Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Answering Mormon Scholars Vol. 1

FAIR Answers—back to home page

⍗

Learn more about responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Wiki links	Jerald and Sandra Tanner Answering Mormon Scholars Answering Mormon Scholars (Vol. 2) Archaeology and the Book of Mormon Covering Up the Black Hole The Changing World of Mormonism — (Index of claims) Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? — (Index of claims)
FAIR links	Barry R. Bickmore, "The Tanners on the Hereafter:A Case Study in 'Studied Ignorance'," FAIR FAIR link Michael R. Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response to the Tanners' Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," FAIR Conference, 2000. off-site Mike Ash, "Up In Smoke: A Response To the Tanners’ Criticism of the Word of Wisdom," Proceedings of the 2000 FAIR Conference (August 2000). link Danel Bachman, "Mormonism—Shadow or Reality?: History or Propaganda? Joseph Smith as a Case Study," Proceedings of the 2000 FAIR Conference (August 2000). link Daniel C. Peterson, "'Easier than Research, More Inflammatory than Truth'," Proceedings of the 2000 FAIR Conference (August 2000). link Robert Vukich, "An Incident Concerning Page 81 of 'Mormonism—Shadow or Reality?'," Proceedings of the 2000 FAIR Conference (August 2000). link
Online	Lawrence Foster, Dialogue<ref>Lawrence Foster, "Career Apostates:Reflections on the Works of Jerald and Sandra Tanner," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 17 no. 2 (Summer 1984), 45–46. Todd Compton's response to Jerald and Sandra Tanners' Review of In Sacred Loneliness off-site Allen Wyatt, "Largely Shadow, Short of Reality," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 59/6 (17 November 2023). [135–158] link Tom Nibley, "A Look at Jerald and Sandra Tanner's Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 5/1 (1993). [273–289] link L. Ara Norwood, "Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon by Jerald and Sandra Tanner," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3/1 (1991). [158–169] link Matthew Roper, "'A Black Hole That's Not So Black (Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book, vol. 1 by Jerald and Sandra Tanner)'," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6/2 (1994). [156–203] link John A. Tvedtnes and Matthew Roper, "Joseph Smith's Use of the Apocrypha: Shadow or Reality? (Review of Joseph Smith's Use of the Apocrypha by Jerald and Sandra Tanner)," FARMS Review 8/2 (1996). [326–372] link Matthew Roper, "Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon by Jerald and Sandra Tanner," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3/1 (1991). [170–187] link Matthew P. Roper, "Review of Mormonism: Shadow or Reality? by Jerald and Sandra Tanner," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 4/1 (1992). [169–215] link Matthew Roper, "Unanswered Mormon Scholars (Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism Raised by Mormon Defenders)," FARMS Review 9/1 (1997). [87–145] link John A. Tvedtnes, "'Review of Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book, vol. 1 by Jerald and Sandra Tanner,'," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6/2 (1994). [204–249] link John A. Tvedtnes, "Review of Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon by Jerald and Sandra Tanner," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 3/1 (1991). [188–230] link
Navigators	Table of contents Abuse Bible Book of Abraham Book of Mormon CES Letter Church history Church finances Doctrine and Covenants First Vision Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint temples Mountain Meadows Massacre Plural marriage Prophets and leaders

Response to "Answering Mormon Scholars" (Vol. 1)

A FAIR Analysis of: Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book "Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon" (Vol. 1), a work by author: Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Response to claims made in "Answering Mormon Scholars" (Vol. 1) by Jerald and Sandra Tanner

Jump to details:

• Matthew Roper, "A Black Hole That's Not So Black"
• John A. Tvedtnes, "Review of Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book "Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon""

Matthew Roper, "A Black Hole That's Not So Black"

Matthew Roper,  Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, (1994)

"Since we began publishing in 1959," write Jerald and Sandra Tanner in their most recent booklet, "the LDS Church has never put forth any official rebuttal. We have waited in vain for thirty-four years for the Church itself to make a response to our work. Although a large number of people have left the Mormon Church because of our publications, and many others have been very concerned . . . Mormon leaders seem to feel that the best policy is silence. Since they apparently cannot find a way to successfully refute our allegations, they believe that the less people know about our publications the better. Consequently they have maintained a conspiracy of silence for thirty-four years while we have continued to distribute books throughout the world." While LDS scholars in the past have, in the authors' words, "followed Church leaders' advice" by ignoring them, now, faced with the imposing bogeyman of their recent book, Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon, "Mormon scholars have suddenly [come] out like an army to attack us" (p. 1-2). According to the authors, this can only be because their revolutionary ideas "were having a significant impact upon some," nay "thousands of members of the Church" (p. 2, emphasis added). Naturally, "it was time to speak up" (p.1).

Click here to view the complete article

John A. Tvedtnes, "Review of Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Answering Mormon Scholars: A Response to Criticism of the Book "Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon""

John A. Tvedtnes,  Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, (1994)

For the record, the decision to write a review of the Tanners' Answering Mormon Scholars was my own. That decision was made because it became clear that the Tanners have misunderstood, misinterpreted, or misrepresented some of what I wrote in my review of their Covering Up the Black Hole in the Book of Mormon. The majority of my comments in this present review will deal directly with what they have said about my earlier review. For the most part, I shall let the other reviewers deal with what has been said about their work. In some cases, however, I shall add insights that might otherwise be missed and comment on the Tanners' methodology.

Click here to view the complete article