February 24, 2005 was one of those beautiful false-spring days when we all leave our coats at home and venture out in shirt sleeves, despite the fact that we all know that winter will have one final gasp before yielding to spring. The snow had all melted from the valley floor, but the mountains were covered with a brilliant white snow pack that contrasted sharply against the deep blue sky. The temperatures were making their first climb into the seventies, and everyone wanted to be outside. My students and I were all restless as I plodded through another lecture on formatting research papers. Between classes, I stopped by my office to check my e-mail when I got a call from my wife. “He’s gone,” she practically whispered. I immediately knew. Hugh Nibley was no longer with us. We believe that, like the rest of us, Hugh had simply longed to be outside, to leave the hospital bed that had been his home for almost two years and enjoy the beautiful day.

CONTINUED HERE

The post Classic FAIR – “What I Learned about Life, the Church, and the Cosmos from Hugh Nibley” – Boyd Petersen, 2005 appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

Section 93 is full of truth that revolves around how eternity works. It speaks of light, knowledge, and application. It speaks of our eternal nature. Here is one important, eternal principle.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.

Here is a quote from Joseph Smith that is enlightening. He taught:

God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin…

When I was on my mission, I taught a lot of Chinese students who had come to the United States for an education. Many of these students had backgrounds in Buddhism, and I learned a bit about their beliefs as I worked with them. Forgive me if I get a bit of their beliefs wrong, but I’m going to try and describe a bit of their understanding.

Buddhists believe that suffering is something that occurs because of our nature here on earth. They believe that suffering can be ended, and that you overcome suffering by letting go of attachments and cravings for things that are not permanent (we would probably say eternal). Eventually you reach a state called enlightenment where I would repeat what Joseph Smith described. You receive truth, approach perfection, your views become clearer, and your enjoyments grow deeper until you overcome all the evils that are holding you back.

I grew to love many of their perspectives and found that they held a lot of truth. The gospel according to Autumn believes that they once received truth but apostasized just like many of the Western religions; they just went in the opposite directions. Where many Western religions left behind the idea of personal progress in exchange for faith-only based salvation, Buddhism went to the other side of the spectrum. You grow and grow and receive more and more joy, but they lost the incredible aspects of Christ and His grace. There is truth there, just not all of it.

And though they lost that essential portion of salvation, I believe that they hold perspectives that can add to our understanding of the truth.

Part of salvation is receiving light, growing, overcoming natural tendencies and cravings, and eventually arriving at a state where you can enjoy all the eternities have to offer. I know of many people who have walked further in their path of enlightenment, and they truly enjoy much.

Section 93 speaks of truth, and one of the truths that can add to our understanding of this section is that wickedness never was happiness. There is innate suffering with clinging to things that are not eternal. When we can school our thoughts, desires, and loves to cling to the things of eternity, we let go of the wickedness that binds our soul to unhappiness.

Christ can cleanse us and keep us in the Celestial Kingdom all He wants. However, if we continue to cling to unhappiness we cannot partake in the fullness of salvation because salvation is the epitome of deepest joy. How can you experience the deepest joy if you still love unhappiness?

So we work and overcome and walk towards enlightenment, or more accurately, towards exaltation where we are in a state where we can actually receive a fullness of joy. All the while, Christ keeps us continually clean until that beautiful day that He no longer has to. We rejoice and worship Him for making our journey mean something, for paying the price so that all the suffering we caused others can be made up, for paying the price so that we can be cleansed and cleansed so we can stand in the presence of our beloved Father. We rejoice and get to enjoy being around Him.

The Institute Manual shares a quote from President Joseph F. Smith. He teaches, “…Intelligence is the glory of God; and no man can be saved in ignorance.”

You can’t be saved in ignorance because salvation is not just about cleanliness and innocence. You can’t be saved in ignorance because you can’t fully enjoy all there is to enjoy without intelligence, and salvation is the epitome of joy.

We believe in receiving light and truth. We believe in overcoming the natural man so that we no longer cling to unhappiness. We believe in Christ’s atonement that saves. We believe in a fullness of joy, a fullness of salvation.

