Here is the Ballard fireside to Seminary/Institute teachers that features a big emphasis on scholarship and inoculation (e.g., emphasising that teachers should use LDS scholarship in their classes and know the Gospel Topics essays like the back of their hands) and to truly deal with "difficult" issues instead of the whole "don't worry about it" or "just bear your testimony." As an LDS apologist, I welcome this movement away from a strongly anti-intellectual approach to dealing with questions people have about their faith.
As a friend wrote:
BTW: The main page of the Gospel Topics essays that gets mentioned can be found here.
(talk begins at 21:55 mark)
As a friend wrote:
[Ballard] seems to be addressing the all-too-often use of a testimony as a trump card, which is really just a mild (or possibly potent) form of spiritual and emotional manipulation. It is also hard to take seriously a testimony that doesn't seem to be based on much, especially if it is being used to deflect questions or information.
BTW: The main page of the Gospel Topics essays that gets mentioned can be found here.
(talk begins at 21:55 mark)
