Spencer Fluhman Announces Plans to Step Down from the Maxwell Institute

[Morley]

I've heard intriguing rumors that the Ghost Committee, chaired by William Tyndale, will conduct the search for Dr. Fluhman's successor.

Acting on faith that the rumors are true, last night I channeled a list of candidates for the Ghost Committee to consider. (Only one name has an affiliation with the Interpreter Foundation. I find that deeply significant.)

Phil Barlow
Lincoln Blumell
S. Kent Brown
Jim Faulconer
Nick Frederick
Fiona Givens
Terryl Givens
Matthew Gray
Grant Hardy
Steve Harper
David Holland
Jeffrey Holland
Shon Hopkin
Janiece Johnson
Adam Miller
Robert Millet
Kerry Muhlestein
Reid Neilson
Stephen Ricks
David Seely
Royal Skousen (of course)
Joseph Spencer
Gaye Strathearn
Thom Wayment
Rosalynde Frandsen Welch
John Welch

Ha! I didn't realize that the teaching that God is a god of order meant that he's a god of alphabetical order.

[Tom]

I've heard intriguing rumors that the Ghost Committee, chaired by William Tyndale, will conduct the search for Dr. Fluhman's successor.

Acting on faith that the rumors are true, last night I channeled a list of candidates for the Ghost Committee to consider. (Only one name has an affiliation with the Interpreter Foundation. I find that deeply significant.)

Phil Barlow
Lincoln Blumell
S. Kent Brown
Jim Faulconer
Nick Frederick
Fiona Givens
Terryl Givens
Matthew Gray
Grant Hardy
Steve Harper
David Holland
Jeffrey Holland
Shon Hopkin
Janiece Johnson
Adam Miller
Robert Millet
Kerry Muhlestein
Reid Neilson
Stephen Ricks
David Seely
Royal Skousen (of course)
Joseph Spencer
Gaye Strathearn
Thom Wayment
Rosalynde Frandsen Welch
John Welch

I didn't realize that the teaching that God is a god of order meant that he's a god of alphabetical order.

Truth. I should add that the odds of channeling a list of names of that length in perfect alphabetical order are 1.03 x 10–111. Truly remarkable.

[Dr Exiled]

God save ye ole Ghost Committee!

[Tom]

An interesting development:

After seven years in the position, Hollie and I have decided that I will step down as Maxwell Institute executive director, effective May 1, 2023. We will always treasure our association with so many remarkable scholars, advisory board members, staff, students, university colleagues, and readers. It has been a profound honor to be associated, however indirectly, with the name and legacy of Elder Neal A. Maxwell. Please accept our gratitude for what has been a rich education and fruitful collaboration. We have felt your love and support. We feel blessed to have known and associated with you all and trust you know how much we love you. You have helped us understand, again, what it means to love God and neighbor with all one’s mind and heart.

His term was fairly quiet, though he did deal with a fair amount of criticism from the Mopologists, who kept insisting that the MI has "abandoned" its mission to do hardcore, attack-driven apologetics. It will be interesting to see who Fluhman's replacement will be.

I see that Kristian Heal, a longtime scholar at the Maxwell Institute, has been appointed as interim executive director. Heal has been with the Institute since 2000 and has served in various roles with the Institute, including as director of advancement (succeeding Dr. Peterson) and director of the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts.

Prompted by the news, I checked my files and came across a February 2013 MDDB discussion regarding the "new direction" Maxwell Institute and classic FARMS involving Drs. Heal, Peterson, and Hamblin, as well as Blair Hodges, Allen Wyatt, Bob Crockett, Will Schryver, and Mike Parker (!).

[Doctor Steuss]

[...]
Prompted by the news, I checked my files and came across a February 2013 MDDB discussion regarding the "new direction" Maxwell Institute and classic FARMS involving Drs. Heal, Peterson, and Hamblin, as well as Blair Hodges, Allen Wyatt, Bob Crockett, Will Schryver, and Mike Parker (!).

Wow, that was a blast from the past.

[Doctor Scratch]

Thanks very much for the update, Tom, and for the link to that old Mormon Dialogue & Discussion thread--quite a blast from the past! I bet that Heal's appointment as Director is a huge blow to Dr. Peterson, since Heal was viewed as one of the key "traitors" who helped bring about the downfall of "classic FARMS." In the MDD thread, Heal coins a perfect term for what the Mopologists do: "commercial apologetics." LOL! Yes, that's the principal thing that Interpreter is up to these days.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but notice the derisive suspicion underlying DCP's remark in this post on that old thread:

Think long and hard before you let the mask drop, Kristian.

In any case, I expect that the Maxwell Institute has a bright future under Dr. Heal's leadership!

