| Foundation For Ancient Research And Mormon Studies |
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| foundation for ancient research and mormon studies | |
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FARMS supports and sponsors what it considers to be "faithful scholarship", which includes academic study and research in support of Christianity and Mormonism , and in particular, where possible, the official position of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints . This research primarily concerns the Book Of Mormon , the Book Of Abraham , the Old Testament the New Testament , early Christian history, ancient temples, and other related subjects. While the organization allows some degree of academic freedom within these topics, FARMS is committed to the conclusion that Latter-day Saint scriptures are authentic, historical texts written by prophets of God. HISTORY FARMS was organized in 1979 as a private not-for-profit organization. In 1997 , FARMS became part of Brigham Young University after an invitation by Gordon B. Hinckley , President Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints and chairman of the BYU Board of Trustees. In extending the invitation, Hinckley noted: "FARMS represents the efforts of sincere and dedicated scholars. It has grown to provide strong support and defense of the Church on a professional basis. I wish to express my strong congratulations and appreciation for those who started this effort and who have shepherded it to this point." In 2001 , Brigham Young University consolidated FARMS with the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts and the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative to form the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, now known as the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship {Link without Title} . However, FARMS still exists as a sub-unit of the Maxwell Institute with its own distinctive cluster of BYU faculty and staff. CONTROVERSY Though some of FARMS's work has been praised by Mormon and non-Mormon scholars, FARMS has also been a focus of some controversy from both within and outside the Mormon community, for any number of various reasons. Work produced under FARMS's auspices has been critiqued by many, ranging from devout Mormons, to secular scholars, to antagonistic evangelical Christians, among others. Many of these critics discount LDS claims of divine inspiration, and thus doubt the Book of Mormon's authenticity as an ancient document, thus perceiving some of FARMS's work as non-scholarly Hagiography masquerading as genuine research. However, the work FARMS supports "conforms to established canons of scholarship, is peer reviewed."[http://farms.byu.edu/aboutfarms.php Critics declare that FARMS sometimes uses -based conclusion first, then afterwards seeks out supporting evidence. Dr. Simon G. Southerton, a former Latter-day Saint who has published a book disputing FARMS' claims about the origins of Native Americans, said, "I was amazed at the lengths that FARMS went to in order to prop up faith in the Book of Mormon. I felt that the only way I could be satisfied with FARMS explanations was to stop thinking."[http://www.equip.org/free/JAM502.htm [http://www.exmormon.org/whylft125.htm] Others have accused FARMS of engaging in mean-spirited (titled "Why I No Longer Trust the FARMS Review of Books"), John Hatch said, "After reading the (FARMS) reviews myself, it appears to me, and is my opinion, that FARMS is interested in making Mormonism's past appear as normal as possible to readers by attacking history books that discuss complex or difficult aspects of the church's past. As one who hopes to some day contribute to the body of the New Mormon History, I am deeply troubled by what I see as continued efforts to attack honest scholarly work." {Link without Title} While scholars associated with FARMS often resist being characterized as apologists because of that term's pejorative connotations, FARMS has been an important center for producing work that critiques claims by many, including amateur Mormon enthusiasts and antagonistic opposition movements of evangelical Christianity, especially through the organization's longest-running journal, the FARMS Review . FARMS has been cited as representative of a new trend within Mormonism: the emergence of progressive forms of Mormon . Supporters of this limited geography idea--including some high-ranking church leaders--see this model as consistent with archaeological and genetic findings about ancient American peoples, as well as with the Book of Mormon text. Ultimately, despite the controversies, FARMS continues their efforts, and plays a contested but influential role in shaping how Mormons understand their faith. PUBLICATIONS A number of Periodicals and books have been published under the FARMS Imprint , including:
FARMS has also republished many of the writings of LDS scholar Hugh Nibley in the 14-volume ''Collected Works of Hugh Nibley''. BIBLIOGRAPHY Duffy, John-Charles. "Defending the Kingdom, Rethinking the Faith: How Apologetics Is Reshaping Mormon Orthodoxy." Sunstone, May 2004, 22-55. EXTERNAL LINK |
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