FAIR Partners with the Valiant Conference: Has a New Mopologetic Organization Emerged?
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 9:59 pm
I was passed an interesting tidbit earlier by an "informant." It turns out that FAIR Mormon has teamed up with another organization for this year's annual FAIR Conference:
I can't help but wonder, too, about what seems like a rather awkward partnership between Valiant Conference and FAIR. Will Dr. Peterson still be the keynote speaker at this year's conference? Or will equal billing be given to one of the women from Valiant Conference? And to be honest, the Valiant Conference's candid insistence on a primarily faith-affirming approach seems at odds with what FAIR has been doing for the past few decades. Typical FAIR talks from Royal Skousen, John Gee, and Daniel Peterson seem about a million miles away from the Valiant Conference presentations on things like temple garments, temple covenants, and temple preparation.
So what is going on here? Perhaps one explanation can be found in a Testimonial from Karin Brown, a participant from the 2023 South Jordan Valiant Conference, who writes:
Ah, I see! Could it be that this is a means of countering the social media beating that the Church has lately been taking, as documented here on DM by Dr. Moore? Maybe so. On an apparently far-reaching blog named "Called to Share," the owner plugged the Valiant Conference in a post titled, "A Flood of Covenant-Keeping Latter-day Saint Women Who Follow the Prophet Are Standing for Truth on Social Media." A "flood"? And what does he mean when he says that they are "Standing for Truth"? On the one hand, I'm sure that what he's saying is true--at least from his/their perspective. But aren't the critical comments on the Church's Instagram account *also* coming from women who "Are Standing for Truth"? What it looks like from where I am standing, after many years of studying Mopologetics, is that an attempt is being made to pit LDS women against each other--perhaps a "divide and conquer" sort of approach.
I am unaware of any direct responses/attacks on the Instagram criticisms as of yet from the Mopologists, but I think we have to assume that they are coming. Perhaps this will all be purely affirmative, with the Valiant Conference women asserting and affirming their faith, confidence, and obedience to the Prophet and Church leaders. Then again, given past history, you sort of have to expect someone from the hardcore Mopologist camp to go on the attack and start slamming the critical women as 'apostates.' It may be that the whole thing is being seen as a potential powder keg, and so the stakeholders are moving very carefully, trying to figure out the best path forward. But that's unlikely, I think, given how reckless and anger-fueled the Mopologists usually are.
In any case, a very interesting development here. It will be worth watching to see what happens next.
I don't know about you, but I hadn't heard about the Valiant Conference. So what is it? You can check out their website for yourself, but the organization describes itself as "A gathering of Latter-day Saint women who confidently stand with Christ." I perused the website a bit and I admit that I was a bit perplexed by the lack of information. The Valiant Conference hosts 3 conferences each year (including the FAIR Conference), and they do indeed seem to be focused on "confidently stand[ing] with Christ," but something about the whole website cast a pall of uneasiness over my mind as I read. Simply put, it feels as though crucial information is being withheld. Was this originally a grassroots organization, I wonder? Or, instead, was this something that was dreamed up by the More Good Foundation? Or was it financed/spearheaded by the COB? Part of my reasons for wondering these things has to do with the information listed on the Valiant Conference's "Sponsors" page. Their key sponsors are: FAIR, FamilyProclamation.org, and Public Square Magazine: a publication that DCP has mentioned more than once. So is this actually a Mopologetic organization in disguise?Our partners, the Valiant Conference, join us in nurturing confident expressions of faith both online and offline. FAIR's traditional lineup of scholars and researchers will counter criticism of the Church and provide inspiring evidence to strengthen faith. Additional Valiant speakers will provide practical insight into how families and Church leaders can translate research into spiritual strength.
Stay tuned for exciting updates! Keep an eye on your email and follow FAIR and Valiant Conference on social media for announcements about speakers and topics.
I can't help but wonder, too, about what seems like a rather awkward partnership between Valiant Conference and FAIR. Will Dr. Peterson still be the keynote speaker at this year's conference? Or will equal billing be given to one of the women from Valiant Conference? And to be honest, the Valiant Conference's candid insistence on a primarily faith-affirming approach seems at odds with what FAIR has been doing for the past few decades. Typical FAIR talks from Royal Skousen, John Gee, and Daniel Peterson seem about a million miles away from the Valiant Conference presentations on things like temple garments, temple covenants, and temple preparation.
So what is going on here? Perhaps one explanation can be found in a Testimonial from Karin Brown, a participant from the 2023 South Jordan Valiant Conference, who writes:
(emphasis mine)"The Valiant Conference was a faith affirming, testimony building experience. I loved hearing from women who are on the front lines of social media, sharing theirs beliefs and testimony boldly and without reserve. I left feeling empowered and motivated to do the same.
Ah, I see! Could it be that this is a means of countering the social media beating that the Church has lately been taking, as documented here on DM by Dr. Moore? Maybe so. On an apparently far-reaching blog named "Called to Share," the owner plugged the Valiant Conference in a post titled, "A Flood of Covenant-Keeping Latter-day Saint Women Who Follow the Prophet Are Standing for Truth on Social Media." A "flood"? And what does he mean when he says that they are "Standing for Truth"? On the one hand, I'm sure that what he's saying is true--at least from his/their perspective. But aren't the critical comments on the Church's Instagram account *also* coming from women who "Are Standing for Truth"? What it looks like from where I am standing, after many years of studying Mopologetics, is that an attempt is being made to pit LDS women against each other--perhaps a "divide and conquer" sort of approach.
I am unaware of any direct responses/attacks on the Instagram criticisms as of yet from the Mopologists, but I think we have to assume that they are coming. Perhaps this will all be purely affirmative, with the Valiant Conference women asserting and affirming their faith, confidence, and obedience to the Prophet and Church leaders. Then again, given past history, you sort of have to expect someone from the hardcore Mopologist camp to go on the attack and start slamming the critical women as 'apostates.' It may be that the whole thing is being seen as a potential powder keg, and so the stakeholders are moving very carefully, trying to figure out the best path forward. But that's unlikely, I think, given how reckless and anger-fueled the Mopologists usually are.
In any case, a very interesting development here. It will be worth watching to see what happens next.