Replies

FAIR represents the worst of pretend research. I can find my old post to Paragon Defender with specifics, but a high percentage of FAIR's 'footnotes' go to stub links. In other words, FAIR states a fact and appends a hyperlinked footnote number to it to give the impression that there is a document or research to support the fact. However, the link goes to a 404 Error or to a stubbed page where FAIR intends at some point to place documentation for its point.

In other places, FAIR links to articles from FARMS or similar sources which, if read, disagree with the findings of another LDS historian on the grounds that the history is not "faith-promoting" history. When it comes to Todd Compton, FAIR cites his book In Scared Loneliness: The Plural Wife of Joseph Smith favorably to make certain points, but also lists the book among those it warns people not to believe. As support, it cites many FARMS and FAIR reviews, all of which argue that Compton, an LDS member, is not faithful enough in his history and gives interpretations to history that are not "faith-promoting."

FAIR frequently warns readers that sources should not be trusted and footnotes the warning with a hyperlink - which goes to a blank stub where FAIR eventually intends to explain why a source shouldn't be trusted.

FAIR also dismisses 19th century documents from non-LDS sources, saying they would be biased, but accepts all 19th century documents from LDS sources as true without any consideration that they may also contain some bias.

FAIR accepts only faith-promoting sources and disclaims history as contained in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, or Sunstone, even if peer-reviewed and published by respected LDS historians.

Finally (and there are many other way in which FAIR falls short of being a legitimate research site), there are multiple topic where FAIR states a conclusion along the lines of "to reach a conclusion other than this, one would have to question the unimpeachable character of Joseph and Hiram Smith. It's a fact that their character cannot be questioned, therefore the answer is definitely X."

Whether you are LDS, anti-LDS, or simply someone interested in objective history (as I am), FAIR is not a reputable source. Although there are many other reasons not to trust FAIR, there are several

Scoutmaster - You bring up my old pal “Paragon Defender” who is a very fine person who got banned from this site because he/she is a Mormon. How perfectly dreadful that you would bring up my friend’s FReeper name knowing full well he/she has been banished from this site.

Foul play but not surprising under the circumstances. Paragon Defender repeated the word “Nazi” when referring to someone else’s post and that was a good enough excuse to get him/her banned.