Historicity Redux

November 12, 2009
By

Here’s an article from a recent Mormon Times:

http://mormontimes.com/studies_doctrine/research_discoveries/?id=11607

I was intrigued by this story. John L. Sorenson has lots of books in print. He’s never had a problem finding a publisher before.

If the book is all he says it is, why isn’t Deseret Book jumping on it? Why isn’t the Neal A. Maxwell Institute publishing it?

I’m really curious.

  • http://www.staylds.com jmb275

    Good questions. Not sure. My thoughts on him in general are simply that he seems to be the source of choice for much of the apologetics at both FARMS and FAIRlds. I remember when I first started my questioning process and was reading lots of FARMS material, as an engineer it really bothered me that nearly ever article seemed to reference the same Sorenson papers/books. Hadn’t any of this stuff been confirmed by others? Why was the only research verifying the historicity of the Book of Mormon being done by FARMS scientists? Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it raised little red skeptical flags in my mind.

    I hope he does find a publisher. I will read the book. If it as convincing as he makes it sound then I am prepared to stand completely corrected about my previous conclusions.

  • http://mormonheretic.org Mormon Heretic

    Are you sure Deseret Book has rejected it? It sounds like it is unfinished, so I don’t think we can jump to the conclusion that Des Book doesn’t want to publish it.

  • http://ethesis.blogspot.com/ Stephen M (Ethesis)

    I think he had not started looking for a publisher at that point.

  • http://faithpromotingrumor.wordpress.com SmallAxe

    He said there was no publisher for the book yet, but hoped to find one soon.

    This doesn’t necessarily mean that no one will publish it. Just that he hasn’t finalized anything yet.

  • Thomas

    Has there ever been an apologetic book that includes a rigorous discussion of probability and coincidence, and properly controls for them?

  • Jeff Needle

    I like the comments and appreciate the good thoughts.

    Neal Maxwell Institute/FARMS would be the logical place for him to go. I guess we’ll know in good time.

  • Kari

    I am certain that if it has the proof he say’s it has he’ll have no problem finding a reputable publisher like Oxford University Press, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Blackwell Science, or even Knopf (if it’s of a more “popular” style).