To our Great Sponsors, Speakers and Guests:
“The FIRM Foundation Expo, featuring The 23rd International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference, was a huge success. According to our estimates over 7,300 attended over the three-day event from April 11-13, 2019. That is nearly 700 more than last year’s event, making it the biggest ever. Ticket sales were up 9% over last April’s event. Our advertising through KNRS and KTKK Radio, Deseret News, LDS Living, and Facebook reached over 450,000 members of the Church with views, listens and clicks. We thank you all for your support.
This Expo featured 92 individual speakers, 161 one-hour presentations, and 90 vendors and sponsors. We occupied nearly the entire Davis County Conference Center in Layton Utah. For a second time it featured the Zelph-Zone fun center, which was artistically created by cartoonist, Val Chadwick Bagley. Val has created cartoons for Church magazines for over 40 years and has sold over 1,000,000 items through Covenant Communications! His 12 brand-new cartoons were a huge hit for our attendee’s.
Most vendors recorded above average or record sales from their vendor booths. Jeff Midgley of TNT Medical said, “We crushed it, and next time I will need a third booth space.” Arto Pihlajisto with Elevated Camping/Survival/Preparedness said, “We usually sell a lot of $25 products and not as many high-priced items. We sold out of all our products that sold for over $250 each.” Pamela and Bob Openshaw said, “Wonderful show.” Wayne May told us he had an “Exceptional experience” at this Expo. James Prout of “The Last Days Timeline” said, “The conference was a success.” W. Dennis Parker, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist said, “as usual I was very happy to have participated.” Shannon Brooks of Monticello College said he had a very successful show and received many fantastic leads. Chad Lewis of “Cylinder Stoves” said he “had a fantastic location and received a lot of great referrals.”
Our speakers included a plethora of our ‘regulars’ plus interesting new speakers such as Patti Rokus who explained that “Rocks Tell Stories” and if correctly utilized they can bring the Joy of the Savior into our lives. Troy Forsberg, who presented Christianity: Is it Worth it? had a wonderful message. Cindy Jorgensen of Isagenix spoke about “Overcoming Health Challenges” and had a very successful show. Eva Mayor our wonderful 14 yr. old operatic singer and her parents Jenny and Ryan added so much joy of music to our show. Jason Mow rocked the stage with his energetic Warrior Ethos presentation. Jonathan Neville exclaimed, “This was the best conference so far. I learned a lot, but also thought the quality and content of the presentations was better than ever.” James and Hannah Stoddard released a new and wonderful book called “Seer Stone vs. Urim & Thummim” and gave four amazing presentations and FIRM president Rod Meldrum spoke on and then released a new DVD based on President Hinckley’s talk wherein he proclaims the Book of Mormon is as current as the daily news, linking today’s headlines with the books prophecies. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to everyone!”.
The Main Hall was filled with almost 1,000 guests to hear our Keynote speaker, Tim Ballard of Operation Underground Railroad! He shared an inspiring presentation about the covenant nation of America and how President Abraham Lincoln’s reading of the Book of Mormon may have crystallized his understanding that the Civil War must happen to humble the people and end slavery. He also shared details and showed a ‘confidential’ clip about his upcoming Hollywood movie called “The Sound of Freedom” to be released this November. It is a true account of one of the children rescued by Tim Ballard and his undercover team while saving hundreds of children being used as sex slaves. Actor Jim Caviezel said, “the greatest role of his life was portraying Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s 2004 film, “The Passion of the Christ.” But his second most significant role is one he has yet to play as Tim Ballard.
We want to THANK each and every one of you for participating and supporting this wonderful event. We hope that it has been successful and a blessing for all. We hope that everyone – from the attendee’s, to the vendors, to the speakers – came away enriched in mind, sole, body, spirit and pocketbook
FIRM Foundation Expo will return to the Utah County area for our 24th International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference to be held Fri and Sat. Sept 27-28, 2019 at the Utah Valley Conference Center, downtown Provo. (Their Website Here) Remember this is our 2-Day event and will only have one main stage for all speakers. Presentations will be primarily Book of Mormon related research and Church history. We welcome any vendors who would like to be there regardless of whether you have Book of Mormon products. We welcome vendors from Health and Preparedness, United States Constitution, Church History, Science, End Times, Prophesy and Gospel Subjects and any other vendors that have an appropriate product or service.
Our first 2020 event will be held April 9, 10, and 11th at the Mountain America Exposition Center at 9575 S State St in Sandy, UT 84070. This will be the FIRM Foundation Expo featuring the 25th International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference which again will have six stages so we can have over 85 speakers, just like this year’s Expo.
