the past several decades will know that I’ve been a volunteer for FAIR for more than twenty years. I’m an active Latter-day Saint who accepts prophets as the divinely called and authorized agents of Christ’s church on earth. And, like many other believing members, scholars, and LDS-scientists, I also try to think rationally and logically, and I embrace the general conclusions of secular science and “objective” history.

Faith-Crisis

In the more than forty years that I’ve been reading and writing about LDS scholarly issues (including the twenty years I’ve been volunteering for FAIR), I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the intellectual reasons people leave the faith. Obviously, there are many reasons that people leave the Church, but I’ve always been interested in the historical and scientific issues that unseat some LDS testimonies. [Read more…] about Rethinking Revelation and the Human Element in Scripture

Filed Under: Bible, Book of Abraham, Book of Mormon, Book of Moses, Doctrine and Covenants, Faith Crisis, Joseph Smith, LDS History, Michael R. Ash, Prophets, Revelation, Science

Book Review: “In the Hands of the Lord: The Life of Dallin H. Oaks”

December 12, 2021 by Trevor Holyoak

Available from the FAIR Bookstore

This biography of Dallin H. Oaks was written by Richard E. Turley, Jr., who has been associated with Oaks throughout most of his (Turley’s) professional life. Turley has served as the Director of the Church History Department (originally selected to work for the department by Oaks), Assistant Church Historian, and Director of Public Affairs. He has previously written or co-written several other books, including Victims: The LDS Church and the Mark Hoffman Case and Massacre at Mountain Meadows: An American Tragedy.

Dallin Harris Oaks was born August 12, 1932 in Provo, Utah. He got his middle name from his mom’s side of the family, who was descended from a brother of Martin Harris. He grew up in Provo; Twin Falls, Idaho; Payson (where he stayed with his grandparents at times due to the death of his father when he was 7); and Vernal. He came close to dying several times in his childhood, beginning with his birth, with miraculous preservation of his life occurring each time. [Read more…] about Book Review: “In the Hands of the Lord: The Life of Dallin H. Oaks”

Filed Under: Book reviews, Doctrine, General Conference, Jesus Christ, LDS History, Priesthood, Prophets, Revelation, Science, Testimonies

Inspiration, Intellect, and Rethinking Revelation

December 11, 2021 by Trevor Holyoak

by Michael R. Ash

for FAIR Newsletter 2021 1211

Inspiration and Intellect are two sides of the same coin in how Latter-day Saints believe that God communicates with His children. We know that the Spirit testifies to eternal truths, but we often forget (or neglect) the role that intellect plays in uncovering truth. The late Apostle Hugh B. Brown said, “revelation does not come only through the prophet of God nor only directly from heaven in visions or dreams. Revelation may come in the laboratory, out of the test tube, out of the thinking mind and the inquiring soul, out of search and research and prayer and inspiration.”[i] Likewise, the Lord instructed the Saints to “seek learning… by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118). This counsel was repeated several more times in modern revelations (see D&C 11:22, 90:15, 93:53; and 109: 7, 14), and the admonition led Joseph to establish the “School of the Prophets” (D&C 88:127).

The dual-nature or dual-sources for discovering truth presents some challenges, however. The first challenge is that neither source—neither inspiration nor intellect—can provide infallible and inerrant data.

The Challenge of Inspiration [Read more…] about Inspiration, Intellect, and Rethinking Revelation

Filed Under: Bible, Book of Abraham, Book of Mormon, Faith Crisis, Joseph Smith, Michael R. Ash, Newsletter, Prophets, Revelation, Science

96% of US physicians have done something to stay healthy. Only 57% of US adults have followed their lead.

August 17, 2021 by Jeff Markham

What is this “pro tip” that is almost universally practiced by doctors?  Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition to being a faithful Latter-day Saint, I’m a physician. I have many doctor friends. The statistic referenced in the title (which came from this AMA survey) matches what my anecdotal experience tells me — doctors are getting vaccinated.  Among my doctor friends there is a wide range of political opinions, ranging from avowed socialists to gun-toting libertarians and everything in between.  On a host of other COVID-19 related topics, these friends have extremely diverse opinions. And yet when it comes to getting the vaccine, there is broad consensus.

This might seem like a strange topic to discuss on a Latter-day Saint apologetics blog, but given the reaction by some members of the church to the recent First Presidency statement urging vaccination, I’d like to offer some thoughts on why I believe there is near-universal vaccination among US physicians.

In this post, I’ll discuss three factors I believe contribute: (1) Understanding the science behind the vaccine; (2) anecdotal experience of physicians, and (3) awareness of public health data. In each of these three areas, physicians have a unique perspective worth taking a closer look at. [Read more…] about 96% of US physicians have done something to stay healthy. Only 57% of US adults have followed their lead.

Filed Under: News stories, Perspective, Prophets, Questions, Science

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