An Eventful Year.2013 has been an eventful year here at FairMormon. We went through a top-to-bottom remaking of ourselves with a new Website, a new logo, and even a new name. We were known as the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, or FAIR, but now we are re-branding ourselves as FairMormon.

We re-organized our Website to make it more compatible with mobile devices and to give it a more unified interface.

We opened a message board community to more effectively communicate with members who are struggling with their faith.

We moved our conference from Sandy, Utah to Provo Utah to allow us more space so more people could comfortably attend the conference.

We had full day conferences with multiple speakers in Darmstadt Germany, Milan Italy, and Rome Italy. We were very pleased with the reception and the members there. I believe we sometimes forget that not everyone in the Church has the same resources available to them as in the English Speaking Church.

We assisted in sponsoring the Interpreter Foundation’s conference on Science and Religion. We were a sponsor for The Mormon History Association meeting, and we had some of our members help with The Book of Mormon Foundation’s conference.

So what is in store for us in 2014? It honestly depends our the generosity of our donors. We would like to mount a campaign to help people become more aware of FairMormon resources. That will be our primary goal for 2014. In addition to that, We have been invited to explore having conferences in the UK, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Ukraine. We would like to do more translating into Spanish, Portuguese, and Asian languages. All of this to help people become aware of what we do and to make it so our material is more accessible to strengthen faltering testimonies. But, this depends on whatever funding we can receive.

We will continue to push forward with our cause and hope you will join us in this upcoming year. We have many issues facing us in 2014.

We hope you have a very happy new year and a great 2014.

This is just a reminder. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please take a look at our new Website at www.fairmormon.org.

FairMormon survives on donations. Without your donation, we would not be here. We are an all volunteer group. But, doing what we do costs money. Please donate $500, $300, $100, or $25. You can also set up a monthly donation amount. We hope as you finish up 2013 that you will make a generous donation to help us help people maintain their testimonies.Thank you for your support.
http://www.fairmormon.org/about-fairmormon/donate-to-fairIf you would like to mail a check, please send it to:
FairMormon
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The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, aka FairMormon is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. As such, in the United States all donations are tax deductible. You should, of course, check with your own tax adviser on all tax matters. If you need additional documentation on your donations for your tax records, please email billing@fairlds.org.

This month on the FairMormon YouTube site, we’ve uploaded several videos of interest. In 2011 Steve Carr gave a presentation at the BMAF conference which outlines some of the best evidence for The Book of Mormon in the New World.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohe122jRmMg

In that same year, Lawrence Poulsen discussed some very interesting parallels between The Book of Mormon and New World cultures as well as argues the best candidate location for the river Sidon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ2WftNwc0k

Mormon Challenges has also produced several videos featuring LDS scholar Michael Ash. These are short videos, only a few minutes in length, but provide some solid evidence on these topics that are not all that well known.

The first answers the criticism that there is no evidence for barley or wheat in the New World prior to Columbus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qAFhQKapG0

The next video discusses a topic that has been used by critics for years in an attempt to prove The Book of Mormon false. Mike brings up some very interesting points regarding horses and The Book of Mormon that answers the critics and also references the most recent research which shows horses to have existed in pre-Columbian America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCT7MfEE4k

The Cowdery Conundrum: Oliver’s Aborted Attempt to Describe Joseph Smith’s First Vision in 1834 and 1835

Joseph Smith made his first known attempt to write a history of the Church in 1832. Some of the account was written in Joseph’s own hand and the rest by Frederick G. Williams. Joseph’s history describes his first vision, Moroni’s visit, the loss of the 116 pages of manuscript, and the arrival of Oliver Cowdery. Joseph never completed it beyond that point, and it was never published during his lifetime.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/08/the-cowdery-conundrum-olivers-aborted-attempt-to-describe-joseph-smiths-first-vision-in-1834-and-1835/

The Exaggerated Death of Apologetics

In 1897, Mark Twain’s cousin became seriously ill. Some people confused the two men, leading Mark Twain to remark a few weeks later, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Similarly, it may be that as long as people have been calling themselves “anti-Mormons,” critics of the Church have been predicting the demise of the Church and have been pronouncing efforts to defend it as futile. All such declarations of impending doom have proven, at the very least, to be exaggerated.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/09/the-exaggerated-death-of-apologetics/

