Question: Do apologists tell members how "scientists continue to get it wrong"?

Learn more about apologetics and defending the faith

Key sources	Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Maxwell Legacy in the 21st Century,” on pages 8-21 of the “2018 Annual Report” of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship off-site Youtube Daniel C. Peterson, "The Interpreter Foundation and an Apostolic Charge," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 30/0 (28 December 2018). [vii–xviii] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Elder Neal A. Maxwell on Consecration, Scholarship, and the Defense of the Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 7/0 (8 November 2013). [vii–xx] link
FAIR links	FAIR FAQ Apologetics—defending the faith If FAIR is not officially representing the church, why not? Mentions of FAIR in various media Roger Ekins, "Defending Zion," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link Dan Peterson, "Random Reflections on the Passing Scene," Proceedings of the 2003 FAIR Conference (August 2003). link Daniel C. Peterson, "Humble Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2008 FAIR Conference (August 2008). link Dan Peterson, "Of ‘Mormon Studies’ and Apologetics," Proceedings of the 2012 FAIR Conference (August 2012). link Daniel Peterson, "'Apologetics: What, Why and How?'," Proceedings of the 2018 FAIR Conference (August 2018). link
Online	Marianne Holman Prescott, "Be Faithful Disciple-Scholars Even in Difficulty, Elder Holland Says at Maxwell Institute," Church News (13 November 2018), off-site Daniel C. Peterson, "Charity in Defending the Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 1/0 (28 September 2012). [i–xvi] link Daniel C. Peterson, "The Role of Apologetics in Mormon Studies," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 2/0 (14 December 2012). [vii–xlii] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 4/0 (10 May 2013). [vii–xiv] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Introduction, Volume 6: The Modest But Important End of Apologetics," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 6/0 (6 September 2013). [vii–xxvi] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Reflections on the Mission of The Interpreter Foundation," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 9/0 (11 April 2014). [vii–xx] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Some Notes on Faith and Reason," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 10/0 (27 June 2014). [vii–xx] link Daniel C. Peterson, "An Exhortation to Study God's Two 'Books'," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 13/0 (2 January 2015). [vii–xvi] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Questioning: The Divine Plan," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 15/0 (19 June 2015). [vii–xvi] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Toward Ever More Intelligent Discipleship," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 16/0 (11 September 2015). [vii–xvi] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Making Visible the Beauty and Goodness of the Gospel," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 17/0 (4 December 2015). [vii–xxii] link Daniel C. Peterson, "On Being a Tool," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 19/0 (6 May 2016). [vii–xvi] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Three Degrees of Gospel Understanding," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 21/0 (9 September 2016). [vii–xii] link Daniel C. Peterson, "The Power is In Them," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 26/0 (8 September 2017). [vii–xii] link Daniel C. Peterson, "The Word and the Kingdom," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 28/0 (4 May 2018). [vii–xiv] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Is Faith Compatible with Reason?," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 29/0 (24 August 2018). [vii–xvi] link Daniel Peterson, “Why Latter-day Saints Need to Defend Our Beliefs, Even as We Avoid Contention,” Latter-day Saint Living (1 November 2018), * off-site Daniel C. Peterson, "Better Kingdom-Building through Triage," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 46/0 (20 August 2021). [vii–xiv] link Daniel C. Peterson, "Contending without Contention," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 51/0 (10 June 2022). [vii–xx] link
Video	Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Maxwell Legacy in the 21st Century" (2018 Neal A. Maxwell Lecture), Provo, Utah, 10 November 2018. Youtube
Print	Neal A. Maxwell, “The Disciple-Scholar,” in Henry B. Eyring, ed., On Becoming a Disciple-Scholar: Lectures Presented at the Brigham Young University Honors Program Discipline and Discipleship Lecture Series (Salt Lake City, Bookcraft: 1995), 1–23.

Question: Do apologists tell members how "scientists continue to get it wrong"?

Many apologists have advanced degrees in many areas of science

Critics often portray apologists as mindless automatons who are unable to think rationally in their attempt to "defend the faith" at all costs. It is assumed by secular critics that Mormonism and science are mutually exclusive. It is not the job of the apologist to discount what science tells us. Many apologists have advanced degrees in many areas of science (see http://mormonscholarstestify.org/). These individuals have found that science and belief are compatible rather than being mutually exclusive.

Apologetic arguments may evolve as science provides us with new answers about the world that we live in

It is true, however, that apologetic arguments may evolve as science provides us with new answers about the world that we live in. Science is continually changing, and we welcome the new knowledge that it brings to us. When new discoveries are made, apologists will attempt to determine whether this new information fits in with LDS beliefs. It is possible to be an apologist while still understanding that there are many things that science will continue to teach us.

One should exercise caution, however, before immediately incorporating a new discovery into an apologetic argument

One should exercise caution, however, before immediately incorporating a new discovery into an apologetic argument. An example of this occurred with forged documents such as the "Salamander Letter" produced by Mark Hofmann. When these documents were obtained by the church and made publicly available, apologists and critics alike immediately began creating material to explain them. When it was discovered that these documents were forgeries, it became necessary to provide disclaimers on some apologetic material that was written during this period of time. Unfortunately, critics do not issue such disclaimers, and works such as D. Michael Quinn's Early Mormonism and the Magic World View and Grant Palmer's An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which were heavily influenced by the Hofmann forgeries, continue to be cited as references in modern critical works. In this case, negative apologetics based upon faulty information continues to have ongoing detrimental effects.

Notes

Question: Do apologists tell members how "scientists continue to get it wrong"?