The Popol Vuh And Mormon Studies,
2023
Brigham Young University
The Popol Vuh And Mormon Studies, Allen J. Christenson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Over the years, the Popol Vuh has received considerable attention among LDS scholars as the best source of authentic ancient American history and religion outside the Book of Mormon. The new translation of the Popul Vuh,1 complete with extensive introduction and the original Maya text in parallel columns, invites further comparison between this Mesoamerican source and LDS scriptures.
Nibley Fellows Secure Teaching Appointments,
2023
Brigham Young University
Nibley Fellows Secure Teaching Appointments
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
FARMS continues to sponsor a graduate fellowship program that awards financial aid to students pursuing advanced degrees in fields of special interest to FARMS. Named in honor of eminent Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh Nibley, the Nibley Fellowship is made possible by generous donations from individuals committed to fostering the next generation of faithful scholars who will contribute to the work of the Foundation. Three such rising scholars have accepted teaching appointments and are well on their way to fulfilling the expectations behind the Nibley Fellowship.
Herculaneum Project Exceeds Expectations,
2023
Brigham Young University
Herculaneum Project Exceeds Expectations
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In February 1999 INSIGHTS reported on a proposed FARMS project involving multispectral imaging (MSI) of carbonized scrolls excavated at Herculaneum, an ancient site near Naples, Italy. One month later, a FARMS team traveled to the Biblioteca Nazionale in Naples to conduct tests on the Herculaneum papyri to see if these fragile, deteriorating texts could be successfully imaged. The test images surpassed all expectations, and the FARMS Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (CPART) received permission to image the library’s collection of Herculaneum texts.
Full Issue,
2023
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Farms Welcomes New Director Of Publications,
2023
Brigham Young University
Farms Welcomes New Director Of Publications
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The FARMS Board of Trustees has appointed Alison V. P. Coutts as the new Director of Publications. She succeeds Melvin J. Thorne, who has accepted a position as associate professor in the Department of English at BYU.
Teraphim And The Urim And Thummim,
2023
Brigham Young University
Teraphim And The Urim And Thummim, Matthew Roper
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Biblical scholars have long puzzled over the nature and function of objects referred to as "teraphim" in the biblical record. A recent study of divination practices in the ancient Near East notes that the term "is of disputed derivation and uncertain meaning" and that in the biblical text it "does not consistently designate the same type of object." Yet evidence in Hosea 3:4 (8th century B.C.) suggests that, in the preexilic Israelite religion, the teraphim may once have been considered "a legitimate method" of divination until they were taken away from Israel during a period of discipline.
New Research On Hidden Books In Ancient Times,
2023
Brigham Young University
New Research On Hidden Books In Ancient Times
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In The Book of Mormon and Other Hidden Books: "Out of Darkness unto Light," a new book from FARMS, John A. Tvedtnes, associate director of research at FARMS, demonstrates how "various elements of the Book of Mormon story have antecedents in the ancient world that were not known to Joseph Smith or his contemporaries."
Early Christianity Initiative Launched,
2023
Brigham Young University
Early Christianity Initiative Launched
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Last March the FARMS Board of Trustees approved an effort to consolidate a number of research projects and to launch new ones, all of which deal with various aspects of the early formative period of Christianity. Known as the Early Christianity Initiative (ECI), this effort will enable scholars to coordinate work on texts of the New Testament, related ancient texts, and the history of early Christianity.
Full Issue,
2023
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
No abstract provided.
New Audiotapes On Temples, Dead Sea Scrolls,
2023
Brigham Young University
New Audiotapes On Temples, Dead Sea Scrolls
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The latest addition to FARMS' s Hugh Nibley Audiotape Signature Series, Temples Everywhere contains Nibley's address of the same title given last year at BYU's "Temples through the Ages" conference. Nibley explores temple worship in ancient times as the source for religious rites and beliefs seen in diverse cultures throughout history. He discusses how the temple was "the only solution to the one great problem that has ever haunted the human race, the problem of facing death." This address includes remarks on ancient Egyptian funerary lore, the prevalence of "creation-drama" rites worldwide, the rise of royal courts and rhetoric, the …
Traveling Scrolls Exhibit A Success,
2023
Brigham Young University
Traveling Scrolls Exhibit A Success
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Since February of this year, FARMS has been showing an exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls in LDS stake centers throughout the Midwest.
