FAIR

apologetics

Hold to the…Serpent Wand

Summary

The presentation establishes that in ancient Egypt, serpents held in the hand symbolized divine words and authority, often connected with protective rituals and spoken incantations. These serpent symbols parallel rods and scepters in scripture, representing both protection and judgment.

Through comparisons with biblical and Book of Mormon narratives—such as Moses’ rod, the brazen serpent, Lehi’s rod of iron, and Revelation’s imagery—the speaker argues that serpent symbolism consistently reflects a duality: divine authority versus chaotic opposition. Ultimately, these symbols point to the Messiah, whose authority brings healing, guidance, and victory over evil.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

Ancient Egyptian serpent imagery shows that serpents held in the hand symbolized divine words and authority—helping explain scriptural symbols like Moses’ rod, the brazen serpent, and the rod of iron as representations of God’s power overcoming evil.

Speaker Introduction

John S. Thompson obtained his BA in ancient eastern studies from BYU and his MA from UC Berkeley and completed a PhD in Egyptology at the University of Pennsylvania, with a dissertation emphasis on the ancient priesthood. He was an employee of the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion for 28 years, most recently as a coordinator and the institute director in the Cambridge, Massachusetts area. John is now very happy to research and write full-time for Scripture Central, a nonprofit organization that focuses on ancient and modern historical and cultural context of the Bible, Book of Mormon, and other Latter-day Saints scripture. He is married to the former Stacy Keller from Orem, Utah, and they have nine children and six grandchildren.

Introduction and Background

In 2010, I gave a presentation at BYU entitled Tree Goddesses and Serpent Wands: Exploring Scriptural Symbols in their ancient Neareastern context. The purpose was to illuminate the trees of life and rod of iron motifs in scripture. Two further presentations and publications have grown out of that initial effort.

Egyptian Tree Goddesses and the Tree of Life

First, building on Dan Peterson and others’ great works on tree goddess motifs in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, I presented and published a paper detailing some iconographic specifics of Egyptian tree goddesses and what we learn from them that help us see finer details in our ancient scriptural stories regarding trees of life.

Serpent as Symbol

And second is this presentation and paper which delves a little deeper into Egyptian artifacts and images where serpents are being grasped and utilized as symbols of divine protection and power. I view this work as complimentary to the excellent work that Andrew Skinner and Neil Rappley have done looking at the ancient neareastern background of serpent imagery to help us understand their symbolic duality representing both good and evil and the fiery and flying nature of serpents depicted in the story of Moses.

Exploring the Connection Between Serpents and Rods

This paper will focus on the deep connection of serpents to rods and divine words in ancient Egypt that will hopefully illuminate some passages of scripture a little more.

Egyptian Language and the “Word of God”

When the ancient Egyptians refer to their own hieroglyphics writing system, they call it zšn mdw nṯr, “the writing of the word of God.” And they call their documents, written in hieroglyphics mḏꜣwt nt mdw nṯr, “the scrolls of the word of God.”

The term mdw nṯr, “the word of God”, is attested from the earliest ages of ancient Egypt. For example, a title appearing in non-royal tombs as early as 2400 BC is ḥr(y)-sštꜣ n mdw-nṯr, “overseer of the secrets of the words of God.”

Rods, Words, and Authority

The term medu, word or utterance, is represented in hieroglyphics by a simple rod or staff. So the equation of word with rod goes way back well before Nephi, Moses, and even Abraham.

The relationship of God’s word to a rod is probably best understood through the symbolism of royal scepters or maces and swords and similar items. Such objects held in the hand were often used in texts and imagery to represent divine or royal authority in words that provide protection or guidance for their subjects and judgment against enemies.

Scriptural Connections

In fact, scriptures explicitly equate rods with scepters or the act of ruling. For example, Isaiah says, “The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers.” (NIV Isaiah 14:5) And Ezekiel likens Israel to a mother tree, saying, “She had strong rods for the scepters of them that bear rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches.” (Ezekiel 19:11)

In the New Testament, God declares in John’s revelation that: “to him who overcomes the world will I give power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.” (Rev. 2:26-27)

Rods as Standards and Measures

Rods were also used as a standard of measurement, the rule. For example, John uses a rod to measure the temple in Revelation 11. As such, rods were natural symbols for the words of a deity or king, the ruler, because their words were the law, constitution, or standard by which people or nations were measured.

Physical royal cubit rods survive from Egypt’s new kingdom. This one depicted here was given as a gift from King Amenhotep II to a man named Ka, the architect and overseer of works at Deir el-Medina in the 18th dynasty.

Royal Symbolism and Propaganda

The inscription on it includes some royal propaganda celebrating the king as “the perfect god, … the lord of strength … strong and heroic … ruler of Heliopolis … strong bull in every foreign country … who plunders in every foreign county.”

These words connect the king’s ability to rule with a measuring rod.

Prophetic Imagery of Rod and Word

The deep relationship between rods or scepters and royal or divine words can be seen in these old and new testament passages.

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse. He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth. Again, suggesting the “rod” is “words” – as recorded in Isaiah 11.

Micah chapter 6 indicates, “The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city, hear ye the rod.”

And the book of Revelation mentions, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron.” So again, coming out of the mouth.

Serpent Wands as the Word of God

Everything mentioned up to this point merely serves as a background to the main purpose of this presentation, which is to explore serpent-shaped objects from the ancient world that are also held in the hand and also appear to symbolize royal or divine words of authority as protection or judgment.

Not only the counterfeit words and authority of false gods, but the word and authority of God. It is hoped that this will provide deeper insight into the serpent imagery found in the Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon.

Serpent Artifacts and Ritual Use

Artifacts in the shape of serpents are attested from the Middle Kingdom to the late period of ancient Egypt in the archeological record. They vary in style and material, and some of the objects are likely just decorative. But others, such as these from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, were most likely held in the hand and used as ritual wands.

Robert Rittner studied these objects and noted that although serpent wand artifacts are rare, corresponding depictions of clutched serpents are common and perhaps serve as artistic prototypes for the actual ritual implement.

For example, this upper left scene in the tomb of Tomb of Bebi at El Kab depicts females raising serpent stabs and curved amuletic knives towards a seated couple. One is labeled as ḫnmt.t, meaning nursemaid.

Protective Knives and Spoken Words

Curved amuletic knives like those depicted are attested in the archeological record. They are carved from the tusks of hippopotami. And frequently, having images of serpent-wielding deity – primarily the dwarf god Bes, or Beset (the feminine version) – among others upon them.

Some also have texts written on them that reveal the purpose of these curved knives and their associated serpent wands. They were used to provide protection for a child. One states:

“Words spoken by many protective deities. We have come that we may extend our protection around the healthy child, Minhotep, living, prospering, and healthy. Born of the Lady Sitsobek, prospering, and healthy.”

