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I felt that this was an excellent article: simple, concise and demonstrably germane to the topic. Included within the topic was a short excursion into the reason why such investigative research has bearing upon the church today. I’m especially appreciative of the co-authors for their continuing research and expertise. Stephen Ricks, John Gee, Paul Hoskisson and Robert Smith have all done an outstandingly great job in pushing the envelope in Latter-day Saint apologetic research. In fact, there are times when I wonder if it weren’t for them, if there would be any apologetics forthcoming from anyone associated with the Maxwell Institute at BYU.
As I’ve noted before, the old FARMS and the old Neal A. Maxwell Institute at BYU were truly and genuinely apologetic in nature, with valuable contributions to the formal application of apologetics towards the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Since the expulsion of Dr. Daniel Peterson and others from the Institute and the subtle shifting from apologetics to liberal arts, the new Neal A. Maxwell Institute just hasn’t carried the same cachet as it once did for me. That being said, I am grateful that Stephen Ricks and others associated with the new Neal A. Maxwell Institute continue on in the original vein of the original organization. Their work is truly important and valuable, but I lament the fact that their ability to publish directly as apologists has been somewhat thwarted for whatever reason by some sort of subterfuge currently exhibited at BYU. (I speak of my own limited experience, not ever having been a BYU Maxwell Institute insider. Please forgive me if I have excluded anyone who actively promotes current apologetics at the new Maxwell Institute.)
Regardless of any misconceptions I might have, from there, I must now express an even greater gratitude for the resurrection of the original spirit of the charter of the Maxwell Institute organization as currently exhibited in the new Interpreter Foundation. While this article has been refreshing, the refreshment of a multitude of articles, previously published and currently forthcoming from the Interpreter Foundation has quenched an apologetic thirst that answers much of the raison d’être for Latter-day Saint apologetics.
For as long as anyone will listen, I will continue to unequivocally state my conviction that Dr. Daniel Peterson has been an instrument in God’s hands in single-handedly providing an amazingly unexpected venue and resource for Latter-day Saint apologetics via the Interpreter Foundation. And thank God for that, for the research (much, if not most of it coming from BYU associates) has been amazing. But without the Interpreter Foundation, where would they have published, and who would have seen it?
Well said.