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There is a successive putting on and off of garments or animal skins, the soul after death had to ascend to the highest heaven and passing through the gates, every gate being watched by a warder. The ascent motive only occurs in a continuated form, they will bear it the soul to the eternal rest. |
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Responses to Letters, and Comments and Questions
We appreciate your responses and queries. It is difficult to answer personally all
e-Mails, but through this medium perhaps we can accommodate some acceptable
response. And by this format also provide data of interest to others.
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There are 13 entries in the FAQ.
Pages: 1 Questions:
 THE NEW WORLD CHRONICLES AND THE BOOK OF MORMON CLAIMS
The World Wide Farms Exhibits
What is the doctrine of the most intelligent being in the universe?
Book of Mormon name studies.
When were the tapes first recorded?
Are you still giving lectures?
More Information on Tapes
Where can one get out of print books?
Taped Presentations Other than Official Ones
The family has the reponsibility to teach more about Joseph Smith.
Other Researchers
Scientists and Great Writers
FARMS Research
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| THE NEW WORLD CHRONICLES AND THE BOOK OF MORMON CLAIMS |  | I appreciate the CD on the talk given in Panama year ago, on the New World Chronicles and the records if the Conquistadors. David G. Calderwood has recently published his great work VOICES FROM THE DUST, including his translations of some 70 records in Spanish and Portguguese and other sources that deal with the variouis archaeological periods from 2500 BC to 600 AD. Mormons were introduced to such records by Hunger and Ferguson in their monumental book: ANCIENT AMERICAN AND THE BOOK OF MORMON, which also included the Chronicle of Izetilxochitl, with many historical parallels to the Jaredite and Nephite records. I met with David Nov. 16, at my home in St. George. I highly recommend David’s book.
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| The World Wide Farms Exhibits | | In answer to the query from Denmark and Sweden, FARMS is doing a tremendous work in moving the exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls throughout the world. Since their discovery in 1945, recognized in 1947, FARMS has been fortunate to play a pivotal role in bringing the scrolls to the world, especially with the CD ROM published by E.J. Brill of the Leiden a few years ago.
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The world tour has been in part managed by full-time missionaries Wayne and Janet Chamberlain, they completed the tour of the UK, and Western Europe in May, then proceeded to go into Eastern Europe, and from there to the north countries. Everywhere it has been well received; further connecting FARMS and the Church with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Many leaders, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant groups have attended. Thousands have enjoyed this project. Members of FARMS are part of the international team of translators; Dr. Perry himself has given dozens of lectures in conjunction with the exhibits. He also gave lectures on the “LDS Perspectives” as well. All of FARMS members treat the scrolls with great conservatism at this time. Dr. Welsh, founder of FAMRS gave a guided tour and lectures at Stuttgart; one of the Lectures was the local Rabbi. A richly illustrated lecture was given at Salzburg, and Dr. Ricks gave lectures at Zollikofen, Switzerland, with a follow up to LDS communities in the area.
Other lectures associated with the Tour of the exhibit, included those by Florentino G. Martinez, whose publications on the scrolls are of great importance, and Valier T. Hitoto, a Nibley Fellow, lectures, she is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Paris. FARMS INSIGHTS for Vol. 25, N. 4, 2005, give additional details. Because no matter where the exhibit goes, the scrolls serve as a focal point due to the fact that the Biblical texts are shared by a number of religions and faiths. This helps keep the exhibits and lectures within a conservative scope at this time, and at this time is not intended to specifically draw attention to Mormon parallels, though some are obvious. . Some publications such as Nibley’s AN APPROACH TO THE BOOK OF MORMON show how far Mormon scholars can go with the content of the Scrolls. The point now is to bring together people of various faiths who share this common scriptural heritage.
