FARMS H-bombs the Three Nephites

[_LifeOnaPlate]

So, it would make sense that the FARMS Review would launch a full-blown nuclear strike against anything which would even remotely try to posit the Three Nephites as a legitimate doctrinal truth.

Scratch, I read the FARMS review of "About the Three Nephites", and I didn't get that impression at all.

In his opening statement, Richard Hill, the reviewer, stated that his purpose in reviewing the book was to review the attribution methodology to further strengthen the support of the actual Three Nephites doctrine, rather than further purporting simply "Mormon urban legends".

This is his opening statement:

My purpose in reviewing this book is not to question the eyewitness claims of sincere Latter-day Saints of supernatural visitations by the Three Nephites. I believe, as the Lord has clearly stated, that the three Nephite disciples will perform a marvelous ministry on the earth until his Second Coming (3 Nephi 28). Rather, my purpose is to review the content, research, editing, and attribution methodology of this book.

Bold emphasis mine

Based on Hill's opening statement, I think that your OP is misplaced. I don't see a "nuclear strike" against the Three Nephites happening here. As a matter of fact, I see the opposite.

I think that Hill was particularly hard on the author of this book because the incidents within the book were not documented well, and Hill wanted to make sure that any reference to the Three Nephites was tightly documented so that it wouldn't suffer "Mormon urban legend syndrome".

Now, to be fair, I haven't read the actual book. I'm just basing my conclusions on the review.

I would actually have to read the book in order to gain a full perspective on how accurate or inaccurate the review was.

I don't, however, get the feeling that there is some attack on the subject matter of the Three Nephites based on the FARMS review. Just my two cents.

Precisely.

[_Yoda]

In order to be fair to Scratch, in a follow-up of my prior comments, I would like to ask Scratch this question:

Can you provide links to other reviews where you have noticed a pattern of FARMS reviewers attacking the subject-matter of the Three Nephites?

I think that if this can be established, then you have a case. However, one review hardly justifies stating that FARMS is launching a "nuclear attack" on the subject matter.

I'm genuinely interested in thoughts on this...by Scratch, Gad, Bob, DCP, LOAP, or anyone else to wishes to reply and investigate.

I think it's high time we steered this thread back to the original OP. ;)

[_LifeOnaPlate]

I am not aware of any other reviews on books about the 3 Nephites. There aren't too many of those books.

[_Doctor Steuss]

[...] or anyone else to wishes to reply and investigate.

A search of the Maxwell Institute's site gave me these:

http://farms.BYU.edu/publications/books ... chapid=448
("Three Nephites" by William A Wilson) -- This is sort of a short blurb describing the phenomena of Three Nephite stories. This is from the little "To All The World..." Book of Mormon article compilation.

http://farms.BYU.edu/publications/revie ... m=1&id=113
The Hill review.

http://farms.BYU.edu/publications/jbms/ ... cat_id=281
("Out of the Dust" -- JoBMS) -- A short peice on the names of the Three Nephites.

http://farms.BYU.edu/publications/jbms/ ... cat_id=275
"'As a Garment in a Hot Furnace'" by John Tvedtnes) - only mentions them in passing.

[_LifeOnaPlate]

oops I only checked the actual FR.

[_Mister Scratch]

The Scartchmeister was willing to call a truce with me provided I agreed to all of his demands.

How touching.

No, not really. I'm just interested in seeing you apologize or express regret for *one* thing. You can pick whichever one you'd like, whether it be your gossiping about Quinn or Ritner, your equivocation about getting paid for Mopology, your false accusations against me, your nearly anti-Semitic remarks on the Jewish board, your l-skinny behavior, your RfM quote archive, or whatever else.

That, essentially, is my point: you are supposedly a follower of Christ, and yet you don't ever take responsibility or apologize for any of your bad behavior---you simply carry on as if nothing has happened, as if you are made out of gold.

You claim to have all these problems with my criticism of you: you've freaked out with paranoia, stating that you feared I would hurt your family; you have characterized me as "hateful," "insane," "malevolent," "cunning," and whatever else; you have said that you find me "despicable." And what else? If all of this is really so bad, why would you keep turning up to endure it? Why would you not do what you could to resolve the situation? The reality must be that you sort of like it.

In any case, what's clear is this: I have made gestures towards attempting to work things out. You never have.

[_Mister Scratch]

In order to be fair to Scratch, in a follow-up of my prior comments, I would like to ask Scratch this question:

Can you provide links to other reviews where you have noticed a pattern of FARMS reviewers attacking the subject-matter of the Three Nephites?

I think that if this can be established, then you have a case. However, one review hardly justifies stating that FARMS is launching a "nuclear attack" on the subject matter.

I'm genuinely interested in thoughts on this...by Scratch, Gad, Bob, DCP, LOAP, or anyone else to wishes to reply and investigate.

I think it's high time we steered this thread back to the original OP. ;)

Hi, there, Liz. To a certain extent, I think you are missing the basic point of my OP. The point here is not so much that the apologists are attack The Three Nephites per se; rather, it is that there is zero tolerance for any "Chapel Mormon" engaging in doctrinal interpretation. This is the basic thesis that Gad posited some time ago, and I think that this is further evidence in favor of it.

So, to reiterate: it may very well be that FARMS is a-okay with the notion of the Three Nephites. But are they a-okay with a non-apologist writing a book on the subject matter? No way, and they are willing to use "nuclear force" against anyone who crosses them.

[_Yoda]

So, Scratch, your belief is that the reason this reviewer is so hard on the book is because the author is outside of the FARMS "inner circle"?

[_LifeOnaPlate]

[edit: liz's question is better]

[_Mister Scratch]

So, Scratch, your belief is that the reason this reviewer is so hard on the book is because the author is outside of the FARMS "inner circle"?

Yes, pretty much. Do I believe that this happens 100% of the time? No. Do I believe that members of the "inner circle" are totally immune from this treatment? No. Part of the "inner circle" involves allegiance to ideology, and so if someone steps out of line, then they, too, can be "nuked."