August 2006 FAIR Conference Schedule
Summary
2006 FAIR Conference
The 8th annual Mormon Apologetics Conference sponsored by FAIR (The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research) Conference was held on August 3 and 4, 2006 at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.
The FAIR Conference is an annual event that brings together scholars, apologists, and interested individuals from a variety of areas. Each comes with a unique perspective on history, science, or theology, and all come with a desire to help defend the gospel and share evidences of its truth.
Every day seems to bring new attempts by the Church’s critics to denigrate its divine mission. From the efforts of professional anti-Mormon ministries to a whole new generation of critics, the efforts of the naysayers seem to continue unabashed. This year’s FAIR Conference is geared toward providing the information and answers you need to deal with a variety of interesting topics. Don’t miss this conference!
This year’s speakers will address wide-ranging topics sure to please every interest. We invite you to join us for a frank, thought-provoking, faith-building, and enjoyable experience. In past years, people have traveled from as far as England, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and New Zealand just to come to the FAIR conferences.
Day 1 – Thursday, August 3, 2006
Mike Ash addresses common criticisms of the Book of Abraham, examining the Joseph Smith Papyri, the facsimiles, and modern Egyptology while exploring evidence for the book’s possible ancient origins.
Mike Ash is Latter-day Saint author and apologist who has written extensively for FAIR and other publications. Ash has been active in online LDS apologetics since 1990 and has presented at multiple FAIR Conferences.
This presentation revisits the Mark Hofmann forgeries, separating persistent myths from documented evidence and sharing firsthand insights from the official investigation.
George Throckmorton is a forensic document examiner and retired director of the Salt Lake City Police Department Crime Laboratory. Throckmorton played a central role in investigating the Mark Hofmann bombing and forgery case.
Steven L. Mayfield is a crime scene investigator with the Salt Lake City Police Department who worked with George Throckmorton on historical and questioned-document cases. Mayfield is also a longtime collector of materials documenting Latter-day Saint history and issues.
Brian Stubbs explores proposed linguistic connections between Uto-Aztecan languages and ancient Hebrew and Egyptian, examining sound correspondences, vocabulary, and structural similarities that may offer intriguing evidence relevant to the Book of Mormon.
Brian Stubbs is a linguist specializing in the Uto-Aztecan language family, with academic training in Hebrew, Arabic, Egyptian, and Aramaic. Stubbs taught English and linguistics at the College of Eastern Utah–San Juan Campus.
Marcus H. Martins explores the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Africa, reflecting on race, priesthood, revelation, and the Church’s expanding global presence through both historical analysis and personal experience.
Marcus H. Martins, Ph.D., is a religious educator and scholar who chaired the Department of Religious Education at BYU–Hawaii. His research interests include temple symbolism and the effects of globalization, technology, and immigration on the worldwide Church.
Abstract Coming Soon
Mike Ash is Latter-day Saint author and apologist who has written extensively for FAIR and other publications. Ash has been active in online LDS apologetics since 1990 and has presented at multiple FAIR Conferences.
Abstract Coming Soon
Matthew Roper is a scholar of Latter-day Saint scripture and history who served as a resident scholar at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University.
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Joseph I. Bentley is an attorney and scholar who served as a volume editor for the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Bentley has written on Joseph Smith and the law and held leadership roles in Mormon studies and the J. Reuben Clark Law Society.
Day 2 – Friday, August 4, 2006
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Wayne Arnett is the author of Defending The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Reference Guide and Director of Publishing for FAIR, with professional experience in business, publishing, and organizational leadership.
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Matthew Roper is a scholar of Latter-day Saint scripture and history who served as a resident scholar at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University.
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Matthew B. Brown is an historian and author of books and articles exploring Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, temples, the Restoration, and other Latter-day Saint historical and doctrinal subjects.
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Brant Gardner is a scholar of Mesoamerican ethnohistory whose research has examined Nahuatl language and kinship, peoples of southern Mexico, and Aztec traditions. His work brings Mesoamerican scholarship to questions surrounding Book of Mormon historicity.
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Claudia L. Bushman is an historian and American studies scholar whose work has explored Latter-day Saint women and American religious history. She is the author or editor of numerous books and was the founding editor of Exponent II.
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Allen L. Wyatt is a writer, publisher, and longtime FAIR leader who served as FAIR’s Vice President of Operations, webmaster, and general editor. Wyatt has authored approximately fifty books and numerous magazine articles.
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Brian M. Hauglid is a BYU professor of Ancient Scripture and scholar of the Book of Abraham. Hauglid’s research and editorial work has included ancient Abraham traditions, the Kirtland Egyptian Papers, temple studies, and Islamic topics.
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Daniel C. Peterson is a BYU professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic and a prominent scholar of Near Eastern languages, Islam, and Latter-day Saint subjects. Peterson also served in leadership and editorial roles with FARMS and BYU ancient-text initiatives.
Speakers
Wayne Arnett, Mike Ash, Joseph Bentley, Matthew Brown, Claudia Bushman, Brant Gardner, Brian Hauglid, Marcus Martins, Steven Mayfield, Kim Östman, Daniel C. Peterson, Matthew Roper, David Stewart, Brian Stubbs, George Throckmorton, Allen Wyatt
Topics
Apologetics 101 (introduction to defending the faith), Book of Abraham (papyri, revelation, modern Egyptology, Kirtland Egyptian Papers), Joseph Smith (legal trials, foundational stories, witnesses, Zina Huntington and plural marriage), Temple studies (symbolism, early LDS temple tradition in Finland), Mormon women (lives, history, roles), Race in the Church (Black Saints in Zion, reflections on the restored gospel), Book of Mormon historicity (New World evidence, DNA and the Book of Mormon, Uto-Aztecan language links to Egyptian/Semitic), Ancient texts (Adam in ancient writings, Abraham traditions, astronomy and covenant), Mormon history & opposition (international perspectives, Finland 1845–2006, Hofmann forgeries and mythmaking), Missionary work & church growth (DNA, demographics, challenges), Restoration & modern witnesses (tangible restoration, testimonies), Mormon culture & society (modern America, globalization, immigration, technology)
John Taylor Award
Each year, FAIR awards the John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award to a volunteer who made meritorious contributions to FAIR’s mission and outstanding personal efforts in helping defend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In 2006, the John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award recipient was Mike Parker.