daniel c. peterson

This blog will not always have posts about temple studies, I admit, as there are other things that are at work today, about which I feel I must write a little.  They keep in the same genre of sustaining and defending the Church and its members.

Over the past few days I’ve never heard so much negative criticism of the Maxwell Institute and FARMS, in the various venues online.  You’d think BYU had been harboring a criminal all these years.  Even Mormon apologetics in general is now taboo, unfit for the Church, a view which even some members are advocating.  The fad of the week is to say that “FARMS-style” apologetics is hurting the Church, is damaging to members, destroying their faith, is a losing affair, and does nobody any good, and that’s why its remaining vestiges were finally eradicated, wholly and completely from BYU.  Even the Brethren must be against apologetics and the apologists to allow, nay, to cause, nay, to be the force behind, nay, to have directly requested what happened at the Maxwell Institute last week.  Ousting Dan Peterson and stopping the work of “FARMS” must have been the goal of BYU and the Church all along.  It’s so clear now in hindsight.  The very first moderated comment on my last post?  “FARMS was an embarrassment.”

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.  They even go so far as to determinedly conclude that it is Mormon apologetics, in fact, that is having a negative influence on the Church, which you’ll notice is completely backwards from its true meaning and purpose.  Indeed, they are saying that the defenders are now essentially those doing the damage, which is almost comical in its twistedness. [Read more…]