The Remnant Of Joseph,
2023
Brigham Young University
The Remnant Of Joseph, John A. Tvedtnes
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In a speech of encouragement to his troops, the Nephite chief captain Moroni spoke of his people as "a remnant of [the seed of] Joseph" who had been sold into Egypt by his brothers (Alma 46:23-24, 27). This phrase and variations of it appear elsewhere in the Book of Mormon as well (e.g., 3 Nephi 5:23; 10:17; 15:12; Ether 13:6-8, 10).
Early Study Of Fraudulent 'Michigan Relics' Available,
2023
Brigham Young University
Early Study Of Fraudulent 'Michigan Relics' Available
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Now available from FARMS is a reprint of Dr. James E. Talmage's 1911 report that goes a long way toward exposing the "Michigan relics" as forgeries. From 1874 through 1920, hundreds of archaeologically anomalous objects-including tablets, tools, weapons, vessels, and ornaments-bearing crudely rendered inscriptions were reportedly dug up from various sites near Detroit, Michigan. The inscriptions somewhat resembled characters from cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Greek, Hebrew, Assyrian, and Phoenician alphabets. Moreover, some of the objects contained pictographic representations that suggested ties to Hebraic peoples.
Redesigned Farms Review Of Books Released,
2023
Brigham Young University
Redesigned Farms Review Of Books Released
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Sporting a new cover design and format, the latest issue of the FARMS Review of Books (vol. 12, no. 1) looks at an array of recent books related to Mormon studies, biblical studies, and scripture study. In the editor's introduction, Daniel C. Peterson sets the record straight concerning a particularly infamous example of contemporary anti-Mormon rhetoric. His remarks set the stage for much of the nearly 500-page Review, which in addition to several positive book reviews, includes a thorough debunking of another anti-Mormon publication, the Counterfeit Gospel of Mormonism.
Full Issue,
2023
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
No abstract provided.
“Do Not Procrastinate The Day Of Your Repentance”,
2023
Brigham Young University
“Do Not Procrastinate The Day Of Your Repentance”, John A. Tvedtnes, Matthew P. Roper
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
One of the more frequently quoted yet misunderstood passages of the Book of Mormon is found in Alma 34:32–34, where Amulek declares that, "this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. . . . Do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can …
Farms Reference Service,
2023
Brigham Young University
Farms Reference Service
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
“Are there studies of ancient American ruins that will contribute to my understanding of the Book of Mormon?” “What is known about the Joseph Smith Papyri?” “How does the Sermon at the Temple in the Book of Mormon relate to the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament?”
Inverted Quotations In The Book Of Mormon,
2023
Brigham Young University
Inverted Quotations In The Book Of Mormon, David Bokovoy
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
When the Book of Mormon appeared in 1830, the Western world had only a limited knowledge of the impressive literary and editorial techniques utilized by ancient Semitic authors. Even today, many students of the Bible remain unaware of exciting discoveries by Israeli scholars whose work has appeared only in Hebrew.
Farms Welcomes New Board Members,
2023
Brigham Young University
Farms Welcomes New Board Members
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The Foundation is pleased to announce the appointments of Brigham Young University professors John F. Hall and Andrew C. Skinner to the FARMS Board of Trustees. Their formal training and experience in subject areas suited to the research interests of FARMS will be of great value to the board.
New Guide On The Joseph Smith Papyri,
2023
Brigham Young University
New Guide On The Joseph Smith Papyri
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Since their rediscovery in 1967, the Joseph Smith Papyri have been the target of conflicting and often confusing claims. New from FARMS, A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri, by Egyptologist and FARMS associate John Gee, is a full-color, reader-friendly guide that sets forth the basic facts and major theories about the papyri.
