They believe though that better scholarship will win out in the end

Wow. If they really do believe this, then maybe DCP does have a chance to reverse this decision, thus nullifying my predictions in my other thread.

This will be about as big as a scandal as the mystery of who left a deuce in the urinal when I was in 3rd grade. It stinks for those who have to clean it up, but outside a room full of children nobody will ever hear of it.

This will be about as big as a scandal as the mystery of who left a deuce in the urinal when I was in 3rd grade. It stinks for those who have to clean it up, but outside a room full of children nobody will ever hear of it.

You are all giving Dan and the MSR way too much credit.

That's a good change in perspective, Narrator. And it cuts the epic posturings down to size as well: it's hard to imagine assembling a righteous force, the majesty of which was last seen in the Third Age of Middle Earth, only to have the field of battle turn out to be a lavatory that needs a swab down. That's not much of a stage to strut upon. As Juggler Vain noted, when even a turd can turn out to be a brownie, or some other sugary bakery confection, well...

Copied from MAD..

Posted Today, 07:47 AM
Daniel Peterson, on 21 June 2012 - 05:06 AM, said:
Some quick facts, in no particular order, addressing things mentioned above:

*  I have some specific reasons to believe that those to whom I copied my response to Jerry Bradford were not the source of the leak.

*  I have no reason to believe that any General Authority was involved in any way in the decision to terminate my editorship of the Review.

*  Nobody at the Institute has been disciplined in any way for the leak.

*  My travels were not financed by the Maxwell Institute.  I was in Israel because a wealthy family hired me to take them there; they paid my expenses.  I'm currently in Switzerland, entirely on my own dime.  (And it's breathtakingly expensive.)  I'm biding my time -- didn't want to undergo jet lag too many more times this summer -- until I'm scheduled to lecture on a cruise around the United Kingdom.  The travel company will be paying for that.  I'm trying to use my time here in the Alps (a place that I love, and where I served my mission) to get some work done.  Unfortunately, I've been somewhat distracted of late.  

*  I knew that this would be a melancholy trip here, because the last two times I was in Switzerland and Austria, it was with my brother, to whom I introduced the place and who came to love it as I do.  We were last here -- including the very same small chalet-hotel in Lauterbrunnen where I'm now typing -- in 2010, when we came over for the Passion Play in Oberammergau.  My only sibling, my very close friend, and the last surviving member (besides me) of my nuclear family, he died suddenly at the end of March.  I almost decided not to come here, thinking that the painful associations might be unbearable.  They've been tough indeed, but this recent unpleasantness with the Institute has compounded the problem immeasurably.

*  I don't intend to "go nuclear."  I love the Church, the University, and the Institute.

*  I'm not conscious of having done anything wrong.

*  There are, as I see it, two main factors at play here:  First is a genuine dislike for apologetics on the part of a relatively small group, including, to my very recent surprise, a minority faction within the Institute.  Second is a serious misunderstanding, on the part of certain Institute and University administrators, of some of my actions, attitudes, and statements, which is very difficult to clear up from thousands of miles away.

*  I'm still hoping for a resolution that will be satisfactory to all concerned.  I'm an eternal optimist, though I admit that, in this case, things seem to be stacked against me.

*  I really appreciate the expressions of support here.  I've been receiving emails from many very kind people, and I know that some have written to or called the Maxwell Institute.  I'm grateful for all of this.  I hope that the messages to the Institute will have some impact.

With best wishes to everyone,

Dan Peterson

Now that this is all old news, the big question for me is whether or not the type of scholarship work that Bradford envisions for the MI is even possible at BYU. While the fan-boys and girls at the MAD board may be seeing this as a sign of the 2nd coming, they, luckily, are far detached from BYU, scholarship, and reality. From my experience, there is a growing contingent of scholars at BYU (especially the newer generation) who are quite excited about things ("dancing in the streets" as one friend put it).

$$$, of course, is a big issue and my understanding is that Bradford and his colleagues made this decision with the knowledge that they would lose funding. They believe though that better scholarship will win out in the end and that it is better to be smaller and producer superior work than to be larger and produce what they have been.

* I'm not conscious of having done anything wrong.

* Nobody at the Institute has been disciplined in any way for the leak.

* I don't intend to "go nuclear." I love the Church, the University, and the Institute.

* I have no reason to believe that any General Authority was involved in any way in the decision to terminate my editorship of the Review.

* I have some specific reasons to believe that those to whom I copied my response to Jerry Bradford were not the source of the leak.

* I'm still hoping for a resolution that will be satisfactory to all concerned. I'm an eternal optimist, though I admit that, in this case, things seem to be stacked against me.

I love . . . the Institute.

Sure you do. It's all about love. But you'll just use conventional weapons. No need to use weapons of mass destruction. Knives and guns will do just fine. Right?

Paul O

Hmmmm... it looks like there will be a position open for a fundraiser. Should I apply? I'm usually around the $400K mark every year...

By furthering religious scholarship through the study of scripture and other texts,
Brigham Young University's Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship seeks to deepen understanding and nurture discipleship among Latter-day Saints while promoting mutual respect and goodwill among people of all faiths.

People like Bushman, Givens, and Quinn can be considered "defenders of the faith," too.