[Doctor Scratch]

Mike Parker notes that, even though he was unemployed, he was still throwing away money on a FARMS subscription:

I've been a FARMS subscriber for at least 20 years. I've never been wealthy and hence have never been able to donate any amount of substance to FARMS/NAMI. I wished I could have (at least until recently).

But I did contribute the minimum annual amount, plus enough to pay for a suscription to the Review. I did so largely because that journal filled a critical need. It has been the ideological successor to the writings of Parley Pratt, B.H. Roberts, Hugh Nibley, and other Latter-day Saint scholars who chose to defend our faith against its critics. There is nothing sordid in that endeavor; it has a long and respectful history.

So my annual contribution — which started, I believe, around $25 a year and was $65 or so when I renewed last spring — was dedicated to supporting an organization that did certain things of which I approved enough to open my wallet. I have been unemployed for over a year now, and that last contribution was particularly difficult for me, but I did it anyway. Consider it my widow's mite.

Seems a bit irresponsible, no?

[malkie]

Mike Parker notes that, even though he was unemployed, he was still throwing away money on a FARMS subscription:

I've been a FARMS subscriber for at least 20 years. I've never been wealthy and hence have never been able to donate any amount of substance to FARMS/NAMI. I wished I could have (at least until recently).

But I did contribute the minimum annual amount, plus enough to pay for a suscription to the Review. I did so largely because that journal filled a critical need. It has been the ideological successor to the writings of Parley Pratt, B.H. Roberts, Hugh Nibley, and other Latter-day Saint scholars who chose to defend our faith against its critics. There is nothing sordid in that endeavor; it has a long and respectful history.

So my annual contribution — which started, I believe, around $25 a year and was $65 or so when I renewed last spring — was dedicated to supporting an organization that did certain things of which I approved enough to open my wallet. I have been unemployed for over a year now, and that last contribution was particularly difficult for me, but I did it anyway. Consider it my widow's mite.

Seems a bit irresponsible, no?

Not at all, good Doctor - it's worth it for the opportunities it affords to boast about it.

[Tom]

Thanks very much for the update, Tom, and for the link to that old Mormon Dialogue & Discussion thread--quite a blast from the past! I bet that Heal's appointment as Director is a huge blow to Dr. Peterson, since Heal was viewed as one of the key "traitors" who helped bring about the downfall of "classic FARMS." In the MDD thread, Heal coins a perfect term for what the Mopologists do: "commercial apologetics." LOL! Yes, that's the principal thing that Interpreter is up to these days.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but notice the derisive suspicion underlying DCP's remark in this post on that old thread:

Think long and hard before you let the mask drop, Kristian.

In any case, I expect that the Maxwell Institute has a bright future under Dr. Heal's leadership!

I was struck by a few other comments:

William Schryver:

For some reason I am reminded of how visitors to Pyongyang are loaded onto official buses and taken on a strictly choreographed tour of the city, very carefully avoiding the "bad parts" of town.

I also feel for good friends compelled to watch this sordid drama play out from within the castle walls.

Heal:

Will, if I may say so, you are almost as good at the extravagant metaphor as my good friend Dan Peterson. I have to say how glad I am that the bonds of friendship stop this debate becoming acrimonious. Lou is good friends with Jerry, you are good friends with John, and Dan is good friends with everyone.

LOL.
----
Heal:

The contraction [at the Maxwell Institute] began almost a decade ago under Noel Reynolds, who realized that it was no longer (and never really was) feasible to operate the Institute with strategic deficit year on year. Since that time we have been trying desperately to work within our means. Through a combination of natural attrition and Reduction in Force decisions (all painfully and reluctantly made), we are almost there.

----
Hamblin:

You know what, Blair. You weren't there. I was. So the fact that you disagree with my story is rather unimpressive.

Heal:

Actually Bill, you haven't been "there" for over a decade, so all of your information is way out of date. You're living in the past mate, pining for glorious days that bask in the golden light of your own selective memory.

[TwoCumorahFraud]

Mike Parker notes that, even though he was unemployed, he was still throwing away money on a FARMS subscription:



Seems a bit irresponsible, no?

Not at all, good Doctor - it's worth it for the opportunities it affords to boast about it.

Instead of wasting money on the FARMS Mopolopes, the Mr. Potato Heads could have just found the original works here:

https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL24170 ... ward_Hills

And in the Church History Catalog:
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... s?lang=eng

and in 1924 Missouri:
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 9?lang=eng

Don’t forget to pay your annual subscriptions and tax-deductible donations to DCP and Jack the rip-off Welch.

https://tinyurl.com/LEHills1918map