Apologetics and Falsifiability

The new edition of the Mormon Studies Review features a roundtable discussion between various  scholars on the question of the state of Mormon studies. The roundtable kicks off with a thoughtful piece by Brian D. Birch, whose argument has two components. “On the one hand, I seek to argue that Mormon studies absent theological and apologetic voices is artificially exclusionary and unproductive. One the other hand, I argue that the appeal to religious authority in deflecting critical arguments can be equally inappropriate and detrimental.”
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/14/apologetics-and-falsifiability/

Noham, That’s Not History (Nor Geography, Cartography, or Logic): More on the Recent Attacks on NHM

As mentioned in my previous post about the significance of Nahom, in a recent presentation at an ex-Mormon conference, a man who says he is “addicted to truth” made the claim that his searching had revealed that among 3-letter consonant groupings for place names, NHM was one of the most common.  So common that you could find it almost anywhere you looked, making the occurrence of Nahom/Nehem/NHM in the Book of Mormon to be “lacking in significance.”
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/23/noham-thats-not-history-nor-geography-cartography-or-logic-more-on-the-recent-attacks-on-nhm/

Ancient Temple Themes in the Book of Mormon

Over at The Nauvoo Times, my latest post, “The Temple in the Book of Mormon,” points to several recent discoveries or scholarly developments that help us better appreciate the influence of ancient temple concepts in the Book of Mormon. One of the topics there that I enjoyed learning about most was the possible role of ancient sacred relics in Nephite religion serving a role similar to the relics of the Ark of the Covenant in the Jewish temple. Here I combine a portion of my previous post with some additional information.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/26/ancient-temple-themes-in-the-book-of-mormon/

Isis and Maat in Facsimile 3 of the Book of Abraham: A Horrific Blunder by Joseph Smith?

A recent post at Mormanity, “Shulem in the Book of Abraham: Possible Plausibility?,” suggested that the name Shulem given by Joseph Smith in Facsimile 3 might be more interesting than just a blunder or random guess.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/29/isis-and-maat-in-facsimile-3-of-the-book-of-abraham-a-horrific-blunder-by-joseph-smith/

Keeping the Faith 10: Reconverted.Org

We talk to the owner of the Blog Reconverted.Org
Tony, as we will call him, tells his story of his battle with pornography, his excommunication from the Church and divorce from his wife. He walks us through his Leaving the Church and his return through re-baptism. It is a great story of one of God’s Prodigal children.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/11/20/keeping-the-faith-10-reconverted-org/

Keeping The Faith 11: Susan Swann Coming Home

We sit down with LDS author Susan Swann author of the book “Coming Home: A Mormon’s Return to Faith”

Susan’s story of her painful journey away from her Mormon faith and her road back home delivers a message of hope and encouragement that will help others also struggling to find their way. The lovely scenes of family relationships that were so instrumental in her return, her engaging personal touches, and interesting allusions to scriptures, literature, movies, and music all contribute to capturing the reader’s interest in Susan’s story. Even though readers will quickly understand where her story is headed, they will be engrossed by the suspense she creates and the anticipation of seeing her spiritual journey come to its rewarding conclusion. Susan’s book is a captivating story well told
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/11/25/keeping-the-faith-11-susan-swann-coming-home/

.Mormon Fair-Cast 179: FairMormon Support Board

FAIRMORMONSUPPORT.ORG
Welcome to our community! This is not just our community, but it is yours as well. It is a safe place for you to explore with others the questions and challenges that confront you as you live a life of faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are here to help you and to support you as you seek continued participation in the Church despite questions or doubts you experience.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/11/27/fairmormon-support-board/

Keeping The Faith 12: Janet Eyring-Lost then Found

We sit down with Janet Eyring.  She tells her story of being a seeker, losing faith and leaving the Church, the sense of loss from having missed out on the faith of her youth while spending 20 years outside the Church, and her return the LDS Church.  We talk about her advice for those with similar journeys and where her faith has brought her.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/04/keeping-the-faith-12-janet-eyring-lost-then-found/

4th Watch 11: What does it mean to be saved?

