Why Byu And The Maxwell Institute Are In Serious, Serious Trouble

[David Bokovoy]

The recent firing of Daniel Peterson as editor of the Review of Mormon Studies has been the subject of considerable attention. While almost everyone in Mormon studies has expressed concern over the way that this change was handled, several younger LDS scholars have shared their excitement over the announcement that with this move, BYU’s Maxwell Institute is seeking to increase its academic significance. In terms of the firing of Dr. Peterson, the Institute’s website states:

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is continually striving to align its work with the academy's highest objectives and standards, as befits an organized research unit at Brigham Young University. Our areas of endeavor include the study of LDS scripture and other religious texts and related fields of religious scholarship, including the burgeoning field of Mormon studies.

While I hate to be a pessimist, and certainly support the sentiment expressed in this declaration, I believe that the loss of Dr. Peterson will actually bring greater challenges to accomplish this goal than many have realized.

Losing Dr. Peterson will come with a heavy price. Dr. Peterson is responsible for contributing some of the most interesting observations on the Book of Mormon that the Maxwell Institute has published, including articles that explore possible Book of Mormon allusions to the Northwest Semitic goddess Asherah, as well as issues connected with Nephite kingship and authority.
  Edited March 3, 2014 by David Bokovoy

[CASteinman]

Wow. I was expecting to disagree with this. ActualIy only disagree wtih the title. I do not think BYU is in any sort of trouble because of this.

But MI? That's different. And it is a shame because I loved Neal Maxwell and was so pleased his name was associated with this.

[Matthew J. Tandy]

David,

An excellent, albeit troubling point. Well written.

I have no idea where it will go from here. The reality is that the sacking of Dan and others will act as a warning against LDS students currently seeking or pondering seeking a degree in biblical studies for fear of reprisal within if they apply it to their faith. I am curious how all of this is playing out with students at BYU in the ANES program.

[volgadon]

Not to put too fine a point on it, I've always thought the Ancient Scriptures discipline at BYU was a joke, sort of shorthand for insular, presentist and fundamentalist readings. Obscurantism really isn't my cuppa, so this is depressing beyond words.

Edited March 3, 2014 by volgadon

[David Bokovoy]

David,

An excellent, albeit troubling point. Well written.

I have no idea where it will go from here. The reality is that the sacking of Dan and others will act as a warning against LDS students currently seeking or pondering seeking a degree in biblical studies for fear of reprisal within if they apply it to their faith. I am curious how all of this is playing out with students at BYU in the ANES program.

Matt, I was warned against pursuing a degree in Hebrew Bible by BYU Religion instructors, and encouraged instead to pursue a degree in an ancillary subject. I will not address publicly my own experiences with the department, but I would strongly advise LDS students who may have an interest in teaching at BYU to take this advice very seriously.

Edited June 27, 2012 by David Bokovoy

[David T]

Recently, when BYU Religious Education professors such as David Seeley and Dana Pike in the Deseret Book publication Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament even made mention of the fact that most biblical scholars believe that Moses did not write the Pentateuch and that it is comprised of separate sources, these scholars were called into the Dean’s office and corrected for possibly destroying faith.

This, actually, is the most disturbing thing in the entire post.

[SeattleGhostWriter]

I had a friend that had challenged my faith in the LDS Church many years ago. He and I would debate the Bible. I did not know much about the Bible, Apologetics or anything back then. It was just a one time meeting. Yet, when I left the Church, we had crossed paths and I began learning from him. We would study the Bible together and share with one another our discoveries and debates. This was when CARM was vastly different than it is today. Slowly though, as I grew more and more in understanding the Old and New Testament and the subtle and not so subtle contradictions, inconsistencies, the divine counsel, et al., I still held onto the belief that I knew there is a Heavenly Father. However, he became more and more antagonistic toward religion, God, and now is a hardcore atheist. He got caught up in reading Farrel Till. Some here may know him from CARM as Skepticbud.

Well, today, I am grateful for those times of studying and growing to know and understand the Old and New Testament scriptures. I see them in a different light and understand that while they are Scriptures and we can learn from them, they are still written by men, and that we do not have the originals, so we have the best assessment that we could have on what they say.

What am I saying here? Those who learn the true nature of the Bible do experience a sense of "shaken faith" syndrome. Much like hearing about the real history of how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Others that our Critics twist and misrepresent to various degrees. However, it is like my loving wife keeps telling me - how does it affect your own personal salvation and living for Christ? It should not affect it at all and that is the problem, people build up their faith on objects and intellect and not on the sure foundation.

