The Latest "FARMS Review" Fiasco

[_Polygamy Porter]

Why was the name changed?

Because I didn't want it strictly limited to doing book reviews. Now I can include essays, too, in the manner of, say, The Yale Review or, for that matter, National Review.

I believe harmony was asking about the name change of the organization from FARMs to MIRS.

[_harmony]

Why was the name changed?

Because I didn't want it strictly limited to doing book reviews. Now I can include essays, too, in the manner of, say, The Yale Review or, for that matter, National Review.

Sorry, I meant why was the name changed to the Maxwell Institute?

[_Paul Osborne]

Porter,

Anyone is welcome to tell the prophet that I believe the working papers of the KEP are inspired. I stand behind the workmanship of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and those who were appointed to assist in the translation process. I believe these papers were saved for a purpose and demonstrate how the Book of Abraham was brought into existence through a revelatory process that the FARMS people are not able to comprehend.

Knowing the prophet and working in the school classroom doesn't credit one with the ability to translate as Joseph Smith did, let alone represent the prophet. The FARMS people are school teachers, not prophets anymore than I am. But at least I stand by the founding prophet and maintain his work is inspired. The school teachers won't do that. I wonder what the prophet would say about that? I don't know. Let me tell you that the FARMS people would be the first to jump in and tell us what the prohet would say. But they are not able to speak for the prophet. If the prophet has something to say, then I will listen to him only! The school teachers can shut their mouths and quit acting so damn special just because they have met the prophet.

Paul O

[Guest]

Sorry, I meant why was the name changed to the Maxwell Institute?

Because FARMS is a rather silly name, and because Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies didn't adequately represent the entirety of the work we've come to do, which, besides Mormon studies, has included such things as documenting Maya murals at Bonampak, digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls, publishing dual-language editions of classical Islamic texts, electronically recording Syriac manuscripts from the Vatican Apostolic Library, recovering readable text from carbonized papyri at Petra and Herculaneum, etc.

We first went to the unwieldy and unmemorable Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, or ISPART, which I liked even less than FARMS. And then, when the opportunity presented itself and he couldn't object, we asked for and received permission to rename ISPART The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Elder Maxwell had long been an interested supporter of the full range of our work, and he was a much venerated personal friend of mine.

Because of its name-recognition value, FARMS survives as the name of the department of the Maxwell Institute devoted, specifically, to Mormon studies.

[_Polygamy Porter]

Anyone is welcome to tell the prophet that I believe the working papers of the KEP are inspired. I stand behind the workmanship of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and those who were appointed to assist in the translation process. I believe these papers were saved for a purpose and demonstrate how the Book of Abraham was brought into existence through a revelatory process that the FARMS people are not able to comprehend.

Knowing the prophet and working in the school classroom doesn't credit one with the ability to translate as Joseph Smith did, let alone represent the prophet. The FARMS people are school teachers, not prophets anymore than I am. But at least I stand by the founding prophet and maintain his work is inspired. The school teachers won't do that. I wonder what the prophet would say about that? I don't know. Let me tell you that the FARMS people would be the first to jump in and tell us what the prohet would say. But they are not able to speak for the prophet. If the prophet has something to say than I will listen to him only! The school teachers can shut their mouths and quit acting so damn special just because they have met the prophet.

Paul O

Paul,

In case you did not notice, LDS Inc now endorses and funds the FARM boys. Did you not see the announcement of them being pulled in under the MIRS name? Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship.

Good luck on getting your kooky ideas into Max's palace of Scholars!

[_Daniel Peterson]

LDS Inc now endorses and funds the FARM boys.

To be more precisely accurate, BYU provides partial support for the Maxwell Institute, which still relies, to a large extent, on its own fundraising to be able to undertake its projects.

[_Polygamy Porter]

Elder Maxwell had long been an interested supporter of the full range of our work, and he was a much venerated personal friend of mine.

Ouch, another blow to the southern KEP kook known only to his local ward members as Brudder Osbourne.

[_Polygamy Porter]

LDS Inc now endorses and funds the FARM boys.

To be more precisely accurate, BYU provides partial support for the Maxwell Institute, which still relies, to a large extent, on its own fundraising to be able to undertake its projects.

True. However, it is physically housed in BYU buildings no? That is a huge chunck of support.

[_Paul Osborne]

Porter,

Bite off! The Church is at liberty to spend funds how it will. I haven't complained about that. You won't find me complaining about the brethren. No, I don't do that. But that doesn't mean that I think they are perfect in all they do as the Church grows and moves with the times. Look, I feel the school teachers have NOT fairly represented the KEP and whether the brethren have figured that out is not going to decide my salvation.

Eventually, the KEP will be vindicated. I feel confindent of that. The Adamic language will be restored in its fullness and NOT by the school teachers of the Church. They will have to fall down and humble themselves before those who will teach them. Who will teach them? It won't be me.

Paul O

[_harmony]

Sorry, I meant why was the name changed to the Maxwell Institute?

Because FARMS is a rather silly name, and because Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies didn't adequately represent the entirety of the work we've come to do, which, besides Mormon studies, has included such things as documenting Maya murals at Bonampak, digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls, publishing dual-language editions of classical Islamic texts, electronically recording Syriac manuscripts from the Vatican Apostolic Library, recovering readable text from carbonized papyri at Petra and Herculaneum, etc.

So "Ancient Research" didn't cover Maya murals, the DSS, classic Islamic texts, Syriac manuscripts or Petra and Herculaneum? Seems like that would indeed cover it all. But then again, it was a silly acronym, so kicking it to the curb (along with it's agricultural connotations... how y'all must have hated that!) couldn't have been too painful.

We first went to Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, or ISPART, which I liked even less than FARMS.

Sounds like something from a James Bond movie, without the possibility of compost or even a fresh peach.

And then, when the opportunity presented itself and he couldn't object, we asked for and received permission to rename ISPART The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.

He couldn't object? Do you think he would have, had he been in a position to?

Elder Maxwell had long been an interested supporter of the full range of our work, and he was a much venerated personal friend of mine.

Now now. Let's not open up the address book, k? My personal friends tend to range between award-winning winery owners, tribal chiefs, and Super-Bowl-ring-bearing-ex-pro-football players. Nothing to brag about there, I'm sure.

Because of its name-recognition value, FARMS survives as the name of the department of the Maxwell Institute devoted, specifically, to Mormon studies.

So it's valuable for its name-recognition, but not for anything else... those annoying whiffs of bovine excrement notwithstanding. Thanks for the information.