Question: Does FAIR provide "official" answers to questions?


Question: Does FAIR provide "official" answers to questions?

FAIR provides information and opinions, but does not speak for the Church

FAIR's articles, responses to "Ask the Apologist" queries, etc., contain a disclaimer to the effect that FAIR volunteers and authors are not speaking authoritatively for the Church (or even for FAIR itself) but only giving their personal opinion or perspective on each issue or question.

Why should anyone listen to FAIR, then, if they can't speak with authority for the Church? To whom can one turn for the authorized, "final answer" on every topic?

FAIR need not speak with the authority of the Church itself, or be an official representative of the Church, in order to provide a useful resource for people to gain a better understanding of Latter-day Saint history and teachings. Further, it is not necessarily correct for us to expect to turn to our Church leaders, particularly the general authorities, for the answer to every single question on a gospel topic.

On many issues, there is no official Church position, and so there is nothing that an official Church response will provide. In such cases, members are encouraged to use their agency to "study it out in [their] mind" as they seek knowledge and revelation from human and divine sources.

It is important to first recognize that FAIR is an organization completely independent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FAIR is not owned or endorsed by the Church as an official mouthpiece, so FAIR cannot claim any official status. The FAIR FAQ article reads:

We try very hard to not give the impression that we are speaking for the Church in any way. We are not affiliated with the Church. We therefore try to avoid doctrinal declarations. Most of the time it isn't an issue as we are discussing things from a historical or scholarly point of view. Occasionally we get into discussions of doctrine when we feel our beliefs as Latter-day Saints have been misrepresented. At those times the writers are speaking from their own experience and beliefs.

This seems to raise two questions in our readers' minds from time to time, which we will address separately below.

Of what value are FAIR's answers if they lack authority to speak for the Church?

Only the Church's duly authorized agents can speak officially on behalf of the Church or give official pronouncements which establish doctrine that is binding upon the Church. However, is this necessarily a problem when considering answers coming from a group such as FAIR?

There are many questions that people have, and there is plenty of benefit to having brothers and sisters in the faith "reason together" and learn from one another, and not expect to simply look to someone to give the one, final answer to any question. In this author's opinion, the Lord and Church leaders are wise to leave us to the exercise of working out these things and developing our mental and spiritual capacities to gain more understanding.

While the responses to issues offered by FAIR volunteers are not official statements by the Church, we believe them to be consistent with the Church's official teachings and are given by faithful, active, believing LDS members. These responses need not carry an official endorsement to be true or helpful in answering questions.

It is important to keep in mind that speaking as an authorized representative is not the same as speaking authoritatively. FAIR does not present itself as being authorized by the Church to speak on its behalf and declare or clarify points of doctrine and therefore is not an authorized representative of the Church. However, we do attempt to speak authoritatively by providing answers that use the most up-to-date information from LDS and non-LDS sources, and that reference the most authoritative statements from our leadership on a particular subject. As such, FAIR attempts to speak authoritatively on matters to the best of our ability but specifically disavows any claim of speaking on behalf of the Church.

FAIR's main mission is to answer criticisms about the Church, and we can certainly do so based on what we know, can study, and reason, as well as what the Spirit guides us to say as we prayerfully consider these issues, without necessarily receiving this as an official calling or going to the First Presidency to speak on each and every issue.

If FAIR is not an official voice for the Church, to whom do I turn for the official answer to my question?

In the early days of the Church, it was more common for the local members to ask Joseph Smith for his teachings on various matters. Obviously, the logistics involved in running a church of 500 members is rather different than it is with a church of many millions, and it is unreasonable to expect the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve to be able to teach all the individual members who have questions. The Church, of course, does make official doctrinal statements, but generally only on significantly important "core" issues. There is much room for all of us to study and learn independently and in local groups.

Beyond that, we do not need a "thus saith the Lord" answer to every question. We at FAIR sustain and support the leaders of the Church and follow their direction in matters of doctrine and the operation of the Church, but that doesn't mean we must look to someone else to provide us with the answer to every question we have. The Lord Himself commanded us:

For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.

Verily, I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. . . .[1]

Is it a mistake to assume that at least some of these good works that we are to be engaged in include studying the gospel and striving to learn more through the scriptures, personal prayer, discussions with each other, and by reading the best books? We think not.

Along with not expecting us to remain idle until explicitly commanded to do something, the Lord expects us to seek knowledge and learn and grow without simply being told what to think about everything.

