FAIR

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FAIR’s history and impact

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by Scott Gordon at the 2025 FAIR Conference

History of FAIR

In 1997, I logged in to America Online Mormonism message board 1 expecting to find friends. Instead, I found critics. I was quickly surprised by the sheer volume of vitriol and criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Common claims included:

  • You can’t add to the Bible (referencing, of course, the Book of Revelation)
  • You preach a different gospel (quoting from Galatians),
  • You believe Jesus is the brother of Satan (I’m not sure where that comes from in the scriptures, but it was there)
  • You’re getting your own planets; and
  • Mormon women will be eternally pregnant.

Even baptism was weaponized, declaring that it was a work that can’t save you.

These arguments, of course, were unfair, misrepresentative, or flat out wrong. And yet, this year, some seminary students in my ward in Redding, California, reported hearing these same arguments at school.

CONTINUED HERE

 

Scott Gordon
August 2019

Scott Gordon serves as President of FAIR (Faithful Answers, Informed Response) which can be found online at www.fairlatterdaysaints.org. FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping members deal with issues raised by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has an MBA and a BA from Brigham Young University. He is currently an instructor of business at Shasta College in Redding, California and teaches business classes online at BYUI. Scott has held many positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including serving as a bishop, ward mission leader, seminary teacher, and member of the elder’s quorum presidency. He is married, has five children and 14 grandchildren.

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 88 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson

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Receiving Joy

by Autumn Dickson

There are eternal truths in this world that spill over in the world to come. Whether we fight against those truths determines what we’re going to enjoy. The Lord said this: [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 88 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson

Thank You for Making the 2025 FAIR Conference Unforgettable!

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Dear Friends,

What an incredible FAIR Conference we had this year! From thought-provoking presentations to heartfelt conversations, we are so grateful to every sponsor, attendee, speaker, volunteer, donor, and supporter who made this year’s event at Thanksgiving Point one to remember.

[Read more…] about Thank You for Making the 2025 FAIR Conference Unforgettable!

Holy Ground

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Reverence as the Foundation for Spiritual Connection

Have you ever wondered why certain moments in worship feel life-changing—while others feel ordinary, even rushed? In a world that increasingly scoffs at the idea of sacred times and places, Elder Ulisses Soares’s April 2025 General Conference message, Reverence for Sacred Things, is a powerful reminder: reverence is not an accessory to spirituality—it is spirituality. [Read more…] about Holy Ground

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 87, 90, 100–101, 103, 105 – Mike Parker

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Prophecy of war; expulsion from Independence; Zion’s Camp (D&C sections 87, 90, 100–101, 103, 105)

by Mike Parker

(Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.)

Class Notes [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 87, 90, 100–101, 103, 105 – Mike Parker

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 85-87 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson

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Holy Places and Tares

by Autumn Dickson

I want to talk about two different themes from the sections assigned this week, standing in holy places and the parable of the wheat and tares. I’m not sure whether the Lord purposefully put these two themes right next to each other, but now it’s caught my attention and won’t leave me alone. Here are just a couple of excerpts from the Lord regarding these themes. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 85-87 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 85-87 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson

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Steadying the Ark

by Autumn Dickson

There is a reference to an Old Testament story found in the sections for this week. Let’s talk about the background and then read the verse. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 85-87 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson

A Real and Holy Jesus

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Raising a Generation That Can Stand in Holy Places

What happens when Jesus is reduced to a symbol? A vague ideal? A cultural icon with no real power to save?

In her powerful message Thou Art the Christ, Sister Amy A. Wright of the Primary General Presidency pleads for something deeper than casual Christianity: a life centered on the real, resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ. Not a fictional Jesus. Not a simplistic or bodiless Jesus. But the living Son of God—mighty to save, and intimately involved in our lives. [Read more…] about A Real and Holy Jesus

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 84 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson

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Renewal

by Autumn Dickson

There is a promise found in Section 84. And though it is specifically in relation to priesthood ordinations, I believe the promises we find there can apply to all of us. Here it is. [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 84 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson

Come, Follow Me with FAIR – D&C sections 84, 107; Official Declaration 2 – Mike Parker

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The priesthood & its quorums (D&C sections 84, 107; Official Declaration 2)

by Mike Parker

(Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.)

Class Notes [Read more…] about Come, Follow Me with FAIR – D&C sections 84, 107; Official Declaration 2 – Mike Parker