The term “salvation” or “being saved” has long been discussed and debated by scholars of many faith traditions.  In this podcast Bobby Gilpin of the anti-Mormon blog Mormonism Investigated UK is interviewed by Ned Scarisbrick in relationship to the gospel doctrine of salvation.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/04/4th_watch_11what-does-it-mean-to-be-saved/

Fair Issues 33:The tight control theory

PictureIn this article, Michael Ash explains how Joseph Smith may have used the tight control method  in the translation process of the Book of Mormon.  Proper names are spelled out for the first time to correct any misunderstanding that may have occurred when sounding out  new names.  Proper grammar is also addressed as an issue to explain how a strong case can be made that the Book of Mormon often betrays “a too literal adherence to an apparent Hebrew original.”
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/06/fair-issues-33the-tight-control-theory/

FairMormon Frameworks 11: Brant Gardner Gift and Power

We sit down with LDS author Brant Gardner to discuss his book  “The Gift and Power – Translating the Book of Mormon,” and ask him tough questions about the translation process. We delve beyond the surface to try to understand the context of Joseph translating using the “Urim and Thummim.” We touch on topics like Joseph’s Scrying or mystical use of the seer stone and skins of blackness in the Book of Mormon.  We also touch on the Meso-American Setting model for the Book of Mormon.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/11/fairmormon-frameworks-11-brant-gardner-gift-and-power/

Fair Issues 34: Four evidences for tight control
In this article Michael Ash provides four evidences of a “tight control” Book of Mormon translation using repetition, construct state, rent garment and conditional sentence examples. As explained in last week’s article some of the evidences for a “tight control” translation comes from the fact the ungrammatical first printing makes perfect grammatical sense in Hebrew.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/13/fair-issues-34four-evidences-for-tight-control/

Fair Issues 35: Loose-control translation
While there are interesting evidences for a “tight control” over the Book of Mormon translation, there are also evidences and logical reasons to assume a “loose control.”  In this article, Michael Ash provides several examples illustrating this method from Elder John A. Widtsoe and Orson Pratt.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/20/fair-issues-35loose-control-translation/

Mormon Fair-Cast 187: Polygamy Roundtable

The Church recently released a new Gospel Topics article addressing plural marriage and families in early Utah. As a supplement to this material, FairMormon is reposting this Special Roundtable Discussion on Polygamy that was hosted by the Interpreter Foundation and posted August 15, 2013. The discussion is moderated by Andrew C. Smith and involves three experts on the history and practice of plural marriage within Church History. (The page about this podcast also contains several links to articles on the topic.)
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/25/mormon-fair-cast-187-polygamy-roundtable/

Fair Issues 36: Co-creative Book of Mormon translation

Ash shows how a “co-creative” view of revelation explains how and why Joseph Smith updated some of his revelations including some passages in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.  It is possible that Joseph may have added, perhaps unconsciously, divine inspired insights, words or phrases that may not have been on the original plates. The same can be said for Mormon, the Nephite prophet, who compiled and edited the writings of past Nephite prophets.
http://blog.fairmormon.org/2013/12/27/fair-issues-36co-creative-book-of-mormon-translation/

Come to the FairMormon Bookstore to find the Internet’s best selection of materials for LDS apologetics. Whether you are looking for books, study aids, DVDs, or audio products, the FAIR Bookstore has what you need. You can begin your browsing by going to our main site.
http://bookstore.fairlds.org/

Be sure to check out the Clearance Section.  We have many older books and some new books with slightly damaged covers that offer great deals to buyers.
http://bookstore.fairlds.org/category.php?id_category=19

Clearance Special:

► Peculiar Treasure, A: Old Testament Messages for Our Day (Clearance)
Limited to stock on hand.

Brent L. Top. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company, 1997. Softbound, 6×9″, 214 pages.

The Old Testament is amazingly relevant to our day and can help you come to know Christ. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a biblical scholar to understand its most profound messages.
In his conversational style, author Brent L. Top shows how the Old Testament, rather than being merely a collection of archaic laws and obscure history, is an exciting, faith-affirming record that witnesses of Christ and speaks of contemporary challenges and concerns.
One major Old Testament theme discussed is that the Lord’s covenant people are his “peculiar treasure.” The Old Testament reveals the Lord’s diligent care for his people, and how the appellation “peculiar treasure” may be bestowed upon the Old Testament itself as well.
Among other messages, the author also discusses the timelessness of the Ten Commandments, the imagery of the bride and the bridegroom, and the modern relevancy of the ancient Nazarite vow.
Retail Price: $18.99
Special FAIR Price: $13.29 (30% Discount)

