Digital Commons Network^™

Meet Farms

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Three men are lounging around a table. All of them are relaxed. All of them smile a lot. The talk is nonstop. And they all fairly bristle with energy.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Manager's Report

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, federal tax identification number 95-3442860, was incorporated in 1979 . In July 1981, its newsletter circulation was 850; currently over 3,000 newsletters are mailed to 43 states and 17 foreign countries. To date, over 4,000 Reprints and Preliminary Reports have been distributed. Recent asset acquisitions include a multilith offset press . Last fiscal year 46 people made financial contributions to FARMS; this year 204 people have contributed. FARMS has four part-time employees.

Preliminary Reports

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

One of the Preliminary Reports offered with this issue is an examination of "International Relations and Treaties in the Book of Mormon'' by Mark Davis and Brent Israelsen. Their purpose is to identify ''principles of the law of nations'' in the Book of Mormon.

Reprints

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

One of the papers offered in this issues' Reprint Series is "Pre-Columbian Old World Coins in America: An Examination of the Evidence, '' by Jeremiah F. Epstein (Current Anthropology 21 [Feb. 1980]: 1-20). Epstein surveys the field of Old World coins dating to pre-Columbian times that have been found in the United States, particularly within the last three decades, to determine how seriously such items should be taken. If valid, the existence of such coins would obviously be a powerful argument for diffusionists.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Nibley Temple Essay Reprinted

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

FARMS has reprinted (from volume 4 of the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley) an influential article by Nibley on the temple of ancient Israel, entitled "What Is a Temple?" The subheadings in the text give a sense of its content and emphases.

Paul's Detention Site In Israel Believed Found

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Reuters reports that archaeologists in Israel have uncovered a Roman governmental complex in Caesarea where they believe Paul was held in detention. In Acts 23-26 we read that Paul was kept in Herod's judgment hall in Caesarea, where he faced in turn Felix, Festus, and Agrippa and where he appealed to be sent before Caesar's judgment seat in Rome. An inscription found in the site indicates that the complex housed the government bureau responsible for internal security for Judea, making this complex the likely spot for Paul's incarceration and hearing before the Roman governor.

Several Significant Historical And Anthropological Essays Of John Sorenson Gathered In Two New Volumes

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Nearly two dozen essays by John L. Sorenson, professor emeritus of anthropology at Brigham Young University, have been conveniently gathered into two paperback volumes by a Salt Lake publisher, New Sage Books. Some of these essays will be familiar to FARMS readers, but many will be new. Both collections can be obtained at a discount from FARMS using the enclosed order form.

Open Liver Open Lung: Elaborate Expressions In White Hmong, Luke Walker Packer

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a description of four-word elaborate expressions in White Hmong, a Hmong-Mienh language spoken in the northern mountains of Southeast Asia. The goal of this work is to describe the behavior, characteristics, and functions of the expressions using data from the White Hmong-English Dictionary (Heimbach 1980). A native speaker helped find 318 examples of elaborate expressions in the dictionary. Elaborate expressions have previously been described as "a balanced group of four words in which the first and third element, and the second and fourth element, are either identical to each other or share a common meaning and often …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Masterful Scholarly Tool Is Updated And Improved

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The definitive bibliography in the field of transoceanic crossings, John L. Sorenson's and Martin H. Raish' s Pre-Columbian Contact with the Americas across the Oceans: An Annotated Bibliography, has been revised, expanded, and made more useful for researchers. More than 40% of the 5000 entries are new in this second edition. A new detailed index of 1400 terms makes the bibliography even easier to use.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Correction

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In the February issue of Insights we made an error in describing President Merrill J. Bateman's address at the FARMS banquet, for which we apologize. President Bateman spoke about the pattern of revelatory procedures required when a new dispensation must be established; as part of this pattern, "angels, often from earlier dispensations, transmit priesthood keys to move the Lord's work forward .... The Book of Mormon also has much to say about the role of the Holy Ghost in enabling this pattern to unfold" (p. 1). In the paragraphs that follow President Bateman discusses how the Holy Ghost affects these …

Scholars To Discuss Civilizations

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

From 7 to 11 May 1997 the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations will hold their twenty-sixth annual meeting at Brigham Young University. The conference includes forty-nine sessions and will feature presenters from colleges and universities throughout the world.

Application Deadline Announced

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Each year FARMS grants fellowships to promising graduate students who are working in fields of interest to FARMS, in the name of Hugh Nibley. Interested students should submit transcripts, curriculum vitae, and letters of recommendation to M. Gerald Bradford at the FARMS office. The deadline for applying for awards for the 1997-98 academic year is 1 June 1997.

