If you do not know the name Hugh Nibley, you are not familiar with Mormonism and Mormon apologetics. He was the father of the modern movement that is today F.A.R.M.S., the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, the chief arm of LDS apologetics out of BYU. Oh, he wasn’t the only source of LDS apologetics: that movement really predated him, in essence, in the likes of Talmage and Roberts. But its modern incarnation found its impetus in his blustery denunciation of Fawn Brodie’s work on Joseph Smith. And then, with the discovery of the papyri upon which the Book of Abraham was based, Nibley was unwillingly vaulted into the forefront of its defense. The body of “work” he produced in defense of this hopelessly false work can only cause one to wince at an obviously great intellect trying to defend the indefensible.
Nibley has quietly faded from the scene over the past few decades, dying at age 94. Sadly, recently a book was released from a family member alleging misconduct on his part on the basis of “repressed memories” and the like: I find that kind of thing grossly reprehensible. Nibley was wrong, dead wrong, about the gospel, but you will never, ever find myself, or anyone from this ministry, using that kind of dirty, cheap rumor mongering. It is horrible and makes me sick. If you’d like to see how to respond to Nibley, here is an article to read. It contains an old, and I do mean old, conversation back from the days of BBSing wherein I took on Nibley’s comments as they were presented by an LDS apologist.
Hugh Nibley now knows there is only one true God, and that man is not of the same species as God. He has learned the elements of the LDS temple ceremony that were removed in 1990 (to which he took great exception, and for good reason, given what LDS believed about the endowment ceremony being part of revelation) were the least of his problems. If he went into eternity still believing what he taught all his life, he stands before a holy God who is not an exalted man, and he stands before him without the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Such an event reminds us of the importance of speaking the truth to the LDS people while it is still day.
