Lou Midgley wrote:I have a different take on this. It was, I believe, two of the Brethren who wanted to have the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies owned by the Church and housed at BYU. Who could resist their invitation? I had a conversation with one of the Brethren who was, as have explained above, deeply concerned about some future figure(s) taking FARMS in the wrong direction. I don't think that he knew or cared about the property on the south side of the campus, or funds that had been donated to FARMS. Instead, he valued the scholarship that expanded the knowledge and understanding of the Saints, and that also responded well to our many critics.
The problem has been bureaucrats who don't know or care about defending the faith or increasing our understanding of our scriptures and history, or those with with a revisionist agenda, or the combination of the two. Interpreter has demonstrated that one does not need all that much money to accomplish good things, though publishing books is likely to result in a net loss. And it would be nice to have full-time professional copy editors, and so forth,
The real problem is that the BYU administration was not at all interested in rewarding those who contributed to the Maxwell Institute. Doing Mormon studies and defending the faith has regularly been punished by the BYU administration. Elder Maxwell, at a dinner one evening, told me, and my Department Chair, so that others could hear what was said, that I should keep on doing what I was doing even if "they" never gave me a salary increase. This apostolic admonition actually helped me a bit in my Department. Ralph Hancock has demonstrated in the essay in First Things that what we say is one thing, but what we do is quite different. It is not easy to go up against bureaucrats whose idea of a university is strictly secular. I see this as a source of some of the recent problems.
I suppose instead of shucking the whole of Mormonism off, I too could have just selectively explained my penchants by attaching steadfastly to dead GAs. If I swear, there's J Golden Kimball to latch onto for that. If I want to have sex with other men's wives, women other than to whom I am married, etc., obviously I can take my cues from JSJr on that one. If I want to drink alcohol, use tobacco and drink coffee--JSJr's good for that too--not to mention to justify any glass-looking for hire or being paid for pointing land owners to the spot where hidden Spanish treasures
willwon't be found. No tithing when BY was prophet, so he gets me out of that. Since no answer from god is answer, I have learned from DOM and SWK (re blacks and priesthood ban) that I just need to phrase questions in ways so that silence means the answer I want. Isn't it just marvelous to be able to pick and choose among the dead GAs for justification and guidance. Thant you, Lou, for showing us the way. When it comes to being a cafeteria Mormon, I like how you pick and choose, even among dead GAs, when ones to follow and which not.
Luv ya, man, you are such a welcome addition to this board. Happy New Year.