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I saw an interesting graph showing the number of publications of FARMS over its lifetime (from 1979-present). I'm not hotlinking the image because this has caused too many problems in the past. Click the link to see it, don't bother reading the article, the graph is what is interesting:

http://www.templestudy.com/2012/06/25/rise-fall-farms/

BYU took over FARMS in the late 1990's, which is the high water mark for the amount of FARMS publications. After that, FARMS begins a gradual decline in the number of publications, with a massive decline since 2009.

Assuming the graph is correct, this shows that BYU was not good for the health of FARMS. Both sides will spin this to fit their agenda. NAMIRS supporters will see this as BYU cleaning house and stopping crap publications, classic-FARMS will see this as suppression and meddling by BYU. But what is interesting to me is that with BYU picking up part of the tab, providing cheap access to printing presses, providing office space, etc. one would have expected the number of publications to go up, now down, after the BYU acquisition of FARMS.

Did BYU Destroy FARMS?

Yes, of course. What this means is simply that if one wants FARMS-like publications, one should start a new and independent FARMS-like organization. They could even name it "Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies".

bcspace wrote:

Did BYU Destroy FARMS?

Yes, of course. What this means is simply that if one wants FARMS-like publications, one should start a new and independent FARMS-like organization. They could even name it "Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies".

Or, they could name it The Journal of Mormon Screeds.

Does anyone know what if anything Jack Welch or even Lou Midgley has said about the MSR editorial team getting sacked?

Of course BYU did not destroy FARMS.

They merely "streamlined and strengthened" it.

MsJack wrote:Of course BYU did not destroy FARMS.

They merely "streamlined and strengthened" it.

Perfect.

MsJack wrote:Of course BYU did not destroy FARMS.

They merely "streamlined and strengthened" it.

I stand corrected.

First they came for BYU Wrestling, and I did not speak up, because I was not a BYU wrestler.

Then they came for Julie Stoffer, and I did not speak up, because I wish the Real World would just stop hassling me.

Then they came for the Women's Research Institute, and I did not speak up, because I was not interested in women's studies (and I thought telling women to get back in the kitchen was not misogynist).

Then they came for the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, and by then, there was nobody left to speak up for me.

MsJack wrote:First they came for BYU Wrestling, and I did not speak up, because I was not a BYU wrestler.

Then they came for Julie Stoffer, and I did not speak up, because I wish the Real World would just stop hassling me.

Then they came for the Women's Research Institute, and I did not speak up, because I was not interested in women's studies (and I thought telling women to get back in the kitchen was not misogynist).

Then they came for the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, and by then, there was nobody left to speak up for me.

LOL!

Still, I feel ambivalent about these developments. After all, the nastiness of the Review and the boards was just part of what they did. The rest I personally had no problems with, and even enjoyed. I love my Nibley books, for example.