Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

This podcast series features past FAIR Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2022 conference. Kerry Muhlestein, Keys to Understanding Isaiah Kerry has several books available from the FAIR Bookstore. Kerry received his B.S. from BYU in Psychology with a Hebrew minor. He received an M.A. in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from BYU and his Ph.D. from UCLA in Egyptology, where in his final year he was named the UCLA Affiliates Graduate Student of the Year. His first full time appointment was a joint position in Religion and History at BYU-Hawaii. He is the director of the BYU Egypt Excavation Project. He has been teaching about Isaiah for almost three decades, and has been teaching classes specifically on Isaiah for several years, and has written a verse-by-verse commentary on Isaiah. He and his wife, Julianne, are the parents of six children, and together they have lived in Jerusalem while Kerry has taught there on multiple occasions. The post FAIR Conference Podcast #82 – Kerry Muhlestein, “Keys to Understanding Isaiah” appeared first on FAIR.

In this episode, Sarah, Jennifer, and Zach go through ancient uses of seer stones and other objects seen as sacred. In this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute these claims head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Saints Unscripted Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpYrul0eRjs Allen Hansen’s Research: https://independent.academia.edu/HansenAllen Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:30) The questions (07:37) Examples from the Scriptures (15:24) Interview with Allen Hansen (36:48) Wrapping up (39:44) Conclusion   Sarah Allen is a senior researcher with FAIR, and the 2022 recipient of the John Taylor: Defender of the Faith Award. By profession, she works in mortgage compliance and is a freelance copyeditor. An avid reader, she loves studying the Gospel and the history of the restored Church. After watching some of her friends lose their testimonies, she became interested in helping others through their faith crises. That’s when she began sharing what she’d learned through her studies. She is a co-moderator the LDS subreddit on Reddit and the author of a multi-part series rebutting the CES Letter. She’s grateful to those at FAIR who have given her the opportunity to share her testimony with a wider audience. Jennifer Roach earned a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, and a Master of Counseling from Argosy University. Before her conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she was an ordained minister in the Anglican church. Her own experience of sexual abuse from a pastor during her teen years led her to care deeply about issues of abuse in faith communities. Zachary Wright was born in American Fork, UT.  He served his mission speaking Spanish in North Carolina and the Dominican Republic.  He currently attends BYU studying psychology, but loves writing, and studying LDS theology and history.  His biggest desire is to help other people bring them closer to each other, and ultimately bring people closer to God. The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 2 – Seer Stones: Ancient Use appeared first on FAIR.

Keeping the Law of Moses by Autumn Dickson I have been waiting for the verses I want to talk about today. I have held them in my mind for a couple years, waiting for the opportunity to write this post. And as I have written it, I have found myself truly humbled as I realized this message extended beyond what I previously thought and hit me directly where I needed it. Before I delve into these verses, I want to call to your attention the character and circumstances of Nephi. Nephi was a friend of Christ. Nephi knew Christ on a personal level that most of us will only realize on the other side. Such is the man who taught the following doctrine: 2 Nephi 25:24-25 24 And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. 25 For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. Throughout this chapter, Nephi taught that we believe in Christ; he knew that salvation came through Jesus Christ. He knew that belief in Christ is what releases us from the power of Satan, faith that Christ can truly free us from sin and make us everything we hope to be. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we find the peace and freedom and happiness we seek because we know of His power and ability to take care of everything. But Nephi’s teaching didn’t stop there; Nephi also taught his people to keep the Law of Moses. When I think about the character and circumstances of Nephi, I would wager that Nephi didn’t actually “need” the Law of Moses. In order to have a fulfilling relationship with Jesus Christ, he didn’t need all of those laws and ordinances and constant rituals to keep him in line with his eyes on Christ. I believe that Nephi would have thrived in his relationship with Christ in our day, in a time when we are much more principle-based in our learning and worship. And yet, Nephi still taught his people to keep the Law of Moses. In fact, Nephi didn’t just teach the Law of Moses, Nephi kept the Law of Moses. Despite the fact that he didn’t need it in order to remain close to Christ, Nephi probably kept the Law of Moses better than just about anyone in his day. The Law of Moses in our Day In our church, we have a personal line of revelation and a priesthood line of revelation. There are a million reasons for this, but one of the reasons is this: the Lord needs to guide us individually because we are all different and have different needs, but He also guides the church as a whole. At the time of the Law of Moses, all of the extra rules and rituals were necessary. If you were to compare the Israelites to a person, they