Latter-day Saint FAIR-Cast

The early day saints worshiped in their homes due to a variety of reasons such as ongoing persecution, lack of worship space, habit, unclear instructions, limited availability of scripture, low literacy rates, etc., but they still gathered together to break bread and worship Christ. In Acts 5:42, we read that: “from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” Part of my personal worship (and academic life) for the last few years has included the study of early Christianity because I find that a close connection with these early saints gives me a deeper appreciation for how I have experienced Christianity. The Oxyrhynchus hymn is an early Christian hymn translated as: “. . .let the luminous stars not shine, let the winds and all the noisy rivers die down. And as we hymn the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let all the powers add, ‘Amen. Amen.’ Empire, praise always, and glory to God, the sole giver of good things. ‘Amen. Amen.’ ” Tomorrow, for some of us, we do not have an opportunity to attend worship services. But we do have the opportunity to worship Jesus Christ in our homes, to learn from the scriptures that we have wide access to, to enhance our scripture study with great resources, and to become better disciples of Christ. We are so blessed to live in an age where the scriptures are so accessible as well as so many resources that we can use to understand the scriptures better. I’ve included my personal favorites below: https://scriptures.byu.edu/ (English: BYU Scripture Citation Index) https://bookofmormoncentral.org/ (English: really great resource for Book of Mormon) https://www.pearlofgreatpricecentral.org/ (English: really great resource for the Pearl of Great Price) http://webstersdictionary1828.com/ (English: if you have access to the OED *which BYU students have through their library accounts) then use that, but the 1828 dictionary is great for the KJV and Book of Mormon because a lot of the words have experienced semantic shift since those translations) https://www.blueletterbible.org/ (English: helps English speakers interact with the Hebrew and Greek better; you could also use https://biblehub.com/ but I prefer Blue Letter Bible.) https://www.biblegateway.com/ (English: Awesome amount of translations; if I want to use some English versions, I tend to go NIV and NRSV) Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and really good ice cream.   The post FAIR Voice Podcast #13: Sunday Special on Scripture Study appeared first on FAIR.

This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2020 conference, held earlier this month. If you would like to watch the video of this and all the other presentations from our 2020 conference, you can still purchase the video streaming. John Gee, By the Numbers: Saving Faith John Gee’s book is available in the FairMormon Bookstore while supplies last. John Gee is the William (Bill) Gay Research Professor in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University. He has authored over one-hundred and fifty publications including three books and editor of eight books and has edited a peer-reviewed international professional journal. He has served on the board of trustees of national and international organizations. The post FairMormon Conference Podcast #60 – John Gee, “By the Numbers: Saving Faith” appeared first on FAIR.

This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2020 conference, held earlier this month. If you would like to watch all the presentations from our 2020 conference, you can still purchase the video streaming. Elder Kim B. Clark, Seeking Jesus Christ The transcript and video are available here. Elder Kim B. Clark was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4, 2015. He was released on October 5, 2019. During his time in the Seventy he served as the Commissioner of the Church Educational System. At the time of his call, Elder Clark was serving as the president of BYU-Idaho. Elder Clark received a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. He joined the faculty of the Harvard Business School in 1978 and was named dean of that school in 1995. In 2005 he became president of BYU-Idaho. Elder Clark currently serves as the NAC Professor of Management at the BYU Marriott School of Business. Kim Bryce Clark was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 20, 1949. He married Sue Lorraine Hunt in June 1971. They are the parents of seven children, and grandparents of 26 grandchildren.   The post FairMormon Conference Podcast #59 – Elder Kim B. Clark, “Seek the Lord Jesus Christ” appeared first on FAIR.

Polygamy is a difficult concept for many to grasp, but Hanna dives into the Hebrew Bible and the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s to understand polygamy in a way that shows how it was not just acceptable– it was ordained and good for the time. She unapologetically explains how God consecrates everything for our good and how polygamy made sense for the time. She, then, dives into 1 Corinthians 13 and expresses love for the idea of love. Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and really good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #10: Polygamy and 1 Corinthians 13 appeared first on FAIR.

Christopher Blythe, a research associate at the Maxwell Institute and co-editor of the Journal of Mormon History, released a new book Terrible Revolution: Latter-day Saints and the American Apocalypse. In this engaging interview, he discusses with Hanna some of the foundational sources that construct LDS theology on last days prophecies. Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #9: Interview with Chris Blythe on the Terrible Revolution appeared first on FAIR.

Perhaps the mostly highly anticipated article in Producing Ancient Scripture came from Wayment and Wilson-Lemmon regarding Joseph Smith’s use of the Adam Clarke commentary. Since the release of that article, many critics have used this as a way to challenge Joseph Smith’s truth claims. In this podcast, I explain how understanding intertextuality and seeing translation in a broader scope can enable us to view this an expansion of prophetic authority, to borrow an excellent phrase from Wayment. This launches into a brief discussion about what is doctrine and the sacrament. Join us for our next episode where we speak to Christopher Blythe about his latest book! Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #8: Sunday Special on Clarke Commentary, Doctrine, and the Sacrament appeared first on FAIR.

Please register for the FairMormon Conference that is on August 5-7. It’s a great opportunity to support FairMormon, hear from amazing speakers, and ask questions directly to speakers! Let’s talk for a moment about the other side of apologetics: positive apologetics. Defend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proactively, not just reactively. Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #7 (Short): How to be an Apologist pt. 2 appeared first on FAIR.

Please register for the FairMormon Conference that is on August 5-7. It’s a great opportunity to support FairMormon, hear from amazing speakers, and ask questions directly to speakers! So you want to defend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Noble cause, worthy effort, totally worth your time– here’s a basic beginner’s guide on how to get started. Note of correction (6 minute mark): It has been brought to my attention that those who I was referring to do not have an association with MRM. I apologize for my error, I was misinformed. Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #6: How to be an Apologist appeared first on FAIR.

Please register for the FairMormon Conference that is on August 5-7. It’s a great opportunity to support FairMormon, hear from amazing speakers, and ask questions directly to speakers! Today, Hanna interviews Professor John Gee of Brigham Young University. John Gee is the William Gay Assistant Research Professor of Egyptology at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. They begin by touching upon the difference between John Gee’s and Brian Hauglid’s claims before going into a greater discussion about the Book of Abraham. John Gee relays the most important evidences for the Book of Abraham, outlines faithful positions on historicity that believers can have, discusses his favorite Abrahamic stories, and much more. He offers a preview of what his FairMormon presentation will be. In a truly great interview, John Gee offers an excellent case for why the Book of Abraham has historical probability and also, why that matters. Note: At the end, Hanna says “historical probability” and it should be “historical plausibility.”   Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #5: Interview with John Gee on the Book of Abraham appeared first on FAIR.

Please register for the FairMormon Conference that is on August 5-7. It’s a great opportunity to support FairMormon, hear from amazing speakers, and ask questions directly to speakers! Today, Hanna covers the CES letter in the scope of broader anti-Mormonism. She begins with a brief history of anti-Mormon literature and dives into how the CES letter represents broader methodological problems of critics, who neglect basic warrants of history, religion, and analyzing truth claims. She then offers some thoughts about faith and study in assessing anti-Mormon literature before closing with a brief Come Follow Me study and testimony of Jesus Christ. Hanna Seariac is a MA student in Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University. She is writing a book on the history of the priesthood and another one that responds systematically to anti-LDS literature. She works as a research assistant on a biblical commentary and as a producer on a news show. She values Jesus Christ, family, friends, hiking, baking, and really good ice cream. The post FAIR Voice Podcast #4- Sunday Special: CES Letter, and Come Follow Me appeared first on FAIR.