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Hi Brother Peterson …. I’ve loved reading/ listening to your insights over the last 50 years. I encountered Hugh Nibley’s books/ papers when I returned from my mission in 1974 …. his publications changed my life. Then I encountered FARMS in the 80’s. I read hundreds & hundreds of the FARMS publications. I’ll never forget how I felt reading one article by Louis C Midgley … “Playing with a Half Decker.” Then I stumbled on your articles. Most of the FARMS authors had 1-5 articles posted. I remember your section had like 220+ articles … which I started reading. Of course, Nibley’s section and JW Welch’s section had many articles posted also. The impact of the FARMS collection of articles on me has been significant and life-long lasting. Then, the easily accessible FARMS collection just disappeared. What happened? I’ve learned that the articles are still available online at the BYU site … but the articles are not as easy to review in bulk as they used to be. Thank goodness for The Interpreter. When Thomas Wayment wrote his paper about JS supposed plagiarism of Adam Clarke I was left scratching my head. Thank goodness Kent P. Jackson responded with his Interpreter article! I’ve pretty much read every article in all 62 volumes of The Interpreter. Because of all these and particularly your scholarly insights, when critics rail against the church, the BoM, or JSmith … I laugh. I’m currently studying articles about “The Divine Council of God” … Stephen Smoot’s contributions and others footnoted articles. For the last three weeks I’ve been studying your article, “Ye Are Gods:…Psalm 82 and John 10….” After 3 weeks of daily studying your article, I’m finally starting to understand how Christ’s connection of Psalm 82 & John 10 relates to the Divine Council, and why it is significant to Christians generally and so important to latter-day saints specifically. Truly, LDS, “are in a uniquely strong position to reconcile the original sense of Psalm 82 with the Saviors use of it in John 10.” Also, I’m quite sure I never would have heard of E. Theodore Mullen Jr. without your influence. BTW I was going to purchase a copy of his book, “The assembly of the Gods” until I noticed yesterday it is selling on Amazon for about $250… yikes! If you have an extra paperback copy lying around I can borrow for a few weeks… please advise… 🙂 … just kidding. Your influence on me is not the foundation of my faith but your influence has created for me, “an environment in which my faith has flourished.” Thank you. Blair Lucas
Hi Dr. Peterson, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your work and scholarship. Hugh Nibley had the biggest impact on my life, but I found your work a few years after and I was very impressed. Your talks at the FAIR conferences were amazing as well. Sometimes when I am eating lunch or find myself bored, I will turn on “God and Mr. Hitchens” as it is both interesting and hilarious.
I am now pursuing a masters in International Affairs at American University in D.C., but I still read LDS scholarship all the time. Thank you for your efforts. May the Lord bless you forever.
(Also, on a final note, you should re-read Nibley’s 1954 essay entitled, “The Unsolved Loyalty Problem: Our Western Heritage.” It is truly prophetic.”
-Ryan Fulton
Dr. Peterson:
I figure it’s high time I write to you. I’ve thought about it on several occasions…basically for years now, yet after reading this particular article mentioning your upbringing and where you were raised, it seemed the time was right.
I was born and raised in the same area you were, probably at the same time…not too far away from West Covina (Whittier, 50’s and 60’s). For whatever reason, I spent a lot of time studying Apologetics throughout my Seminary years (I’m not even sure the word “Apologetics” was even on the radar, or in a dictionary or even used back then!), but it sure helped as I spent two years in the Bible Belt on my mission.
There wasn’t much out there in terms of publications at that time. I still have Eldin Ricks little black booklet, and a yellow booklet called, “Is there an answer”, produced in the Pocatello, Idaho stake (if my memory serves me). I still have those booklets somewhere!).
When I got back, I continued to study the doctrinal differences between our church and others, especially the tangled web of differences between ours and those in the Evangelical Protestant world.
During that time (from the 70’s on), as you recall, we were attacked relentlessly with books and pamphlets, over the radio and with videos, etc.
Eventually, I’m guessing, you had had enough of this nonsense and published “Offenders for a Word.” At that point, you became one of my favorite LDS authors. I followed many other great LDS authors who at the time were publishing and challenging the onslaught of lies against the church, yet your prolific writing and approach to humor was so compelling that I bought everything I could put my hands on.
Your writing style and humor hasn’t changed a bit, except its just expanded and gotten better with time, with the likes of the Journal Interpreter, etc.
I did have some run-in with “Dr.” Walter Martin, and in fact, one of my friends had written his own challenge against the good “Dr.”, and tried to sue him for defamation of character, but he lost. I believe he tried to do the same to the church, with the same result.
At any rate, I have purchased several of your books…Abraham Divided and Muhammad, Prophet of God, among others. This really filled a niche that hadn’t been considered by the church, and I have given these books away to friends who are of the Muslim faith.
They are difficult to deal with regarding their religion and in changing their minds, but those books have really helped. I’ve had comments from them that were very positive about what they had read.
I could go on and on here about this subject and the great experiences I’ve had…especially about today’s world and the way things have changed radically with the incredible social media outlets such as YT and others. But it has been obvious for years now that academia is much more sophisticated, and many members have once again gone on the offence and are challenging with scholarship and debate over these platforms.
To close here, I just wanted to give you a big thumbs-up, and a heartfelt thanks to you for the years you have devoted to the church and your entire body of work…your books and publications and articles, that have been a great influence in my life, and to the countless thousands that you have influenced for the better. Keep up the great work!
My family and I first met you at Education Week on BYU campus some years ago. Thank you for sharing your thinking, teaching and writing with us still. You are a favorite!
That’s very kind of you to say, Brother Cook.
I began to worry when, one by one, luminaries such as Hugh Nibley and Truman Madsen began to pass on, leaving their work to lesser lights. I’ve regretted that, while I had heroes like these to admire and emulate, younger generations would be without them. Somehow, though, things carry on.
Dr. Peterson, you are more than merely a “pallid” reflection of Truman Madsen. I was very recently reading something he’d written and thought that it sounded like something you might have written, but less engaging. I consider you very much on his level. I really appreciate the consistent warmth and humor of your writing in spite of the blatantly unfair attacks aimed your way. Please continue to disregard and dismiss those as I and most of the rest of your readers do. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do.