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Hot Topics

• "Big Love" and the temple— Laughable errors and blunders in the HBO series Big Love. Come see what happens when you get anti-Mormons to write your Mormon dialogue. (Don't worry—Latter-day Saints take their temple covenants seriously. We won't discuss details about temple ordinances, but we can certainly talk about everything else that was wrong with the episode.)
• Latter-day Saints and California Proposition 8— The passage of California Proposition 8 during the November 2008 election has generated a number of criticisms of the Church regarding a variety of issues including the separation of church and state. FAIR examines this event and how it relates to Latter-day Saints.

Current Features

• Did Elder Haight say that we should "do nothing without the assistance of the moon?"—FAIR addresses a rather unique claim that Elder Haight invoked some sort of astrological principle during a talk in General Conference. After the claim was made in the critical book One Nation Under Gods, it was later discovered that Elder Haight had made no such claim. The author then assumed in his subsequent book Becoming Gods that the Church hid the reference by removing it from the online version of the talk! FAIR looks at the truth behind this amusing claim.

Old Favorites

• DNA evidence and the Book of Mormon
• The Book of Abraham: Frequently-Asked Questions
• The Kirtland Egyptian Papers
• Joseph Smith and polygamy
• Book of Mormon historicity
• Blacks and the priesthood
• Mormonism and science
• Criticisms of the First Vision

Lists of questions from anti-Mormon ministries

Countercult ministries love to have people ask questions about us. Rather than being sincere attempts to understand Latter-day Saints, these questions are designed to provoke a response. Here are FAIR's responses to some of the more popular lists.

• 58 Questions All Mormons Should Ask Themselves, (Contender Ministries)
• 50 Questions to Ask Mormons, (Tower to Truth Ministries)
• 15 contradictions in LDS scriptures, Many conservative Protestant critics have reproduced a table which purports to show how LDS scripture contradicts itself.
• "Top 10 Things Jesus Would Say to Mormons", (Dr. Craig Bloomberg)

A FAIR Response to Critical Films and Videos

• Search for the Truth DVD—Although the producers of this video state that it was produced out of love, the numerous mischaracterizations, misrepresentations, errors, and outright falsehoods found on the DVD make it difficult for believing Latter-day Saints to see that expression of love as sincere. But that didn't stop the purveyors of this "love" from leaving a copy on your doorknob...
• September Dawn—"When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions." (The Publicity Dilemma, LDS Newsroom, March 9, 2009.)
• The God Makers—This classic 1982 film represents an appeal to ridicule, by taking beliefs or doctrines of the church and presenting them in a manner which makes them appear so strange and bizarre that nobody could possibly accept them...unless, of course, you really do aspire to become an "eternally pregnant goddess." Notable for one of the cheesiest cartoon sequences ever viewed on YouTube.

A FAIR Analysis of Critical Works

Is a particular book "anti-Mormon?" FAIR analyzes and responds to critical works that attack the Church. Our current featured analysis is:

• Nauvoo Polygamy "...but we called it celestial marriage" by George D. Smith. When FAIR member G. L. Smith published an unflattering review of this book in the Maxwell Institute's FARMS Review, the publisher responded by posting a news release on their website accusing Dr. Smith of "amusing but dishonest subterfuge." What was all the fuss about? Read our detailed claim-by-claim examination of the book Nauvoo Polygamy "...but we called it celestial marriage" to find out.

A FAIR Analysis of "Faith Promoting" Works

Occasionally "faith promoting" works attempt to defend the faith on the basis of faulty arguments. FAIR analyzes and responds to cases of "friendly fire."

• DNA Evidence for Book of Mormon Geography (DVD) (DVD and seminar series)

Special Features

• Biblical Keys for Discerning True and False Prophets

New and Updated Articles

New articles are added to the FAIR Wiki each week. Some of our recent additions and updates:

• The Book of Mormon and Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews —This popular naturalistic theory of origin for the Book of Mormon was adopted by many critics after the Spalding Theory failed to live up to their expectations. Major updates and several new subarticles have been added to this article detailing the differences between Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon.
• LDS use of antidepressants—Critics charge that the rate of antidepressant use is much higher among Mormons than the general population. They claim this is evidence that participation in the LDS Church is inordinately stressful due to pressure for Mormons to appear "perfect." So, are Mormons more depressed than non-Mormons? Come find out here.
• Joseph Smith's statements regarding Book of Mormon geography—Joseph made several statements related to where he believed Book of Mormon events took place. We include all of them here.
• Are LDS scholars "disdaining" the statements of Joseph Smith?—How do LDS scholars view the statements made by Joseph regarding Book of Mormon geography? Find out here.

• Sign up for the FAIR Journal—Receive our free monthly e-mail newsletter for defenders of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can unsubscribe at any time.
• Join & Support FAIR—FAIR is a volunteer organization. People become involved with FAIR because they want to. There are six ways you can join FAIR: Pick the level of involvement that is right for you.
• Ask the Apologist—Have a question? This is the place to ask. One or more of our FAIR volunteers will respond. You may even find your answer added to the FAIR Wiki.

Who are we? The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR) was formed in late 1997 by a group of Mormons in an attempt to defend their faith from detractors who frequented online message boards. Incorporated as a non-profit organization in November 1997, FAIR put up its first Web site in March 1998 and the FAIR Wiki in 2006.

FAIR is staffed completely by volunteers. It is not owned, controlled by, or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All research and opinions provided on this site are the sole responsibility of FAIR and should not be interpreted as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief, or practice.

If you would like to be a part of FAIR, we invite you to support FAIR in any way you are able. FAIR only succeeds through the efforts of our gracious volunteers. For more information about FAIR, visit the FAIR Web site.

Why are you apologizing?

We are not apologizing for our beliefs: Our objective is to defend the faith against those who would attempt to destroy it.

• An apologist is someone who defends a position or explains it. Apologetics is the branch of theology that defends and explains Christian doctrine.
• To learn more:
  • FAIR FAQ
  • Gary Bowler, "What is FAIR, and Why Are You Apologizing?" PDF link

The FAIR Wiki is built by volunteer editors. If you would like to become an editor, visit our prospective membership page.

If you are already an editor, the following will be of interest to you: