FAIR was formed in late 1997 by a group of LDS defenders of the faith who frequented the America Online Mormonism message boards. In defending the Church against detractors there, this small group realized that they had no way of sharing their information with each other, much less the rest of the Church. As a result of this, FAIR was born. Incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of New York on December 19, 1997, as The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc., or FAIR, the fledgling organization put up its first Web site in March 1998. In 2013, the group became known as FairMormon. In 2021 the name was changed back to FAIR, which now stands for Faithful Answers, Informed Response.
On the Zions camp expedition, Joseph sent a letter to his wife saying they traveled the width of the Nephite nation, from Palmyra New York to Kansas City Missouri, it was his apostate brother, William who pushed the South America theory, not knowing that going that way, the nephite ship had to travel against the wind and waves all the way. TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE for a ship propelled by sails and a rudder.
I recall hearing about this before from either Brant or another LDS scholar, and so it's nice to hear it in this short clip, for easy reference. It is little details like this in the Book of Mormon that, to me, really help to reinforce the Mesoamerican model. And there are lots of such little details such as this one. I also look forward someday to finding out exactly what type of animals comprised the 'flocks' mentioned in these verses. Many folks automatically assume 'sheep', but old world sheep as we know them were not present in the New World at this time, so it must have been some other animal, perhaps a type of deer. Native American horses, also mentioned in these verses, were likely used as pack animals rather than ridden, as they were smaller than the equus caballus, or old world horses later brought by the Spaniards. They were likely either equus conversidens or else equus mexicanus. Since we are just now reading about this as part of this week's Come Follow Me lesson, it is very pertinent. Thank you for sharing :)
This is a delusional account. There is no defense for old, white men marrying 12, 13, 14yr old girls (children) and taking their virginity. Sick, sick, sick...
Could Ether 1:6-32 amd Ether 6 through 11 be considered a chiasmus? Ether presents a genealogy of 32 names and then repeats those name in exact reverse order. I've asked my Sunday School class to do this with just 16 names and nobody could do it without reading from a list. Since it would have taken Joseph at least three days of translating chapters 1 through 11, I find this a stunning evidence for the origin of the book.
I can attest to the fact that DNA varies between siblings. And that DNA markers can quickly be diluted, or lost from a family line. My mother has done extensive geneology on her side, as well as her late husband's (my father's) side. Due to her research, but also due to first hand knowledge (she met and knew her parents, grandparents and great grandparents), she knew our family's lineage. She also met many from my Father's side, as well. She had French. English, and Hawaiian ancestry. In addition, my Father came from German and Irish ancestory. When my Mother, brother, sister and I had our DNA done (my Father had already passed away) we got some surprising results. The results for my Mother, sister, and I all showed that we had Pacific Islander (ie Hawaiian). My brother's did not. This ancestral line came through the maternal side.....Mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Perhaps my brother, receiving only one X chromosome from my Mother, did not inherit the marker for the Hawaiian side. My sister and I got a double dose of the Maternal Hawaiian side (two X chromosomes) and so it showed up on the DNA report. Another interesting thing is that only my brother's DNA showed Jewish ancestry. I believe it was carried through my Father's line through the Y chromosome, which my sister and I did not receive. So, the evidence of this lineage was "lost" to us. Another surprise was that all of us, my Mother, brother, sister and I showed a strong precentage of Scandinavian heritage. But we don't have anyone from Scandinavia in our family tree! The explanation that was given by the DNA report was that the Vikings had conquered a large portion of the lands that are now Europe. So if your ancestors came from Germany or England (as ours did), you will likely have some Viking (Scandinavian) DNA. With all the ancient migrations, we are probably more related than we think!
So Kennewick Man is 8,000 years old. That's older than the garden of Eden in Jackson County Missouri and Adam and Eve. That's older than the flood and the tower of babel. And since the Book of Mormon mentions both the flood and the Tower of Babel, what does that say about the Book of Mormon? Kennewick man's descendants are Native Americans that still live in the Pacific Northwest according to DNA testing. And it's nice to have Rod Meldrum put in his place by a real scientist.
The authors of the Book of Mormon apparently believed in the flood and the tower of Babel, but just because Mormon apparently knew of a heliocentric model for the Solar System doesn't mean we should expect him or his contemporaries - much less his predecessors - to have had a modern scientific worldview. It doesn't threaten my testimony if they accepted some legends and stories that our current understanding doesn't allow to take as fact. If God works with people according to their understanding, then God doesn't have to correct every little detail when revealing the more important truths. However, I do sometimes wonder if, among the "unspeakable" things that the people at Bountiful were given to know, was included more factually accurate knowledge about the age of the earth and humanity.