►Every Person in the Old Testament (Clearance)
Limited to stock on hand

Lynn F. Price, Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 6×9″ softbound, 682 pages.
To gain a witness of the scriptures, a thorough study is an essential part of the process. With an understanding of the details and of the events and of the people mentioned in scriptures comes the opportunity to have the Spirit say, “This is truth, and it is important.” After this study and witness comes about, the scriptures have a special meaning, and they become a source of strength and instruction for the reader. This book provides that opportunity to get to know the Old Testament. The author of Every Person in the Book of Mormon and Every Person in the Doctrine and Covenants has now produced the third volume in this handy scriptural aid series. Representing many years of extensive research, it is rich in vital details about persons and groups, histories and biographies. Included is a section with charts and a time line, which help to visualize the histories and messages inherent in the Old Testament.
Charts: 1. Adam to Jesus; 2. Noah; 3. Abraham; 4. Seir the Horite; 5. Reuben; 6. Simeon; 7. Levi; 8. Judah; 9. Issachar; 10. Zebulun; 11. Dan; 12. Naphtali; 13. Gad; 14. Asher; 15. Joseph; 16. Benjamin; 17. Mighty Men of David; 18. Kings of Edom; 19. Dukes of Edom and Dukes of the Horites; 20. Judges in Israel; 21. Adam to Jacob (time line).

Retail Price: $28.99
Special FAIR Price: $17.39 (40% Discount)

► Every Person in the Doctrine and Covenants (Clearance)
Limited to stock on hand.

Lynn F. Price, Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 6×9″ softbound, 240 pages.
This is one of the most useful Doctrine and Covenants study aids in print. This book provides pertinent biographical information on more than 220 individuals and groups mentioned in the text and headings of the Doctrine and Covenants.
The biographical sketches are presented in four groups: Latter-day People, Book of Mormon People, New Testament People, and Old Testament People.
The biographical sketches are presented in alphabetical order, by group, with each sketch presented in a year-by-year chronological fashion. Sources are carefully identified. Occasional conflicting historical data are noted. No person is excluded-the book covers both saints and sinners. Clearly, a strong knowledge and understanding of individuals who are referred to in the scriptures is essential for grasping the deepest meanings of the Lord’s revealed words.

Retail Price: $17.98
Special FAIR Price: $8.99 (50% Discount)

► Companion to Your Study of The Doctrine and Covenants, A volumes 1 & 2 (Clearance)
 Limited to stock on hand.

Daniel H. Ludlow. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1978. Softbound. 6″x9″. 402pgs. ISBN: 1573452246
Daniel H. Ludlow brings together his years of experience as a professor of religion at Brigham Young University, the teachings of General Authorities, and other valuable resources to provide a comprehensive, understandable study guide. In addition to commentary on each section you will find:
-historical background for each section of the Doctrine and Covenants
-definitions and explanations of key words and terms.

Retail Price: $26.95
Special FAIR Price: $18.86 (30% Discount)

► Guide to Publications on the Book of Mormon, A (Clearance)
 Limited to stock on hand.

Donald W. Parry, Jeanette W. Miller, and Sandra A. Thorne (Editors), Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research & Mormon Studies (FARMS), 1996, softbound, 410 pages. ISBN: 0934893209
Designed primarily for students of the scriptures who are not professional scholars. A Guide to Publications of the Book of Mormon contains the same useful bibliographic information as the Comprehensive Annotated Book of Mormon Bibliography, but for a smaller number of items the 3000+ items of most use to students of the scriptures. The selection processs has not only given A Guide to Publications of the Book of Mormon a more appropriate focus for students of the scriptures, it has also made it possible to reduce both the size and the cost of the Guide, so that it is more affordable and easier to use. The entries selected for inclusion in the Guide to Publications on the Book of Mormon contain the same publishing information and the same annotations as those in the larger bibliography. The Guide also has the same type of extensive, valuable subject index.

Retail Price: $29.95
Special FAIR Price: $2.99 (90% Discount)

Monthly Specials:

http://bookstore.fairlds.org/category.php?id_category=50

► Understanding the Book of Abraham (CD)

A Guided Tour by Kerry Muhlestein.  American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2013.  Talk on 3 CDs.  Approximately 3 hours.

In 1835, after beginning the translation of some ancient Egyptian papyri that he had obtained from an exhibitor passing through Kirtland, Ohio, Joseph Smith announced, “Much to our joy [we]found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham.” Some of his translation was eventually canonized as the book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price. For nearly one hundred years, it was thought that all these papyri had been destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. However, in 1967,New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art presented the Church with portions of the papyri Joseph Smith had owned, which the museum had purchased some twenty years earlier. This small collection of eleven papyri fragments came to be known as the Joseph Smith Papyri.
In this fascinating discussion on three CDs, respected scholar and Egyptologist Kerry Muhlestein takes his listeners on a guided tour through the book of Abraham. He first looks at
He discusses what we know about the translation process and the publication of this ancient book of scripture. Finally, he examines each of the facsimiles and discusses what Egyptology says about the kinds of things found in the Joseph Smith Papyri and in the book of Abraham. This talk set combines the latest research with faithful scholarship for those seeking to better understand the book of Abraham.

