FAIR Partners with the Valiant Conference: Has a New Mopologetic Organization Emerged?

[Tom]

I was chatting with the Relief Society sister in Parowan just this afternoon, and I happened to mention that the FAIR Conference was moving to Salt Lake City. She was not pleased. The long drive from Parowan to the Provo Experience Event Center and back was hard enough on her arthritic neck, she said. Her case of cognitive dissonance is also tough to endure. She won’t be attending this year’s FAIR conference.

[Kishkumen]

Excellent find, Doctor Scratch. The good ole US of A is full of small organizations that seek to forward a political/religious agenda. In my mind, it is probably overkill, but here we sit as a kind of community enjoying our discussion of all of this stuff, so at least we have good fodder for a popcorn session. At this point in my life, this looks like more of the same. Zealous people with a few dollars extra that would probably be of more benefit to the hungry decide to throw even more support to the LDS Church. I mean, it’s not like the LDS Church has its own resources to fight on its own behalf. Uh . . . . .

But, hey, the more, the merrier. I have to agree with you that the timing of this is quite a coincidence. A ground swell of LDS women raise a cry of protest in defense of their own rights and dignity as women in opposition to the Church’s dubious claims, and whaddya know?, suddenly there is a new organization that toes the COB party line. Something about this small organization—who knows how many people participate in this? Is it astroturfed pseudo-popular organizing?—strikes me as convenient, and, frankly, much less impactful than the spontaneous anger and concern of thousands of LDS women who are being fed a line about how much power and equality they have in the LDS Church.

This is not to say that I doubt there are plenty of women who are happy to parrot the LDS Church’s message as something they feel passionately devoted to. But, you know, I think the tide is turning. More women are recognizing that they don’t buy how liberated and equal they are in a correlated LDS Church with so few female leaders in red chairs during conference. Change is in the air, and this Valíant organization is pretty feeble-looking in comparison. Perhaps not on the right side of history.

Let’s think of this through the lens of priorities. If salvation is the most important thing, and that only comes through participation in the programs of the LDS Church, with the benefit of its priesthood ordinances, then it may be worth considering the negative impact on that goal that the traditional gender schema is having. How much lower is the number of people participating in the Covenant Path because women don’t have the priesthood, aren’t leaders, etc. So what is truly important here? The tradition of male priesthood or bringing the maximum number of souls unto Christ? I should hope that the latter goal is more important, and I would recommend a rethinking of how that is best achieved.

It may be that the tradition of an all-male priesthood is not only unnecessary but even deleterious to the Great Work of Universal Salvation for all of God’s children. By insisting on an all-male priesthood, LDS men are actually frustrating the Lord’s plan. Share the priesthood, and maybe they find more people will stick with the LDS Church.

Now, I know some will point to the disaster of giving priesthood to women in the CoC as a warning to those who would entertain the idea of women holding the priesthood, but I think it is rather the case that the CoC was already in trouble, and that more could be done to have a unique and robust model of female priesthood that would increase equality, move the LDS Church into the future, but not be considered a watering down or pandering to the librulz. I think the key here is to find a faithful, substantive, and uniquely LDS solution as guided by the Spirit of revelation. Just saying, “OK, time to give the wimminz the Priesthood” won’t cut it. Make the transition in the right way. Back it with revelation and serious faithful devotion.

I think there is a good, workable, viable LDS solution to the problem. One that will work.

Valiant whatevs who just say “Whatever the Brethren say is the best and most awesomest and we agree more than is humanly possible” is not a long term winner of a method.

[Gadianton]

astroturfed pseudo-popular organizing?—strikes me as convenient, and, frankly, much less impactful than the spontaneous anger

Yep. Great point. You'd think there'd be some legit alt-right counter anger out there, but this doesn't have that authentic feel, does it? will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

[I Have Questions]

The key protagonists seem to be self-appointed Mormon influencers, TikTokkers etc with a vested financial interest in expanding their audiences.

It would be interesting to know who brought them together. In Romney’s book he lets slip how the Church likes to operate in the shadows - I think it was Ballard who tried to coerce Mitt into setting something up to do the Church’s dirty work for them whilst the Church maintained plausible deniability. Romney refused the Apostles “request” as I recall.

[hauslern]

Dan Petersen has a review of Nibley's work as an apologist. Everything from his "No Maam that's not History to the Myth Makers.
https://interpreterfoundation.org/hugh- ... apologist/
Can be downloaded as a pdf.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Dan Petersen has a review of Nibley's work as an apologist. Everything from his "No Maam that's not History to the Myth Makers.
https://interpreterfoundation.org/hugh- ... apologist/
Can be downloaded as a pdf.

Pg 12 is the money shot. DCP describes the Nib’s first two mopologetic books, The Myth Makers and Sounding Brass, as so humorous they made him laugh so hard he had tears running down his face.

That, right there, is DCP’s ethos.

- Doc

[Kishkumen]

Hugh Nibley was a very funny man. I mean, his sense of humor was extremely dry, so a lot of students just sat in their seats yawning as a torrent of insights, often delivered with subtle wit, were flying right by them. I was quite often chuckling or something restraining full-on laughter in that early morning class. To this day I treasure the experience. Do I agree with Nibley's attack on Juanita Brooks? No way, but the guy was really funny.

[Kishkumen]

Yep. Great point. You'd think there'd be some legit alt-right counter anger out there, but this doesn't have that authentic feel, does it? will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

I think that the number of women who truly want to live in Gilead is limited. Unfortunately, a few others might be manipulated or coerced into going there all the same. Organizations such as this one don't really help.

[Doctor Scratch]

Yep. Great point. You'd think there'd be some legit alt-right counter anger out there, but this doesn't have that authentic feel, does it? will be interesting to see how long it lasts.

I think that the number of women who truly want to live in Gilead is limited. Unfortunately, a few others might be manipulated or coerced into going there all the same. Organizations such as this one don't really help.

I can't help but wonder if this is a sort of "last stand" on the part of the Church, where the Powers That Be have been backed into a corner and are now facing the prospect of either having to "cave in" and grant women the priesthood, or else face yet another mass exodus akin to the one that Marlin Jensen admitted to several years back. You really have to wonder what the calculus is in the COB: is this an issue of giving up power? Like, it would be terrible, within this patriarchal culture, to actually give women a share of the power? (And weren't some of the September 6 ex'ed because they'd done scholarship indicated that women actually *are* granted the priesthood in the temple?) Or is there a concern that some of the hardcore male members would leave the Church if women are granted the priesthood? If all they care about is money (and there are good reasons to believe that this is the case), then it may be that their focus is on the (mostly) male breadwinners and their tithing dollars.

[Tom]

Apparently the proprietor is also in the dark about Valiant Conference:

I will be speaking at the 2024 FAIR conference, which, this year, will bear the title of FAIR and Valiant Voices: United in Faith and will represent the alliance of two distinct organizations, FAIR and something called Valiant Conference. This is something of an experiment, so we’re all curious to see how smoothly and well it will run.

“something called Valiant Conference”?

I must confess that I am relieved that the proprietor will be speaking at the FAIR conference once again. However, I must admit that I will be disappointed if he doesn’t promote Six Days or talk about Brother Brigham’s paternalistic racism.