Future lectures and publications by FARMS will eventually define in greater detail the greater aspects of the Scrolls and the restoration. I am not under the same constraints, so I can develop and talk and provide on the WEB site the results gleaned from my large library on the scrolls much more of the parallels of interest to Mormons everywhere. So, for a summary hear my tapes, and see the entry for 9 Aug 2004, as well as other themes entered after that, where the Scrolls shed light on Mormon doctrines and themes. I do not replicate the studies by Nibley or FARMS, though I make attribution when there is point to clarify and quote them. Essentially my work is to develop themes not treated elsewhere. And I plumb the depths of other discoveries, numbering more than 110, no including those discoveries that contain data on names that shed light on the Great Joseph and the doctrines of the Restoration.
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| What is the doctrine of the most intelligent being in the universe? | | To Erika H., review carefully my study of 5 Oct 2004 on the LDS Plan of Salvation, you will find some answers there, and then because of your letter, I will develop a theme on the subject of what Joseph actually taught in his Sermon in April of 1844 on God the Father. |
| Book of Mormon name studies. | | The Book of Mormon name studies are based on data published mostly since 1999, with new publications every now and then, which we acquire. I have five special themes and 19 Book of Mormon name studies in preparation; they will appear about one or two each month as they are completed. |
| When were the tapes first recorded? | | The first tapes were recorded at Tucson, Arizona, about 1974. The recorder himself joined the church. Dr. Ira Larsen of Tucson arranged for the talks and recordings. [I will be speaking on Book of Mormon names in Tucson on the fifth Sunday in April 2006. Again courtesy of Dr. Larsen. Anyone can attend.] A few years later, I participated in a missionary program that included my tapes and those of other Mormon teachers at Semi Valley Calif. A taping program began, first mentored by Elder D. Young, and then Elder Mark C. Peterson. It ended with the change in the status of Seventies. We did tape a few more after that time, and some recently at Dixie College. We are no longer making any new tapes or CD,s and are involved in putting all of the tapes on CD’s and transcribing all of the tapes, editing the data with full reference notes and sources, for eventual inclusion in the Web Site, and then publication. Those who neglect the names of the Book of Mormon do so at their intellectual peril, let alone their spiritual peril. |
| Are you still giving lectures? | | Gordon D. wonders if we are still speaking on ancient documents. I say we, because all three of my sons, and both daughters, have compiled talks on the ancient documents and have spoken about the great discoveries, my daughters emphasize the heavenly mother information found in the ancient documents. My sons speak often and wherever they are, I still give at least two lectures on new and old publications, each month in the St. George Area, on the 3rd Sunday, at 7:00, I speak at the Telegraph Chapel in Washington, just out of St. George, and on the 4th Sunday, at the Dixie Downs Road Chapel, the first on the right side of the road going northwest from Linn’s Market on Dixie Downs Road, also at 7:00. The lectures do not repeat, they are all different. Recently the presentations have been on the details supporting the restoration of the Endowment; many sources firmly confirm that Joseph Smith restored an authentic Endowment in all its pristine detail.
I often also present data on the Book of Mormon names that appear in the WEB site in a fully developed study. Dr. Ranel Erickson recently acquired for our libraries many dozens of new books recently published on the Ancient Documents. The sudden commencement of publications on the name lists and translations of ancient tablets beginning in 1999 led to the acquisition of many books related to Book of Mormon names. For a period of time there were few publications, then all of a sudden there were many, most of them have been acquired, and these form the basis for many of the talks in progress and the WEB site entries of the past year. So research continues all the time. It is a most exciting time to be researching the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine Covenants because of the new discoveries.
