(Redirected from FARMS)The 'Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies' ('FARMS') is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to
Mormon historical scholarship. The group is formally part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, formerly known as the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts at
Brigham Young University (BYU), which is operated by
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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.
[1] 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.
Peer review and scholarly credentials
Work produced under FARMS's auspices has been critiqued by Mormons, ex-Mormons, secular scholars, and evangelical Christians. Critics discount Mormon claims of divine inspiration and discount 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.
FARMS states that the work it supports "conforms to established canons of scholarship, is peer reviewed, and reflects solely the views of individual authors and editors.
[1] John Tvedtnes notes that, "the academic credentials of people who publish with FARMS are questioned only by the critics, never by bona fide scholars," noting that, "[t]he list of articles and books published in non-LDS scholarly presses by FARMS authors is impressive indeed. If the critics do not accept FARMS authors as scholars, those authors are at least so acknowledged by the world's scholarly community."
[1]
Faith-based arguments
Critics declare that FARMS sometimes uses
circular logic in their arguments. Similarly, some critics have suggested that FARMS' reasoning is backwards from usual scientific of scholarly practices: FARMS arrives at their
faith-based conclusion first, then afterwards seeks out supporting evidence. Dr. Simon G. Southerton, a former Latter-day Saint who published a book disputing the Book of Mormon's claims about the origins of Native Americans,
[1] 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."
[1]
Polemics
Some have accused FARMS of engaging in mean-spirited
polemics. One example of this occurred with
Signature Books' publication of
Grant Palmer's book ''
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins''. The publication of this book immediately resulted in five negative book reviews by FARMS.
[1] Ron Priddis of Signature Books responded to these reviews by stating: "Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists?" Priddis refers to the book reviews by FARMS as "tabloid scholarship."
[6]
Some authors associated with FARMS have been accused of making
ad hominem attacks: attacking someone personally, rather than analyzing the merits of their ideas.
[7] FARMS has also been accused of labeling someone an "
anti-Mormon", and then discounting their works as biased, based largely on this pronouncement.
[1] In a speech offered before the
Sunstone Symposium (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."
[9]
Scholars associated with FARMS have been the subject of ad hominem attacks as well. In the film ''The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon'',
[10] Dr.
Thomas W. Murphy, responding to comments made by Dr.
Daniel C. Peterson in a FARMS video entitled ''Evidences of the Book of Mormon'', stated that "Dan Peterson is lying." Murphy was responding to Peterson's statement that the
Book of Mormon "makes sense" and "seems right" and contains nothing, apart from its religious claims, that a secular historian would find troublesome. In addition to his accusation that Peterson was a liar, Murphy states that "the problem, first and foremost, with the Book of Mormon is its secular history--it gets the history wrong." The film also asserts, via comments from Murphy and others, that FARMS focuses on helping
Latter-day Saints keep the faith rather than scholarship. In response FARMS has published rebuttals to the film.
[11]
Apologetics
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
orthodoxy. This trend is committed to the literal reality of Mormon faith claims, but is simultaneously willing to rethink traditional understandings of those claims. A prominent example of this trend is the work FARMS has produced supporting a
limited geography model for the
Book of Mormon: suggesting that the events chronicled in the Book of Mormon occurred in a much smaller region than the traditional understanding, which argues the same events occurred across the entire
Western hemisphere. Supporters of this limited geography idea--including some high-ranking church leaders--see this model as consistent with anthropological,
archaeological and
genetic findings about ancient American peoples, as well as with the Book of Mormon text.
[1]
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:
★
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. A scholarly journal, published semiannually, devoted to the latest research on the Book of Mormon.
★
FARMS Review. A review journal, published semiannually. It focuses on books and articles written about
Mormonism and the Book of Mormon.
★
Insights. A newsletter, published semimonthly, providing updates on the latest FARMS research, as well as current events, reports on conferences and symposia, scripture insights, and announcements of new publications.
FARMS has also republished many of the writings of LDS scholar
Hugh Nibley in the 15-volume ''Collected Works of Hugh Nibley''.
Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. A Reply to FARMS and the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute
7. Tvedtnes states, "I must admit that I have seen a few such arguments from Latter-day Saints, including some who have written for the FARMS Review of Books. Most, however, discuss the issues themselves. In fairness, I acknowledge that some anti-Mormon writers discuss the issues as well."
8.
9. Although Hatch's essay was present on the Signature Books website on 24 April 2004, it has since been removed.
10. Living Hope Ministries,The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon
11. ;
12.
References
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External links
★
Official FARMS website at BYU
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