FAIR Conference

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Last Thursday and Friday I attended the FAIR Conference in Sandy, UT, for the second time. The purpose of FAIR is explained well in their flyer:

When people first encounter the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, or FAIR, the first question they often ask is: “Why are you apologizing for being a member of the Church?” To aid in answering this question a formal definition is in order:

Apologetics is the “branch of theology that is concerned with defending or proving the truth of the Christian doctrines.” …

Far from apologizing for the Church, LDS apologists are seeking to defend the Church. (source)

Among the speakers and attendees were several Church employees, BYU professors, and other friends of the Church. I found the talks, most of which are scholarly in nature, to be both interesting and faith-promoting.

Apologists don’t attempt to prove the truthfulness of Mormonism but, rather, prevent so-called scientific or scholarly attacks on the religion to go uncontested, thus preserving faith. Apologetics makes faith in unseen things plausible.

One of my favorite presentations was by Darius Gray and Margaret Young. They are creating a documentary on the experiences and stories of Black Mormons, a project similar to our own Mormon Testimonies. The trailer for their film was excellent.

Mike Ash’s article Hard Questions and Keeping the Faith is one of the best I’ve seen on the role of apologetics in preserving and defending faith.