Many problems which members encounter often stem from the mistaken belief that what they have been told my someone in the Church is somehow the Church position, or an official stance of the Church. When they encounter problems, they assume that the Church is in error—in fact, the error may be in what others have presumed is the Church's official position—on many issues, the Church has no official position.

Further,

Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.[2]

An important part of the process of gaining this knowledge and intelligence is working diligently to study and learn, and not simply hoping someone else will tell us the answers to memorize.

Members of FAIR, teachers among the membership of the Church, and even our Church leaders have the latitude to hold and express their best understanding of various topics, even to publish books (e.g., Elder Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine). Since none of these talks, lessons, papers, blogs, conversations, or books have been accepted into the canon, they are not binding as 'the official word of the Church itself.' Does that mean they are useless to help us gain more understanding? No, there's much we can learn from each other, even if we're imperfect in our understanding along the way.

But if I want an official answer, how do I get it?

Interested parties should realize that for many issues, there simply is no official Church position. On questions of history, for example, the Church has very few official positions or perspectives. While the Church insists that Joseph Smith did see God the Father and Jesus Christ, did translate the Book of Mormon, and did receive the restored priesthood, it has no official doctrine or position on the historical details surrounding these events. The Church will, for example, insist that the priesthood was restored. The Church may not, by contrast, have an official position on where that restoration occurred, what led to it, or even upon which date it happened.

Official doctrine is usually easy to determine. When FAIR is aware of an official doctrine or position statement, we attempt to provide it, with references so interested readers can check the sources for themselves. In all other cases, we try to describe the spectrum of LDS thought on a given issue, while noting that more than one point of view is held by faithful members of the Church.


