Ancient Truths for Modern Faith
About This Conference
The 2025 FAIR Virtual Conference explores the Old Testament through faithful historical, theological, literary, and Latter-day Saint perspectives. Presentations examine ancient Israel, covenants, creation, prophecy, sacred space, difficult biblical narratives, and the ways Restoration scripture can deepen our understanding of the Old Testament.
Presentations
Explore faithful scholarship on the Old Testament—from covenant and cosmology to difficult narratives, prophecy, sacred space, and the ways Restoration scripture can deepen our understanding of the biblical world.
Opening Keynote
Using ancient, Restoration, symbolic, historical, and covenant lenses to better understand the Old Testament on its own terms.
Context, Covenants & Cosmology
Defending the Old Testament: Ancient Israel’s Offering to the World
What does it really mean to defend the Old Testament? A case for focusing on revelation, prophetic authority, context, and sound interpretation.
From Sinai to Salt Lake: Sacred Promises, Reimagined for a New Dispensation
How biblical covenants develop across scripture—and how Restoration theology expands ancient covenant patterns for a new dispensation.
In the Beginning: Grounding Joseph Smith’s Cosmology in Genesis 1
Genesis 1 as a foundation for Latter-day Saint teachings about creation, divine embodiment, and the nature of God.
“To Seal the Children to the Fathers”: Ancient and Modern Traditions of Elijah’s Return
Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah through ancient Jewish and Christian traditions, Restoration scripture, and the restoration of sealing keys.
Narratives & Characters of the Old Testament
Defending Josiah
King Josiah’s reforms viewed through biblical scholarship, ancient Israelite religion, and the additional perspective provided by Restoration scripture.
Master Mahan: Cain in the Latter-day Saint Tradition
How the story of Cain developed across Jewish, Christian, and Latter-day Saint traditions—and what the Book of Moses adds to Genesis.
The Historical Jonah
Historical and linguistic evidence for reading Jonah as a historical prophet rather than a late literary invention.
Hold to the Rod... Serpent Wand
Rod and serpent symbolism across Egypt, the Bible, and Restoration scripture—and its connection to divine authority and the word of God.
Prophecy, Polygamy & Theodicy
Does Isaiah’s Description of the Righteous Servant Refer to Jesus Christ?
Why identifying Isaiah’s Righteous Servant with Jesus Christ remains well grounded in scripture, ancient interpretation, and modern scholarship.
Justifying Joshua: A Restoration Theodicy for the Conquest of Canaan
Confronting the difficult ethics of Joshua’s conquest through biblical context, textual complexity, archaeology, and Restoration theology.
Jacob 1–3 in the Context of Israelite Polygamy
Jacob’s condemnation of Nephite plural marriage examined against ancient Israelite marriage practices and the Law of Moses.
Who Shall Ascend Into the Hill of the Lord?: An Old Testament Framework for Understanding the Exclusive Nature of the Temple
How ancient Israel’s understanding of holiness and sacred space helps explain preparation and restricted access to Latter-day Saint temples.
Bringing It into Modern Faith
The Old Testament within the Expanded LDS Canon: Interpretive Straitjacket or Parachute?
How Restoration scripture and Latter-day Saint theology can create greater—not narrower—possibilities for faithfully interpreting the Old Testament.
Open Thou Mine Eyes
Defending the Old Testament in Latter-day Saint Doctrine
The conversations begun at the 2025 FAIR Virtual Conference continue in Open Thou Mine Eyes: Defending the Old Testament in Latter-day Saint Doctrine.
Drawing from presentations given at the conference, this collection brings faithful scholarship to questions of history, covenant, prophecy, sacred space, difficult biblical narratives, and the relationship between the Old Testament and the Restoration.
Whether you attended the conference or are discovering these presentations for the first time, Open Thou Mine Eyes offers a way to continue exploring the Old Testament with both faith and careful scholarship.
Continue your study of the Old Testament with FAIR
Explore faithful resources that bring together scripture, history, archaeology, ancient culture, Latter-day Saint doctrine, and Restoration insights to deepen your understanding of the Old Testament.
Old Testament
Explore FAIR resources on Old Testament scripture, history, archaeology, and interpretation.
BIBLE & ANCIENT WORLD
Explore faithful scholarship on the Bible, ancient Israel, archaeology, culture, and the world of the Old Testament.
Come, Follow Me: Old Testament
Study the Old Testament with FAIR’s Come, Follow Me resources.