Serpents, Deities, and Healing Implements

A Middle Kingdom tomb excavated at the Ramesseum in Thebes, contained a box of papyri that included some healing incantations. On the lid of the box is a figure of a jackal reclining on a chest, a graphic substitution for the title r(y)-sšt, “overseer of secrets,” recalling the title “overseer of secrets of the word of God” mentioned earlier.

Along with the box were some curved amuletic knives depicting the god Bes and goddess Beset grasping serpents, and the detail of that is on the left in this image. Also there was a bronze statueette of the goddess Beset holding serpents in each hand, shown in the center here, and a bronze object of a serpent, shown on the right, among other objects.

Scholars who have analyzed this collection have suggested that the healing incantations in the box and the depictions of the serpent grasping deities on the left and the middle, help clarify the use of the artifact on the right. It is a wand held in the hand and used for apotropaic purposes, likely when the protective spells were being spoken.

Horus, Magic, and Spoken Protection

Horus on the crocodile cippi, attested from the new kingdom to later periods, depict the god Horus as a child brandishing serpents while standing on crocodiles. These objects are accompanied with hieroglyphics framed as speeches and spells by Isis and Thoth to ward off evil and to heal the child Horus, the divine counterpart of the king himself.

The work of these gods protecting the child king on a cosmic/mythological level provides impetus for the layman to drink the waters that were poured over these objects and receive similar protection and healing in their personal lives.

This is similar to what we saw earlier where the spells associated with the curved amuletic knives and the serpent wands contain the words of a god for protecting a child. And again we have Horus as a child depicted here.

Isis, Speech, and Power Over Serpents

A further connection is that the objects mentioned earlier preserve images of Bess or Bessette wielding snakes. And these objects here—the cippi—depict Bess’s face directly above Horus at the top as you see there—as Horus wields serpents in his hand.

One of the texts reads, quote, “Words spoken by Isis, the great mother of God, mistress of magic. She seals the mouth of all reptiles which bite with their mouths and sting with their tails.” End quote.

So, the words from the goddess’s mouth stops the mouths of the serpents and other dangerous animals. In the same corpus, Isis describes her efficacy as quote powerful speech and chosen words end quote when countering the venom and disease that the serpents embody.

Divine Power Over Chaos

The child king treading on dangerous animals provides a cultural context for the psalmist and Jesus who stated, “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and add the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” That’s from Psalms 91.

And then Jesus speaking to his disciples or to the seventy said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Jesus’s words are similar to the coffin text 85, which states, “The snake is in my hand and cannot bite me or nothing shiny any means hurt you.” Right?

It appears that when dangerous animals are beneath the feet, they are symbolic declarations of divine rule or power over forces of chaos and danger as the psalmist and Jesus’s text seems to imply. However, I think there is an ancient cultural distinction between those dangerous animals under the feet versus those that are held in the hand—as will be clarified momentarily.

Words of Power and the Image of Bess

Two common features of the handheld serpents mentioned previously are one, they are accompanied by words of power spoken by deity, and two, Bess or Besset is often presented in some way.

A classic iconographic feature of Bess that you can see on the left here is that he is often depicted with his tongue sticking out of his mouth as depicted here. While such action is usually interpreted by scholars as an apotropeic grimace—in other words, driving away evil by distorting the face and sticking out the tongue—no text actually states that this is the reason.

The ancient Egyptians understood the tongue to be the organ of speech. So it is just as valid to interpret the tongue sticking out as representing words of power coming out of the mouth of the god for repelling evil.

And by the way, he—Bess here in this depiction—is holding this, the child Horus, in his hands. So he’s again protecting Horus like we had in the cippi earlier.

Protective Serpents and the Mouth

In later years, artifacts of the dwarf Paychus (which is the image on the right) stands on crocodiles at the bottom, with serpents in his hands and also serpents coming out of his mouth, replacing the horse on the crocodile image that we saw earlier. And these are also protective.

That serpents, not a tongue, comes out of the mouth, heightens the association of serpents with words, akin to rods or swords coming out of the mouth for smiting the earth.

As mentioned earlier, it is also possible that Pataikos isn’t hosting benevolent serpents in his mouth, but is biting or swallowing malevolent serpents with his mouth. But this interpretation would also relate to divine words or authority as discussed later.

Weret Heeka and the Serpent as Spell Power

The relationship of words of power to serpents is probably illustrated best by the iconography of the goddess Weret-hekau who was often depicted as a cobra and whose name means literally great of magic or great of spells.

Weret-hekau is linked to the serpentine Uraeus in coronation regalia that you see on the left. The snake objects held in the hand reviewed so far likely represent her.

In other words, the royal serpent emblem is the symbolic embodiment of spell power or in other words, words. Indeed, the personification of Hekah, “magic itself”, is a god typically holding two or four serpents across the chest as seen on the right.

Grasping Serpents as Divine Authority

While it is a little easier to understand why a rod, a mace, or a sword can be used as a symbol of royal or divine justice or authority—thus God’s word—it is a little more difficult to understand why holding a snake could also be representative of divine words of power and authority.

Britner suggests based on Coffin text spell 885, which we mentioned earlier, that by grasping a serpent or other threatening animal, “the deity or his priestly representative exerts mastery over the animals and the power they embody rendering them harmless to the holder but dangerous weapons against enimical forces”.

In other words, grasping serpents is not just demonstrating divine power and authority over dangerous beings. It suggests that the dangerous beasts can be used in the service of the divine to overthrow forces of chaos or evil.

In other words, grasping them makes them benevolent and then they could be used against malevolent serpents or other kinds of symbols of chaos.

The Was-Scepter and the Benevolent Serpent

One of the most formal icons representing divine authority in ancient Egypt is the was-scepter. Sometimes the was-scepter can be depicted serpentine-shaped like the one on the left or wrapped with a serpent as appears on the right.

The fork at the bottom of the scepter has the functional purpose of pinning a malevolent serpent’s head in order to kill it as depicted in the Egyptian book of gates and noted by scholars.

Hence, the serpent around the scepter held in the hand is the god’s word or authority as benevolent serpent.

It is used to attack the malevolent serpent underfoot on the ground representing chaos or evil or death and attacked again by that forked part of the bottom of the scepter.

Moses, Serpents, and Divine Authority

With all that as a background then, the scriptures are full of God’s word or authority as benevolent serpent fighting against a false word or authority as malevolent serpent.

The very first sign God gives to Moses of his authority is to cause his rod to turn into a serpent and then back into a rod again when Moses grasps the serpent’s tail.

This, of course, was provided to Moses as a foreshadow and a preparation for the classic duel between Moses and the Egyptian priests later, each with rods turning into serpents as depicted in Exodus chapter 7.

Moses’s serpent however swallows the serpents of the Egyptian priests and then becomes a rod again. So again the mouth becomes central to the story—swallowing—and we’ll come back to that in the context of the ancient culture just outlined.

This story becomes a perfect symbol of God’s word or authority bettering the false words or authority of the priest.

