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Brian Hales

August 2026 FAIR Conference

FAIR CONFERENCE ARCHIVE · 2026

2026 FAIR Conference

Back to Basics · August 5–7, 2026 · Lehi, Utah

The 2026 FAIR Conference, themed Back to Basics, brought together scholars, historians, educators, and faithful voices to explore foundational questions about Latter-day Saint history, scripture, and doctrine. Presentations addressed Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, Church history, temple worship, and navigating questions of faith. Browse the conference presentations below, with available transcripts, speaker information, and related resources.

Conference Presentations

Published presentations · Alphabetized by speaker

Scott Gordon, president of FAIR

Unmasking the Strategies of the Enemy

Scott Gordon

Scott Gordon examines how the adversary seeks to undermine faith in Jesus Christ through distrust, criticism, and division. Drawing on scripture and decades of experience in Latter-day Saint apologetics, he explores how believers can recognize these strategies, strengthen their faith, and respond to challenges with knowledge, discernment, and Christlike charity.

Read & Watch Presentation →

Ron C. Rhodes, creator of Answering LDS Critics and 2026 FAIR Conference speaker

Understanding the Faith Crisis Industry - How Doubt is Monetized

Ron C. Rhodes

Ron Rhodes examines what he calls the “faith crisis industry,” focusing on the financial structures, social media strategies, and community-building efforts of organizations critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Using publicly available financial filings and social media metrics, he argues that financial incentives can shape the production and distribution of critical content while urging Latter-day Saints to respond to those experiencing faith crises with clarity, charity, and compassion.

Read & Watch Presentation →

Additional Conference Presentations

Transcripts and presentation resources will be added as they become available.

Thomas Alexander — The 1844 to 1847 Succession Crisis in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Michael R. Ash — Shaken Faith Syndrome
Kendall Buchmiller — What is (and is not) Doctrine
Josh Coates — Black Saints and the Priesthood and Temple Restriction: Statistics on Three Positions
Gerrit Dirkmaat — Joseph Smith’s Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon
Brett Dowdle — “Here is Brigham”: The Private Character of Brigham Young
Keith Erekson — Which Sources Should I Trust?
Paul Fields — Authorship Attribute Analysis of D&C 132
Brant Gardner — Can I Trust the Book of Mormon? My Half Century Quest to Answer that Question
John Gee — The Book of Abraham: A Status Report
Casey Griffiths — Approaching Hard Questions in Church History and Doctrine
Matt Grow — “A Record Shall Be Kept”: The Mission of the Church History Department
Brian Hales — Joseph Smith: A Reluctant Polygamist
Janiece Johnson — Unravelling the Story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
Meagan Kohler — Why God is Getting in the Way of Your Happiness
Jennifer Roach Lees — Doctrinal Differences and “Heretical” Teachings
Mark Ashurst-McGee — Joseph Smith and Treasure Digging
James Perry — Historical and Contemporary Patterns: European Latter-day Saints, 1837-present day
Daniel C. Peterson — Why Apologetics? The Case for Defending the Faith
Jasmin Rappleye — Sacred, Secret, or “Cultish”? Demystifying the Latter-day Saint Temple
Neal Rappleye — A Beginners Guide to Book of Mormon Apologetics
Matt Roper — Accidental Evidence for the Book of Mormon
Robert Stephenson—  Representations of the Church in Media
Anthony Sweat — The Restoration Continues: Let us Continue in it!
Jeffrey Thayne — By What Measure? Why the Same Doctrine Looks Different to Different Saints
John Thompson — Framing the Facsimiles: The Book of Abraham’s Relationship to the Egyptian Vignettes
Wendy Ulrich — When Loved Ones Leave: Maintaining Faith and Relationships
Walker Wright — Nourishing the Roots: How Temple Recommend Questions Can Reground Faith

Original 2026 FAIR Conference Schedule & Information

FAIR Conference 2026

August 5–7, 2026
Thanksgiving Point Showbarn | Lehi, Utah

This archive preserves the original conference schedule, program, and sponsors for historical reference.

Download the original PDF program

Conference Schedule

Day 1 – Wednesday, August 5, 2026

  • 7:10 PM – Scott Gordon: Unmasking the Strategies of the Enemy
  • 7:40 PM – Anthony Sweat: The Restoration Continues: Let us Continue in it!

