Notable Quotes From The Recent Fair Conference

[Scott Lloyd]

As I am reviewing some of the FAIR Conference presentations, I will be posting here some noteworthy quotations (ones I particularly like) as I run across them. Others, of course, are invited to submit some of their own favorites as well as comment on the ones that appear here.

Here's one from Ronald O. Barney:

When it comes to the serious study of the Prophet's life we can no longer assume that reliance upon sincere testimony will be enough to allay the aggressive charges against the Prophet and his work, because they [critics] are using, or, as I contend, misusing the Church's own documentary record.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

Here's one I like from Don Bradley:

The First Vision fits its reported 1820s context hand-in-glove.

The argument that Joseph Smith crafted the First Vision narrative to address church problems of the 1830s thus fails. Had he invented the story at that time, he would have tailored its details to actually address the problems of the 1830s, rather than faithfully reflect the 1820s. And if Joseph did take pains to make his story details satisfying to far off future historians, might I suggest that his biggest problem was too much time on his hands.

[Scott Lloyd]

From Mike Ash:

If we recognize that some of our assumptions are not built on doctrine but are built on the sandier foundations of uncritically examined tradition, folklore and myth, we should be flexible enough to modify or discard our assumptions with the addition of better secular or revelatory information. When we take a rigid, inflexible (or in a word "fundamentalist") position to our assumptions, we set ourselves up for possible disaster.

[Scott Lloyd]

From Maxine Hanks:

Mormonism is amazing because it's one of the few religions, maybe the only one, ... that incorporates and institutes both equality feminism and difference feminism within one organization.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

From Daniel Peterson;

There are millions of people out there who are ready to hear the gospel, but we don't get to them sometimes, because we're busy fighting with somebody. Just move on.

[Scott Lloyd]

From Ralph Hancock:

The new liberalism posits open-ended, individual self-expression, including, notably, sexual expression, however that be defined by the individual's desires or supposed identity, as a fundamental right that is essential to the dignity of a person. The opposition of this view to the restored gospel could not be clearer, it seems to me. The gospel situates sexuality within a distinctive view of the eternal destiny of a person and subordinates sexual desire and expression to that definite purpose.

[European Saint]

From Ralph Hancock:

Keep up the good work, Scott. Great quotes to think about.

[volgadon]

Here's one I like from Don Bradley:

http://www.fairlds.org/fair-conferences/2013-fair-conference/2013-the-original-context-of-the-first-vision-narrative-1820s-or-1830s

[Calm]

That is the only presentation up so far on the site. Wiki Wonka won't be able to put anymore up for about a week...life is intruding upon him.

[Scott Lloyd]

From Lynne Wilson:

Simply stated, Joseph [smith] did not fit in. Many Christians started their own denominations in the 19^th century, but no one claimed that their revelations of new scripture came from the Spirit and were equal in authority to and more accurate than the Bible.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[Scott Lloyd]

From Mark Alan Wright:

In spite of what my perhaps inflammatory title may suggest [Heartland as Hinterland: The Mesoamerican Core and North American Periphery of Book of Mormon Geography], this paper is actually an attempt to synthesize some aspects of these two models as much as possible [Heartland and Mesoamerican], perhaps even build a bridge between the two camps. But as I was writing, I realized the bridge is probably like the one in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”: It’s rickety, it gets cut off and everyone dies.

My basic thesis is this: The core locations and events detailed in the text of the Book of Mormon took place in Mesoamerica, but many Nephites and Lamanites migrated and established settlements far northward of the core area and are thus simply outside the scope of the text.

[rockpond]

Great quotes, Scott. Thanks.

[Scott Lloyd]

From Bill Reel:

The key is to just take it slow. ... Dig deeper. Sit back a little bit. Reflect on things. Put things in perspective. And hopefully if you do that, you can find room for faith.