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Three Excerpts from “Answers Will Come: Trusting the Lord in the Meantime” by Shalissa Lindsay

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Available from the FairMormon Bookstore

[A review of the book can be found here.]

Not having all the answers is more blessed. (p. 29)

In our quest for faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a tremendous and indispensable asset. But not because it offers all the answers to every possible question. Even—perhaps especially—within the restored gospel, there have to be some opportunities for us to question and doubt. They provide the opposition against which faith can grow and strengthen. In fact, Christ has deliberately withheld some things for this express purpose.1 He told Mormon, “I will try the faith of my people.”2

Hence, the Lord supports faith but does not demand it. He lets us discover substantial internal evidences in latter-day scriptures, but withholds incontrovertible proof. He gives us eleven witnesses of the gold plates, but leaves Book of Mormon geography uncertain. By not compelling us to believe, Christ offers us the chance to be “more blessed.” He told the Nephites who had seen him that “more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me.”3

And He told his doubting Apostle Thomas, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”4 [Read more…] about Three Excerpts from “Answers Will Come: Trusting the Lord in the Meantime” by Shalissa Lindsay

Book Review: Answers Will Come: Trusting the Lord in the Meantime

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Available from the FairMormon Bookstore

[Excerpts from the book can be found here.]

The main thing that FairMormon as an organization tries to do is to provide reasonable answers to questions and criticisms in an easily digestible format. However, there are some questions that don’t seem to have satisfying answers at this time. These are the questions that require us to have faith and keep holding on, choosing to continue believing and living the gospel while we pray and wait for answers to be revealed to us. This can be very difficult for someone going through a faith crisis or other trials, when it seems as if we have to have answers now in order to just keep going.

That is where this book fits in. It is written by a woman who has been through many trials and a crisis of faith, and has learned to trust while waiting for answers. “When I was a young adult, my unanswered gospel questions threatened to overwhelm my testimony, choking my trust in God. I begged the Lord for doctrinal answers only He could give. Instead, He wisely offered me tutorials in trust. In this book, I share those in-the-meantime answers that for me have created intellectual breathing space. These ideas help me joyfully choose faith until all the answers come” (Introduction page).

The book is written in an unusual way. There is one idea per page, with the body text appearing only on the odd-numbered pages. The alternating pages have a (usually) very brief topical title or summary. This is so that you can read a little bit at a time, and it works remarkably well. [Read more…] about Book Review: Answers Will Come: Trusting the Lord in the Meantime

FairMormon Conference Podcast #23 – Richard Lloyd Anderson, “Explaining Away the Book of Mormon Witnesses”

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Podcast: Download (57.4MB)

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This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. This episode is a presentation from 2004. If you would like to watch the presentations from our most recent conference, you can still purchase video streaming.

Richard Lloyd Anderson, Explaining Away the Book of Mormon Witnesses

Transcript available here.

Richard Lloyd Anderson (1926-2018) was a Professor Emeritus of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, and senior research fellow at the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University. More information about him can be found in this tribute. His book, Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses, is available at a discount from the FairMormon Bookstore.

Audio and Video Copyright © 2004 The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. Any reproduction or transcription of this material without prior express written permission is prohibited.

Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone’s Experience with the Scriptures and the Savior

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Cross-posted from Truth Will Prevail

Cobbled together by Dennis B. Horne

            Note: In his earlier years, in some talks given in the 1970s, as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone referenced a marvelous spiritual experience he received. The below contains both published text and newly transcribed wording that was withheld for whatever reason (perhaps felt to be too sacred then), from the published version, that gives further insight into the experience. Links are provided so readers can listen to both of the talks at their convenience:

            Let me tell you the greatest experience I believe I have had in all my readings of the scriptures—and I am sharing something that is very tender with me. I remember the night that I read 3 Nephi the 17th chapter [3 Ne. 17]. That is when I discovered the Lord Jesus Christ, my Redeemer, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, my Savior, my personal Savior; and I believe that is where I finally found the description of the Savior as I thought him to be.

            He had been with the Nephite people all the day long, you will recall, and finally said: [Read more…] about Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone’s Experience with the Scriptures and the Savior

Book Review: Faith is not Blind

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Available at a discount from the FairMormon Bookstore

Bruce C. Hafen was a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy until 2010 when he was given Emeritus status. Prior to that, he was a president of BYU-Idaho and dean of the BYU Law School. He also was recently the president of the St. George Temple. Marie K. Hafen, his wife, taught at BYU-Idaho, BYU, and the University of Utah, as well as serving on the Young Women General Board and on the Deseret News board of directors.

This book is an expansion of a talk they gave together at a BYU-Hawaii devotional on January 24, 2017, which was an updated version of a talk called “Love Is Not Blind: Some Thoughts for College Students on Faith and Ambiguity” at a BYU devotional on January 9, 1979. Since 1979, the Internet has of course come to be a new avenue for people to stumble across things that would destroy their faith, and much of the book focuses on that.