If you would like to reserve a vendor table for September, please let me know early. We have over 60 regular vendors that participate all the time, so tables will be limited.
We will be reporting information about the conference on our Facebook page here, and blog here, if you would like to stay in touch with us. We would appreciate your feedback about the event. The good news and the challenges. There are many things we can improve on and it is important that you share some of those things with us. What did we do wrong? How can we improve? Would you return to our Expo, yes or no and why?
Once again, we thank each of you very much for your support as we know we can’t do these Expo’s without it. Our best to each of you and we hope to see you in September.” Rod Meldrum and Rian Nelson
Healing Drum
Betty “Red Ant” LaFontaine said, “After learning that Tim Ballard would be at the 23rd Book of Mormon Conference as a speaker on April 12, 2019, My husband Mike and I wanted to honor Tim with a handmade drum. He is a man that would be held in great honor within the Native culture as someone who gives of his life for the betterment of mankind, especially children! I am sure he and his family have sacrificed for the cause. My dear husband Mike wrapped the drum at home in Florida before we arrived in Utah for the conference. He used southern red cedar wood and framed and wrapped it with Elk rawhide. I searched and waited for inspiration about what to paint on the drum. After time, It came to me as I thought of the children who would finally see the end of their horrific experience. My emotions were high as I painted the drum. In my hand the strokes of the paint brush felt guided by a power of light and hope. Late into the night, quiet and alone the story of the drum came alive.
First the Sun at the top of the drum representing our Savior, his light his warmth. Through all of His suffering He was always with us. Then on the top right, painted white, the sign of Heaven representing those who Prayed for the children from the Heavens. Then below that sign in white is Gods eye who never left them and how He never leaves any of us. At the left of the drum is the sign of “Home Coming” that the children would now go home to their loved ones. Home because of the work of Tim and his team and their fight for them. The Operation Underground Railroad logo represents the entire team that works to save children. Below that to the right is the 8-sided white star, a sign of “Hope & Guidance” for the rescued children will now have the hope & guidance of the Lord and all who care for them. At the bottom left are three children which represent all children that have been saved or will be saved and the number three Is also a sign of the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost.
As we sat in the audience and listened to Tim talk of his work and watching the trailer of his movie to come out in Nov 2019 called “The Sound of Freedom”, my heart sank. I became so emotional I could not breath! Mike leaned over to me and whispered, “you don’t have to do this we can sit this out!” I started to say a silent prayer in my heart asking Father for strength to have the capacity to present this drum to this amazing man! Thinking how on earth this man has the strength to do this work! As soon as I said Amen, I said let’s do this Mike.
Later someone reminded me that the little girl that was shown as abused in the movie, continued to beat on a box like a drum! It seemed this beating made her cope with the awful things that had been done to her. I thought that amazingly the beat of this drum we gave to Tim, may be a sign, that with each sound of a drum a child may be healed! It was an honor for us to present Tim with this special Native drum. He is one of Gods special warriors!
I will try and do more for these children. I pray for them who have been wounded and that their spirits will heal, that they will know how special they are to those that love them especially God our Creator!
“May they now Walk in Beauty” Betty “Red Ant” LaFontaine
David W. Allan helped develop the atomic-clock timekeeping system for the US and for the world, while working for the National Bureau of Standards (later renamed the National Institute of Standards and Technology — NIST) with the responsibility to generate official time for the United States. David spoke at the FIRM Foundation Expo and said the following.
“The Book of Mormon Evidence Conference was a smashing success (11-13 April 2019) – showing the Book of Mormon to be a Hebrew text and proving its validity with strong Jewish traditions.
Joseph Smith prophesied that the world would prove him a prophet. We are there. The millennials want proof and to know what is true; we have it for them.
I have never had so many sincere compliments on a presentation that I have given. I offered proof of where the Book of Mormon took place and why it is very important for America to wake up and REPENT – to come to the God of this land, who is Jesus the Christ! The background for my address came from an article I have written.
Two of the conference speakers were Jewish converts. I received permission from Robert Kay, who is a Cohen descendent and well learned in the traditions of the Jews, to tell about his conversion story and his contributions pertaining to Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon.
I am reading again his version of the Book of Mormon showing the Hebraisms and how it profoundly ties to the Adamic language as well as to Hebrew culture. LDS Living published an article showing my research on the Adamic language.
Book of Mormon Midrash
Most people don’t know what a Hebrew Midrash is: The Torah (the five books of Moses) is explained in great detail by the Tabbies in the Talmud. In the Talmud they often uses a Midrash to show the significance and implications of meaning to a particular verse of scripture.