Enjoyed watching this. It is interesting to see that you used the example of Thomas Jefferson because Fawn M. Brodie in her biography was an early adopter of the idea that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with his slaves. She also wrote one of the most complete historical records of Joseph Smith. Again, enjoyed this video!
Dr. Ugo Perego is a consummate scientist, and I'm grateful to have him. I hope the book coming will also address some of the newer concerns launched by disaffected scientists like Dr. Southerton. I realize Dr. Southerton is not a specialist in the same way Dr. Perego is on the subject of Native American population genetics, but it would be good if such professional differences were addressed somewhat. Having myself worked in both human-based and plant-based systems (the realms of Dr. Southerton and Dr. Perego respectively) there are substantial differences between the genetics and inheritance patterns of both, so I'm dubious about how much of the expertise transfers. The data, or rather lack-of-data that Dr. Perego highlights I think does a great job of explaining what we can and cannot expect from genetic research. More provocatively, during the question period, is the notion that perhaps there should be an effort to actively test this hypothesis regarding the Book of Mormon. We do have a little bit of data from the book that might be helpful. We have a linguistically (according to Jerry Grover) Sumerian people which were those we call the Jaredites, a Menassahite lineage from 600 BC, an Ephraimite lineage from 600 BC (presumed) and a Judahite lineage ~580 BC. Since the bulk of the northern Ephraimite and Menasshite lineages were assimilated into the Assyrian Empire around 700 BC, it might be better to compare genetic markers between people from the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Turkey to that of Indigenous peoples. I think gene-copy number analysis rather than just haplotype analysis might be required for this type of work. Either way, very interesting, but a little disappointing that there has been almost nothing new to talk about since Ugo gave his first presentation on this subject.
"From the days of the Prophet Joseph even until now, it has been the DOCTRINE [emphasis added] of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel" - George Albert Smith, J Reuben Clark Jr., David O. McKay (The First Presidency) July 17, 1947
Joseph smith made and interpretation of the facsimiles and lined them up with his story on the book of Abraham; Joseph smith believed his theory #1. lol go look at the times and seasons original print in March 1 1842
Your assertion that the church is being “continuously being restored” assumes that the Church failed in its mission, and that Christ lied when He spoke “Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it”. Your outlook upon Christ’s teachings and soteriology would be seen as both completely unheard of and unreconcilable to any of the Apostles or early Church Fathers.
There are 3 common responses to the accusation that the apostasy and restoration contradicts the Bible because Christ said the gates of hell would not prevail. Response #1. You are misapplying/misinterpreting this verse. The gates of hell will not and do not prevail against the foundation of revelation (direct communication from God), the devil cannot silence God. Response #2. Yeah, the gates of hell didn't prevail. There was and is a restoration, if God didn't restore the Church, then the gates of hell would've prevailed. In other words, the fact that the restoration occurred is not in conflict with this scripture but a fulfilling of it. Response #3. Gates are not an offensive weapon, they are a defensive fortification and they did not and do not prevail. Christ broke them down. Different variations of these Responses also exist, but most Latter-day Saint responses to this argument stem from one, two, or all of these 3 basic ideas. And frankly all three have valid points.
If I may add, it would be as inaccurate, in my humble opinion, to say that hell prevailed against the Church (despite its falling away and the need for restoration) as it would be to say Christ was overcome by Satan because He was killed on the cross. In both instances, Satan and hell did not prevail because the Church and Christ were given new life, never to die again.
BY said it was revelation for polygamy, Adam/god theory, priesthood ban, and probably many other “revelations” later disavowed by the church. One might say that man is mortal and makes mistakes, but were ongoing “revelations” from the Mormon god mistakes? Or maybe it’s all BS and you’re just too engulfed to escape or too blinded to see. We implore you to wake up and escape Mormonism. Find the real gospel of Jesus Christ. The eternal God and Jesus of the Bible love you and want you to know them and have fellowship with God having accepted Jesus’ atonement for your sins.
You SAY policies and procedures, but in REALITY doctrines belong on that list. The receipts exist, example priesthood ban. Also, you think washing of feet doesn't happen anymore?
