The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was founded in 1979 with the goal of fostering and publishing first-rate, cutting edge scholarship on the Book of Mormon and related subjects. Those involved in it during its early years were excited about the light that new research could shed on Joseph Smith’s prophetic contributions, and firmly believed that such attention would, on the whole, strengthen and defend testimonies. The vision was to combine academic training and rigor with a commitment to serving ordinary members of the Church. “Never,” counseled one very senior Church leader, “forget the Relief Society sister in Parowan.” FARMS would be both scholarly and, for a particular kind of interested Latter-day Saint, practical, even inspiring.
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