Day 2 – Thursday, August 6, 2026

  • 9:10 AM – Mark Ashurst-McGee: Joseph Smith and Treasure Digging
  • 9:40 AM – Brian Hales: Joseph Smith: A Reluctant Polygamist
  • 10:10 AM – Brett Dowdle: “Here is Brigham”: The Private Character of Brigham Young
  • 10:45 AM – Gerrit Dirkmaat: Joseph Smith’s Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon
  • 11:15 AM – John Thompson: Framing the Facsimiles: The Book of Abraham’s Relationship to the Egyptian Vignettes
  • 11:45 AM – John Gee: The Book of Abraham: A Status Report
  • 1:15 PM – Casey Griffiths: Approaching Hard Questions in Church History and Doctrine
  • 1:45 PM – Thomas Alexander: The 1844–1847 Succession Crisis
  • 2:15 PM – Josh Coates: Black Saints and the Priesthood and Temple Restriction: Statistics on Three Positions
  • 2:45 PM – Janiece Johnson: Unravelling the Story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
  • 3:25 PM – Jasmin Rappleye: Sacred, Secret, or “Cultish”? Demystifying the Latter-day Saint Temple
  • 3:55 PM – Keith Erekson: Which Sources Should I Trust?
  • 4:25 PM – Ron Rhodes: Understanding the Faith Crisis Industry - How Doubt is Monetized
  • 4:55 PM – Robert Stephenson: Representations of the Church in Media

Day 3 – Friday, August 7, 2026

  • 9:10 AM – Meagan Kohler: Why God is Getting in the Way of Your Happiness
  • 9:40 AM – Walker Wright: Nourishing the Roots: How Temple Recommend Questions Can Reground Faith
  • 10:10 AM – Wendy Ulrich: When Loved Ones Leave: Maintaining Faith and Relationships
  • 10:45 AM – Matt Roper: Accidental Evidence for the Book of Mormon
  • Paul Fields: Authorship Attribute Analysis of D&C 132
  • 11:45 AM – Michael R. Ash: Shaken Faith Syndrome
  • 1:15 PM – Matt Grow: “A Record Shall Be Kept”: The Mission of the Church History Department
  • 1:45 PM – Jennifer Roach Lees: Doctrinal Differences and “Heretical” Teachings
  • 2:15 PM – Kendall Buchmiller: What is (and is not) Doctrine
  • 2:45 PM – Jeffrey Thayne: By What Measure? Why the Same Doctrine Looks Different to Different Saints
  • 3:25 PM – Brant Gardner: Can I Trust the Book of Mormon? My Half-Century Quest to Answer that Question
  • 3:55 PM – Neal Rappleye: A Beginner’s Guide to Book of Mormon Apologetics
  • 4:25 PM – James Perry: Historical and Contemporary Patterns: European Latter-day Saints, 1837–Present
  • 4:55 PM – Daniel C. Peterson: Why Apologetics? The Case for Defending the Faith

Sponsors

Media Sponsor: Meridian Magazine

Platinum Sponsor: The Interpreter Foundation

Faith Creators Alliance Sponsorship: Faith Creators Alliance

Gold Sponsors: The Church History Library; Greg Kofford Books; Religious Studies Center; Scripture Central

Silver Sponsors: Wilford Woodruff Papers: A Rich & Holy Legacy; Maya and Olmec Connections

Conference Partner: Moon's Rare Books

Sponsor participation does not constitute endorsement by FAIR. The views and opinions expressed by conference speakers and sponsors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAIR or its Board of Directors.

The CES Letter 50 to 65 Witnesses Continued

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In Video Five in the FairMormon series: “The CES Letter, A Closer Look” Brian Hales examines claims posted by Jeremy Runnells in his “Letter to a CES Director”.

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The CES Letter 50 to 65 Witnesses Continued

This video continues to examine The CES Letter’s treatment of the Book of Mormon witnesses on pages 50 to 65. Obviously hypnosis could not explain their experiences, but what about religious frenzy and hysteria? Also, alleged parallels to other testimonies regarding James J. Strang, and The Book and the Roll are scrutinized. In the end, the attempts of naturalists’ and The CES Letter to explain away the declarations of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses seem inadequate.