Retail Price: $17.99
Special FAIR Price: $14.39 (20% Discount)

► Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible

E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien.  Downers Grove, ILL: InterVarsity Press, Inc., 2012.  Softbound, 5.5×8.25″, 240 pages.
What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:
When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to “dress modestly,” we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty–that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.
Some readers might assume that Moses married “below himself” because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying “above himself.”
Western individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.

Biblical scholars Brandon O’Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own cross-cultural experience in global mission, O’Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.
Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

Retail Price: $16.00
Special FAIR Price: $12.80 (20% Discount)

► Common Ground-Different Opinions: Latter-day Saints and Contemporary Issues

Edited by Justin F. White and James E. Faulconer.  Salt Lake City, Utah: Greg Kofford Books, 2013.  Softbound, 6×9″, 379 pages.

There are many hotly debated issues about which many people disagree, and where common ground is hard to find. From evolution to environmentalism, war and peace to political partisanship, stem cell research to same-sex marriage, how we think about controversial issues affects how we interact as Latter-day Saints.
In this volume various Latter-day Saint authors address these and other issues from differing points of view. Though they differ on these tough questions, they have all found common ground in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the latter-day restoration. Their insights offer diverse points of view while demonstrating we can still love those with whom we disagree.

Retail Price: $31.95
Special FAIR Price: $25.56 (20% Discount)

► Dead Wood and Rushing Water: Essays on Mormon Faith, Culture, and Family

Boyd Jay Petersen.  Salt Lake City, Utah: Greg Kofford Books, 2013.  Softbound, 6×9″, 284 pages.
For over a decade, Boyd Petersen has been an active voice in Mormon studies and thought. In essays that steer a course between apologetics and criticism, striving for the balance of what Eugene England once called the “radical middle,” he explores various aspects of Mormon life and culture-from the Dream Mine near Salem, Utah, to the challenges that Latter-day Saints of the millennial generation face today.

Retail Price: $22.95
Special FAIR Price: $18.36 (20% Discount)

► Family of Faith, A

Richards, Kent F.  Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 2013, 6×9″ hardbound, 448 pages.

Since the early days of the Restoration, the Richards family has played a prominent role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In fact, between 1840 and 1950, there was only a short time, 1899 to 1906, when there was not at least one Richards serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“And yet this story,” writes editor Elder Kent F. Richards, “belongs not to the Richards family alone but to families everywhere who are striving to live after the manner of happiness and to pass their legacy of faith to the next generation.”
Arranged chronologically, excerpts from the journals of these three faithful men-Willard, Franklin D., and George F. Richards-offer us a privileged view of their day-to-day lives. We see their service in the Church, marriage and family concerns, and opportunities for growth as each worked to build up the kingdom of God on the earth.
We see their faith and the commitment to the gospel expressed in the details of their lives-Willard’s grief at the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose murder he witnessed in 1844; Franklin’s pain at being apart from his wife Jane, who was then journeying west across the plains and whose companionship would have been a strength to him as he served in the presidency of the British Mission; and decades later, George’s joy in being reunited with his wife and children after his own service in presiding over the British Mission during World War I.
A Family of Faith offers us a uniquely personal view of more than a century of Church history as those events were witnessed and recorded by three generations of faithful Saints. Their lives of humility, faith, and commitment to the Lord and His kingdom continue to inspire us today.

Retail Price: $37.99
Special FAIR Price: $30.39 (20% Discount)

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The public is invited to submit questions related to LDS issues to “FairMormon Questions.”
This feature can  by clicking on the following link:

http://www.fairmormon.org/contact

All inquiries will be shared with members of the FAIR List and the questioner may receive multipleresponses from volunteers. All responses reflect the opinions of the respondents only and not the official position of FairMormon or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Copyright (c) 2013 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FairMormon). All rights are reserved. FairMormon is not owned by, controlled by, nor affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided in FairMormon publications are the sole responsibility of FairMormon and the individual authors who provide the information, and should not be interpreted as official statements of Latter-day Saint history, doctrine, practice or belief.