The Hafens suggest a three part model for understanding stages of belief that people might go through. First, is what they call “simplicity.” This is when people have an innocent faith and “tend to think in terms of black or white – there is very little gray in [their] perspective. And many youth and young single adults have a childlike optimism and loyalty that make them wonderfully teachable. They typically trust their teachers, believe what they read, and respond eagerly to invitations for Church service. New adult converts often have similar attitudes” (page 8). [Read more…] about Book Review: Faith is not Blind

The Temple 3: A Light to the World (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 10)

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The DR Congo Kinshasa Temple Shining At Nightfall

In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference, I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) [1]. In this new series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into eleven parts:

1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
3. The missionaries
4. What attracts people to the Church?
5. Building from centers of strength 1 — Kisangani
6. Building from centers of strength 2 — Wagenya
7. Taking the Gospel to the “ends of the earth”
8. The temple 1: “Turning the hearts of the children”
9. The temple 2: “Holiness to the Lord”
10. The temple 3: A light to the world
11. “The labourers are few”

In this episode, I discuss why the temple is a light to the DR Congo — and to the world.

It was said anciently that God’s light filled the place of His presence in the heavenly temple. On earth, that light is symbolized by the Holy of Holies in the House of the Lord. In the symbolism of the temple, the Holy of Holies, corresponding to the celestial room of modern temples, is not only a place of light, but also the source of light for the entire universe.

Some may wonder, if temples are places of light, why the window openings of the Salt Lake Temple are relatively small and narrow, giving its exterior the appearance of thick battlements. As it turns out, there is a scriptural explanation for both the thick walls and the narrow windows. It seems clear that the purpose of the reversal in temples versusordinary homes in Old Testament times must have been meant to be symbolic rather than practical. Designing ancient temples that differ in obvious waysfrom buildings of ordinary construction would have allowedthe Israelites to reflect on why such an anomalous design was required.

After providing the context for these architectural features, we will describe what they specifically have to do with the DR Congo Kinshasa temple, and what counsel Elder David A. Bednar implored the Congolese Saints to remember during a visit to the temple site.

We conclude the episode by an impromptu version of “Jesus of Nazareth” by Elder Rafarahavotra of Madagascar.

[1]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.

The Temple 2: “Holiness to the Lord” (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 9)

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Construction Crew – DR Congo Kinshasa Temple

In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference, I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) [1]. In this new series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experi-ence for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into eleven parts:

1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
3. The missionaries
4. What attracts people to the Church?
5. Building from centers of strength 1 — Kisangani
6. Building from centers of strength 2 — Wagenya
7. Taking the Gospel to the “ends of the earth”
8. The temple 1: “Turning the hearts of the children”
9. The temple 2: “Holiness to the Lord”
10. The temple 3: A light to the world
11. “The labourers are few”

In this episode, we discuss the holiness of the temple and of the people who are preparing for it.

At the temple groundbreaking, Elder Neil L. Andersen reminded his listeners that everything has to be “near perfection” in temple construction. A strenuous effort to meet that high standard was made by the construction crew. Over and beyond this professionalism, the essential construction skills learned through patience and persistence, there was a soberness of loving submission in the task of building a temple, a quality of the soul that added an intangible, spiritual element to the work being performed.

Eventually, we witnessed the culminating work begin around the temple doorway in preparation for the inscription plaque, a reminder to everyone who would be worthy to enter to continually cultivate holiness in their hearts: “Holiness to the Lord. The House of the Lord.”

Significantly, so far as we know, the phrase “Holiness to the Lord” never appeared on buildings in Old Testament times. It was, however, applied to high priests who had been consecrated to the Lord’s service through sacred ordinances. This did not mean that the high priests were themselves already holy and pure in every respect, for they had not yet completed the process of sanctification. Rather, it meant that they had been “chosen” or “set apart” to take upon themselves solemn covenants, covenants that put them under divine obligation “to live up to the holiness to which they [had] been set apart.”

The Congolese saints have been preparing through their faithfulness for a temple for more than three decades. The construction of the temple is a witness that the Lord has found them ready for it.

 

[1]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.

FairMormon Questions: Is it true that most historians that look into the life of Joseph Smith eventually leave the Church?

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FairMormon has a service where questions can be submitted and they are answered by volunteers. If you have a question, you can submit it at http://www.fairmormon.org/contact. We will occasionally publish answers here for questions that are commonly asked, or are on topics that are receiving a lot of attention. The question and answer below have been edited to maintain confidentiality.

QUESTION:

I have heard that most historians that look into the life of Joseph Smith wind up leaving the Church. Is this true?