If Pataikos is swallowing a malevolent serpent in the earlier image, he may represent the supreme power of the mouth or words of God over serpents of chaos. So if the serpent coming out of his mouth is representing the divine word, then it’s a benevolent serpent.

But if you want to interpret him as biting or killing or swallowing a serpent, that also works in the symbolism of the cultures. So, it just depends on how you want to interpret that.

Modern Echoes and Symbolic Parallels

I guess a modern fictional echo of Moses and the magicians is when Draco Malfoy, right, from House Slytherin, duels with Harry Potter, the boy who speaks snake or parcel tongue, and they duel with their wands.

And Draco’s wand produces a serpent from its tip.

Also you can think of Harry dueling with his wand against Voldemort, the snake-like enemy, with his wand.

Likewise, the brazen serpent held in the hand on a staff overcomes the venom of the fiery flying serpents on the ground underfoot.

Nephi, Moroni, and the Serpent Symbolism

Nephi in the Book of Mormon understands the cultural context of serpents and declares that the fiery serpents were God’s effort to “straighten the children of Israel in the wilderness with his rod”.

Note the benevolence of the serpent held up versus the malevolent serpents on the ground.

Similar cultural distinctions may inform Captain Moroni’s distinction of placing a piece of his coat up on a pole versus the remainder of their coats which were cast down and trodden underfoot.

In other words, which remnant will they be? Which will they be the coat on the pole or will they be the coat on the ground?

Echoing Moses’s serpent on the pole versus the serpents on the ground.

Divine Authority vs. False Authority

Both of the Mosaic stories just mentioned are symbolic depictions of the authority or word of God as benevolent serpents versus the counterfeit forces of chaos as malevolent serpents.

The message is clear.

God’s divine authority which heals and gives life is greater than the false authority of the world which leads to sickness and death.

God’s serpent wand of Moses swallowing the Egyptians serpent wands prefigures Revelation 12’s depiction of the great serpent who seeks to swallow the child—and interestingly the child is holding a rod in his hand.

Revelation and the Child with the Rod

That detail doesn’t make it into a lot of the art as even the art we see here.

But the rod in the hand of the child is important because it is opposing the serpent who is trying to devour the child.

That the object of the serpent’s intended harm is a child holding a rod echoes the need for protecting the royal child Horus holding serpents in the cippi shown earlier.

The serpent in Revelation persecutes the child’s mother, the woman with 12 stars on her head, and she flees into the wilderness.

Words from the Mouth: Flood and Counter-Flood

The serpent sends a flood of water out of its mouth, suggesting a flood of false words to prevent the woman from ever coming back.

But interestingly, John records that the earth opened her mouth and swallows the dragon’s flood that came out of its mouth to help the woman return.

The Book of Mormon, I believe, fulfills the imagery of this revelation perfectly.

For it is God’s word, that literally came from a hole in the ground, the mouth of the earth, the voice from the dust, and it was prepared for the purpose of swallowing the false words of the dragon that flooded the earth.

As the church was in the wilderness, the serpent in the Garden of Eden speaks words that tempt Adam and Eve towards the tree of death.

Eden, Lehi’s Vision, and the Rod of Iron

This serpent and its words are in symbolic opposition to the flaming sword which is God’s word and which keeps the way to the tree of life.

The parallel in Lehi’s vision are the mist of darkness which is the temptations and they are in symbolic opposition to the rod of iron which is God’s word which may also be flaming depending on how you read First Nephi 15.

That Lehi and Nephi speak of mist of darkness in opposition to the rod of iron when we would expect a false rod or a false serpent based on the cultural context we’ve been exploring—I think is interesting though because in the ancient world, mists of darkness are often associated with the great cosmic serpent of chaos.

Apep and the Serpent of Chaos

For example, Apep or Apophis in the Egyptian tradition is a serpent of chaos and he tries to devour the sun god Ra each night in the underworld.

He is often depicted emerging from darkness or from storm clouds attempting to plunge the cosmos into eternal night.

Texts speak of “the storm of Apep or the demon of darkness”.

Another mentions “Apep, the foe of Ra, is felled in storm by the shining of Ra. Apep is felled in very truth.”

Ritual Destruction of Chaos

And then it kind of seems to imply some kind of a execration ritual – they’re taking some image of Apep and they’re going to destroy it in some way.

It mentions he is to be burned in a fire and his remains placed in a pot of urine and pounded up into one mass.

Thou shalt place Apep on the fire, spitting on him and trampling on him with thy left foot.

So again the serpent under the foot it’s being tread upon – like Horus upon the crocodiles.

Apep, Storms, and Ritual Power

So Apep is being underfoot.

Thou shalt do accordingly when storm brews in the east of the sky and when Ra sets in the west in order to prevent the storm red from growing in the east of the sky. Thou shalt do accordingly very often in order to prevent thunderstorms from growing in the sky.

Thou shalt do this very often against storm, so that the sun may shine, and Apep be felled in very truth.

It will be well with who so does it upon earth, and it will be well with him in the realm of the dead.

Strength shall be given to that man to attain the office of his superior, and it will be his salvation from all evil and harmful things in very truth.”

So these texts in essence describe Apep again in connection with storm clouds and mist of darkness.

As a matter of fact, Wallace Budge, an Egyptologist many decades ago in England spoke of Apep as “the serpent devil of mist, darkness, storm, and night”.

Serpent of Darkness and False Authority

In light of the cultural context outlined herein, the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the cosmic serpent’s mist of darkness in Lehi and Nephi’s visions are symbols of the counterfeit words, the false authority or rods like those of the magicians that tempt and blind people leading them astray.

They are in opposition to the flaming sword and rod of iron representing the true word and authority of God that guides us to life and salvation at the tree.

Crushing the Serpent

One last point, the serpent in the garden of Eden is cursed to crawl upon his belly and eat dust and to have his head crushed.

But the tool for crushing the head is not mentioned.

However, smiting scenes in ancient Egypt portray the king using a rod or a mace to crush the head of the enemy who is interestingly depicted in a gesture of crawling like a serpent, one knee back, the other forward.

This image occurs from the earliest days of Egyptian history such as on this pre-dynastic pallet of Narmer.

Crawling, Dust, and Curse Imagery

The tomb of Menkheperreseneb at Thebes depicts foreign nations appearing before the king.

The first nation on the left is depicted crawling upon his belly. Note the crawling position of the legs—one forward tucked under the body, the other one extended back like we saw in the previous depiction.

With his face to the ground towards the dust before the pharaoh.

While it may appear that the nation is merely paying respect to the king, crawling and licking or eating dust has curse imagery linked to it as seen in scriptural passages such as Isaiah 49:23 wherein the foreign nations or kings and queens lick the dust of Israel’s feet.

That they are to be seen as a cursed people who go upon their bellies and ultimately will be crushed notwithstanding their furthering the work as nursing mothers etc. is clarified in the Book of Mormon wherein Jacob interprets this very chapter and verse of Isaiah and tells us that “they (the Gentiles) that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet unto their destruction.”

