The Top Ten Happenings in Mopologetics, 2024

[Moksha]

But if we ban all criticism of the proprietor of mormonstories.com, then we also need to ban all criticism of the proprietor of interpreterfoundation.org. Is this a bridge we want to cross?

Dr. Scratch has never been so obsessive as Rosebud, and he is very witty. Rosebud approaches her attacks in a scorched-earth manner.

When it comes down to it, I would love to sit down with Dr. Peterson over some diet sodas and listen to his travel stories and at no point worry that Dr. Peterson would pull out a machete to enact some revenge scenario.

[MsJack]

Not a Mormon or exmormon woman mentioned. Not surprising.

Women have made the list before. I'm not Mormon or ex-Mormon, but my thread was the #1 event in 2011, and I've received at least one honorable mention.

I think Cassandra Hedelius has been on the list, as well as a young DezNat woman who won the Golden Scepter award.

But women are involved in apologetics far, far less than men are. Even I think women are less combative and aggressive than men in general (some of this is nurture and some is just good ol' testosterone levels), which means there are less women out there who want to argue with strangers regularly.

Combine that with the Mormon apologists who refuse to hear women out or admit to misogyny in their ranks, and you have a very male-dominated space. It isn't on Dr. Scratch to make Mormon apologetics more female.

[ceeboo]

my thread was the #1 event in 2011...

Japan's 9.0 magnitude quake and resulting tsunami that led to a nuclear meltdown was #2.

(Good to see you, Jack - Hope all is well with you and yours - Merry Christmas!)

[MsJack]

(Good to see you, Jack - Hope all is well with you and yours - Merry Christmas!)

Happy Advent season, Ceboo, and I truly hope all is well with you as well.

[Tom]

6. FAIR Teams Up with the Valiant Conference and Demotes DCP from Keynote Speaking Role

In the midst of the rising challenges from Jack Welch's Scripture Central, both Interpreter and the other main Mopologetic outpost--FAIR Mormon--were left scrambling to maintain their share of the apologetics market. Whereas Interpreter turned to low-budget filmmaking, FAIR Mormon did a seeming about-face by teaming up with the seemingly 'Chapel Mormon' organization known as the Valiant Conference. The Valiant Conference marked a shift away from the "progressive" strain within certain corners of Mopologetics that advocated for more 'feminist-minded' approaches, and instead pushed for traditional women's roles within LDS culture. Or, as they put it on their website, "This conference exists so that we can collectively strengthen our beliefs and become confident disciples of Jesus Christ. When covenant keeping women gather, there is a powerful spirit that cannot be contained." Thus, the FAIR Mormon Conference made something of a "compromise," with *some* of the presentations continuing the tradition of defending Internet Mormon ideas, *but* with the added goal of pushing conservative patriarchal attitudes, and pressing women to quit complaining about their "2nd Class" status within the Church.

Was this a wise move? That remains to be seen, but as the ever-wise poster Tom opined back in April, "I hope the FAIR-Valiant Conference partnership works out better than FAIR's disastrous partnership with This is The Show." It certainly would indicate a shift away from sophomoric jackassery and towards the grim seriousness that can often epitomize "Zion Corridor" LDS culture.

Meanwhile, Daniel Peterson, who for over a decade had been the keynote speaker at the conference, was demoted to a lesser role, arguably signaling yet again that Mormon Interpreter is in decline, and is regarded with less respect by its sister organizations.

I've noticed that FAIR is already promoting its 2025 conference. A few notes about the conference:

• There is no sign of a collaboration with the Valiant Conference.

• The cost will be $150.

• The conference will be held August 6-8 at Thanksgiving Point's Show Barn, located in Lehi, Utah.

I hope that attendees will be free to feed the goats and pigs, milk the cows, ride the ponies, install barbed wire, race the bulls, muck out the stalls, bale hay, engage in pitchfork duels, and help deliver baby livestock during conference breaks, at no additional charge.

• FAIR's announcement of the conference states: "This year’s incredible lineup of speakers includes Lauren Rose and Ashley Stone of the Come Back podcast; Adassa; Al Fox Carraway; Josh Coates; Zach Wright; Matt Christiansen; Michael Ash; Brad Whitbeck; Brandon Mull; and, of course, Dan Peterson, a cornerstone of Latter-day Saint apologetics."

I'm not familiar with Lauren Rose, Ashley Stone, Zach Wright, Matt Christiansen, and Brad Whitbeck. Brad Witbeck?

[Moksha]

• The conference will be held August 6-8 at Thanksgiving Point's Show Barn, located in Lehi, Utah.

This venue will be a step up from the car dealership showrooms and Lehi Rodeo grounds of the past.

Brad Witbeck?

From the trio of Kwaku, Cardon Ellis, and Brad Whitbeck who faced RFM in a debate, armed only with bullet-proof vests.

[msnobody]

Looks like a nice venue.

[Gadianton]

For 150$ I hope the final speaker doesn't just recycle one of his previous talks.

[Tom]

For 150$ I hope the final speaker doesn't just recycle one of his previous talks.

I would guess that the “cornerstone of Latter-day Saint apologetics” will present a book report of sorts, appealing to two recent books and drawing on some blog posts on those books to characterize Brigham Young as a paternalistic racist who opposed slavery.

[Doctor Scratch]

A "Show Barn," eh? That seems like the perfect venue for the things that the Mopologists do. 2025 is already shaping up to be a great year for Mopologetics, as they have already given us some pretty prime gifts. First, there was the revelation that DCP has been lying for decades about Interpreter posting a "journal article" every week since its inception. Then we were rewarded with this stunningly poor article from Hales & Peterson? Such riches!