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| More Information on Tapes | | We are still reproducing tapes for those who make orders, and we plan to eventually have all of the tapes as a CD. A number of the presentations are now in the CD form. Dr. Ranel E. Erickson and one of his sons, Rafael, have been working up a complete bibliography of all sources I used in the preparation of all the talks, CD’s and Tapes prepared over the years. Ranel has also had all of the important tapes transcribed. We are planning on preparing these transcriptions in a revised form, with all of the bibliographic sources utilized in preparing the presentations, revised and updated. These will then be added to a special section in the WEB site and be available to all who wish to down load them. This way, any one wanting the data contained in the audio media with the documentation, will be able to download anything of interest. Rather than prepare audio presentations in the future, original and new research will be added to the web site. Eventually the web site will be the repository of all the research we have done, or will do. |
| Where can one get out of print books? | | Some have asked where they can get certain books and out of print books. A source frequently utilized for books out of print or old source books, is GOOD BOOKS, 2456 Devonshire Road, Springfield, Il 62703 USA. They have available copies of the important 3 Enoch of the Hebrew Book of Enoch, by Odeberg, one of the prime sources of Mormon parallels, for only $35.00. They have copies of the Gnostic John the Baptizer: Selections from the Mandean John-Book, for only $20.00. Theses were of interest to some of you. |
| Taped Presentations Other than Official Ones | | There were many presentation made at different localities, many of these were not taped by our group, private tapes were made, which we always approved, and these tapes got circulated by others. We did not obtain copies of these and so cannot furnish copies. The 1979 talk at Palm Springs on the Dead Sea Scrolls was one of those. Old tape No. 78, Doctrine and Organization of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Restoration, covers what was presented there, and more. Old Tape 50, which was a slide presentation, though the taped material describing the slides, was easily understood even without the slides, is also good. The best on the Nag Hammadi, was Old Tape 79, Nag Hammadi Discoveries and the Plan of Salvation. These will be two of the first to be transcribed and documented for inclusion in the web site. The third most important tape was Old Tape 104, Doctrines of the Mandaeans and the Restored Church. The three tapes on Enoch, Old Tape 111, The Books of Enoch and Doctrines of the Restoration, and recent Tapes No. 220 and 221, cover the subject very well. The Discoveries in Iran-the Pahlavi Texts and Mormonism, Old No. 133, is an important one also. |
| The family has the reponsibility to teach more about Joseph Smith. | | I have family involved in church leadership and stake presidency positions, and in answer to those who wonder why more of the great doctrines of Joseph Smith are not being emphasized in the rotating standard work gospel doctrine teachings, it that a lot of Joseph Smith’s teachings are included, but not often emphasized by the teacher, and a lot of the great doctrines should be taught by the family in the family home evening classes they hold on their own. There are great new books on Joseph, including Encyclopedias of the Teaching’s of Joseph Smith, and his doctrines now available. These should be read and studied by the family along with the Standard works. The family has more responsibility in this regard than they realize. Children have great questions, teachings should go where the questions lead. |
| Other Researchers | | We try to be aware of the researches being done by other writers, particular those associated with FARMS. Most of our tapes were circulated before FARMS was even formed. I do not wish to copy Nibley, nor their publications, though I do refer to both of these sources from time to time. Our effort is one of pioneering, front line research, breaking paths; others will come along and do the real refining. I am working on the Book of Mormon names because a party supposedly doing the research about 1977, having the work Ty and Michelle Erickson prepared on Book of Moron names and subjects did not follow through. Nibley also did not pursue the name research that he started in 1957 and 1967. In fact the reason for both not advancing that study was because of the lack of resources at that time from the ancient tablet discoveries. As you follow the web site articles on the Book of Mormon names, note that a lot of resources I am using is as recent as 2005. Much of it has only been available since 1999. Nibley seems to have spent a great deal of his later years working on the Pearl of Great Price and revising his works for publishing by FARMS. If he did some research on names it may be forth coming as post-humus publications. |
| Scientists and Great Writers | | To their great credit, the great scientist and writers did evaluate organized religion, though seldom did any of them look into Mormonism, and they concluded, to their great credit, that organized religion available to them, was inadequate and fell short. I am engaged in a Religion and Science Reconciliation class along with Science-Astronomy-Geology-Archaeology at George Wythe College. I intend to develop some of these themes into web site additions. Coming up as part of this will the CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE, using Mormon doctrine most people are not aware of, and the latest research of Science, not found in books yet. |
| FARMS Research | | Everybody should be a member of FARMS and get their updates and catalogue of new publications. Contact FARMS, BYU, BOX 7113, UNVERSITY STATION, PROVO, UT. 84602 for information. It is not expensive. For example, Martin wanted to know why there were not more publications about the apostasy of the first century. A new book is now out from FARMS called EARLY CHRISTIAN IN DISARRAY, that argues that the apostasy began as early as the first century AD. |
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