I testify of a Savior who has so much more to give. I testify that He yearns to give it as soon as we are ready to receive it. I testify that His salvation includes His cleansing and healing; I also testify that His salvation includes His knowledge and power and glory that we can progress towards.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 93 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

Doctrine and Covenants 93 teaches us about the character of God and our Savior who came to the earth. Here is just a little of what is taught to us.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:12 And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;

There is a quote in the Institute Manual that provides some more clarification.

President Lorenzo Snow taught:

When Jesus lay in the manger, a helpless infant, He knew not that He was the Son of God, and that formerly He created the earth. When the edict of Herod was issued, He knew nothing of it; He had not power to save Himself; and [Joseph and Mary] had to take Him and [flee] into Egypt to preserve Him from the effects of that edict. … He grew up to manhood, and during His progress it was revealed unto Him who He was, and for what purpose He was in the world. The glory and power He possessed before He came into the world was made known unto Him.

When we place this side by side with a quote from the Come Follow Me manual, we learn an important truth.

We learn from Joseph Smith that, “If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”

We came here to become like Christ. Ideally, people would be able to look back at our lives and see a type of Christ. There are so many things that we could talk about in the scripture and quotes I just shared. We could talk about what perfection actually looks like. Christ has always been perfect, and He still had to grow and learn who He was. We could talk about who our Savior wants us to become and what He wants to share with us. Many people believe exaltation is blasphemous; I say that I worship God all the more because He wants to give me so much more than I deserve. There is so much we could talk about.

I want to talk about the fact that Christ had to learn who He was. He grew from grace to grace. In the manger, He was as unaware as the rest of us and had to progress. Part of that progression included learning about why He came to earth. I want to talk about the fact that understanding this portion of His character can help us understand ourselves. This is yet another way that we can mimic Christ.

You have to learn who you are. You came here to learn and grow and become, but you were also given responsibilities. They are not as magnificent as the Savior, but they do typify Him. They are still important.

There are many whose gut reaction is to say, “Oh no…I’m not important. I’m not anything special. I was not special before I came here. I’m not good enough to contribute.”

Imagine the power that Satan would have gained if he could have convinced Christ that humility meant giving up His identity. Imagine, for a moment, the power that Satan does hold because He has convinced us that humility means allowing him to tell us that we have nothing to contribute.

It is a powerful day when you’re able to cast off the idea that you have to make yourself small. It is a powerful day when you decide that through the power of Christ, you can do anything He needs you to do. It is a powerful day when you learn that accomplishing grand and important things does not always look grand and important. It is a powerful day when you simply accept what the Lord wants you to do without allowing Satan to whisper that you’re incapable or that your role isn’t particularly paramount.

When I think of my most important calling, I think of being a mother. I am a mother to my own children, but I have been a mother to many before that and I will mother many who come after. Being a mother is part of accepting my divine identity to nurture God’s children and help them know who they are.

It is not glamorous or loud. The world will often laugh at it or outright scorn it.

But I am powerful. I know who I am even if the world rejects me like they rejected Christ. No, I do not innately hold the power that He held, but I have all the power I need because He carries me and enables me. I can do all things through Christ. “All things” does not necessarily mean that I will move a mountain. Likely, it means that I will do something far more important. It means that I will powerfully love those around me.

Christ came here without any idea of who He really was. He did not know He was a God at first. He did not know that He could wipe out Herod or the Romans or the evil Jews if necessary. And when He did learn it, He did something more powerful. He loved and made Himself a servant. And by doing so, He stepped into His identity and changed the world. We can be a type of Christ and follow after Him.

I testify that Christ wants you to be His joint heir. That doesn’t mean simply receiving a mansion. It means so much more. He wants US to become so much more, and that blessing is readily available to us regardless of where we were born or how much we were born with. Even the least of us can be incredibly powerful with nothing but our faith in Christ. He can make us mighty to save with His power. We can let Him lead us to our roles in life, and we can trust that those roles can change the world as He did. We can also remember that changing the world as He did will look like Him, quietly serving and lifting where we stand.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 93 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

There is a reference to an Old Testament record found in Doctrine and Covenants 89, and it can give us insight about the power of the Word of Wisdom in our day.