likely would have been a toddler. They needed very clear boundaries and teaching because they had just spent years and years and years in brutal captivity. Even beyond the fact that they had forgotten the Lord, their moral compass was questionable at best. Who can blame them? Think about where they had been in Egypt; growing up as a slave would have made it very difficult to form proper attachments and character. The more I think about the Israelites in the Old Testament, the less I see a vengeful God who was constantly frustrated with His people and the more I see a loving and wise God who knew what His people truly needed. As time has moved on, the Israelites (as a whole church) have grown. Just as my older kids have outgrown their baby gates and training wheels, the Israelites outgrew the Law of Moses. It was fulfilled and no longer needed, and the church became more principle-based as Christ came in, fulfilled the Law of Moses, and left them with a higher law. We again live in a time where the church is growing towards principle-based learning; just observe the changes in the For Strength of Youth. And yet, as much as we’ve grown as a whole church, there is a reason that some of our more “Law of Moses” rules stand. Things like coffee, dating standards, and garments are all examples of rules that fall more in line with the Law of Moses in comparison to a principle-based type of worship and learning. There is a difference between, “Keep your body healthy,” and, “Don’t drink alcohol.” There is a difference between, “Keep Christ in your thoughts,” and attending weekly sacrament meetings where we are given a very specific time period to think of Christ. There is a difference between principle-based learning and worship and Law-of-Moses-rules-and-rituals type of learning and worship. Our need for the “Law of Moses” As I said before, Nephi likely didn’t “need” the Law of Moses in order to remain close to Christ. When it comes to the modern day rituals and rules that are similar to the Law of Moses, there have definitely been days where I didn’t feel like I needed them. I think about the gospel a lot, and I feel close to my Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. Trying to create a post about the scriptures every week has forced me to think about the gospel and my covenants often. It puts me in a position where I need the Lord, and so I am constantly turned towards Him over and over and over. And yet, as I was typing out this post, my similarity to the Israelites smacked me in the face. As I scoffed and face-palmed through the Old Testament, wondering on how on earth the Israelites could be missing the symbolism of the rituals they had been given, I realized that I am just as guilty. As I judged the Israelites for going through the motions of the rituals and completely missing the change of heart that was supposed to accompany it, I didn’t realize just how relatable they are. As one example, I put on my garments every day. And yet, like the Israelites in their action-minus-the-heart worshiping, I find that I am thinking of how inconvenient they are more often than I think about the covenants and blessings they represent. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I were to think about what my garments truly represent, I would forget all about their inconveniences. In truth, if I could glimpse what my garments represent, I would likely be floored at the opportunity I’ve been given to wear them. Like Naaman who washed and was healed in the dirty Jordan River, I wonder if I will get to the other side, and whisper, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know what a blessing I was given.” It is only in writing this post that I’ve realized how much I still need our little modern-day “Law of Moses” rituals because I obviously haven’t fully realized what a gift I’ve been given. Christ definitely didn’t need it As I mentioned previously, Nephi taught and lived the Law of Moses despite the fact that he had a very close relationship with Christ. And yet, as I picture Nephi going through the details of the Law of Moses, I picture him in a posture of humility. I don’t imagine that he stomped around, murmuring about the fact that he has to wash something or sacrifice something since he just spoke to Christ personally. No. I picture Nephi performing the Law of Moses rituals in deep awe because he knew the Savior personally. He knew what the Savior did for him. Those rituals meant everything to him. To take that a step further, there was no single individual who ever lived on the earth that needed the Law of Moses less than Jesus Christ did. And yet, there was no single individual who ever lived on the earth who more perfectly lived the Law of Moses than Jesus Christ did. And just like the comfort and awe it inspired in Nephi, I actually believe the Law of Moses helped Christ too. It taught Him about Himself; it brought comfort and understanding as He realized what He would be required to do. In our day, it’s not about whether we “need” the “Law of Moses” rules and rituals like temple attendance, the sacrament, and garments. Need is relative. Maybe there are some of us who don’t “need” it (though I’ve realized I’m not one of those people). But there is always room for more blessings and growth and awe and thundering humility when we view these Law of Moses-ish things as they truly are. Maybe it’s not about need; maybe it’s about the opportunity to find more faith in Jesus Christ. No; garments aren’t perfect. Perhaps sacrificing to go to the temple can feel like a burden. Perhaps taking the sacrament every single week doesn’t feel necessary. But if you feel this way (and I say this with utter humility because I have been guilty of feeling a “burden”), consider the idea that perhaps you’re looking at it all wrong. A sheep could NEVER