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Best of FAIR, Episode 3: Online Apologetics

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Scott Gordon, President of FAIR, provides an insider’s view into the
history of FAIR and the development of online apologetics. He provides
excellent advice on how to be effective in defending the Church on the
internet. Toward the end of the presentation are testimonials from two
women whose lives have been affected by FAIR. Some of the websites he
references include FARMS (now known as the Neal A. Maxwell Institute), Mormonanity, SHIELDS, Mormon Fortress, and, of
course, FAIR LDS. There are numerous other Mormon apologetic sites. Some of these include: Mormon Haven, Mormonism Researched, and Response to Anti-Mormon Critics.

FAIR Issues, Episode 3: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 3

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Does truth need a defense? Who should be an apologist? Why don’t the leaders of the Church engage in apologetics? Michael Ash raises these questions in this episode of FAIR Issues. The full text of this episode can be found at Mormon Times. Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

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Best of FAIR, Episode 2: Humble Apologetics

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In this 2008 FAIR Conference address, Daniel C. Peterson says “there is a tendency on the part of a lot of apologists, if we don’t know everything, to at least pretend that we do.” However, we often do not have a clear answer for everything. God sometimes deliberately withholds things from us to allow us freedom.

Daniel Peterson is the author of many books and articles, including Offenders for a Word, which is available, along with other talks by Brother Peterson, at the FAIR Bookstore.

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FAIR Issues, Episode 2: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 2

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Is it a sin to have doubts? What if we hold some beliefs that are out of line with the views of most members of the Church? Michael Ash raises these questions in this episode of FAIR Issues. The full text of this episode can be found at Mormon Times. Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

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FAIR Issues, Episode 1: Challenging Issues and Keeping the Faith Pt 1

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FAIR Issues is a program on the FAIR-Cast that will feature a brief look at an issue in the world of apologetics. In this, the first episode of FAIR Issues, Michael Ash asks why some people leave the Church. The full text of this episode can be found at http://www.mormontimes.com/article/9758/Challenging-issues-and-keeping-the-faith-Part-1. Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore: http://bookstore.fairlds.org/manufacturer.php?id_manufacturer=4.

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Best of FAIR, Episode 1: Apologetics 101

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The “Best of FAIR” episodes of the FAIR-Cast will feature recordings of various FAIR Conference presentations. In this 2006 FAIR Conference address, Wayne Arnett discusses apologetics and what it means to be an “apologist.” He says: “An apologist is one who defends or justifies a doctrine, policy or institution.” The missionaries of our church, in one sense, are apologists as they seek to teach the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this regard, all members of the Church ought to be apologists. As Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Every member of the Church ought to know that it [the Book of Mormon] is true, and we ought to be prepared with an answer to all of those critics who condemn it.”

The text of this address is available here. Brother Arnett’s pamphlet, “Defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, A Reference Guide,” can be purchased at the FAIR Bookstore.

“FAIR Conversations,” Episode 9: Kevin Christensen

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The FAIR Podcast is growing in order to provide episodes on a more frequent basis. The FAIR podcast will soon include episodes comprised of recordings of various FAIR Conference presentations from the past, as well as shorter apologetic vignettes for your listening enjoyment. The FAIR Podcast will thus be divided into categories including “Best of FAIR” and “FAIR Issues.”

Blair Hodges will continue hosting lengthier interviews on religious issues with a variety of scholars. His episodes will now be called “FAIR Conversations.” All of these categories will fall under the new umbrella name for the FAIR Podcast: “The FAIR-Cast.” The details are subject to change, but this is the overall gist of the direction we’re headed to provide a more frequent and diverse offering of podcast episodes.

This episode of FAIR Conversations features Kevin Christensen. Kevin, a technical writer in Pensylvania, is a good representative of what Hugh Nibley acclaimed as “the day of the amateur.” Kevin has published over twenty articles in the FARMS Review and other journals from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He’s also presented at numerous Sunstone conferences and published works in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. Recently he co-authored a piece on the Book of Mormon in Oxford University Press’s book, Joseph Smith, Jr: Reappraisals After Two Centuries, edited by Reid L. Neilson and Terryl L. Givens.