Learn more about apologetics and defending the faith
Key sources
  • Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Maxwell Legacy in the 21st Century,” on pages 8-21 of the “2018 Annual Report” of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship off-site Youtube
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "The Interpreter Foundation and an Apostolic Charge," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/0 (28 December 2018). [vii–xviii] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Elder Neal A. Maxwell on Consecration, Scholarship, and the Defense of the Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 7/0 (8 November 2013). [vii–xx] link
  • Michael R. Otterson, "On the Record," Proceedings of the 2015 FAIR Conference (August 2015). link
  • Elder Kevin W. Pearson, "A Sacred and Imperative Duty," Proceedings of the 2018 FAIR Conference (August 2018). link
Wiki links
FAIR links
  • FAIR FAQ
  • Wayne Arnett, "Apologetics 101," Proceedings of the 2006 FAIR Conference (August 2006). link
  • Michael Ash, "Shaken Faith Syndrome," Proceedings of the 2008 FAIR Conference (August 2008). link
  • Michael R. Ash, "'Shaken Faith Syndrome, Part Deux'," Proceedings of the 2013 FAIR Conference (August 2013). link
  • Michael Ash and Kevin Barney, "LDS Apologetics 101," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link
  • Gary Bowler, "What is FAIR, and Why Are You Apologizing?" PDF link
  • Roger Ekins, "Defending Zion," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link
  • Scott Gordon, "Survey Says!," Proceedings of the 2000 FAIR Conference (August 2000). link
  • Grant Hardy, "More Effective Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2016 FAIR Conference (August 2016). link
  • Roger Keller, "The Grace of Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link
  • John Lynch, "'Uh oh!' to 'Ah ha!' in Apologetics: 20/20 Foresight for a Faithful Future in Defending the Church," Proceedings of the 2009 FAIR Conference (August 2009). link
  • David Paulsen, "'The God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph Smith: Defending the Faith'," Proceedings of the 2004 FAIR Conference (August 2004). link
  • Daniel Peterson, "'Apologetics: What, Why and How?'," Proceedings of the 2018 FAIR Conference (August 2018). link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Humble Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2008 FAIR Conference (August 2008). link
  • Dan Peterson, "Of ‘Mormon Studies’ and Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2012 FAIR Conference (August 2012). link
  • Dan Peterson, "Random Reflections on the Passing Scene," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link
  • Dan Peterson, "'The Logic-Tree of Life, or, Why I Can’t Manage to Disbelieve'," Proceedings of the 2016 FAIR Conference (August 2016). link
  • Daniel Peterson, "The Obligation to Do Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2010 FAIR Conference (August 2010). link
  • Dan Peterson, "The Reasonable Leap into Light: A Barebones Secular Argument for the Gospel," Proceedings of the 2015 FAIR Conference (August 2015). link
  • Dan Peterson, "Toward a More Effective Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2013 FAIR Conference (August 2013). link
  • Daniel Peterson, "What Difference Does It Make?," Proceedings of the 2017 FAIR Conference (August 2017). link
  • Ed Pinegar, "How to help young Latter-day Saints deal with criticisms against the Church and the doubts they cause while remaining faithful," Proceedings of the 2015 FAIR Conference (August 2015). link
  • Robert White, "'On Being an Apologist: Imperatives, Predicaments, Perils and Blessings'," Proceedings of the 2009 FAIR Conference (August 2009). link
  • Hartt Wixam, "Perception and Reality: Then and Now," Proceedings of the 2012 FAIR Conference (August 2012). link
  • FAIR FAQ FAIR link
  • Wayne Arnett, "Apologetics 101," FAIR Conference 2006. FAIR link
Online
  • Gilbert W. Scharffs, "Some people say it is best to leave alone materials that claim to 'expose' the Church and its teachings. What counsel has been given on this? How do we respond when a friend comes to us with questions found in such materials?," Ensign (January 1995): 60 (scroll half-way down).off-site
  • Rick Anderson, "Addressing Prickly Issues," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 23/10 (27 January 2017). [253–262] link
  • Steven T. Densley, Jr., "Should We Apologize for Apologetics?," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 27/7 (20 October 2017). [107–142] link}
  • Terryl L. Givens, "Letter to a Doubter," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 4/6 (5 April 2013). [131–146] link
  • Louis C. Midgley, "Defending the King and His Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 2/9 (30 November 2012). [127–144] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "An Exhortation to Study God's Two 'Books'," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 13/0 (2 January 2015). [vii–xvi] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Charity in Defending the Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 1/0 (28 September 2012). [i–xvi] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Credo," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 57/0 (4 August 2023). [vii–xiv] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "How Things Look from Here," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 55/0 (31 March 2023). [vii–xiv] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "'In This Batter'd Caravanserai'," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 56/0 (26 May 2023). [vii–xxviii] link}
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Introduction, Volume 6: The Modest But Important End of Apologetics," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 6/0 (6 September 2013). [vii–xxvi] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Is Faith Compatible with Reason?," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 29/0 (24 August 2018). [vii–xvi] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Making Visible the Beauty and Goodness of the Gospel," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 17/0 (4 December 2015). [vii–xxii] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "On Being a Tool," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/0 (6 May 2016). [vii–xvi] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Questioning: The Divine Plan," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 15/0 (19 June 2015). [vii–xvi] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Reflections on the Mission of The Interpreter Foundation," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 9/0 (11 April 2014). [vii–xx] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Some Notes on Faith and Reason," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10/0 (27 June 2014). [vii–xx] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 4/0 (10 May 2013). [vii–xiv] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "The Power is In Them," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 26/0 (8 September 2017). [vii–xii] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "The Role of Apologetics in Mormon Studies," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 2/0 (14 December 2012). [vii–xlii] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "The Word and the Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/0 (4 May 2018). [vii–xiv] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Three Degrees of Gospel Understanding," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 21/0 (9 September 2016). [vii–xii] link
  • Paul C. Peterson, "To Be Learned Is Good, If One Stays on the Rails," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/7 (5 October 2018). [77–90] link [To be Learned Is Good – bad book]
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Toward Ever More Intelligent Discipleship," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 16/0 (11 September 2015). [vii–xvi] link
  • Stephen O. Smoot, "Shaken Faith Syndrome and the Case for Faith," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 2/8 (23 November 2012). [105–126] link
  • Daniel C. Peterson, "Editor's Introduction—The Witchcraft Paradigm: On Claims to 'Second Sight' by People Who Say It Doesn't Exist," FARMS Review 18/2 (2006). [ix–lxiv] link
  • Marianne Holman Prescott, "Be Faithful Disciple-Scholars Even in Difficulty, Elder Holland Says at Maxwell Institute," Church News (13 November 2018), off-site
Video
  • Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Maxwell Legacy in the 21st Century" (2018 Neal A. Maxwell Lecture), Provo, Utah, 10 November 2018. Youtube
LDS Apologetics 101, Michael Ash and Kevin Barney, 2003 FAIR Conference
Print
  • Neal A. Maxwell, “The Disciple-Scholar,” in Henry B. Eyring, ed., On Becoming a Disciple-Scholar: Lectures Presented at the Brigham Young University Honors Program Discipline and Discipleship Lecture Series (Salt Lake City, Bookcraft: 1995), 1–23.
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Notes

  1. D&C 58꞉26-28
  2. D&C 130꞉18-19