truly symbolize Christ. And yet, if the Israelites had been able to grasp what the sheep represented, it wouldn’t have mattered that the sheep feel pitifully short. If the Israelites could have really seen that sheep symbolically, if they could have looked past what it would cost them to sacrifice it, their lives would have changed because they would have felt changed. I suppose my overarching plea is this: if you have found yourself frustrated, flip the frustration on its head. Check your reverence as you participate in modern-day Law of Moses equivalents. Check where your focus is as you engage. Are you thinking of Christ? Are you thinking of what He sacrificed for you? If we utilize the rituals and rules in the way they were meant to be utilized, the burden dissipates and we are left with awe and wonder. And, like Nephi, we will come to know our Savior on a deeply personal level. In fact, it is likely through our deep appreciation of these rituals and rules that we will find ourselves prepared to know our Savior on a personal level.   Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 20–25 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Nephi’s quotations & commentary on the prophecies of Isaiah (2 Nephi 11–27) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This week’s lesson includes information that goes with the Come, Follow Me reading schedule for the next three weeks.) Class Notes Handout Additional Reading Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. A side-by-side comparison of the King James and Book of Mormon texts of Isaiah. Two book-length treatments of the Isaiah material in the Book of Mormon I recommend: Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, eds., Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1998). Donald W. Parry, Harmonizing Isaiah: Combining Ancient Sources (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2001). Since 1981, the Church’s footnote for 2 Nephi 12:16 has indicated a connection between the text of the Book of Mormon and the Greek Septuagint. BYU professors Dana M. Pike and David Rolph Seely examine different interpretive possibilities in “‘Upon all the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish’: Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14, no. 2 (2005): 12–25.   Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 11–27 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

The Context of Eternity by Autumn Dickson One of the topics that gets covered this week is the Millennium. Life in the Millennium is going to be a little bit different than we are experiencing now. Nephi quotes the following verse about what life will be like: 2 Nephi 12:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks—nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. This verse teaches us that war will cease. People won’t be fighting anymore. They will take their weapons that have been used to destroy, and they will be turned into tools that build and cultivate instead. This has often brought me an immense amount of comfort. Interestingly enough, I actually found a warning when I read it this time. The warning When I read about this verse of weapons being turned into tools, I actually thought of The Book of Mormon war heroes, Captain Moroni being one example. Captain Moroni was good at war, really good at it. He spent a good portion of his life preparing for war and fighting in wars. However, the following verse teaches us something essential about Captain Moroni. Alma 48:11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Captain Moroni didn’t enjoy war despite his talent with it; Captain Moroni enjoyed freedom and helping his people enjoy freedom. Why is this so important? It’s important because when Captain Moroni arrives at the Celestial Kingdom (or if the Millennium were to have occurred in his time), he will have righteous desires that allow him to experience happiness in eternity. If he enjoyed war specifically, he would have found himself feeling rather useless and empty because a desire for war cannot be fulfilling in eternity. Maybe he could enjoy some competitive strategy board games, but that kind of joy is only going to last so long. Captain Moroni had become the kind of man who could feel fulfilled throughout all of eternity. He lived according to his circumstances here on earth, but he changed himself according to the laws of eternity. He aligned himself with the nature that exists there rather than with the realities of mortal life that only exist for so long. So here’s the warning. When there is no use left for our swords, will we be happy with our pruning hooks? When our “weapons” become obsolete in the Millennium or in the eternities beyond this mortal life, will we be left empty? Understanding the nature of our swords Maybe we are not professional soldiers in our day and age, but there are plenty of mortal desires that will not be compatible with eternal life. There will be plenty of desires that become obsolete. What are your desires? What makes you happy? What fuels your choices? What makes your work feel worth it? The interesting thing about mortal desires (in comparison to eternal desires) is that mortal desires really can make us happy on earth; the doctrine that is essential to understand is that mortal desires expire. I have concocted a practical process that can help us examine our desires to check ourselves; there are really only two steps. Step 1: Make a list of things that fulfill us here in mortality The first step in the process is to make an honest list of our desires. It is important to be as honest as possible because eventually we’re going to be faced with the truth, and it’s far more unpleasant to meet that truth on the other side. This process is also more effective when we can be kind with ourselves. Every single