ANSWER FROM FAIRMORMON VOLUNTEER CRAIG L. FOSTER:

My comments are my own and do not reflect either the Church or Fairmormon. I read your email and felt strongly that I needed to respond given my background. While I am certainly not a Joseph Smith expert, I have done a significant amount of research on the Prophet. As I have written numerous articles and several books dealing with aspects of Church history, I consider myself an LDS historian. Therefore, I feel I am in a position to respond to the assertion that most historians who look into the life of Joseph Smith wind up leaving the Church.

I am aware of a few who studied Church history and did end up leaving. However, they were very few. In fact, for most historians I have known, it has strengthened their testimony – and I have known and been friends with almost all of the major Mormon historians from Leonard J. Arrington to Thomas G. Alexander, James B. Allen, Richard Lyman Bushman, etc. These men were/are staunch defenders of the prophetic mission of Joseph Smith.

Recently, a friend of mine named Don Bradley posted a Facebook post about Joseph Smith and the First Vision. He has given me permission to include his comments. He emphasizes that he had come to consider Joseph Smith a liar and a fraud. He had his name taken off of the membership of the Church but continued to do research. Because of his research on Joseph Smith, he returned to the Church, was rebaptized and is a strong, believing member. We spoke the other day and he again bore testimony to Joseph Smith’s prophetic mission. Here are his comments: [Read more…] about FairMormon Questions: Is it true that most historians that look into the life of Joseph Smith eventually leave the Church?

Taking the Gospel to the “Ends of the Earth” (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 7)

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Emmanuel Issamba, an investigator from the remote city of Bunia, DR Congo. Left to Right: Elder Luzayadio, Emmanuel Issamba, Elder Lokpo, and Elder Ga.

In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[1] I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this new series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into ten parts:

  1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
  2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
  3. The missionaries
  4. What attracts people to the Church?
  5. Building from centers of strength 1 — Kisangani
  6. Building from centers of strength 2 — Wagenya
  7. Taking the Gospel to the “ends of the earth”
  8. The temple 1: Turning the hearts of the children
  9. The temple 2: A light to the world
  10. “The labourers are few”

In this episode, I will tell the story of how a new branch came to be formed in Boma, and the situation of isolated members and investigators of the Church who live in cities where groups and branches have not yet been organized. Illustrating the challenges and opportunities of these individuals, we will share the story of Emmanuel Issamba, who traveled at great personal sacrifice a distance equivalent to halfway across the United States to learn more about the Church, only to be told that he could not be baptized because he was 436 miles away from the nearest organized Church unit. [2] We explore current efforts in social media to help such individuals stay in touch.

In his call for a “home-centered, Church-supported” approach to Gospel living,[3] President Russell M. Nelson has signaled the urgency of an oft-repeated theme while significantly expanding its rationale. He has made it clear that rebalancing our efforts to ensure a “home-centered, Church-supported” approach will not only increase the simplicity and effectiveness of Church programs, but will also be a key development that will enable the Gospel to be taken to the “ends of the earth.”

Complementing the policy of building up centers of strength geographically, we summarize the teachings of Elder Joni L. Koch of the Seventy, who explained to our missionaries how they should focus their finding efforts in light of the fact that we could currently teach only a fraction of those who were interested in the Gospel in the DR Congo. Echoing the promises of scripture and modern apostles and prophets, he testified that the day will eventually come when “the Gospel will have been preached everywhere, to all people; and this will occur before the second coming of the Son of Man.”[4]

 

[1]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.

[2]Ibid., p. 7. See, e.g., D&C 1:11; 65:2; 72:21; 90:9; 105:39; 109:57;112:4; 133:3.

[3]R. M. Nelson, Opening Remarks (October 2018), p. 7.

[4]B. R. McConkie, Revelation on Priesthood.

 

Building from Centers of Strength – Wagenya (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 6)

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Photo of a Wagenya fisherman taken by Irish photographer Andrew McConnell in 2010. To get a glimpse of the Wagenya fishermen in action, see McConnell’s video at https://vimeo.com/45188921

In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[1]I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this new series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into ten parts:

  1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
  2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
  3. The missionaries
  4. What attracts people to the Church?
  5. Building from centers of strength 1 — Kisangani
  6. Building from centers of strength 2 — Wagenya
  7. Taking the Gospel to the “ends of the earth”
  8. The temple 1: Turning the hearts of the children
  9. The temple 2: A light to the world
  10. “The labourers are few”

In this episode, the theme of “building from centers of strength” is concluded. Among other things, I will discuss the creation of a second branch in Kisangani, near the traditional home of the famous Wagenya fishermen. As was the case with Jesus’ disciples, fishermen were among the first members of the Church in Kisangani. Through photos and videos, their unique lifestyle, their challenges, and their faith will be highlighted.

We will also introduce the story of Brother Wilfrid MALEO, the current president of the Wagenya branch. After his baptism, he resigned his position as a teacher and later refused a post at the university of his former church, one of many sacrifices that he and his family have made in behalf of his fellow branch members.

[1]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.