Doctrine and Covenants 89:21 And I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. Amen.

When Moses was working to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, the last plague involved a destroying angel that would enter into the houses of man and kill the firstborn son. The Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb, paint its blood on the doorposts, and remain home on the night of the Passover. If they did this, the destroying angel would not enter into their homes to hurt their child.

I noticed two parallels between the story of Moses freeing the Israelites and the Word of Wisdom in our day. Let’s talk about them.

When the Israelites were instructed to put blood on their doorposts, it was only to protect their oldest son. The destroying angel wasn’t coming for everyone; it was just coming for one of them. Even if the Word of Wisdom only protected one of your children, would you teach it? Would you apply it? Perhaps many of us could have lived without the Word of Wisdom and ultimately escaped nasty habits, compromising circumstances, and situations where you weren’t able to adequately protect yourself. However, I have enough friends who have been negatively impacted by alcohol alone (not even including drugs) to know that making a blanket commandment to avoid it is wise on the part of the Lord. I have no idea if I would have been the one destroyed if I had partaken in these substances, but I’m grateful I didn’t have to find out the hard way. I’m grateful that it provided protection to many of my loved ones.

Another parallel.

Sometimes I wonder what killed the firstborn son. Sometimes I wonder if the blood on the doorpost did something scientifically to protect the family. Does the Lord know something we don’t about how blood on a door might protect against a certain disease? Or, did the Lord simply choose something symbolic and performed a miracle so that it would not touch the Israelites?

Regardless of whether this was some kind scientific application, I hope I would have been wise enough to follow Moses and receive that blessing.

It’s easy to see how alcohol, tobacco, and drugs should be avoided. Even if you don’t think it’s a big deal, I feel like most people recognize that alcohol, tobacco, and drugs can be dangerous. Coffee is less dangerous, but it’s still easy to recognize how it affects our bodies and that it can be addictive. Tea is interesting. Numerous sources teach the benefits of tea. You can develop a caffeine addiction with tea, but even that is possible to avoid. So what’s the deal with tea?

The Lord taught Joseph Smith how dangerous tobacco was decades before scientific research followed. It wasn’t until the 1950’s or 1960’s that solid medical studies were being published about the potential harmful effects. The Lord warned His Saints to avoid it and protect themselves. This was really interesting since there were even doctors who promoted tobacco as a health cure through the 19th century. What I’m trying to express is the idea that the Lord knew the dangers of tobacco long before the health community did.

Is this also the case with tea? Is there a scientific reason that the Lord has banned tea? Is there something about tea that we do not yet know? Or, is it truly just a sign of obedience?

In the end, does it matter?

Whether it’s scientific or arbitrary on the part of the Lord, we have been given a specific promise that the destroying angel will pass over us. Really, it comes down to whether we believe in a modern-day prophet just as it came down to whether the Israelites believed in Moses as a prophet. Will we choose to place the blood on our doors despite all of the logical reasons to avoid doing so? Do we believe in a prophet?

I testify of a Lord who makes and keeps promises. I testify that the Word of Wisdom is not the first time the Lord has utilized a covenant to protect the health of His people. I testify that following a prophet, even when it doesn’t seem to outwardly make sense, will provide protection whether that’s through natural consequences or from pure obedience and blessings directly given by the Lord.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 89-92 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

This podcast series features past FAIR Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2025 conference held earlier this month. If you would like to watch all the presentations from the conference, you can still purchase the video streaming.

This audio podcast version has been edited to make it easier for listening. If you would like to watch the full presentation, it is available here.

Daniel C. Peterson is the president of the Interpreter Foundation, which publishes the online periodical Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, produces books, convenes conferences, and sponsors a weekly radio program:  https://interpreterfoundation.org.  He and his wife were the executive producers of the 2021 theatrical film Witnesses and have served in the same capacity for its 2022 docudrama sequel, Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.