one of us holds desires that are not compatible with eternity. We don’t have to hate ourselves for it, and hating ourselves just makes it more difficult to be honest and progress. Heavenly Father gave us the opportunity to change ourselves so that we could learn to be strong like Him, and Christ paid for that opportunity. We have nothing to fear. So what are your desires? It’s easy to write all of the “right” answers, but let’s look at some more leading questions. What occupies large portions of our thoughts? What is our first thought when we wake up and what do we think about before falling asleep? Where do we spend a majority of our free time? What sacrifices are we making and to what end? For example, are we sacrificing so we can provide for our family or are we sacrificing our family in the name of providing? That’s an intensely circumstantial question that may differ day to day, but it’s essential to go to the root of these desires so that we can truly examine how we’re going to feel in eternity. Looking back over our list of desires, we can also ask questions like, “What makes me happy about this particular desire?” For example, we could write, “Making money,” but there are so many facets of money. Do we like having the freedom that often accompanies money or do we like the prestige of money? Those desires play out differently in eternity so we have to be specific. Step 2: Place those desires in the context of eternity. The next step is to take a look at each desire and place it into the reality of eternity. This step is harder to ask general questions about so instead, I’m going to take one pretty common mortal desire and show what it’s like to observe it in eternity. In that way, we can apply this process to our own personal list of desires. Let’s talk about money again because it’s practical and easy to observe. There is nothing wrong with making money, working for money, and enjoying money. Let me reiterate that Captain Moroni didn’t like war, but he understood the realities of mortal life. Money is essential, and money can provide a measure of security and happiness. Let’s not pretend that it’s not true. But. We keep ourselves safe and happy when we keep money in perspective by recognizing the nature of eternity. What are some realities about eternity that correlate with money? First, if we make it to the Celestial Kingdom, all that the Father has will be ours (that also means it will be everybody else’s too). And if we end up anywhere else, we’re going to still have our temporal needs filled. Our feelings about money should reflect this. Are we going to end up on the other side and wonder, “Well now what do I do?” Second, there is no prestige over our brothers and sisters in the Celestial Kingdom. If you enjoy all the mortal prestige that stems from money, then understand that the prestige cistern will dry up quickly. You will feel empty. Third, what did we sacrifice for it? Everyone will have to sacrifice some measure of family time to provide for family needs, but are we spending sufficient time with our families so that we are the kind of people that find deep fulfillment within our families? Because a good majority of the happiness that is available in eternity will be found in family. This is an extremely internal question. It’s not even really about how much time you’re spending; it’s about your desires once again. Some people work three jobs because they have to, but they wish they could come home to their families more. Some people just stay at work because they want money. Placing all of our desires in the context of eternity can help us align our desires with everlasting realities. In this way, we can make sure we are capable of finding happiness in the eternities. The key is to change These questions and lists can seem practical, but people vary widely even within their individual circumstances on a day to day basis. You will likely find that your desires are eternally compatible one day and mortally compatible the next. The key is to nurture your eternal desires. We can enjoy our mortal situations without being left bereft in eternity, but we have to open our eyes to the true nature of things and align ourselves with the truth. As you open your eyes to the true value of things, it becomes easier to invest in the things that matter most.     Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 11–19 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Jacob’s teachings about the Messiah & the gathering of Israel (2 Nephi 6–10) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class.) Class Notes Additional Reading Taylor Halverson, “‘O How Great the Goodness of Our God’: 2 Nephi 6–10,” Interpreter Foundation, 5 July 2013. John S. Thompson argues that Jacob₂’s sermon was given in connection with the Nephite observance of the Feast of the Tabernacles: “Isaiah 50–51, the Israelite Autumn Festivals, and the Covenant Speech of Jacob in 2 Nephi 6–10,” in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1998), 123–50. Jacob₂ personified physical and spiritual death by calling them an “awful monster.” (2 Nephi 9:10, 19, 26) Book of Mormon Central examined Jacob₂’s words and other uses of monsters in the scriptures in “KnoWhy #34: Why Does Jacob Choose a ‘Monster’ as a Symbol for Death and Hell?”    Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 6–10 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Join Zach, Sarah, and Jennifer as they address criticisms of Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones. They discuss disputes from faithful members, critics using seer stones to refute the Book of Mormon, and historical facts to counter these claims. The episode covers topics like the perception of seer stones as evil, folk magic, hidden information, and concludes with a comprehensive overview of the subject.