Of course, any of these gentile helpers who repent and make the covenant will be saved, being made into Israel.

Serpents, Dust, and Symbolism

As an aside, snakes literally do lick or eat dust as they crawl as a form of perceiving their environment. So the curse of God, as written in the scriptures, is poetically framed within the observable behavior of serpents.

From a New Kingdom temple – the king’s rod is poised to crush the heads of foreign enemies whose legs again are in a crawling posture.

Final Synthesis: Rod, Serpent, and Messiah

The point of these examples is to demonstrate once again the king’s rod held in the hand is in opposition to the serpent-like figure crawling at the foot and echoes the crawling serpent whose head is to be crushed in the opening chapters of the Bible.

God’s word and authority prevails over that of Lucifer’s false word and authorities in the world.

I hope it is clear that the use of serpents in the hand to represent divine authority and words in the ancient world parallels the long tradition of rods, maces, and swords being utilized as divine authority and words—objects again held in the hand.

Rods and swords in the hand can smite an enemy and protect or guide a friend.

So likewise, a venomous serpent in the hand, controlled by and thus representative of divine power, can oppose the forces of chaos, also represented by a serpent or dragon.

Or these venomous serpents can protect, heal and guide as a symbol of the royal or divine word.

Conclusion and Testimony

Consequently, all these symbols ultimately become emblematic of the anointed king or messiah in scripture sent to deliver his people.

It is his scepter, whether sword, rod, or serpent, that can fully protect, heal, guide, and vanquish every foe.

By extension, he is the serpent scepter held in the hand of his father and lifted up, that he might draw all men unto him to be healed.

And because of his virtue and his charity, his dominion flows unto him without compulsory means forever and ever.

And that is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Search topics ancient Egyptian serpent symbolism; serpent wands; was scepter; medu neter word of God; Egyptian magic heka; Bess and Beset iconography; Horus cippi; apotropaic rituals; coffin texts serpents; Weret Heka cobra symbolism; rods and scepters symbolism; Moses rod serpent Exodus 7; brazen serpent Numbers 21; rod of iron 1 Nephi 8; Revelation 12 child rod serpent; Apep chaos serpent Egyptian; smiting scenes Egypt rod mace; serpent underfoot symbolism; divine speech ancient Egypt CES Letter serpent symbolism; Mormon symbolism criticism; Book of Mormon symbolism debate; LDS scripture symbolism questions; biblical symbolism interpretation critiques; Egyptian parallels criticism LDS; rod of iron interpretation debates; brazen serpent meaning controversy; Revelation 12 interpretation LDS; apologetics serpent imagery

Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 1: Preface/Introduction

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In the wake of the CES Letter, several other similar “letters” began making the rounds online. None of them have the reach and influence of the CES Letter, but the distant second-most popular letter appears to be the Letter For My Wife by Thomas Faulk. Because of its second-place status, there are virtually no rebuttals to it. The only one I’ve been able to find is the one at FAIR.

This particular letter is favored by two groups. The first is the group who were themselves turned off by the hostility of the CES Letter. They wanted something similar but much more neutral in tone to help explain their faith struggles with their loved ones. That’s a position I can fully respect. The second group, however, is the group who discovers that many believers are put off by the CES Letter’s tone. They prefer something more neutral in order to rope their loved ones into reading it so they start questioning their own testimonies. I don’t have any respect for this position. It’s manipulative, and that’s gross to do to someone you claim to love. [Read more…] about Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 1: Preface/Introduction

Anger Without A Cause? – President Oaks and a False Narrative

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The debate surrounding LGBT issues is one high in emotion and passion, with all sides having strongly held beliefs and entrenched views. Often, the flash point of these debates revolves around the religious beliefs of those who question the morality of LGBT behavior. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no exception to this rule, being one of the more conservative religions when it comes to this topic. One church leader in particular has himself become a lightning rod on the subject.

“Harmful rhetoric” and “discrimination” were alleged to have been a part of President Dallin H. Oaks’ recent General Conference talk entitled Truth and the Plan. These claims were made by Lori Davis, a Board Member of a group called Mama Dragons, a group whose stated purpose is to provide support for Mormon and former Mormon mothers of LGBT children. A brief review of social media and other contemporary news articles will quickly demonstrate that the Mama Dragons were not alone in their feelings that some wrong was committed by Elder Oaks. Others actually implied that people may have to call a crisis line following the talk. Such drastic condemnation would certainly lead the reasonable reader to ask what horrible thing President Oaks said to possibly elicit such a strong response.

Unfortunately, despite the strong rhetoric, many who made the condemning statements on social media and elsewhere failed to cite what words were actually offensive. General indignation seemed to be sufficient for those people. Some, fortunately, were more specific. I’d like to look at several of them, and analyze what they might tell us about this issue, how those from different viewpoints are approaching it, and what we can learn from it. [Read more…] about Anger Without A Cause? – President Oaks and a False Narrative

Seven reasons to attend (or stream) the FairMormon Conference

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Conference registration is ending on July 26! We recently had some fun with another list, here are seven amazing (and this time, completely serious) reasons to attend or stream our conference:

1. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the FairMormon Conference.
Yes, 20 years! Can you believe it? This is going to be a landmark conference.

2. This year we will have our first EVER full day devoted to women in the church.
This special day is in addition to our regular two day conference (making the complete conference three days long) and is in conjunction with the Church History Department. All are welcome, but the topics will focus on women’s topics and issues.

3. Attending & streaming supports FairMormon – it’s a chance to give back to the volunteers.
FairMormon needs your help to survive. Without your support, we will cease to exist. Attending (or streaming) the conference is one of the best ways to give back. And in return, you get to hear some amazing speakers, meet new people, and build your testimony. A win-win for all.

4. Over 20 sought-after speakers. Exactly as many intriguing topics.
Speaking of speakers, our lineup this year is stunning. We will hear from some well known personalities (such as Brad Wilcox, Steven Harper, and Dan Peterson), among others. You will learn about LDS women in India, and members in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Book of Abraham, horses in the Book of Mormon, dealing with barriers to belief, same sex attraction, and the new Mormon history. It a year not to be missed!

5. Stream your favorite talks for an entire year.
If you can’t attend in person, we offer a streaming option. Watch the conference from the comfort of your home. For those who are too busy on the days of the conference to watch, purchasing streaming will allow you to watch the talks at any time after the conference for up to a year. In other words, you can enjoy conference no matter your circumstance.

6. Check out new titles and old favorites in the onsite Bookstore.
For those who attend, you’ll get to enjoy pursuing our the many many titles in our bookstore and take home some awesome reading to help you continue your learning and growth in gospel scholarship and apologetics.

7. A generous donor is offering to double donations now and through the conference.
This is something you can take advantage of whether you attend or not, but starting now, for every $1 you donate to FairMormon, an incredibly generous donor will donate $2 up to $7,000. After that, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000! This is a critical time for us, and your donation and conference attendance will go a long way is securing FairMormon’s future.