A native of southern California who earned his doctorate at UCLA after study at BYU, in Jerusalem, and in Cairo, he retired on 1 July 2021 as a professor of Islamic studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University, where he had taught since 1985.

Formerly director of research and chairman of the board of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), now BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, he is also a former president of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology and is currently a member of the board of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy.

Dr. Peterson served in the Switzerland Zürich Mission (1972-1974), and, for approximately eight years, on the Gospel Doctrine writing committee for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also presided for a time as the bishop of a singles ward adjacent to Utah Valley University.

He is married to the former Deborah Stephens, of Lakewood, Colorado, and they have three sons and three granddaughters.

The post FAIR Conference Podcast #83 – Daniel C. Peterson, “Brigham Young and Slavery” appeared first on FAIR.

by Mike Parker

(Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.)

Class Notes

Additional Reading

Paul H. Peterson and Ronald W. Walker, “Brigham Young’s Word of Wisdom Legacy,” BYU Studies 42, no. 3–4 (2003): 29–64.

Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 89 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

The Word of Wisdom is a gift. Some view this advice as ridiculous and unnecessary. Honestly, it reminds me of when my son thinks it’s ridiculous and unnecessary for him to wear shoes and a helmet when he rides his dirt bike. Sure, he may ride his dirt bike and never get seriously injured. Maybe it even feels better to ride his dirt bike without a helmet, but it is worth protecting yourself.

As I read the Word of Wisdom this week, this verse stuck out to me.

Doctrine and Covenants 89:3 Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.

The Word of Wisdom, our health law given from God, was “adapted to the capacity of the weakest of all saints.” If the Lord adapted it, it means that He “made something suitable for a new purpose.” The Lord modified the Word of Wisdom so that the weakest saints would be capable of following it. The Lord did this in a couple of ways.

The first interpretation was the fact that the Word of Wisdom did not originally come as a commandment. In 1833, it was given to the Saints as some strong advice, as a revelation filled with wisdom. In 1882, the Lord told John Taylor that the Word of Wisdom was to be formally recognized as a commandment. In 1919, Heber J. Grant made it a requirement for the temple recommend. The Lord could have come out and made it a commandment immediately, but there were many people who were addicted to these substances. So the Lord adapted the law for His vulnerable saints. He changed it to start out as advice so that the people could become prepared to live it before it would condemn them.

Though this section is about the Word of Wisdom, this idea of adaptation from the Lord has numerous implications. One of those implications is the fact that the Lord is willing to meet us where we’re at and work with us until we’re where He wants us to be. He knows we’re imperfect and weak. He adapts on a societal level such as when He installed the Law of Moses to give the Israelites a step up towards His higher law. He also adapts on an individual level where He chooses to look at the bigger picture, unafraid of our mistakes along the way.

I had a dear friend who was overcoming a serious, serious pornography addiction. Addiction is definitely a spectrum, and he was thoroughly enmeshed. He didn’t have much support at home and had started extremely young. If I remember correctly, he found himself entrapped in pornography even before the age of accountability. In many ways, he was on his own to overcome it. And without support, especially as a young kid, overcoming it was going to be difficult (to put it lightly).

He had some wonderful youth leaders who took him in. One of those leaders was inspired by God to help him change his goals in relation to pornography. Because he was so deeply addicted, she recommended taking baby steps. Instead of trying to cut everything out and move on, she recommended starting with smaller goals that would eventually build to that ultimate goal.

His first goal was to make it an hour without looking at some version of pornography. That goal would build to 24 hours. Eventually he would make it to a week, a month, a year. She didn’t worry about what he would pull up at the end of that hour when he had reached his small goal. Rather, she gave him baby steps to work towards that law.

As we speak of adapting, I worry that this could sometimes get taken out of context and used as justification. Adaptation and justification are not the same thing. The entire point of adaptation on the part of the Lord is to help us step towards exaltation. The Law of Moses was definitely a step down from the law Christ wanted to give the Israelites, and yet, it was a step in the correct direction. This is not about justifying our sins or changing the law because we think we’re too weak. It’s about setting ourselves up for eventual success in following the Lord.