The priesthood is the doctrine, the ban is policy and it also existed in Christ’s time (see Acts 11) when the Gentiles could not be in the priesthood or even have the gospel. Policies change, core doctrines do not. Eternal marriage is another example. And yes polygamy still exists in heaven, not widespread but if a wife dies in this life and her husband gets sealed to another, there you go, polygamy is still there. Now it’s not practiced here because we also follow the laws of the land and we know how that all went down, but even so, doctrine still there (D&C 132)
@autismFamilyChannel George Albert Smith said in 1947: "from the days of the Prophet Joseph even until now, it has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel". It was a doctrine and those who hoped it was otherwise (like you) faced agreeing or church discipline.
The challenging questions have in fact not been known for a long time. I’m in my 30s and have JUST heard these facts. I also think it’s offensive to assume that I should know them and they are out there to learn about but when I do that it’s reading anti literature. This is a major gaslight.
Why is the literature in the Book of Mormon so similar to the new testament? Many passages merely paraphrase both the old and New Testaments. Little in the Book of Mormon sounds original really.
I love it when leaders of the church STAND UP for the church and the amazing things it/we achieve! We need more of this. We have erred on the side of caution for far too long on the subject of pride. There is, in fact, good pride, such as being proud of your child, being proud of something you have achieved, being proud to be part of something that does good for the world.
The Jaredites finished their last battle in the Ohio valley where the people of Mosiah found the last man of that war, not south America, there are no places in south America that match the story in the Book of Mormon. When Lehi landed he found many aminals he could domesticate, the only large animal in south America is a rodennt the size of a pig. No Bison, no horses, no cows, no elk, etc. You were quoting church records that did not have Joseph Smiths signature on them. He was in hiding from the missouri mobs and the 12 apostles were quoting William Smith.
I thank God for DNA research. All the native Americans except for the indians of the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys have DNA that matches the people from India to the Philippines. Fishermen who went out too far and found themselves landing on the west coast of North America by wind and waves. Guatemala means "Land of Budah". The earliest Israeli DNA is found in Tallahassee Florida. There was an ocean weather bouy that broke its anchor in the Gulf of Oman that was pushed by wind and waves, and traveled counter clock wise in the indian ocean to Africa, down the east side to the southern tip of Africa, then was pushed east for 3 days by a storm, then went north west to Jamaica and up the west side of Florida before coming aground in Tallahassee. In the Book of Mormon Lehi's ship was pushed back 3 days, I am convinced it was the southern tip of Africa. Lehi's ship was not built like any of that time, the Lord showed Nephi how to build a ship that would make the journey to North America in safety, they left in the fall after the harvest was in and landed in Florida (30 degrees north latitude), in the spring. William Smith who was excommunicated for teaching lies is the one who said it was 30 degrees South latitude, there aren't any migrating beasts in south America, in North America we have the bison, i would call that a beast.
The true power of the "Church" is micro (within us) and not macro . A real sense of power comes from our relationship with him. External power may be more of a burden than a blessing.
Jennifer, Always amazing knowledge, well researched and presented. All members should know this and tirelessly put big efforts to improve it and reduce any potential abuse.
The strange thing to me is the fact that after her marriage for time to Brigham Young, she went back to her former husband? I can only give her the benefit of doubt that she didn't have sex with her former husband, and she was somewhat far along in her pregnancy anyway. I wish that she would have been more transparent about this!
The new or old version of the "TRICK". The Mormons are the experts at the TRICK !!! The Mormons are experts at debunking their own prophets, apostles prior sermons and statements. You are an idiot..sorry.. these lists you advise members to avoid are the actual statemets and records of your very own prophets, apostles and leaders For example. At least 3 mormon Prophets and several apostles and general authorities preached and taught that the mormon heavenly father had natural physical relations with Mary !!!! Now Mr. SMITH what do you call these LDS statements by your leaders??? Are you going to call me a liar? Are you going to say your leadership does not beleive this anymore? Please tell me how I'm Lieing about this. If you want the Mormons sources for these sick beliefs , I can provide them for you. Another example is your longest living Prophet Brigham Young taught that Adam is the God of this world. The mormon lie and spin is calling it the Adam God theory !! Brigham Young stated "Adam is the God of this world and the only God with which whom we have to do". Journal of Discourses volume 1 page 50-51. Show me anywhere that Brigham Young said this was a theory. Brigham taught this as fact !! So please, Mr Smith nice spin !!!
