Throughout History, Christian Scholars: Augustine,Aquinas,Luther,Calvin and Edwards as well as current true Christian Scholars,were able to read the Bibical languages,Hebrew and Greek,as well as Latin to truly understand the source of Christian though and Theology. If not all your research is second hand. an example would be modern scholarship on the (Texus receptus) KJV.

Greek Translations: In good Christian bookstores you can get Critical Greek apparatuses. example."New Testament Greek Manuscripts(variant readings arranged in horizontal lines against codex vaticanus)" John 4:24 "God is Spirit" The best manuscripts from 4th-14th century support this reading(45 manuscripts). Also 2nd century Papyrus 66c and 75 confirm as well,and from several 2nd century church fathers.(Pneuma ho Theos)God is Spirit.

"We need, scattered through the church, competent people who have dealt with (challenging intellectual issues), who are not afraid of them and can answer with honest fact-base answers," Bushman said.

I wish the students good luck on this, as sad to say, some brilliant Mormon scholars have been excommunicated for honest scholarship.

True: every time an honest mormon Greek scholar realizes the truth, he either leaves or is excommunicated.

I know of no Mormon scholars that were excommunicated for "honest scholarship." I do, however, know of scholars who concluded from their scholarship that the Church wasn't true (or a subset of that dogma: the prophet isn't a prophet, or the revelations aren't revelations, or the Book of Mormon isn't true). Some of those have publicly complained of their excommunictations, which is ironic. Why do they want to retain membership in a Church they publicly teach is not true? "Honest scholarship" may come to varied conclusions; but if an "honest scholar" concludes that the religion he/she has practiced is false, then, in all honesty, the scholar should leave the religion without having to be excommunicated.

so there are summer seminars to "explore mormonism"? why? that's just crazy - hopefully none of you parents will send your kids - that would be considered cruel and unusual punishment - plus, don't they get enough sleep already? I guess if your kids have a hard time sleeping at night, this would be good for them - they would get plenty of sleep in this class... sounds like it puts the "B" in boring....

Why do they retain membership! Either follow the money or they have iconic status.

Getting a "Critical Greek apparatus" in a good Christian bookstore does not make you a Greek scholar!

You have to understand the Greek language and its history, as well as how it has evolved over the millenia. You have to be familiar with Greek history and philosophy so that you can understand the extensive use of figurative expressions, idioms, nuanced allusions, simile, metaphor, and the like.

I am Greek, born in a suburb of Larissa. I converted to the LDS Church when I was 20 and studying at BYU. After years of study, I have concluded that the Church is not what it claims to be. The stories told to me by the missionaries were not true and did not represent Church doctrine. In my opinion, Joseph Smith's translation of the New Testament contains some fatal errors, just as the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham do.

I have left the LDS Church. But in good conscience, I cannot sit idly by and watch as others are told similar false stories and taught false doctrines. I will continue to share what I have learned because I feel it is my duty.

To Nick:

You say you are Greek and therefore have done immeasurable study. The problem is that the stories the missionaries tell is that of how the Book of Mormon came into being, the first vision of Joseph Smith and the need for prophets.

I don't take any of the Greek translations as Gospel as it is still an overall translation of the Hebrew text. As long as the Church holds to the King James Version as the most correct ENGLISH translation I too will hold to that. As a Prophet of God, Joseph Smith translation is closer to the truth as his came direct from GOD not a text that is either mistranslated or incorrectly done.

You can hold with yours and I will hold with mine. I have the faith and the understanding that comes directly from personal revelation, yours appears to come from the scholars of man not of God.