The Lord did not give the Word of Wisdom as a full-on commandment in the beginning because He needed to adapt it for those who were already addicted.

There is also a second interpretation of adaptation that I find important. I want to teach this second perspective by jumping back to that original analogy I used with my son and his helmet.

We have a rule in our home that you wear your helmet when you go out on the dirt bike. Imagine if our house rule was actually, “You don’t have to wear a helmet if you’re really strong and talented. Only the weakest family members need to wear a helmet.” There are a few problems that could arise.

First of all, none of my kids would classify themselves as weak riders, not even the four year old. I might as well not bring up the helmets at all. Secondly, even the strongest riders can make mistakes. No matter how strong and talented you are, a blow to the head can cause serious and permanent damage.

The Lord created the Word of Wisdom to protect the weakest of Saints, but He asked all of us to live it because He’s wise enough to know that none of us would classify ourselves as weak. We all think we would be strong enough to use dangerous substances wisely, and there would be significantly more problems. I’m not just talking about addiction. I’m also talking about the kinds of problems that arise within families when inhibitions have been dampened and lines are crossed.

This concept also extends to the idea of the strongest members running into issues. Even if you’re spiritually strong and only utilize substances at certain times, you are still leaving yourself incredibly vulnerable to others with bad intentions. Even the strongest can take a “blow to the head” when they are not adequately mentally present to protect themselves.

The Lord knows that experiences with substances do not always lead to destroyed lives, but the Lord is also wise enough to know that it causes enough pain and destruction to just avoid it altogether. He adapted these principles for the weakest of saints, but these principles protect all of us.

I testify of a Lord who is wise enough and cares enough to get involved and help us stay away from compromising and dangerous situations. I testify of a Lord who wants us to be safe and even though He desires a world where the most vulnerable are protected, I testify that He’s smart enough to know that’s not the world we live in yet. For now, we need these rules to keep us safe and help us protect ourselves more fully. Some see the Word of Wisdom as a desire to control. I see a wise and loving Father who is just trying to help His children live life more fully and healthy. I’m grateful for His protections and sage advice.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 89-92 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

I love when the scriptures give us more insights into how the relationship between the atonement of Jesus Christ and our works come together. I think it’s a relationship that needs to be studied thoroughly if we are to understand how to enjoy Celestial Glory. For while we believe in worthiness and the necessity of following after Christ, we also believe that we were given a gift. Here is a verse that can add another layer to our understanding of the relationship between grace and works.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:33 For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.

Christ gives us a gift, but we have to utilize the gift. That is one way of describing the relationship between grace and works. Gifts are free. There are no strings attached. There are many who argue that we, as Latter-day Saints, do not believe in grace because we believe in the necessity of worthiness. I do not believe that grace and works are mutually exclusive, and this verse helps to describe it.

When someone gives you a gift at Christmas and you open it and utilize it, does that suddenly mean the gift wasn’t free because you had to work to use it? I’ve been accused of not being a Christian because if we believe in the necessity of works then I don’t truly believe that His gift is free. Believing in the concept of worthiness does not negate the fact that Christ gave His gift. If Christ had been unsuccessful in atoning, and I had still worked towards worthiness, I still wouldn’t have made it to the Celestial Kingdom. No one would. Christ gave a gift of atonement.

As for worthiness, this verse also describes it beautifully. When someone places a gift in your lap, you can be grateful and love that person for putting it in your lap. But who is going to be more grateful to the giver: the person who just stares at the beautifully wrapped gift or the person who opens it and utilizes it?

The gift is free, but salvation has multiple parts because heaven has multiple parts. You enjoy heaven because you’re perfectly clean, near the Savior, and you’re enjoying a heavenly society where love abounds.

The cleanliness (and therefore, the ability to be near God and the Savior) comes from Christ. You cannot stand in the presence of God without that cleanliness or you’ll get eaten alive by the fire that He dwells within. This is where the gift of Christ’s atonement comes into play. He just cleans us. Even if we worked and practiced, our works do not cleanse us. It is free.