So, we hope to see you there, either in person or over the internet! Feel free to reply if you have any questions.

P.S. There is a special discount for seminary and institute teachers. Please ask your Seminaries and Institute supervisor about the discount or send us an email.

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The Enlightenment of Neo-Mormons

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In Greek, the word neos means “new.” In English, the prefix “neo” generally refers to something that is new, revived, or newly refreshed. We have compounds such as neo-classic, neo-Darwinism, neo-Nazis, neo-Hellenism, neo-Platonism, neo-orthodox Mormons, and more.

While Neo-Mormons might refer to Mormons who take a new or modified approach to Mormon matters, for the purpose of this post Neo-Mormons refer to those who compare their exit from Mormonism to the character in the fictional movie, The Matrix.

For those who haven’t seen the movie, Keanu Reeves plays the character of Thomas Anderson, a computer programmer and infamous hacker known as “Neo” (the name by which he is known throughout the movie). Morpheus, another infamous hacker (who is almost as much myth as legend), contacts Neo to warn him that his life in danger.

After meeting face to face, Morpheus explains that the world in which Neo lives is not “real” but offers Neo the opportunity to transition to the real world. Neo can either swallow a red pill which will extract him from the “Matrix” (the computer-generated world in which he lives) or he can choose to swallow the blue pill which will cause Neo to wake up in his bed at home, forgetting the entire conversation and everything about the Matrix. If he takes the red pill, he could never go back to the way things were. If he takes the blue pill, he could be happily ignorant to reality. Neo takes the red pill, wakes up in the “real” world and discovers that the Matrix was a world of little more than digital smoke and mirrors.

Neo’s red pill vs. blue pill dilemma has frequently been commandeered by former Mormons in their attempt to explain their new perspective of reality once they left Mormonism. According to several ex-Mormons, they, like Neo, were confronted at some point with information that caused (or even forced) them to choose between the red pill and blue pill. In every case in which I’ve seen the analogy used, the former (or teetering) member took the red pill. They became “enlightened,” and discovered the “truth,” or “reality” of Mormonism.

This new enlightenment allowed them, like Neo, to see (sometimes for the first time) truth with eyes wide open. That truth, they claim, destroyed the untruths found in Mormonism and exposed it as a man-made institution sitting on a continuum somewhere between an evil enterprise and a well-meaning assembly of honorable but gullible dupes.

While I understand that there is no such thing as a perfect analogy, I think the Neo Mormon/Matrix analogy falls flat. First, the red pill vs blue pill analogy implies that ex-Mormons are not only open to the truth but can see the truth, while believing Mormons stick their heads in the sand (taking the blue pill) and don’t want to see the new information that comes with taking the red pill.

The fact is, however, that myriad of LDS scholars, lay members, and believing students of Mormonism, are equally as informed about the supposedly troubling Mormon information. Despite seeing this same information they still accept the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith and the continuation of modern prophets today. There’s no hiding of heads in the sand, no rejecting the red pill because they don’t want to see allegedly challenging issues. The eyes of informed Latter-day Saints are at least as wide open to all the same information as any critic.

Secondly, the new information doesn’t automatically destroy basic Mormon beliefs. Taking the red pill does not automatically prove that Mormonism is false. While some people may find the critics’ interpretations of the data to be convincing, such interpretations are not the automatic definitive conclusions to understanding the data. To insist that there is only one way to interpret the data is naïve and sophomoric. There are no slam dunks proving nor debunking Mormonism. There is only evidence, and evidence must be weighed.

Thirdly, everyone assumes they are “right.” We have reasons for our beliefs. Those reasons may not be transferrable; they may not, for example, convince others, even when they make sense to us. The fact is—and a growing number of studies bear this out—intellect alone does not impel humans to believe or disbelieve. In other words, despite the ridicule by some critics who claim that believers rely on “feelings” while they (the critics) rely on reason, the simple fact is that all people’s beliefs are influenced, at least to some degree, by “feelings.” No human is a purely rational creature.

Differences in religious opinions and beliefs are not anything like what we might imagine with a fictional Neo-Mormon who takes the red pill and a believing Mormon who takes the blue pill. Instead, the differences are much more akin to what we find among people who embrace divergent political views. If you are a staunch Democrat it doesn’t mean that you’ve taken the red pill—that your eyes are wide open—and that Republicans have swallowed the blue pill. If you are a staunch Republican, you are not seeing reality while your Democrat friends hide their heads in the sand. Some members of each party may like to think that’s the case, but it isn’t.

Lastly, we run into the problem of changing minds. Just as some Democrats become Republicans and some Republicans become Democrats, some members go through periods of disbelief, doubt, and possibly even separation from Mormonism. I have a couple of friends who have been married to the same spouse several times. They get divorced, then remarried, more than once—each time to the same person. Some members or former members seem to have a similar relationship with the Church. They are members (perhaps from birth), then leave the church over “troubling” issues, then return because of spiritual or intellectual resolution, then leave again over spiritual or intellectual quandaries, and so forth.

In which phase of their change can they claim to be the surest of their beliefs? Obviously, it would be the most current phase. They can look back and tell themselves that in their earlier phase they were duped, but this time they got it right. The problem is, however, that we all tell ourselves this same story (it’s a form of confirmation bias). Studies show that our memories of the past are influenced by our present selves—in other words, we can’t accurately remember how we felt about our past situation because we can’t escape our current situation.

As I’ve matured in life, wisdom, and Gospel understanding, I’ve had to modify paradigms many times—rejecting those things that I’ve found to be weak, and embracing those things which I’ve found to be strong. It would be foolish of me to think that I’ve reach a zenith—that I’ve reached a point where I’m right about everything I reject, and never wrong about everything I accept. I’m among those who has seen all the details supposedly hidden in the Matrix. I’ve seen the same data which allegedly is revealed to those Neo-Mormons who swallow the red pill. And yet, I believe.

For me, the same data that causes some members to falter simply illuminates the world I already knew. I absolutely had to modify my worldview by absorbing new facts, rejecting common myths, and by recontextualizing some of the things which didn’t seem to fit my previous world-view (which, by the way, is the same modification process we find in the evolution and revolution of scientific paradigms). From my current perspective, however, I find that most of the data fits comfortably within a framework that I embraced.

While I like to think that my eyes are opened wider with every new bit of data, I’ve found that new discoveries haven’t forced (or enticed) me into rejecting Mormonism as a mirage, a fabrication, or a Matrix of human creation. And just because someone else comes to a different conclusion than my own (based on the same data) doesn’t mean that they are more correct, that they’ve swallowed the red pill while I swallowed the blue pill, hid my head in the sand, and simply ignored conflicting information.

From a Matrix analogy, I don’t think that there are any real Neo-Mormons. There are no red pills and blue pills which ultimately expose or conceal the truth. As both science and religion tells us, we are all related and part of something greater than our individual selves. All humans are very similar—including the fact that we are faced with similar cognitive, physical, psychological, and emotional challenges and strengths— and we are also all unique in interesting and complex ways.

