BYU Responds to the New York Times Article

[_Megacles]

As a BCC reader, I was pointed to John W. Welch's reply to the New York Times article in BYU Studies.

It is a nice, short article with a picture of Spencer W. Kimball walking in the snow, contemplating, and reading (presumably) the Book of Mormon.

Welch begins by complimenting some of the people who left comments on the New York Times website

many of [the comments] are level-headed, helpful, and well-informed, indicating a robust amount of interest.

Welch then tells us about what BYU Studies has been doing for the past 54 years (!) and how it can help members research answers to their own questions. I would be willing suppose that a small percentage of members know BYU Studies exists, and an even smaller percentage know what it publishes (I fall into the latter category).

While no one has all the answers to every question, the BYU Studies website, together with many other resources and publications, are now easily available to provide many well-researched and well-written treatments of topics of current interest. We invite people to familiarize themselves with this website. It may come in very handy.

Welch then directly addresses two of the questions "Joseph Smith and Polygamy," and "Translation of the Book of Mormon."

I think the importance of this piece is that it gives readers more resources (other than the FAIR wiki) to research the questions that bother them. I sincerely look forward to more articles like this, and am excited that this New York Times article could usher in an era of openness for the church. I remain ever hopeful.

I enjoyed reading this article, and I just wanted to bring it to this community's attention. I also hope I am not breaking any newbie rules.

[_bcspace]

Thanks for the heads up.

[_Arrakis]

From the Welch link:

In addition, the BYU Studies website also features many links to reference works such as the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published by Macmillan in 1992. It is also available free. This semi-official publication of the Church, produced under the auspices of Brigham Young University

How is something "semi-official"? It's either official or it's not.

[_Themis]

It is a nice, short article with a picture of Spencer W. Kimball walking in the snow, contemplating, and reading (presumably) the Book of Mormon.

I hate pictures like this. Is he really going to be reading a book while trying to walk in the snow and cold.

I would be willing suppose that a small percentage of members know BYU Studies exists, and an even smaller percentage know what it publishes (I fall into the latter category).

It's always good to be able to find information easily. Most members who have questions are not really looking for critic sites for information. They are looking for church related sites. The problem begins here when they see they don't have good answers for these issues. It's not really their fault since I don't think you can come up with good answers when the church is not true.

[_SteelHead]

Was it just me or did he point to a couple articles that did absolutely nothing to resolve the issues of the way Joseph Smith practiced polygamy?

Hand waving. Poof! Crisis averted!

[_ludwigm]

From the Welch link:

In addition, the BYU Studies website also features many links to reference works such as the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published by Macmillan in 1992. It is also available free. This semi-official publication of the Church, produced under the auspices of Brigham Young University

How is something "semi-official"? It's either official or it's not.

The same as half-pregnant.

[Guest]

As a BCC reader, I was pointed to John W. Welch's reply to the New York Times article in BYU Studies.

From your John Welch link...

Joseph Smith and Polygamy
On Joseph Smith's introduction and practicing of polygamy, for example, see the 1992 Encyclopedia articles on "Plural Marriage," and "Smith, Joseph." The article on plural marriage (polygamy) mentions Fanny Alger, hostilities, inner conflicts, challenges, regulation of this ordinance, Emma, and says that Joseph "set the example."

From the referenced article "Plural Marriage"

Evidence for the practice of plural marriage during the 1830s is scant. Only a few knew about the still unwritten revelation, and perhaps the only known plural marriage was that between Joseph Smith and Fanny Alger.

That's it. That's the only mention of Fanny Alger. It's worth noting that the claim by the authors of the article is that the relationship with Fanny Alger was a plural marriage - yet that's impossible as the sealing keys had not at that point been restored. It's a really poor article in terms of treating the subject of plural marriage with honesty and integrity. I hope this isn't the best example of what BYU Studies is producing.

[_Bazooka]

It is a nice, short article with a picture of Spencer W. Kimball walking in the snow, contemplating, and reading (presumably) the Book of Mormon.

The picture of Kimball is a staged publicity shot.

[_Cicero]

That's it. That's the only mention of Fanny Alger. It's worth noting that the claim by the authors of the article is that the relationship with Fanny Alger was a plural marriage - yet that's impossible as the sealing keys had not at that point been restored. It's a really poor article in terms of treating the subject of plural marriage with honesty and integrity. I hope this isn't the best example of what BYU Studies is producing.

That article is a bit dated. Welch should have referred people to Brian Hales's (and Don Bradley's) new 3-volume work . . . unless his point was to show the church wasn't hiding anything if it appeared in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.

[_Kishkumen]

That article is a bit dated. Welch should have referred people to Brian Hales's (and Don Bradley's) new 3-volume work . . . unless his point was to show the church wasn't hiding anything if it appeared in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.

I suppose the problem is not that the Church hides this material, but that they put it in places the vast majority of the members will never look. Worse yet, members have no way to contextualize the information when they do find it.