But salvation is more than cleanliness. Even if Christ is continually cleaning you (because you don’t believe in worthiness; you didn’t have to change or shed natural man tendencies), you won’t experience salvation even if you’re standing in the location of heaven. You have to be perfectly clean (thank you gift of Christ’s atonement), but salvation is also about enjoying eternity. If you want to enjoy eternity, the works part is necessary.

There is innate unhappiness that comes with wickedness. Wickedness never was happiness. So even if Christ cleanses you continually so that you are capable of standing in heaven, you still won’t be able to enjoy heaven because you are still actively pursuing wickedness that brings in innate unhappiness. You didn’t even really touch your gift. You didn’t open it. It was free. It’s sitting in your lap, but it brought you no joy because you didn’t even use it.

There is another aspect of this verse that I think is really important for Latter-day Saints who overemphasize works. While we believe in worthiness, I believe that Christ is much more willing to save than we think He is. He worked so very hard, harder than we can comprehend, to place that gift in our laps. Fewer things bring Him more satisfaction than when we rejoice and trust in that gift.

He does not want us to be leery of that gift. He doesn’t want us to look at His gift and think, “Mmmm I just don’t know if He really wants me to have this.” HE DOES. Use it. Rejoice in it. Trust it. It was a gift. Rejoice in the fact that He has the power to cleanse over and over and over. Rejoice in the fact that if you’re willing to follow Him, He can work with that.

I’m not perfect. I am so not perfect. But I have found salvation. I have opened the gift and got excited about it. I wave it around for everyone to see. Look what Christ gave me. He gave it to me. I didn’t earn it. I’m getting better at using it. He is teaching me to use it, and that’s going to be enough.

I testify of a Savior who loves you and wants you to rejoice in His perfection. I testify that if you’re willing to follow Him, if you’re trying to do as He asks even if you fail repeatedly, He has the power to pull you along anyway. He can cleanse you until you’ve completely changed and figured it out. He can keep you clean, and you can enjoy the happiness that innately comes with striving to love God and love others. You can rejoice in your salvation.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 88 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

I don’t have a testimony of the history of the Church. That is why I can be a historian and also a believing Latter-day Saint. I will expand on this idea, but first let me address some related questions.

Do all well-informed historians become anti-Mormons?

The critics would have you believe that they are disinterested pursuers of the truth. There they were, minding their own business, going about their conscientious study of Church history and–shock and dismay!–they came across this, whatever this is, that blew them away. As hurtful as it is for them, they can no longer believe in the Church and, out of love for you, they now want to help you see the light of day.

Let’s get one thing clear: There is nothing in Church history that leads inevitably to the conclusion that the Church is false. There is nothing that requires the conclusion that Joseph Smith was a fraud. How can I say this with such confidence? For the simple reason that the historians who know most about our Church history have been and are faithful, committed members of the Church. Or, to restate the situation more precisely, there are faithful Latter-day Saint historians who know as much about this subject as any anti-Mormon or as anyone who writes on the subject from an outside perspective. With few exceptions, they know much, much more. They have not been blown away. They have not gnashed their teeth and abandoned their faith. To repeat, they have found nothing that forces the extreme conclusion our enemies like to promote.

CONTINUED HERE

The post Classic FAIR – I Don’t Have a Testimony of the History of the Church – Davis Bitton, 2004 appeared first on FAIR.

by Mike Parker

(Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here where they fit best.)

Class Notes

Additional Reading

Diana L. Mahony and Marla D. Corson, “Light-Mindedness versus Lightheartedness: Conflicting Conceptions of Laughter among Latter-day Saints,” BYU Studies 42, no. 2 (2003): 115–29.

Kenneth W. Godfrey, “The History of Intelligence in Latter-day Saint Thought,” in The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God, ed. H. Donl Peterson and Charles D. Tate Jr. (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University, 1989), 213–36.

Mike Parker is a business and marketing analyst with over twenty years’ experience in the financial services and cellular telephone industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management Information Systems from Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) of St George, Utah. He also has eight years’ experience in corporate training and currently teaches an adult religion class in southern Utah. Mike and his wife, Denise, have three children.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants sections 88, 93 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.