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I very much appreciate the comments by both Kevin Christensen and Derl Sanderson on my review of this truly wonderful new massive collection of essays and other items on Hugh Nibley.
As a college freshman, I had pretty much jettisoned any lingering enthusiasm I had for every aspect of the Restoration. Reason: My cultural experience in the Church seemed to indicate that no one thought deeply about its truth claims. They were all just white-shirt-wearing automatons who only asked “how high?” when the prophet said “jump.”
Then a thoughtful girl gave me a copy of Lehi in the Desert and the World of the Jaredites by Hugh Nibley. To put it mildly, my opinion that all people in the Church were empty-headed droids had to be nuanced considerably. Having thus demonstrated by my own arrogance the adage “the less you know about a topic, the more you overestimate the quality of your knowledge,” I proceeded to marry the girl and dive headlong into the amazing world produced by faithful LDS scholars. My bucket list now includes finishing the last four volumes of Nibley’s collected works published by FARMS.
I just wish that entire generation of scholars (including Midgley, who my family affectionately refers to as “Blue Lou”) was 40 years younger (I bet they do, too!). I so enjoyed Professor Midgley’s review and include him on my list of eloquent, accomplished defenders and expounders of the faith I love. In my basket of T-shirts I have one that reads “I Miss Nibley.” I think I’ll go put it on.
A splendid review of a remarkable book about fascinating man. Thank you. In Faith of an Observer, Nibley talked about himself as being in situations where he was able to get a good look at what was going on. We are fortunate that so many have been able to provide glimpses of that life and pass them on. And as the your own essay so beautifully expressed it:
“As my Maori friends might say, a giant kauri has now fallen; the nurture it once offered for God’s creatures in the human “forest” has been significantly reduced. But it is also true that when a giant kauri falls, its influence does not soon disappear. Its seeds still germinate and its many seedlings continue to grow. Thus it is and should be with Hugh Nibley.”
Many thanks from an obscure seedling.