This, to me, is what makes God’s plan—as expressed in the LDS faith—so appealing. It’s impossible for you to fully know me, or me to fully know you. We can’t escape our own heads, or our physiological influences or impediments. We can never fully know when we are the ones who are doing the “acting” or when we are being “acted upon” (2 Ne. 2:14).

We are told not to judge others (outside of specific instances involving ecclesiastical or legislative authority) because we are not only weak ourselves and influenced by too many factors to be good judges, but because we cannot know all the factors involved in someone else’s choices. Only God knows. He knows why we do the things we do, say the things we say, and make the choices we make.

While some of those who have left Mormonism (or who consider leaving Mormonism) believe that they can see reality, the truth is that their eyesight is no better than that of believers. Their logic and reasoning is no better than that of believers. And they certainly are no more open to the “truth” because they decided to reject Mormonism, than those who accept Mormonism. Swallowing the red pill simply means that you consciously chose to reject Mormonism because of how you interpret the data. Swallowing the blue pill means that you consciously chose to accept Mormonism because of how you interpret the data.

If there is an analogy to be made with the movie The Matrix it is this: If we believe that a rejection of Mormonism automatically comes with seeing the ambiguities in Mormon history or the scriptures—that the data automatically compels the intellectually honest to reject the LDS faith and that the data cannot be honestly accepted as consistent with LDS faith claims—then we are believing in an illusion and we are still trapped in the Matrix.

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Michael R. Ash is the author of: Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting The Prophet Joseph Smith. He is the owner and operator of MormonFortress.com and is on the management team for FairMormon. He has been published in Sunstone, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the Maxwell Institute’s FARMS Review, and is the author of Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt. He and his wife live in Ogden, Utah, and have three daughters.

Some Thoughts on Finding “Truth”: The Right Tool for the Job

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Nicolaus Copernicus Monument by Bertel Thorvaldsen

According to the on-line Oxford Dictionary, science is defined as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”[i] In short, science works by interpreting data, and data is typically collected through observations (using eyes, computers, microscopes, etc.).

Thousands of years ago, in the early days of human history, our ancestors could see that the sun, moon, planets, and stars moved across the sky. Direct observation demonstrated that the sun rose in the east and set in the west. In winter months, the days became shorter, and in the summer, longer. The Milky Way also rises from the horizon. North Americans watch the ribbon of stars arch into the sky, nearly paralleling the horizon in the winter months, and arching straight overhead during the summer months.

Very early humans recorded the movement of these celestial objects. NASA, for example, points to the discovery of an ancient lunar calendar that dates to about 32,000 B.C.[ii] The ancient Egyptians likewise had an annual calendar that was based on the “rhythms of the farming year.”[iii] The “morning rising of Sirius or the morning setting of Pleiades, were taken as announcing the Nile flood or as a reminder to plough.”[iv]

All evidence, and the direct eye-witness observations of millions of people all over the world, testified that celestial objects moved above the Earth. Any argument for an alternative interpretation of the observable data would have been preposterous. In fact, when the Greek mathematician and astronomer Aristarchus (about 300 B.C.) suggested that the Earth revolved around the sun (rather than the sun around the Earth), his arguments were rejected because they didn’t fit the prevailing understanding of the cosmos.

It was nearly 2000 years later before Copernicus revived the theory in the mid-1500s (and his writings, like Aristarchus before him, were initially rejected by many people). The Copernicus model was imperfect, however, and it wasn’t until Kepler suggested elliptical orbits (instead of circular orbits) that some of the problems began to fade. In 1632 Galileo could support the Copernicus/Kepler model with observations made through the newly invented telescope.

For thousands of years before Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo, humans were technically “wrong” regarding what they saw with their very eyes. They weren’t wrong that the sky seemed to move, and they weren’t wrong knowing when to plant and harvest, but they didn’t have a complete understanding as to how the sky appeared to move. Sixteenth-century astronomers added information to the undeniable fact that the sky appears to move, by showing that the universe was not geocentric (Earth-centered), but rather that the universe was heliocentric (sun-centered). While the demarcation between accurate and inaccurate might be debated, I see the Copernicus/Kepler resolution as building on previously accurate beliefs, and correcting erroneous beliefs. There really is an Earth, a sun, a moon, planets, and stars, and they somehow move in predictable patterns with very real relationships to each other.

In our modern world, more modifications were made thanks to better astronomical tools. We now know that a heliocentric universe is also incorrect. Our planets orbit around the sun, but the universe doesn’t. Our solar system orbits around the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, and our galaxy is just one of perhaps a hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe.[v] Each new refinement comes, in part, by building on the discoveries and calculations of previous scientists, as well as continually improved technology (or tools) which offer greater access to understanding the space in which we live.

Even though scientific understanding has evolved tremendously in the course of human history, each generation is typically pretty confident that they have the answers (or are, at least, headed in the right direction). While the humble and inquisitive can acknowledge that we still have a lot to learn, it’s human nature to believe that we are probably right. It’s hard to imagine that some of our cherished truths might be overturned or drastically altered with additional discoveries—but some of them will.

While we know more today (scientifically) and have achieved more in modern times (technologically) than we might have even imaged tens of thousands of years ago, I find it fascinating that the more we learn and achieve, the more we discover, ironically, that there is an even greater collective of things which are unknown.

It’s as if we achieve knowledge and technology by discovering a new doorway, but each door we open leads to the discovery of enormous storerooms filled with new data and information that needs exploration and answers. We might reach inside some of the rooms to examine and learn about those things contained therein, but we are never quite able to learn the full details of everything inside every room.

Sometimes, there are doorways within those rooms that lead to new related, yet undiscovered, information. And as we examine the few bits of things we can analyze and measure, new doors are opened just down the hall and we again peek into storerooms full of new mysteries. The opening of doors to the unknown seems to outpace those things which we can fully comprehend. The pursuit of such mysteries is exciting—especially as puzzles are solved and pieces come together—but is also never-ending.

One of the theoretical pursuits of science is to find the “theory for everything”—a unifying principal or paradigm that explains everything. We want to understand the overall structure of the building which houses all the doors, the rooms to which they lead, and the furnishings within. We hope—or at least suspect—that there may be a unifying set of laws that govern everything. But in the meantime, we find that some of the different rooms seem to have laws which don’t cooperate with the laws in other rooms.

A few years ago, I read a book entitled, Knocking on Heaven’s Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World, by Dr. Lisa Randall. Randall is one of America’s leading scientists on theoretical particle physics and cosmology, and her religious beliefs seem to be on the continuum somewhere between agnostic and atheist. Nevertheless, she recognizes that a turf war between science and religion can be avoided if we realize that the two perspectives don’t necessarily pitch their tents in the same campground. “Science is not religion. We’re not going to be able to answer the ‘why’ questions. … Religion asks questions about morals, whereas science just asks questions about the natural world.”[vi]

I’ve often heard those who lean toward the agnostic/atheist point of view as saying something to the effect: “I don’t believe that feelings are accurate barometers of truth”—and by “feelings” they are, of course, referring to spiritual promptings, manifestations, revelations, inspirations, or any other communication which comes via supernatural discourse or impressions.

