Members of the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) are not apologizing at all - they are defending.

FAIR, a grassroots, non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice.

"A lot of people get apologetics confused with the idea of apologizing," said Dan Peterson, BYU professor of Islamic studies and Arabic. "Originally, it just means defense."

According to the Web site, www.fairlds.org, FAIR was organized in 1997 by a group of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who frequented America Online "Mormonism" message boards. The group wanted to share information with each other and the rest of the church.

"As most Latter-day Saints know, who have been out and about, the church is not popular in all circles," Peterson said. "A lot of people have it in for us."

Peterson works with Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies at BYU but volunteers some of his time to FAIR.

He said FAIR does what members of the church should do in a more organized way than members usually do: defend and teach the gospel.

"I suppose defense of the faith is what we're engaged in," Peterson said. "We think it's a really important thing. We're convinced that it's true, and we don't like to just roll over and play dead when people say things about us that aren't true."

Lance Starr, media relations manager for FAIR, volunteers his time to help get the word out.

Four years ago, Starr found some anti-LDS material on the Internet that bothered him. He sent an e-mail to Peterson, whose name he had seen on a few Web sites. Peterson e-mailed him back with positive responses. He also e-mailed Starr's question to others who provided helpful information.

"I was so impressed that these men, who are all very busy, would take time to drop me a couple lines and teach me a few things I didn't know before," Starr said.

Peterson and Starr said the greatest success comes when FAIR is able to help someone whose testimony might have taken a hit from fallacious information.

FAIR receives e-mails from investigators and members of the Church of Jesus Christ who find answers to troubling questions through FAIR and express how FAIR helped them.

"It's sometimes easy to get into this and think it's like a game, you know, score points and win, this or that," Peterson said. "But you realize it's really not about scoring points; it's about helping people. That's the real payoff."

Peterson said the biggest frustration comes from confusion over history and doctrine because the other side seems to have a louder voice and wider circulation.

"I hear of people who have left the church over x, y or z, and we have good material on it," he said. "If only we could have talked to them."

Starr said the reason the information isn't spread more broadly is because FAIR does not have enough money to do all they desire to accomplish. They aren't trying to bring in profit, so FAIR is funded by the generosity of its members, Starr said.

Another frustration is the fundamentalist attitude of some members of the LDS church, Starr said.

Starr said Wilford Woodruff's manifesto ending polygamy and the extension of the priesthood to all worthy males were difficult things for some members to accept when the revelations were made. Starr said this attitude toward modern revelation sometimes continues today.

"Some (members) tend to take every word spoken by every prophet as infallible scripture," he said. "This mindset does not allow them to realize that with ongoing revelation, the current living prophet can preempt or update something a previous prophet has said."

According to fairlds.org, FAIR is not at all associated with the Church of Jesus Christ.

Peterson said the Church of Jesus Christ gives members a lot of freedom to be self-started. He said it is a good thing people get involved and respond.

FAIR holds an annual conference each year where speakers present various topics. This year, the conference will take place today and Friday at Utah Valley State College.

Peterson is the concluding speaker Friday. He said he wants to discuss reasons it is important to have faith there is a God, a purpose to life and a continuance of life beyond the grave.

"I sometimes hear agnostics and atheists say, 'Who needs another life to make sense of all this?'" he said. "Well, they're speaking as a really comfortable person, as a privileged elite. This is a serious question, and they can't just brush it aside."

Other topics of discussion will include DNA and the Book of Mormon, blacks and the priesthood, defending Zion, apologetics and the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Peterson said he encourages any students who are interested to attend the conference.

For more information about FAIR and to register for the conference, visit the Web site at www.fairlds.org.