Symposium Will Focus On Isaiah,
2023
Brigham Young University
Symposium Will Focus On Isaiah
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Mark your calendars now for the 1995 Annual FARMS Symposium on the Book of Mormon, to be held on the BYU campus on May 20. Organized by Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch, the symposium will feature papers on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.
On The Right Or Left: Benjamin And The Scapegoat,
2023
Brigham Young University
On The Right Or Left: Benjamin And The Scapegoat, Terrence L. Szink, John W. Welch
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Over the years, scholars have found in King Benjamin's speech much that is at home in the ancient Israelite autumn festivals surrounding the Day of Atonement. An essential part of that day was the scapegoat ritual.
Dead Sea Scrolls Conference To Be Held In Jerusalem,
2023
Brigham Young University
Dead Sea Scrolls Conference To Be Held In Jerusalem
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
On April 30, members of the F.A.R.M.S.-BYU team that is developing the Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Database will formally introduce the first edition to a small group of Dead Sea Scroll scholars and Israeli government officials and museum curators at a private conference at the BYU Jerusalem Center. In addition to a first look at the database, the conference will feature papers presented by scholars working with the scrolls, including Emanuel Tov, Frank Moore Cross, Eugene Ulrich, and Florentino Garcia Martinez. A public conference on the database will be held in Provo in 1996.
Journal Presents Another Interdisciplinary Look At The Book Of Mormon,
2023
Brigham Young University
Journal Presents Another Interdisciplinary Look At The Book Of Mormon
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The fall issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, now available on the enclosed order form, features articles that examine the Book of Mormon in terms of theology, chronology, textual analysis, Jewish customs, and even engineering principles. Articles include the following.
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 A New Editor,
2023
Brigham Young University
Farms Welcomes A New Editor
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Donald L. Brugger joined the FARMS editorial team in November as Editor. A native of southern California, Don received a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Journalism from Utah State University in 1984. He joined the Church while at USU, then served a mission in Argentina after graduating. He later taught high school English before receiving a master's degree in American Literature from BYU. After working for two years at Deseret Book, Don spent the past five years editing for the Ensign magazine.
New Law Governs Stock Donations,
2023
Brigham Young University
New Law Governs Stock Donations
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The new "Business Act" has created a new opportunity for persons looking for tax deduction opportunities. Donors have until 31 May 1997 to take advantage of an expanded tax deduction (based on market value rather than cost) for contributions of publicly held stock to private foundations like FARMS. There are limits, of course. Consult a competent professional for more information and for answers to specific questions.
Reprint Clarifies Issues On Geographies Focused On New York,
2023
Brigham Young University
Reprint Clarifies Issues On Geographies Focused On New York
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
A new FARMS Reprint makes available portions of three publications from the 1980s that retain their value for providing insights into Book of Mormon geography. In "A Key for Evaluating Nephite Geographies," reprinted from the first issue (1989) of the Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, John Clark elucidates what the Book of Mormon itself says that can be used to construct a basic framework for a Book of Mormon geography. He focuses especially on those references that give relative distances or directions between various locations. The resulting framework provides an excellent test for proposed geographies.
Denver Stakes Host Symposium On Book Of Mormon,
2023
Brigham Young University
Denver Stakes Host Symposium On Book Of Mormon
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In an effort to spark interest in the Book of Mormon and to increase missionary endeavors, the Denver Stake sponsored a three-day Book of Mormon Symposium in September, ending on September 22 to commemorate the anniversary of the date Joseph Smith received the gold plates from the angel Moroni to begin the translation of the Book of Mormon.
Language Shifts Provide Evidence,
2023
Brigham Young University
Language Shifts Provide Evidence
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
In a recently published article, "Dating the Book of Mormon to Pre-exilic Language Structure," Angela M. Crowell reports her findings from a study of language patterns. Crowell bases her findings on recent research about Classical Biblical Hebrew and Late Biblical Hebrew, the languages of Judah before and after the Babylonian exile in 586 B.C. Scholars have identified the books of Samuel and Kings as classic examples of preexilic writing. Because much of the same historical account is given in postexilic Chronicles, they can observe the change in language patterns and terminology that took place during the exile.