The problems with such a claim, however, are numerous. First, I personally don’t believe that “feelings” accurately describes how I’ve received spiritual enlightenment (although this is a topic for another time). Secondly, all humans incorporate “feelings” in their decision-making process (yes, even scientists—which is part of the reason that science occasionally reverses the conclusions of previous positions). Thirdly, “truth” doesn’t universally describe all conclusions (which are often temporary points of consensus) in all fields of knowledge (including spiritual knowledge).

As noted above, there is yet to be discovered a “theory for everything,” and we often run into seemingly conflicting laws in the world of physics. Randall explains, for example, that “Newton’s laws are instrumental and correct, but they cease to apply at or near the speed of light where Einstein’s theory applies. Newton’s laws are at the same time both correct and incomplete. They apply over a limited domain.”[vii] This, in some ways, is not unlike what we find with the moving sky, moving Earth, and moving solar system models. All three positions have validity depending on one’s perspective and ability to measure and observe.

“As scales decrease,” notes Randall, “matter seems to be governed by properties so different that they appear to be part of entirely different universes.”[viii] Newton’s laws work well for the types of things he was able to observe (and the same kinds of things we can observe today) but at very small distances the rules change and we have to apply quantum mechanics. Likewise, at extremely high speeds the rules of relativity take over. With the enormous densities of black holes, we must turn to general relativity.[ix]

The rules and principles of quantum mechanics, string theories, and general relativity are theoretical tools to help us better understand our world and the cosmos. Just as the telescope helped humans understand the solar system, the microscope helped us understand the miniature world around us, and as DNA helps us understand our physical relationship to life on this planet, so likewise tools such as the Large Hadron Collider (nearly 600 feet underground, beneath the France-Switzerland border) help us understand the early formation of the universe.

The right tool is needed for each different job. We can’t measure heat with a hammer, or weight with a yardstick. When it comes to understanding spiritual truths, we must use spiritual tools such as humility, scriptures study, and prayer. There are currently no scientific tools available to examine the existence of God or the reality of the Resurrection.

Conversely, it’s important to recognize that the Holy Ghost reveals all of those that are “expedient,” or necessary, to return to God (D&C 75:10), not necessarily those things which explain quarks, black holes, gravity, Earth’s diversity of life, or even Book of Mormon geography. Revelation on scientific principles are typically not “expedient” for our divine family reunion.

The late scientist, Dr. Stephen Jay Gould, advocated what he termed “non-overlapping magisteria” (NOMA) for the supposed conflict between science and religion. Gould defined “magisteria”—a term he borrowed from Pope John Paul II—as “a domain where one form of teaching holds the appropriate tools for meaningful dialogue and resolution.”[x] While not all of his atheist friends agreed with Gould, the scholar argued that the domains of religion and science don’t overlap.

NOMA also cuts both ways. If religion can no longer dictate the nature of factual conclusions residing properly within the magisterium of science, then scientists cannot claim higher insight into moral truth from any superior knowledge of the world’s empirical constitution.[xi]

Truth is truth, and while the Holy Ghost may certainly prompt or inspire scientists and scholars, we should be open to accepting the scientific discoveries about the natural world because science offers the best tools for discovering those truths. As Joseph Smith said, “One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.”[xii]

While Randall sees no reason to believe in a God, and although she agrees that scientific tools cannot measure the existence of a divine being, she nevertheless believes that God, if He exists, should leave some sort of fingerprint on those things which can be measured by science. “…it is inconceivable from a scientific perspective,” she writes, “that God could continue to intervene without introducing some material trace of his actions.”[xiii] If Randall knew me and my religious beliefs, she might be surprised to find that I agree with her.

I personally believe that there is a grand unifying theory for everything; that there are top-tier laws and principles which govern all areas of physics. I also believe, however, that the grand unifying theory for everything governs all facets in our universe, including not only the physical world, but also the unseen world of the spiritual realm, and the moral codes of the divine realm. This grand law, is the law of God. Like the pinnacle of a pyramid, it sits above all other subordinate laws, including those physical laws discovered in science. If we fully understood the grand divine law, we would see that the spiritual world, moral principles, and physics are intertwined and are not—in the big scheme of existence—contrary to the other laws.

The problem is that we simply don’t know enough about physics, the cosmos, and our own material universe to confidently state with certainty that God’s imprint is absent. Before we understood those light waves which are invisible to human eyes, those waves were, for all intents and purposes, non-existent. While we can’t see—with the unaided eye—x-rays or infrared light, we know they exist because we’ve discovered tools which can measure or “see” them.

Thanks to physics, we do understand more about our world and cosmos than at any other time in the past (even if that understanding is incomplete). Scientists are aware, however, that there are many more things we really don’t understand. The stuff in the universe that interacts with light, notes Randall, “constitutes only about four percent of the energy density of the universe. About 23 percent of its energy is carried by something known as dark matter that has yet to be positively ID’d.”[xiv] Dark matter somehow interacts—albeit weakly—with matter we know. Detecting it, however, has thus far remained elusive.

“Even more mysterious than dark matter,” Randall continues, “is the substance that constitutes the remaining 73 percent and that has become known as dark energy.”[xv] Einsteinian equations for the universe are based, in part, on the matter and energy found in the universe. These equations show that some other energy—“not carried by matter… particles or other stuff”—is required to exist. The conclusion is based on the observations and “measurements of the characteristics of the universe.” This dark energy “doesn’t clump like conventional matter. It doesn’t dilute as the universe expands but maintains a constant density. The expansion of the universe is slowly accelerating as a consequence of this mysterious energy, which resides throughout the universe, even if it were empty of matter.”[xvi]

Dark energy and dark matter are possibly the mere tips of enormous icebergs of undiscovered properties and laws in our universe (or perhaps just in our dimension). Most scientists who have spent any time studying what we know about the universe, seem open to the possibility that there may be multiple universes, or even multiple dimensions in our own universe. “…space,” Randall explains, “might contain more than the three dimensions we know about: up-down, forward-backward, and left-right. In particular, it could contain entirely unseen dimensions that hold the key to understanding particle properties and masses.”[xvii]

I’m a big fan of science and I believe that science, as a self-correcting discipline, is moving closer to truths about how the diversity of life developed on Earth, and how our planet and perhaps the universe was formed. As a human institution, scientific explorations have, at times, stumbled, changed positions, or hit dead ends—but then so have more than a few of our religious beliefs for the simple fact that we can’t help but see through a glass, darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12; once again, a topic for another time).