Reproach and Revilings of Men by Autumn Dickson There are many things to fear in this world. Our own prophecies of the state of the world before the Second Coming are not for the faint of heart. Jacob knew this, and he chose to teach his people that they were of the house of Israel and would not be forsaken by the Lord. Those who trust in the Lord feel reason to rejoice. Jacob was pleading with them to trust their God so that they could feel this. There is one very specific fear that Jacob addressed to his people, namely the fear of being hated by others, the fear of being reviled by them. 2 Nephi 8:7 Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. Jacob was quoting Isaiah, and surely Isaiah wrote these words for our day. We believe in a fair amount of doctrine that is revolting to others. Hopefully we hold to these doctrines with courage as well as kindness; after all, Isaiah was speaking to those who “know righteousness” and part of being righteous is recognizing the divinity in everyone around us. Hopefully we are met with the same respect, but this is not always the case. It is highly likely that we will come across someone hostile to our beliefs, no matter how much kindness we throw their way. However, this verse hit different this week. I believe it hit me differently this week because I realized how deeply and personally Jacob must have felt this. Jacob, as much as anyone, knew what it was like to be reviled by someone for your beliefs. Did the import of this verse hit him as he read it to his people who had been driven away from family who wanted to hurt them? Did he exchange a knowing look with Nephi as he taught this? Did he think of all those times the good people in his family were reviled by their own brothers? Jacob and Nephi never reconciled with their brothers in this life. They died estranged from them. How long did it take these brothers to heal from those familial rifts? We see all the best of Jacob and Nephi in The Book of Mormon, but I’m pretty convinced they had some trauma to work through. I have personally seen estrangement in my own extended family, and it’s ugly. I can only imagine how much uglier it gets when that estrangement is a result of one side trying to kill the other. Today, I want to talk about reviling on a traumatic level – on the level experienced by Nephi and Jacob. And even though I will be talking about reviling in a manner that is extreme, abusive, and traumatic, there are principles here that are applicable to everyone, no matter what level of reviling you have experienced. Naturally achieving the peace of the gospel I am a huge believer in the sentiment that we do not have to force our feelings in the gospel. When we are met with reviling and resentment, we don’t have to be afraid. But we also don’t have to fake our bravery or peace. We don’t have to try to force ourselves to forgive and feel okay when we find ourselves in broken relationships that refuse to heal on one end. We believe in forgiving, but trying to force forgiveness is counterproductive. So if we shouldn’t try to force faith and forgiveness, how do we naturally reach those feelings? How do we get to the point where the faith and forgiveness pours out of us rather than us trying desperately to dam up the hurt and be polite anyway? How do we get to the point where we look at our enemies and find that we can’t help but love them anyway? I’m not talking about being polite and taking the high road and patting yourself on the back for being righteous and loving. I’m talking about truly loving those who revile us, where we want to defend them and miss them and we anxiously await the time that we can welcome them back? Since we’re talking about reviling on a traumatic and abusive level, I want to make sure we understand that there are times in this life where boundaries need to be set and kept for a lifetime. Nephi and Jacob were commanded to flee and make those boundaries. However, we can arrive at a feeling of love for those who have hurt us even if we can’t ever trust them in our mortal lives again. Love does not mean enabling, but finding love within ourselves is important if we want to feel peace. I have also found that when we fill ourselves with real love, the fear of being reviled simultaneously dissipates. The trauma reaction scale I’m reiterating this because I think it’s important: When Christ asks us to forgive someone who has reviled us, He is not asking us to try and beat our hurt into submission. He is not asking us to allow someone to hurt us over and over. He is not asking us to “take the high road” and scorn others for being the “unloving ones.” When Christ asks us to forgive those that revile us, He is asking us to free ourselves. It is critical to understand that this is a process.  It will take time to achieve this true forgiveness, and in my personal opinion, it will take plenty of anger and reasoning and pleading and wading and trying to heal before we make it there. I want to talk a bit about trauma because trauma can be a natural result of being reviled severely by others. I know that not every experience we have with being reviled will be traumatic, but you can scale the principles I’m hoping to teach. I am not an expert on trauma, but I do love learning about it. Understanding the nature of trauma and being able to overcome our body’s biological processes of protecting us will help us achieve forgiveness and freedom from fear in regards to our enemies.. Our bodies have biological processes built in to keep us safe. When trauma occurs in the brain, our bodies skip over our thinking processes and immediately jump to fight or flight. Our brains do this without our consent. That is why the actions of traumatized people can be irrational; those actions often occur without the rational portions of their brains. When we are continuously introduced to trauma over and over and over again, and when we are not able to fight or flee, our brain goes into the next portion of survival mode – dissociation. When someone is stuck in a traumatizing situation with no chance for escape, their bodies will naturally escape within themselves. Their brains take them somewhere else. On the outside, this looks peaceful and accepting and even Christlike. But it’s not. It is survival mode. Here it is in a flow diagram: Trauma (i.e. abused or severely reviled like Nephi) → Fight or Flight → Dissociation So quick recap. Let’s say a person is tied to a ship by their brothers. They can’t flee or fight it off. Under normal circumstances, the person (even a person of faith) can find themselves dissociating in order to survive mentally. They detach from the physical circumstances and hide within their own brain. Let’s look at it in a modern circumstance. Let’s say a person is being mentally abused by a family member. They do not feel the ability to fight or flight and so instead, they dissociate. They withdraw into themselves. THIS IS NOT FORGIVENESS. This is a reaction of trauma. It is quiet. It does not argue back. It looks more Christlike, but it does not feel heavenly. In fact, on the trauma reaction scale, it is worse than fighting back or fleeing the situation. I have seen dissociation praised as Christlike behavior, and I have seen people who are healing look very un-Christlike as they work back down the trauma reaction scale towards normalcy which requires working back through fighting or fleeing. There is anger. There are family members or friends who get cut off. It can look ugly. But. When that anger and hurt and trauma gets truly worked through, there is a heavenly feeling on the other side. There is a moment on the other side when you become free from all of those trauma reactions and live your life happily despite the revilings of another. It ceases to affect you. You are healed. You feel forgiveness. You let go, and you find freedom. You’re no longer afraid of the revilings of man. That is why Christ asks us to forgive, not so we can be pious or enable someone to hurt us further. He asks us to forgive because real forgiveness is real freedom from the revilings of others. I once posted a status or something about forgiveness; I can’t quite remember the details to be honest. However, I had a friend reach out to me in anger. She was really upset that I had preached forgiveness. She had been brutally traumatized by an ex-spouse, and she was angry that I would suggest any kind of forgiveness despite the fact that it wasn’t specifically pointed towards her. She mockingly and angrily asked me if I would have her forgive him. At that point in my life, I was too naive to understand what she had gone through and to truly understand what forgiveness meant. I can’t remember how I responded, but my reaction now would be, “I want you to heal so thoroughly that he no longer affects you, that you release yourself and him and feel peace and love.” Because that really is what I want for her. If you go back and read Nephi’s Lament (2 Nephi 4), you will find that he had to work through this as well. One of my favorite lines in that entire chapter is, “Why am I angry because of mine enemy?” I love it because it makes Nephi human and relatable and real. He did get angry with his brothers. He did have to work through everything they did to him. Jacob had to work through watching it all happen as a young boy, and they were able to come out on the other side and preach the feeling of freedom from the reviling of others. Perfect love casts out fear Reading Nephi’s Lament can also give a glimpse in how we travel back towards forgiveness and healing and freedom. To put it in very short terms, we get to know our Savior on a personal level. I testify that this is true. I testify that the Savior’s love can be so all-consuming that it heals all the broken fragments left by others. He is real. He loves us. He is powerful. His love is powerful. I testify that perfect love casts out fear. I testify that as we come to trust and be filled with His love, as we work through all the anger and trauma and finally heal, it will cast out the fear that is embedded in our lives. We will let go of the knee-jerk reactions that come with being reviled. We won’t have to force ourselves to feel more faithful, to “fear not the reproach of men,” it will naturally come. I talked about this verse in the context of true trauma, but I also testify that this occurs on a much smaller scale. When we have that personal tie to the Savior, any reviling or reproach on any level will bounce off of us. We won’t have to fight off the discomfort and fear. It simply won’t reach us because of the security that we have found in Christ. Approach Christ; you will find the negative feelings start to dissipate on their own. I know this is true.   Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 6–10 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Nephi’s Psalm by Autumn Dickson Nephi’s psalm is a classic, and there are a great many things we can learn from it. Rather than focusing on any specific phrases or words, I want to look at the message as a whole. I believe there is something we can learn as we follow Nephi through his transitions. All throughout the chapters we have read thus far, Nephi has given us examples of his righteousness. He turned to the Lord for his own testimony, faithfully followed his father out of his home, valiantly encouraged his brothers to let the Lord help them accomplish the impossible, and then frankly forgave them after being beaten with a rod. We appreciate these examples; we learn a lot about revelation, turning to the Lord, and following in faith. If we can read these examples with the right heart, we will learn many of the mysteries of the kingdom. However, oddly enough, there is also something very strengthening and reassuring about hearing someone be vulnerable and open about their flaws. It builds connections between people that are much harder to cross over otherwise. During his psalm, I feel like I catch a glimpse into Nephi’s heart, and it’s one of my favorite Nephi moments. In this awful moment of sorrow after his father died, he bears his soul a bit. He writes down his feelings exactly as they’re coming along and being processed, and it’s a beautiful process to watch. It’s a process that we can mimic. And interestingly enough, when we mimic this vulnerable process out loud at appropriate times, we can often strengthen our relationships with others and strengthen them in general. Following Nephi’s process I want to break up Nephi’s psalm into four parts. I will share a verse from each of the four parts that summarizes his train of thought. 2 Nephi 4:17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. So Nephi is experiencing what many of us have felt before. We’re frustrated with our own lack of progress. We’re frustrated that we continually hurt others with our weaknesses. Nephi then transitions into, “I’m a weak man, but I know the Mighty One I have trusted.” 2 Nephi 4:20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. After praising the Lord for all that He has done on Nephi’s behalf, Nephi is then like, “If He has blessed me so much, why am I so worried about my afflictions? Why do I let Satan come in and destroy my peace?” 2 Nephi 4:26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions? Nephi then transitions one last time to more of a plea. He asks the Lord to keep him spiritually safe essentially. He recognizes the reality of his mortal weaknesses and asks the Lord to essentially not let him get lost. 2 Nephi 4:33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy. Each of these transitions is important and has something to teach us about where to transition emotionally when we’re struggling. Honestly, I wonder if Nephi has actually given us the secret to his relentless optimism – namely consciously processing the yucky stuff with God. Let’s look closer. Nephi speaks of feeling wretched; all of us know what it is to feel worthless and incapable and discouraged. Do we make the same transitions that Nephi makes? Do we stop to remember the doctrine surrounding our mortal lives and the power of Christ’s atonement? Do we stop to remember all of the encouragement that He has already given us? Nephi did; he looked back and remembered how he has been supported before. After that original, “I trust the Lord,” it almost appears as if Nephi dips back down into despair again. He asks why do I get angry or yield to sin? It feels like Nephi might be getting discouraged again. Maybe he did. I have interpreted it that way many times, but there is also an alternate interpretation. When I read it this time, I saw an encouraged Nephi. I heard him saying something along the lines of, “Oh my gosh. How did I forget all the ways the Lord has taken care of everything? How did I forget that He always makes it okay in the end? I don’t have to be anxious or discouraged or angry. That’s just Satan trying to distract me from God.” When I read it this time, I didn’t see Nephi falling back into discouragement. I saw him standing up taller, recognizing Satan, and casting him off. And then of course, it ends with Nephi’s plea with the Lord to protect him. We can follow Nephi’s transitions very easily. We can imitate them and find his same optimism. In the face of death, homelessness, and familial issues, we can literally choose to be like Nephi. It starts with acknowledging your discouragement very openly. It then proceeds with a conscious choice to trust the Lord again; this is much easier when we take the time to recall other times this trusting process has worked, and eventually our eyes are opened to the reality of the situation. We know that we have nothing to truly fear. We find ourselves asking, “Wait a minute; I have God. Why am I worried?” Stepping away from worry Worry is an interesting concept because of its close association to love. An oft-occurring reaction that follows love can be worry, and so I believe that sometimes we translate worry into a good thing, and we encourage it. If we’re worried about someone, it is “evidence” of our love. If we’re worried about our salvation, it means that we’re humble and don’t assume that we’re worthy. If we’re worried about accomplishing everything, then the Lord knows that we were anxiously engaged (the irony…). While I agree that worry can have appropriate bounds and doesn’t have to devolve into a dire problem in and of itself, I