Farms Brown Bag Lectures Continue To Enlighten

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Joseph Smith challenged the Saints to find connections between our world and the world of the Egyptians. In a FARMS Brown Bag lecture on 6 November 1996, Michael D. Rhodes and Michael P. Lyon reported on their attempts to aid us in achieving that goal by gathering and cataloging copies of as many of the world's existing hypocephali as possible into a reference work that will assist both LDS and non-LDS scholars in their research of ancient Egyptian studies. A hypocephalus is a circular Egyptian document placed under the head of a deceased person at burial to guide the person's …

Review Looks At Old And New Subjects

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The most recent issue of the FARMS Review of Books examines books that attempt to promote the faith of Latter-day Saints in the Book of Mormon and presents lively critiques of books that attempt to destroy that faith. It reviews books on several aspects of scripture studies, particularly Book of Mormon geography. This issue reviews Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews and gives more commentary on the B. H. Roberts question. It also reviews a selection of internet pages that discuss Mormonism, a novel based on the Book of Mormon, and reflections on the Book of Mormon by a well …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Lectures Spotlight New Research

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Since the beginning of the year, nine FARMS brown bag lectures have kept attendees abreast of new developments in ancient research.

The "Lamb Of God" In Pre-Christian Texts, John W. Welch

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

One of Nephi's favorite titles for Jesus Christ was "the Lamb of God." Forty-four references to "the Lamb" appear in Nephi's vision in 1 Nephi 11-14 alone. Aside from the Latter-day Saint understanding of a similar reference in Moses 7:47 and perhaps Isaiah 53:7, what evidence supports the Old World origins of this terminology?

Qosqo: A Documentary Approach To The Preservation Of Andean Culture, Emma Volz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis and creative project aspire to follow the well-worn path of documentary filmmaking. The written portion of this thesis includes background information on Incan history and the Southern Andean language of Quechua that informed and developed into my film, Qosqo. The short documentary is a hybrid between traditional and experimental non-fiction filmmaking, exploring Cusco, Peru’s spirituality through the sage perspective of a native Cusqueñan woman, Norma Sanchez de Incaroca.

The film is a personal reflection of Norma’s experience with the Quechua language, a historically marginalized and currently endangered language. Her reflections are framed within the context of Cusco’s complex …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Byu Symposium Honors Renowned Lds Scholar

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Scholars who contributed to the newly released FARMS book Mormons, Scripture, and the Ancient World: Studies in Honor of John L. Sorenson presented their papers at a symposium held at Brigham Young University on 21 March 1998. Sponsored by the BYU Department of Anthropology and FARMS, the half-day event featured seven LDS scholars who summarized their recent research and then responded to questions from the audience.

New Volume Of Research Honors John L. Sorenson

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

To many, John L. Sorenson is best known for his research on the lands and cultures of Book of Mormon peoples, the topic of his 1985 book, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, and the focus of his most recent book, Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (see article on page 1). A highly trained anthropologist, Sorenson has often broken new ground in other areas of his discipline as well, such as his penetrating empirical studies of Mormon culture. Aside from teaching courses in anthropology and archaeology at BYU for many years, Sorenson …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Book Donations Enhance Farms Research Library

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The LDS Church Translation Department has donated a collection of books and journals to FARMS. Tod Harris, manager of the department, delivered the 163 books and periodicals, including such works as Vetus Testamentum, Novum Testamentum, Novum Testamentum Supplements, Studies in the History of Religions, Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity, and The Chicago Assyrian Dictionary. Several of these items will be of immediate value in FARMS research projects currently under way.

Brown Bags Continue To Inform

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The FARMS Brown Bag Lectures are an ongoing series intended to update BYU faculty, staff, and students and interested members of the community on the progress of Book of Mormon research.

Papers In Honor Of John L. Sorenson To Be Presented At March Farms Conference

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

On 21 March 1998, a conference will be held at Brigham Young University featuring several papers that will be included in a forthcoming Festschrift in honor of BYU's emeritus professor John L. Sorenson. The event, "Mormons, Scripture, and the Ancient World," is cosponsored by FARMS and BYU's Department of Anthropology. It will begin at 8:30 a.m. in room 151 of the Tanner Building on the BYU campus. It is free and open to the public.

New Farms Release-Isaiah In The Book Of Mormon

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The richness and depth of Isaiah's teachings are often seen as barriers to understanding his words. Scholars devote their entire careers to the study of Isaiah's writings and never run low on questions to answer, interpretations to ponder, or teachings to explore and expound on. It is widely felt that the Isaiah passages quoted by Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi, and the resurrected Lord are the most difficult sections of the Book of Mormon to understand. Isaiah was commanded by the Lord to speak in such a way that his rebellious audience would "hear...but understand not" and would "see...but perceive not …