Mister Scratch wrote:Bob---
The "big deal" lies in the fact that this marked a clear instance were the Brethren basically admitted that the Church needs a well-organized and well-financed apologetic arm. Either that, or they felt threatened by FARMS's ambitions and rapid growth, and decided to put the leash on.
I am really not all that connected any more, having practiced law now for 27 years away from the Wasatch Front, but I do have many clients in Utah -- some pretty well connected to the Church.
Sure, FARMS is big, sort of. But, the Church is big. Thirty years ago, before FARMS existed, the apologetic mantle was shared by a loose consortium of BYU professors, UofU professors and amateur enthusiasts who would hold symposia and conventions, and finance ventures, with the tacit approval of the Brethren. The Sydney B. Sperry Symposium was an example, as was and as is the NWAF
Today, FARMS, in terms of enthusiasts and contributors, is much larger. What FARMS has done, much to its credit, has involved rank amateurs (such as myself) as contributors to materials published under its banners. That has done much to broaden interest in the stakes about what is the latest and greatest in scholarship and thinking. As I have said many times before, some of it is truly great stuff; some of it is not. But, FARMS (or the Maxwell Institute) in recent years has become an academic force with which to be reckoned, as it has developed impressive expertise in Islamic and Near Eastern studies and the preservation of texts. And, as much as you don't like it, I think that some of what FARMS has to say about the Book of Mormon is very interesting and enlightening to one who believes. I just don't see the big deal that money is being spent on this venture, that buildings are being raised, and funds solicited. People aren't contributing with a gun to their heads.
I don't see how this is much different than the ventures pursued by sectarian colleges around the world. I suspect you don't think the Bible is the Word of God much less valuable literature, yet much money has been spent in the last 200 years bringing to light academic thinking upon it.