also believe that sometimes worry becomes this compulsion of righteousness. We feel like we’re supposed to worry because it makes us feel like we care. Once again, I do not feel like we have to be ashamed of worry. There are appropriate times for worry because it can also help us act. However, Nephi is a fantastic example of the fact that we don’t need worry in order to be righteous or loving or engaged. He is also a fantastic example of how to overcome feelings like worry. We consciously choose to trust, and one of the feelings that come along with trusting is rejoicing. It is casting off Satan and not giving him a place in our hearts to destroy our peace of mind. Another reason I love the psalm There is another reason I love Nephi’s psalm, and it connects to these transitions that we’ve been talking about. I believe that Nephi’s immense examples of faith can make him feel different than us. Sometimes we can place him on a pedestal and because of this, we simply view it as unrealistic for most people and therefore are discouraged from trying. We commend him for his examples, we’re impressed by them, but we don’t always follow that faith because we turn Nephi into an “other.” Nephi’s vulnerability in the beginning allows us to relate to him and then realize that we can follow him into that same faith. It’s a fairly simple transition to go from discouragement to faith; it’s a simple choice. Sometimes Satan can make us subconsciously feel like we don’t deserve to step into that faith and optimism, but the Lord literally commands us to trust Him. He wants us to experience the peace, faith, and miracles that Nephi did. He wants us to make the same kind of difference in the world that Nephi did, but it takes that simple choice of trust. I’m grateful Nephi chose to be vulnerable. I’m grateful that he chose to record his feelings after the passing of his father so we could catch a glimpse of how Nephi is the way that he is. There is a small extension to this message that I mentioned in the beginning. There are appropriate times to be vulnerable. There are times when vulnerability and acknowledgement of weakness will take us much farther in our ability to reach others in comparison to advice or life lessons. Sometimes, simply realizing that you’re not the only one who gets discouraged does more to bolster you than any plea to be faithful. And when you choose to combine this vulnerability with an absence of shame, it gives others the permission to follow suit. I’m grateful for a Savior that I can trust. I’m grateful for all of the powerful examples of faith given to us by Nephi, and I’m just as grateful for his example of mortal weakness. None of us are alone in our less-than-charitable thoughts, moments of despair, or times of anger. We are especially not alone when we consider the fact that the Savior is always ready to draw near. We can trust that outreached hand, cling to it, and find gratitude and joy in it.   Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 3–5 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Lehi’s farewell address; Nephites & Lamanites separate (2 Nephi 1–5) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best. This week’s lesson covers both this week’s and next week’s Come, Follow Me reading.) Class Notes Additional Reading Lehi₁’s teachings are an example of a biblical testament offered by a dying patriarch, which included the dying family head gathering together his relatives and close friends, exhorting them to avoid temptations, instructing them in the ways of righteousness, uttering blessings and cursings, and prophesying of the future. See “KnoWhy #29: Should 2 Nephi 1:1–4:12 Be Called the ‘Testament Of Lehi’?”, Book of Mormon Central, 9 February 2016. Matthew Nickerson, “Nephi’s Psalm: 2 Nephi 4:16–35 in the Light of Form-Critical Analysis,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 6, no. 2 (1997): 26–42. Nickerson’s article outlines the Psalm of Nephi₁ and shows how it follows the same literary pattern found in the Old Testament Psalms. Steven P. Sondrup, “The Psalm of Nephi: A Lyric Reading,” BYU Studies 21, no. 3 (Summer 1981): 357–72. Sondrup analyzes the poetic structure of Nephi₁’s Psalm. After the death of Lehi₁, Nephi₁ recorded that “the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon” to those who followed Laman₁ (2 Nephi 5:21). Clifford P. Jones argues that Laman₁ and his followers marked their skins with “a permanent, self-imposed mark—an ancient tattoo—cut into the skin in defiance of the law of Moses” as a sign of rebellion against God. Jones, “Understanding the Lamanite Mark,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 56 (2023): 171–258. (Kyler Rasmussen has prepared this brief summary of Jones’s paper.) Joseph’s September 1830 revelation to Oliver Cowdery commanded him to “go unto the Lamanites  and preach my gospel unto them.” How did the Book of Mormon define a Lamanite ? And what does DNA evidence tell us about the descendants of Lehi₁ living in the Americas today? Book of Mormon Central examines this complex subject in “KnoWhy #486: Who Are the Lamanites?” See Also: “The apparent genetic discrepancy between Mormon’s narrative and the origin of Native Americans” by Michael R. Ash and Ugo Perego at the 2023 FAIR Conference   Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children.   The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 1–2 & 2 Nephi 3–5 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.