Brian C. Hales is the author of The CES Letter: A Closer Look, as well as seven books dealing with Mormon polygamy—most notably the three-volume, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: History and Theology (Greg Kofford Books, 2013). His Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto received the “Best Book of 2007 Award” from the John Whitmer Historical Association. He has presented at numerous meetings and symposia and published articles in the Journal of Mormon History, Mormon Historical Studies, Dialogue, as well as contributing chapters to The Persistence of Polygamy series. Much of his research materials are available at  www.MormonPolygamyDocuments.org.Theology (Greg Kofford Books, 2013). His Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto received the “Best Book of 2007 Award” from the John Whitmer Historical Association. He has presented at numerous meetings and symposia and published articles in the Journal of Mormon History, Mormon Historical Studies, Dialogue, as well as contributing chapters to The Persistence of Polygamy series. Much of his research materials are available at  www.MormonPolygamyDocuments.org.

The CES Letter 43 to 44 Kinderhook Plates

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In Video Three in the FairMormon series: “The CES Letter, A Closer Look” Brian Hales examines claims posted by Jeremy Runnells in his “Letter to a CES Director”. Installments in the series run every Monday and can also be found on the FairMormon youtube channel.

kinder

Pages 43 and 44 of The CES Letter contain a discussion of the Kinderhook plates, which were an 1843 attempt to deceive Joseph Smith. Charges that he translated the bogus plates as he had translated the Book of Mormon have circulated for decades. However, in 2012, Don Bradley, with the help of Mark Ashurst-McGee, uncovered plain evidence showing that the “translation” of the Kinderhook plates occurred by comparing one symbol on the plates with one symbol in Joseph’s Egyptian Alphabet lexicon. As evidence of Joseph Smith being a fraud, this accusation should be dismissed by even the most hardened unbelievers. Nevertheless, it continues to occupy two pages in The CES Letter.

brian-hales-67Brian C. Hales is the author of The CES Letter: A Closer Look, as well as seven books dealing with Mormon polygamy—most notably the three-volume, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: History and Theology (Greg Kofford Books, 2013). His Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto received the “Best Book of 2007 Award” from the John Whitmer Historical Association. He has presented at numerous meetings and symposia and published articles in the Journal of Mormon History, Mormon Historical Studies, Dialogue, as well as contributing chapters to The Persistence of Polygamy series. Much of his research materials are available at  www.MormonPolygamyDocuments.org.Theology (Greg Kofford Books, 2013). His Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto received the “Best Book of 2007 Award” from the John Whitmer Historical Association. He has presented at numerous meetings and symposia and published articles in the Journal of Mormon History, Mormon Historical Studies, Dialogue, as well as contributing chapters to The Persistence of Polygamy series. Much of his research materials are available at  www.MormonPolygamyDocuments.org.

 

A Review of Alex Beam’s Treatment of Polygamy

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brian-hales*Cross posted from Mormon History Guy.

By Brian C. Hales

On June 5, 2014, I downloaded the Kindle version of Alex Beam’s American Crucifixion and reviewed Chapter 5, “Polygamy and Its Discontents.” I immediately identified a few weaknesses of the chapter including the predominant use of secondary sources, quoting of problematic evidences apparently without checking their reliability, ignoring of historical data that contradicts his position, promotion of narrow and often extreme interpretations of available documents, and going beyond the evidence in constructing conclusions.

Two days later in San Antonio, Texas, at the Mormon History Association’s annual meeting, Mr. Beam presented a thoughtful essay and then fielded questions from the audience. As near as I can recall, I took the opportunity to pose the following question: “I’m not trying to put you on the spot but about three-fourths of your sources are secondary. Were you concerned you might be criticized for this?” and I again added: “I’m not trying to put you on the spot.” At this, the audience laughed, and Alex was gracious in acknowledging he was aware of my books, but at that point in the research process, he was not inclined to read another three books on the subject because he was satisfied that he had sufficiently researched the topic. In Alex’s defense, my three volumes (Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: History and Theology with over 1500 pages) were released about the time he had probably just finished his final draft. Few authors would hold up such a project in order to integrate the contents of a new book that dealt with the subject of only one of the chapters. [Read more…] about A Review of Alex Beam’s Treatment of Polygamy