[Kerry A. Shirts]

See? I toldja all I knew whereof I was speaking when I said students get discouraged from studying and teaching Old Testament........ I am sincerely sorry it's this way also. Crimany man, it just doesn't have to be so FEAR based from the church. If the church really has the Spirit to guide us, then who is to say those students looking into the Old Testament are NOT being guided? Buy BYU thinks it knows best. I honest to luvin goodness am seriously sitting on my hands here from really letting it rip about how I feel and other folks who have given me insider information on how things are REALLY happenin behind the scenes, but I have promised, so I will refrain, but this is but ONE example of quite a few I am aware of. This is why our church is literally 20 years behind the times in scholarship and understanding of the Bible alone, not to mention so much else. I'm sorry to be the one ta tell ya'all, but man the paranoia of fear and dread of the philosophies of men mingled with scripture and other silliness has just GOT TO DISAPPEAR! And, I don't know the solution. I can tell you though, from my exposure to the Biblical languages I have had thus far, I can absolutely certainly see that the Bible is a different animal than I have been taught. Careful selection of the few pictures and scriptures and contexts that have been picked through the years and repeated and repeated are simply NOT the story or meaning of the Bible. Oh we have some bright spots in LDS scholarship, make no mistake about it, but overall.....without any meanness or judgment, even though that is what I, unfortunately am doing here, the scholarship out of the MI would be A, while the rest of whatever religious studies has happened at BYU is a grade of D. The faith promoting has backfired for one very serious reason........ the faith promoting approach has backfired for ONE VERY IMPORTANT REASON............ a VERY *******IMPORTANT******** REASON I'm telling you.......the Internet. Now full access to the most astonishing amounts of information is had at the mere push of a button. Control over information is being RAPIDLY lost to absolutely ALL people as the computers and net grow. There is no longer any special privaleged information for only the upper cognescenti. Now we ALL get the much broader and fuller skinny, and if all the churchs of the earth combined to try and keep it secret, it ain't happenin now man. Sooooooooooo, we have to go FULL GUNS as a church into the intellectual....... NOW we are beginning to fathom and see the seriously high price of faith promoting at the expense of genuine and serious knowledge. And it's only just begun man...... I promise, I am not simply typing sour grapes here......... Bokovoy and others I am aware of are the victims of the SYMPTOM of the problem, NOT the problem itself ........

Edited June 27, 2012 by Kerry A. Shirts

[Avatar4321]

I may not be familiar with all the details going on in all this. But what exactly is the problem with Scholarship? More so, how does firing Dr. Peterson cause more of it, because Ive read his books. Ive never seen him lack with scholarship.

And why on earth would we not want to study the scriptures in their original languages?

I dont understand all this. which is hard to admit since I usually do. I think my mind is going at my old age and im not that old yet!

[volgadon]

One of the main reasons why I have no desire to attend BYU. A mime, as Prince John said, is a terrible thing to waste.

Edited March 3, 2014 by volgadon

[Kerry A. Shirts]

I may not be familiar with all the details going on in all this. But what exactly is the problem with Scholarship? More so, how does firing Dr. Peterson cause more of it, because Ive read his books. Ive never seen him lack with scholarship.

And why on earth would we not want to study the scriptures in their original languages?

I dont understand all this. which is hard to admit since I usually do. I think my mind is going at my old age and im not that old yet!

Nothing is the matter with scholarship. The matter is the lack of it from our church. We do not pursue knowledge near as intently, interestingly, nor write about it near as powerful or well or thorough as the Bible scholars do. Now like I say there are exceptions to this in LDS scholarship, I assure you, but overall? The Religious joint at BYU that is not the Maxwell Institute is STILL quoting the WRONG people who were not in the know in their day, and certainly completely outdated nowadays......if you are going to force me to mention names, I will, but with this serious intent of NOT trying to insult or defame or criticize of brethren in ANY manner, and DAMMIT I mean it, cause I get so sick of being told I am apostatizing and going afield and losing my testimony and the Spirit of God is grieved in me and Satan laughs with delight to see how he has so successfully dragged down one of Saturday's Warriors, and ad nauseum sickening ridiculous STUPID reasoning and reasons. How's that for a rant eh? Quoting Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie AS IF they represent good Bible scholarship. They don't. They never did, they NEVER will. Man we have an enormous amount of growing up and getting serious to do and broadening our base of knowledge beyond anything we have ever done as a church, and we better get with it NOW and FAST.