Overall, I believe that scientific truths are part of God’s universal grand truth. Not only don’t we need to fear the discoveries which science brings to light, but we need to embrace those discoveries—even if it means reexamining religious traditions that are based on human assumptions.

With so much left to learn and discover, I think it’s a bit naïve to claim that God’s fingerprint is missing from the physical world. We have not yet discovered all the tools we need to measure the physical world. When, or if, we ever do, I suspect that God’s fingerprint will be as visible as a human fingerprint under ultraviolet light. Until that day comes, however, God has already given us the right tools to know that He is there. It’s found in all religions and in all cultures.

All people of the Earth—at every stage of known history—are given the ability to seek and find God through the spiritual practices of their culture, and according to the spiritual light available. The answer to God’s existence may also come packaged in the cultural raiment of those seeking spiritual enlightenment (another topic for another discussion). God grants all His children a door which can be opened to feel his presence—a door that can be reached by every normal human, regardless of their status or stature. Neither technological abundance, nor scientific deficiency, impacts access to spiritual tools. While I believe that the revelatory tool is as much a part of God’s universal law as is our embryonic understanding of physics, this “expedient” tool is all that is necessary to mark the path which ultimately leads back to the Father.

 

[i] https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/science (accessed 9 February 2017).

 

[ii] “The Oldest Lunar Calendars,” https://sservi.nasa.gov/articles/oldest-lunar-calendars/ (accessed 9 February 2017).

 

[iii] John Romer, Egypt: From the Great Pyramid to the Fall of the Middle Kingdom, V2 (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2017), 97.

 

[iv] Bartel L. van der Waerden, Science Awakening II: The Birth of Astronomy (Noordhoff International Publishing, 1974), 13.

 

[v] http://www.physics.org/facts/sand-galaxies.asp (accessed 9 February 2017).

 

[vi] Quoted by Corey S. Powell, “The Discover Interview: Lisa Randall,” Discover (July 2006), at http://discovermagazine.com/2006/jul/interview-randall/ (accessed 9 February 2017).

 

[vii] Lisa Randall, Knocking on Heaven’s Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World (Harper Collins Publishing, 2012; Kindle Edition), 8.

 

[viii] Ibid., 69.

 

[ix] Ibid., 71.

 

[x] Stephen Jay Gould, Rock of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life (New York: Ballantine Publishing Group, 199), 3.

 

[xi] Ibid., 9-10.

 

[xii] Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5:499.

 

[xiii] Randall, 50-51.

 

[xiv] Ibid., 119-120.

 

[xv] Ibid., 122.

 

[xvi] Ibid., 123.

 

[xvii] Ibid., 119.

 

Michael R. Ash is the author of: Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting The Prophet Joseph Smith. He is the owner and operator of MormonFortress.com and is on the management team for FairMormon. He has been published in Sunstone, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the Maxwell Institute’s FARMS Review, and is the author of Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt. He and his wife live in Ogden, Utah, and have three daughters.

 

Interview with Dr. Louis C. Midgley

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This week’s interview on the Mormon FAIRCast is with is with Dr. Louis C. Midgley. He was born and raised near Salt Lake City. He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Utah, and, after teaching for a year at Weber State University, he and his wife moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where he received his Ph.D. from Brown University in the political science department. He taught the history of political and legal philosophy for thirty-six years at Brigham Young University, from which he retired in 1996.

Dr. Midgley has had an abiding interest in the history of Christian theology. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on Paul Tillich, the then-famous German-American Protestant theologian and political theorist/religious-socialist activist. Midgley also studied the writings of other influential Protestant theologians such as Karl Barth. Eventually he took an interest in contemporary Roman Catholic theology, and was also impacted by the work of important Jewish philosophers, including especially Leo Strauss and his disciples.

Beginning with its first issue in 1989, he was a regular contributor to the FARMS Review, which soon became the flagship publication of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He eventually also had the pleasure of serving as one of its associate editors until it was cancelled in 2011. He then began serving as a contributing editor for Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture in 2012.

Dr. Midgley served two missions to New Zealand—the first in 1950-52 and the second, with his wife, in 1999-2000, during which they directed the Lorne Street Institute of Religion, in Auckland.

He is married to the former Ireta Troth, of Bountiful, Utah. They are the parents of two sons and a daughter.

Dr. Midgley’s wife passed away on 3 February 2014 from an unexpected catastrophic event following successful surgery at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital. He is now without the immediate companionship of his beautiful wife. He lives with a firm hope that he will eventually be reunited with her.

Dr. Midgley’s testimony can be found at Mormon Scholars Testify.

 

President Scott Gordon Reviews the 2016 FairMormon Conference

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“If we can’t have a discussion, then we might as well not have a conference” –Scott Gordon

In this edition of the Mormon FairCast, President Scott Gordon reviews the 2016 FairMormon Conference held at the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo, Utah. Gordon offers three themes from this year’s conference:

  1. Women in the church
  2. The Book of Mormon
  3. How to do apologetics

Gordon also discusses how speakers are chosen and why FairMormon invites Dr. Daniel Peterson to deliver the closing address year after year.

Gordon

President Gordon retains his belief in “Big Tent” Mormonism and says we can all be good members yet have differing opinions on topics such as feminism, Book of Mormon geography, and LGBTQ issues. Gordon says FairMormon is dedicated to standing as a witness of Christ and His restored church.

SLT

Scott Gordon has an MBA from Brigham Young University, and a BA in Organizational Communications from BYU. He is currently an instructor of business and technology at Shasta College in Redding, California. Scott has held many positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including serving as a bishop for six years. He is married and has five children.

Julianne Dehlin Hatton  is the recipient of FairMormon’s 2016 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. She has worked as a News Director at an NPR affiliate, Television Host, and Airborne Traffic Reporter. She graduated from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2008. Julianne and her husband Thomas are the parents of four children.

Faith and Reason 73: Salvation for the Dead

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Baptismal font in the Copenhagen Denmark Temple.
Baptismal font in the Copenhagen Denmark Temple.

Jesus Christ taught that baptism is essential to the salvation of all who have lived on earth (see John 3:5). Many people, however, have died without being baptized. Others were baptized without proper authority. Because God is merciful, He has prepared a way for all people to receive the blessings of baptism. By performing proxy baptisms in behalf of those who have died, Church members offer these blessings to deceased ancestors. Individuals can then choose to accept or reject what has been done in their behalf.

From LDS.org: https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/salvation-for-the-dead?lang=eng

Michael R. Ash is the author of: Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting The Prophet Joseph Smith. He is the owner and operator of MormonFortress.com and is on the management team for FairMormon. He has been published in Sunstone, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the Maxwell Institute’s FARMS Review, and is the author of Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt. He and his wife live in Ogden, Utah, and have three daughters.

Julianne Dehlin Hatton has worked as a News Director at an NPR affiliate, News Anchor, and Airborne Traffic Reporter. She graduated with an MSSc from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2008. Julianne and her husband Thomas are the parents of four children.

Music for Faith and Reason is provided by Arthur Hatton.