Kevin joined host Blair Hodges via Skype to talk about his experiences with LDS apologetics.

Questions or comments about this episode can be sent to [email protected]. Or, join the conversation in the comments here at fairblog.org.

Runtime:

55:19

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FAIR relies on contributions from readers and listeners. To help support FAIR, make a donation today.

 

Miscellaneous References in this Interview:

Hugh W. Nibley, “Old World Ritual in the New World,” An Approach to the Book of Mormon.

Stephen D. Ricks, and John W. Welch, eds., King Benjamin’s Speech: “That Ye May Learn Wisdom”.

Kevin Christensen, “Biblical Keys for Discerning True and False Prophets,” fairlds.org.

Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.

Anthony A. Hutchinson, “A Mormon Midrash? LDS Creation Narratives Reconsidered,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 21 (Winter 1988): 11-74.

Kevin Christensen, “New Wine and New Bottles: Scriptural Scholarship as Sacrament,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 24/3 (Fall 1991): 121-29.

Kevin Christensen, “Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon, A review of ‘Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon’ by Dan Vogel,” FARMS Review 2/1, pp. 214-57.

Kevin Christensen, “Paradigms Crossed, A review of ‘New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology’ by Brent Lee Metcalfe,” FARMS Review, 7/2, pp. 144-218.

Kevin Christensen, “Truth and Method: Reflections on Dan Vogel’s Approach to the Book of Mormon,” FARMS Review 16/1, pp. 287-354.

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FAIR Podcast, Episode 8: Brian M. Hauglid p.2

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Brian M. Hauglid discusses more about his brand new book, A Textual History of the Book of Abraham in part two.

The papyri Joseph Smith used when he translated the BoA went missing for decades, but were reacquired by the LDS Church in 1967. The papyri were quickly swept up in a tornado of research. In this episode Professor Hauglid talks about criticisms and controversies surrounding the Book of Abraham. Hauglid also describes how the BoA became part of the LDS canon. In addition to some of Hauglid’s favorite devotional bits of the text, he discusses a few interesting ancient parallels.

Cosmology, astronomy, ancient parallels, parallelomania, and Doritos. All these things and more in this episode of the FAIR Podcast.

Incidentally, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship currently provides the chapters from Hauglid’s Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant online for free. Check them out here. Folks interested in learning more about the Book of Abraham might be interested to start there. A review of Hauglid’s new book is available here.

Hauglid received a BA in Near Eastern Studies from Brigham Young University and an MA and PhD from the University of Utah in Arabic and Islamic Studies. He is currently an associate professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. Along with John Gee, Hauglid is both principal investigator and general editor of the Studies in the Book of Abraham Series.

Questions or comments about this episode can be sent to [email protected]. Or, join the conversation in the comments here at fairblog.org.

Runtime:

55:53

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FAIR Podcast, Episode 7: Brian M. Hauglid p.1

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Brian M. Hauglid joins us in this two-part episode of the FAIR Podcast to discuss his brand new book, A Textual History of the Book of Abraham. He received a BA in Near Eastern Studies from Brigham Young University and an MA and PhD from the University of Utah in Arabic and Islamic Studies. He is currently an associate professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. Along with John Gee, Hauglid is both principal investigator and general editor of the Studies in the Book of Abraham Series.

The Book of Abraham seems like one of the most difficult subjects to get an academic grip on in Mormon studies. Brian Hauglid tries to untangle some of the knots while situating his new book within the ongoing conversation about the Book of Abraham. Listeners might also be interested to check out the 2004 FAIR Conference presentation by Michael Ash and Kevin Barney, “The ABCs of the Book of Abraham” on youtube.

Questions or comments about this episode can be sent to [email protected]. Or, join the conversation in the comments here at fairblog.org.

Runtime:

50:15

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Support FAIR:

FAIR relies on contributions from readers and listeners. To help support FAIR, make a donation today.