[CASteinman]

What am I saying here? Those who learn the true nature of the Bible do experience a sense of "shaken faith" syndrome. Much like hearing about the real history of how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. Others that our Critics twist and misrepresent to various degrees. However, it is like my loving wife keeps telling me - how does it affect your own personal salvation and living for Christ? It should not affect it at all and that is the problem, people build up their faith on objects and intellect and not on the sure foundation.

Your last paragraph sets up such a resonating frequency with me that I must at the very least say "good job". You have so very well come to the heart of things. We should be careful as we study scriptures, not to worship the scriptures or place them on the throne, but rather recognize Who is really on the Throne and invites us to join Him.

Not so long ago, I watch as a young man -- a sincere and honest and smart young man began his journey into studying Greek and Hebrew to understand his precious Bible. I observed that although he considered himself a person of God that he was actually more of a Bibliolater. Of course, I did not share this view with him as he would have taken offense but I tried repeatedly to subtly warn him that the Bible is not God and does not have to be perfect -- that if he retained his insistence on its glory, he would be hurt. He insisted he was too strong for that.

But I watched him tear up all that he believed over the course of a year and eventually gave up just about everything, became an enemy of religion -- and the only thing that separates him from a harsh and bitter atheist is that he believes that there is probably a creator -- a creator who evidently does not think or care about us though.

He is not the only person I have seen do this, but it was the first time that I saw the end from the beginning.

Faith is the First Principle of the Gospel. And it seems so basic and "obvious" that it can even be boring to some people.

But in my mind, it is First because everything else (except perhaps Hope) rests upon it. Being such a bedrock of our spiritual lives, it is the thing that can be the source of strength but is also the very thing that our common enemy will attack most relentlessly by every tool.

I am sorry for your friend. Remember though that in his anti-Christ and anti-God rants, there is still a child of God who wants to believe and is only angry that no one has been able to help him get there through his crisis. That may not reduce his sin in the eyes of God, but it will help us to be tolerant and even reach out from time to time.

[kolipoki09]

I was excited when the FARMS Review was changed to the Mormon Studies Review. As something of a follower of Mormon studies, I thought the change in name better-reflected the direction the Maxwell Institute had taken in the last few years. It was, at least in theory, a formal publication for the discussion of "all things Mormon," rather than being exclusively about reviews of books about the Book of Mormon. I never imagined that change would lead to an all-out dismissal of apologetic-oriented publications. And I still fail to see how the MSR's recent changes will set it apart from at least six other academic journals publishing on virtually the same topic. Perhaps it may end up more "correlated" and more fundamentalist/conservative. If left in the hands of non-specialized scholars, I suppose it will produce something more suitable for the "Devotional" section at Deseret Book.

I'd also like to know who the up-and-coming scholars are that will move the MSR into the "academic mainstream."

[CASteinman]

See? I toldja all I knew whereof I was speaking when I said students get discouraged from studying and teaching Old Testament........

Anecdotes are only really meaningful to the people who experienced them -- and those who want to believe that they apply generally.

I was discouraged from many different fields of study.

It did not mean any institutional bias against those fields. In some cases it meant that some people I knew had biases. But that is all.

Making claims such as yours is somewhat no different than the claims anti-Mormons make where they take some weird instance and blow it up.

Edited June 27, 2012 by CASteinman

[why me]

David,

An excellent, albeit troubling point. Well written.

I have no idea where it will go from here. The reality is that the sacking of Dan and others will act as a warning against LDS students currently seeking or pondering seeking a degree in biblical studies for fear of reprisal within if they apply it to their faith. I am curious how all of this is playing out with students at BYU in the ANES program.

Not only does it give a warning but it also sent a message that when an individual will be dismissed it could be by email or even text messaged that the person no longer has a job. Also, when posting anything on the internet, the future employees will be tempted to use a different screen name or have fear to post anything that may get them noticed in a negative way.

Dan's firing was also about censorship and putting some fear into anyone who may wish to defend the church.

[SeattleGhostWriter]

Don't get me wrong, I understand not teaching 14-15 year olds the Documentary Hypothesis and that the Red Sea is debated and most likely a mistranslation of the Reed Sea. However, as one matures in their studies, they should come away with a more objective sound reason about the scriptures. This is why many evangelical Christians who go to school to study the Bible and Textual Criticism come out atheists and that maybe the fear behind not really divulging the entire truths. However, it does cause more damage than just simply speaking the truth in a manner that still allows the spirit to help a person learn and grow.

[volgadon]

This isn't about politics, it is a very apt image. The caption reads "KNOWLEDGE bursts the chains of slavery."

[why me]

I may not be familiar with all the details going on in all this. But what exactly is the problem with Scholarship? More so, how does firing Dr. Peterson cause more of it, because Ive read his books. Ive never seen him lack with scholarship.

