A Mopologetic Conference Center?

[_Gadianton]

With a growing number of independent Mormon communities, especially apologetic communities, and very especially Provo centered apologetic communities, one wonders if it would be of any benefit for these organizations to coordinate their efforts? Well, we know that there is the purchasing of bookstores, why not a conference center of sorts that could be used for regular and special meetings? A center that could house a library of the most important Mopologetic books, and even office space for the most important administrators and senior apologists to work out of where there could be increased personal interface between various apologetic organizations?

I imagine that this center might have paintings of the great founders of apologetics such as Hugh Nibley. Of course, there could be token pictures and paintings of the prophets to maintain the "front". Such a center could even generate revenue by selling memberships, a kind of Mopologetic YMCA. This way, aspiring junior apologists and even mid-tier apologists lacking the heavy money flows could take advantage of the repository of materials without having to constantly make expensive book purchases -- as not all qualify for deep discounts or can afford travel to remote conferences.

It's just a thought. Certainly, some conferences would need to be held remotely at non-LDS schools to sell the appearance that the apologists are famous and that apologetics is very scholarly. Also, there shouldn't be too much integration between groups so each one can have plausible deniability with respect to the others, allowing for greater redundancy to ensure if one apologist or group makes a serious mistake, it doesn't carry any weight.

I don't know, maybe in twenty years or so such a thing could be a good idea? What do you guys think?

[_harmony]

And by all means, let's keep Christ out of it. No pictures, no mention. Wouldn't want to taint it with the actual head of the church.

[_Mister Scratch]

This is a very intriguing suggestion, Dr. Robbers. I wonder how plausible, from a human standpoint, it would be, though. We need to bear in mind that the apologists are men of great wickedness and pride. They wouldn't like it if the amateurs and dilettantes were allowed to gain equal footing with them. We also need to remember that, rather ironically, LDS apologetics is based upon a weird variety of anti-intellectualism. There are certain things that they just don't want people to think about. Ever. (Adam-God, for example.) And I worry that the Conference Center might lead certain "excitable" individuals to think about things and dwell upon subjects/truths that are "dangerous"/ not useful. For example, young apologists might get the very wrong-headed, apostate idea that the LDS Church is more about spirituality, faith, and belief than it is about ancient history, Nephites, and Reformed Egyptian.

[_harmony]

This is a very intriguing suggestion, Dr. Robbers. I wonder how plausible, from a human standpoint, it would be, though. We need to bear in mind that the apologists are men of great wickedness and pride. They wouldn't like it if the amateurs and dilettantes were allowed to gain equal footing with them.

Hey! They'd get an office with a window and a view of the Provo skyline. What other inticement would be needed?

For example, young apologists might get the very wrong-headed, apostate idea that the LDS Church is more about spirituality, faith, and belief than it is about ancient history, Nephites, and Reformed Egyptian.

Or power and money.

[_Daniel Peterson]

Well, we know that there is the purchasing of bookstores

The purchasing of bookstores?

Where? By whom?

I imagine that this center might have paintings of the great founders of apologetics such as Hugh Nibley. Of course, there could be token pictures and paintings of the prophets to maintain the "front".

And by all means, let's keep Christ out of it. No pictures, no mention. Wouldn't want to taint it with the actual head of the church.

My. No pictures of Christ in this hypothetical building? Only misleading "token" pictures and paintings of the prophets in its imaginary halls?

And then Mister Scratch suddenly appears in order to endorse the damning fictional scenario sketched by Gadianton Scratch:

This is a very intriguing suggestion, Dr. Robbers.

Always looking for the good in people, he points out that

the apologists are men of great wickedness and pride.

And on it goes from there, with harmony singing back-up.

[_Mister Scratch]

And then Mister Scratch suddenly appears in order to endorse the damning fictional scenario sketched by Gadianton Scratch

See, this is what's so weird about you, Prof. P. What is so "damning" about the scenario? Why would it be bad if the Mopologists cooperated and got together? Why are you so threatened by the scenario?
:

This is a very intriguing suggestion, Dr. Robbers.

Always looking for the good in people, he points out that

Well, obviously there is a great deal of difference between "looking" and finding. As someone who expects to one day locate Zarahemla in Latin America, you ought to understand that.

[_Daniel Peterson]

See, this is what's so weird about you, Prof. P. What is so "damning" about the scenario? Why would it be bad if the Mopologists cooperated and got together? Why are you so threatened by the scenario?

Feigning obtuseness, Mister Scratch pretends not to understand the hostile satire of Gadianton Scratch and the helpful negative hyperbole of harmony, who imagine a "Mopologetic Conference Center" from which images of Christ are wholly absent and in which images of the prophets are only "tokens" intended to mislead, but which, by contrast, is adorned with impressive images of wicked and prideful "Mopologists."

[_Mister Scratch]

Feigning obtuseness, Mister Scratch pretends not to understand the hostile satire of Gadianton Scratch and the helpful negative hyperbole of harmony, who imagine a "Mopologetic Conference Center" from which images of Christ are wholly absent and in which images of the prophets are only "tokens" intended to mislead, but which, by contrast, is adorned with impressive images of wicked and prideful "Mopologists."

Again: I'm not sure why you find this "damning." Do you really disagree with Harmony and Gadianton? Are the pages of Mopologetics filled with praise of Christ? Or, instead, is it praise of the "back-slappin' bros"? Do you publish Mopologetics in order to encourage genuine scholarship and thought, or, instead, do you publish it in order to enforce apologetic dogma, such as that the Book of Mormon absolutely positively *MUST* be authentic history, and by golly, if anyone dare publicly teach otherwise, they should be tossed out?

[_Daniel Peterson]

The game has grown old, Scratch.

[_Gadianton]

Thanks everyone for your input. There could in fact be pictures of Christ in the proposed center. Since I'm not an apologist, it wouldn't really be my place to decorate the center for them. In fact, to show that I am reasonable, I'd like any apologists reading this thread to offer their own suggestions for what kind of paintings and pictures would line the walls. I was just sort of getting the discussion going.

I can understand Scratch's concern, and his strong disagreement with my proposal. Let it not be said that we always agree on everything. Some apologists might be elitist enough that they'd worry about the center being seen as a kind of "trade school". But I remain optimistic that such a center is plausible and could work.

I don't think it's viable yet, I think the various organizations need to gain some momentum first before a hub be founded. I guess in a way, kind of like a Time Share, there would first need to be enough going on to keep the center busy as it would primarily be for holding conferences and presenting papers, that sort of thing. I imagine a main hall with seating for maybe 250. Then one computer resource center with seating for about 15. Two libraries, one open access for all those with a membership, and the other would be locked under roughly the same conditions as the locked parts of the BYU library. I think a kitchen would be good. And definitely a small hall for memorabilia.

As the project gains force, there could be an automated tour kind of mirroring the visitor's center, but presenting the various intellectual currents of those represented by the project.