At the conference I was greatly impressed to learn that Nephi, Jacob, and Abinadi were doing Hebrew Midrashs on the scriptures they were quoting from Isaiah and Zenos. In particular, Nephi is doing a Midrash on Isaiah 48 and 49 (1 Nephi 20 and 21) in 1 Nephi 22 – showing its relevance for our day. This chapter has been one of my favorites over the years; now it has even greater meaning. In addition, Nephi is doing a Midrash on Isaiah chapters 2-14 (compare 2 Nephi 12-24) just after he quotes them. His Midrash follows in 2 Nephi 25-29.
Jacob is doing a Midrash on Zeno’s allegory as he shares it and his comments in Jacob 4-6. I have a blog article showing the significance of this allegory: Some of Zenos’s writings were found in 1906.
Abinadi is testifying of the atonement of Christ in King Noah’s court as he does a Midrash on Isaiah 53 before he was martyred. See Mosiah chapters 14-16. Abinadi’s testimony converted Alma. The impact of the conversions of Alma and his son, Alma the younger, have impacted millions of lives in bringing them to Christ.
Some of the protagonists say that Joseph copied scriptures from the Bible into the Book of Mormon. At the conference, this was proven not true. There are 433 verses of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and over half of them are significantly different, and those differences often reflect the Hebraisms.
The historical documentation around the coming forth of the Book of Mormon proves its divinity. It was translated in approximately 65 days and the printing was a miracle also.
In contrast, it took the 51 King James scholars seven years to pull together the KJV of the Bible, then 76 % of what they used was William Tyndale’s translation.
Book of Jasher
At the conference, I learned from David Hocking that the Book of Jasher, which is referenced in the Bible but not included, was found in Europe in Hebrew and translated into English in 1840 – ten years after the Book of Mormon was published. The Book of Jasher has 91 chapters and covers from Adam down to Joshua. Like the Bible, the Book of Mormon references contents of the Book of Jasher. This itself shows direct evidence of the validity of the Book of Mormon.
David Hocking and Rod Meldrum are the editors of the newly published Annotated Book of Mormon, which sold 5,000 copies of the first printing last Fall. They have printed 20 thousand more and they are nearly gone. Rod has added quotes from the prophets and pictures of likely places for the geography. I have read it and believe it is one the best books on the planet to build faith in the Lord and to show that America is the Promised Land spoken of in the Book of Mormon and prophesied of in the Bible.
Timothy Ballard Address
The capstone talk of the conference was Timothy Ballard’s. Tim has probably done more than any other human on the planet to stop the horrible human trafficking problem. He has consulted with President Trump on this problem, been on the Glen Beck show, written the bestselling book, The American Covenant, and has saved a large number of children along with arresting many of those involved with this heinous sin. One of the amazing arrests of 15 perpetrators of child pedophelia and the saving of 125 children in that operation was so significant that Columbia Pictures is going to make a movie of it that should be out this November, “The Sounds of Freedom.”
Tim also shared a synopsis of his bestselling book, The Lincoln Hypothesis, showing how the Book of Mormon changed Lincoln’s life and religious freedom in this country. It is an amazing story and a story everyone should know.
It is so exciting to see the Lord’s hand in sharing the gospel around the world and to be a part of it. The best thing we can do is to “learn of me…” (Matt. 11: 28-30) “find rest unto your souls.” Live and share His glorious message of LOVE.” David W Allan Website Here
After the FIRM Foundation Expo, Warrior Jason Mow said,
“First, I want to thank all of the great folks who came to my booth during the conference and hung out with me and my son. You all are awesome and I am so glad I got to met you and spend some time getting to hear your warrior stories and how much you love the books I wrote about the life of Captain Moroni and the weekly pod cast.
I did not think the weekend could get any better, then I got done speaking Saturday night right before Tim Ballard and your reaction to my “Warrior Ethos” was overwhelming. Humbled is not even close to describing my feelings as I looked out and saw all of you cheering. I am not gonna lie, I got a little misty eyed with gratitude for the blessings of heaven and the second chance God gave me to tell my warrior story. I hope you all took the Warrior Ethos to heart and find your own path. I hope those who purchased the historical fiction series of books I wrote about Captain Moroni and the War Chapters enjoy them. I know I sure enjoyed writing them. There is still plenty of story left and I am slaving away on book #4. Be good to yourself and each other, I will see you all again real soon. Remember, you are a Warrior!” Jason Mow
To purchase Jason’s books visit here
Details about our next Conference and Expo visit here:
