It is with profound sorrow that we share the passing of Sarah Allen, a beloved contributor to FAIR and a devoted defender of faith in Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. Sarah passed away suddenly this weekend, and those of us who knew her are devastated by her loss.
After earlier professional work, Sarah devoted her full energies to helping others navigate difficult questions about Church history, doctrine, and belief. She served with Scripture Central, with FAIR, and in many informal but meaningful spaces where faithful answers were urgently needed. She gave a significant amount of her personal time supporting missionaries and helping them answer questions and defend the faith.
Sarah had a rare gift. She could take complex, emotionally charged claims against the Church and walk others through them step by step until truth became visible again. She demonstrated no fear in using her voice to answer questions and defend truth. Through her kindness, humor and knowledge, she truly blessed all our lives.
We mourn Sarah for what she did, but still more for who she was: a loving and faithful friend who was there for anyone who needed her, at literally any time of the day or night. She had a gift to meet people where they were and give love and support no matter what. Her friendship and testimony of Christ and His gospel have strengthened us all in countless ways.
Our prayers are with her family, her friends, and all who loved her. We are grateful for her life, her witness, and her enduring contribution to the work of faith.
If you would like to donate to help her family with expenses, a fundraiser has been set up here.
Her CES Letter response series, which is what got her involved with FAIR, is available here.
She may have been on the other side ideologically, but I feel like all involved in this space deserve to be remembered and honored when they pass.
An apparent obituary posted online elsewhere said she died in her sleep of medical complications.
I am sorry for her family and friends' loss.
BA, Classics, Brigham Young University
MA, American Religious History, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
PhD Candidate, Church History, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Sarah’s infamous “debunking” of the CES Letter was discussed Here.
Premise 1. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable.
Premise 2. The best evidence for the Book of Mormon is eyewitness testimony.
Conclusion. Therefore, the best evidence for the Book of Mormon is notoriously unreliable.
This is sad news. I did not know Sarah, but I can tell from the reactions of her friends on Facebook that she was loved by many. I did see her on some apologetic videos a while back. She was an active and dedicated contributor to the defense of her faith.
"He disturbs the laws of his country, he forces himself upon women, and he puts men to death without trial.” ~Otanes on the monarch, Herodotus Histories 3.80.
She was an active and dedicated contributor to the defense of her faith.
But was she honest?
Um, later maybe?
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
She was an active and dedicated contributor to the defense of her faith.
But was she honest?
I have no idea. I did not follow her work closely. I am guessing she believed she was. Certainly the people I see praising her and reflecting on her memory are not a bunch of bad eggs.
"He disturbs the laws of his country, he forces himself upon women, and he puts men to death without trial.” ~Otanes on the monarch, Herodotus Histories 3.80.