Brown Bags Shine Light On Nephite Culture And History,
2023
Brigham Young University
Brown Bags Shine Light On Nephite Culture And History
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
On 27 September, Professor Ninian Smart, an internationally recognized scholar of comparative religion and philosophy of religion from the University of California, Santa Barbara, visited Utah Valley to give a keynote address at a conference held at a nearby college. During his visit, Professor Smart met with FARMS Brown Bag attendees to discuss his experiences in the field of religious studies. He pointed out that it is increasingly a multidisciplinary field that makes greater demands on those who study it. In particular he discussed the need for scholars in religious studies to gain an empathetic perspective on the subject they …
Call For Papers,
2023
Brigham Young University
Call For Papers
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Proposals for papers are being sought for the 1997 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium (Fall Semester), sponsored by BYU Religious Education. This year's theme will be "Voices of the Prophets: The Old Testament."
Terms For Ancient Places,
2023
Brigham Young University
Terms For Ancient Places
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The terminology that we use to refer to long lost lands and cultures can be confusing. For example, the October FARMS Update (number 108) referred to Mesopotamia in the cultural sense rather than in a geographic sense - ancient Ebla was at various times within the cultural sphere of Mesopotamia but is not part of the geographic area usually referred to as Mesopotamia. Even the geographic sense is ambiguous; some reputable reference works (perhaps the majority) use Mesopotamia to refer to the fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, while others extend the area considered to be part of …
Nibley Fellowships Awarded,
2023
Brigham Young University
Nibley Fellowships Awarded
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The Nibley Fellowship awards support graduate students working in accredited programs throughout the world who are studying in areas of particular interest to FARMS. In addition to support for three of last year's recipients, this years' awards will help six new fellows.
New Technology And Ancient Questions,
2023
Brigham Young University
New Technology And Ancient Questions, John L. Sorenson
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The potential of advanced scientific techniques for giving us new information about ancient history has sometimes been overhyped, yet real advantages are becoming apparent. Interestingly, however, the findings are more likely to produce fascinating and useful new questions than to settle old ones neatly.
New Center Created To Preserve Ancient Religious Texts,
2023
Brigham Young University
New Center Created To Preserve Ancient Religious Texts
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
The well-publicized Dead Sea Scrolls project that FARMS is jointly pursuing with BYU (to produce a CD-ROM containing translations, transcriptions, and digital images of the scrolls) continues to progress well. In addition to the contribution to · scroll scholarship that this project has allowed FARMS to make, it has taught the Foundation some important things about the creation of such databases that will benefit the eventual creation of a FARMS Book of Mormon database. And it has attracted the attention of people and organizations that want to preserve other ancient writings. FARMS is now assisting in the digital storing of …
Farms Grant Will Support Excavation In Guatemala,
2023
Brigham Young University
Farms Grant Will Support Excavation In Guatemala
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
FARMS has joined three other foundations in making a grant to support the excavation of an ancient Maya city, Piedras Negras, located on the banks of the Usumacinta River in Guatemala. The FARMS grant will allow the excavation team, led by Stephen Houston (Brigham Young University) and Hector Escobedo (San Carlos University), to extend their work into the southern sector of the site, where they hope to unearth portions of an early temple summit, a palace, and a ritual purification building to learn more about urban life in an early Mesoamerican city.
Full Issue,
2023
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Farms Lecture Series On Prophets Concludes,
2023
Brigham Young University
Farms Lecture Series On Prophets Concludes
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Lectures on Mormon and Moroni and a summary lecture complete the series focusing on The Prophets of the Book of Mormon and Their Messages (see the order form).
Scholars Reminds Us That Caution Is Wisdom,
2023
Brigham Young University
Scholars Reminds Us That Caution Is Wisdom
Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
As FARMS-sponsored research extends further into the realm of archaeology-such as our exploration of the Arabian Peninsula and our participation in projects at Bonampak, Qumran, and Izapa - some may wonder whether we will ever have "irrefutable physical proof" of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