I dont understand all this. which is hard to admit since I usually do. I think my mind is going at my old age and im not that old yet!

I think that Dan's firing had much to do with his internet posting and not with his scholarship. He was a good defender of the faith but perhaps not to the liking of other people who may have been over him. But his scholarship will continue in other venues.

[Kerry A. Shirts]

Don't get me wrong, I understand not teaching 14-15 year olds the Documentary Hypothesis and that the Red Sea is debated and most likely a mistranslation of the Reed Sea. However, as one matures in their studies, they should come away with a more objective sound reason about the scriptures. This is why many evangelical Christians who go to school to study the Bible and Textual Criticism come out atheists and that maybe the fear behind not really divulging the entire truths. However, it does cause more damage than just simply speaking the truth in a manner that still allows the spirit to help a person learn and grow.

WHY? Crimany the Jews teach all that to their children........ by the time their children are 17 they are perfectly fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, English, Greek, and what have you. Like I say, we are a thoroughly mentally lazy people........and our church has not been helping, but rather truly discouraging.....and the really REALLY ***ODD*** thing about it is, Joseph Smith SHOWED US THE WAY, and we completely IGNORE it. and it's been complained about, and we continue to IGNORE it. So, we get what we reap.......since we reap fluff, we end up fluffy minded. Oh we know WHAT to think, but of course, they won't miss a moment to tell us WHAT to think......but we now need to learn HOW to think. The time for HOW is NOW.

[Kerry A. Shirts]

Anecdotes are only really meaningful to the people who experienced them -- and those who want to believe that they apply generally.

I was discouraged from many different fields of study.

It did not mean any institutional bias against those fields. In some cases it meant that some people I knew had biases. But that is all.

Making claims such as yours is somewhat no different than the claims anti-Mormons make where they take some weird instance and blow it up.

I understand entirely. I have tried to say that our LDS students are getting DISCOURAGED from the teachers and scholars and church itself from learning the languages of the Bible, and its INTERNAL, and.......well.........Good ole Brother Bokovoy was the one I had recently been told about, among others, and now here he is.......... soooooooo......... well.......... can I sit by in silence? Unfortunately no.

[CASteinman]

How's that for a rant eh? Quoting Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie AS IF they represent good Bible scholarship. They don't. They never did, they NEVER will.

As rants go.. it meets all the criteria. Emotional. Swearing. No logical case. And even statements like this that I quote which do not show credible insight into the very words upon which the "rant" may rest -- in this case the concept of "Scholarship".

Excellent job at that!

[why me]

If left in the hands of non-specialized scholars, I suppose it will produce something more suitable for the "Devotional" section at Deseret Book.

And the critics will love it. They are already getting ready to make claims of whitewashing and hiding the truth. They are anxiously sitting on their hands, waiting to hit the keyboard. This is one reason why they are so happy that Dan is out of the picture.

[CASteinman]

Dan's firing was also about censorship and putting some fear into anyone who may wish to defend the church.

Hmmm.. how so? I did not read THAT into the whole thing. Looks more to me like a bit of a power struggle in several different forms, but not censorship.

[why me]

I understand entirely. I have tried to say that our LDS students are getting DISCOURAGED from the teachers and scholars and church itself from learning the languages of the Bible, and its INTERNAL, and.......well.........Good ole Brother Bokovoy was the one I had recently been told about, among others, and now here he is.......... soooooooo......... well.......... can I sit by in silence? Unfortunately no.

And there is no reason why you should be silent. You have an interesting take on it and it causes people to question and to think there way through a process.

[volgadon]

WHY? Crimany the Jews teach all that to their children........ by the time their children are 17 they are perfectly fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, English, Greek, and what have you. Like I say, we are a thoroughly mentally lazy people........and our church has not been helping, but rather truly discouraging.....and the really REALLY ***ODD*** thing about it is, Joseph Smith SHOWED US THE WAY, and we completely IGNORE it. and it's been complained about, and we continue to IGNORE it. So, we get what we reap.......since we reap fluff, we end up fluffy minded. Oh we know WHAT to think, but of course, they won't miss a moment to tell us WHAT to think......but we now need to learn HOW to think. The time for HOW is NOW.

Not Greek, and I wouldn't say they are fluent in Aramaic unless they go to a yeshivah where you can't study the legal niceties of the talmud without knowing Aramaic. Very few yeshivot actually provide secular studies, if anything, they are more insular than the CES. Their outlook on life is

chadash assur min hatorah: the Torah forbids innovation.