From My Informant: Has Ugo Perego Been "Exiled" to Rome?

[_Simon Southerton]

I know that Ugo comes from Italy and he has co-authored a paper or two with a very highly regarded human molecular geneticist named Antonio Torroni who is at the University of Pavia in Italy. For a few years Perego has had an address at this same university.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 2208016187
http://www.plosone.org/article/information%3Ad ... ne.0001764
http://genome.cshlp.org/content/20/9/1174.short

Ugo has published some really good research recently on Native Americans (and Europeans). In fact his work has contributed significantly to pushing the New World entry date back a few thousand years (~17,000 years ago) and his work strongly suggests they came in along the Pacific coast first. I am surprised given the quality of his papers that he isn't going back to a faculty position in Italy. I think Torroni would be very surprised by this. Is there any evidence that SMGF has been asked to stop working on Joseph Smith?

It seems that being "exiled" is a Sorenson thing. Scott Woodward (who heads up the SMGF) was booted out of BYU by Hinckley because of his research and moved off campus into the SMGF in SLC. His DNA research on Native Americans was too troublesome. Ugo blamed me for Scott's expulsion. At the time I first encountered the DNA research I corresponded with Scott. The Area President asked for a copy of my correspondence with Scott and I sent it to him. In the emails Scott (briefly) admitted to struggling with the DNA and that he had DNA tested about 6000 NA from Peru (98% were Asian). But he was always very supportive of the church and the Book of Mormon. There may have been something in those email that the Brethren didn't like so Hinckley took things into his own hands.

[_Simon Southerton]

I have an acquaintance who worked for Sorenson until recently. I e-mailed her your news. She replied and says she heard, before she left, that Perego was going to become a CES director in Italy, but she didn't think it was going to happen until early 2012.

Hi Carton,
Can you please email me at simon.southerton@csiro.au
Cheers

Simon

[_Dr. Shades]

The Area President asked for a copy of my correspondence with Scott and I sent it to him.

??? What on earth did you do that for?

Why didn't you just tell him to mind his own business?

[_Buffalo]

Bump

[_Doctor Scratch]

Are you bumping this as a way of asking me to comment, Buffalo? Well, I can tell you that I've now been told by either 3 or 4 separate people that Perego has indeed been sent off to Italy, though the reasons why have varies a bit. One of the people who contacted me described this as "going from being one of the world's foremost geneticists to being a seminary teacher."

I don't have proper access to the CES Web site, though perhaps someone with such "clearance" can log in and see if this is true?

[_Buffalo]

Are you bumping this as a way of asking me to comment, Buffalo? Well, I can tell you that I've now been told by either 3 or 4 separate people that Perego has indeed been sent off to Italy, though the reasons why have varies a bit. One of the people who contacted me described this as "going from being one of the world's foremost geneticists to being a seminary teacher."

I don't have proper access to the CES Web site, though perhaps someone with such "clearance" can log in and see if this is true?

Yes, I was just wondering if we know anything more about this. Thanks!

[_Simon Southerton]

The Area President asked for a copy of my correspondence with Scott and I sent it to him.

??? What on earth did you do that for?

Why didn't you just tell him to mind his own business?

This was in the first few weeks after I realized the truth about the Mormon Church back in 1998. I had been a "shepherd" (bishop) for a number of years, and naïvely thought that the leaders of the church would appreciate knowing the truth (getting a heads up) so that they could act appropriately.

[_Simon Southerton]

Yes, I was just wondering if we know anything more about this. Thanks!

Ugo Perego has recently authored a chapter in an apologetic book No Weapon Shall Prosper. This is an update of the apologetic article he wrote for FAIR a few years ago. So maybe he wants to do more apologetics. He could certainly write more stuff for FAIR from Italy.

I would suspect that he has wanted to return to Italy, and this was a great way to do that with a secure and well paid job. Back when I was in the church, a CES employee with a PhD was paid more than a scientist.

[_Kishkumen]

I would suspect that he has wanted to return to Italy, and this was a great way to do that with a secure and well paid job. Back when I was in the church, a CES employee with a PhD was paid more than a scientist.

Any Italian who has the prospects of secure employment in his home country right now has every reason to take the job. Fewer have such opportunities these days.

[_harmony]

An opportunity to live in Italy, with a well paying job?

Nice work!