The Fall of the Backyard Professor

In 2007, I conversed with a man known as The Backyard Professor. I had several questions, but knew he was getting flooded with similar inquiries. I chose my questions wisely. The topic on my mind was about some ancient papyri that Joseph Smith purchased in 1835. The Professor was known as one of the greatest apologists for the LDS Church. He wasn't afraid of any topic, nor was he afraid to address any critic. He was rather long-winded, much like his icon Hugh Nibley, but would always try to provide a friendly answer. His responses were well researched, tangents included. It came by way of surprise when I found out he had abandoned his religion several years later.

In addition to being an Apologist, he was an Author, Freemason, Outdoor Enthusiast, and Woodworker. He has produced over 900 videos, most of them dealing with matters of religion. To have someone extremely dedicated to a cause turn 180 degrees is something to behold. The most controversial part of the Mormon religion, surprisingly, isn't even the cornerstone of that religion. In 1835, Joseph Smith (prophet of the LDS Church) purchased and translated some Egyptian papyri. The translation is what is known as the Book of Abraham. There weren't a lot of apologists daring enough to take on the attacks against the purported translation. After Nibley's death in 2005, only a few of them were so brazen. The Backyard Professor was among the top of a short list. Even after his philosophical departure from the realm of religion, his work would still be quoted frequently.

In mid 2011, The Professor's political beliefs started shifting to the left. The LDS Church has always been conservative on social issues. Who would have ever thought the The Family: A Proclamation to the World would be considered a tendentious document in which even modern Democrats would despise? The Professor would bombard his social networking status with liberal laden memes. He started reading progressive religious literature such as Maccoby's The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity and Wilson's How Jesus became Christian. It was unlike him to read such material, but he was still in the Pro-Mormon camp by the end of the year. In March of 2012, The Professor launched his last video defending Mormonism. For the space of three months, he wouldn't broach the subject of religion. The silence was telling.

In June, Apologist Daniel Peterson was fired from FARMS Review of Books. The Professor participated in FARMS from time to time, and knew Peterson. Because of Peterson's departure, and the earlier acquisition of FARMS by The Maxwell Institute, the Professor was irate. After realizing his shifting political opinions no longer matched those of the Church, and that the literature he was reading was also contrary to the teachings of his Church, he began to see the writing on the wall. In July, 2012, he produced a video entitled “My Testimony What I Believe” where he expressed his disdain for the word “apologist.” He attempted to defend his earlier videos by claiming he was only “exploring” the ideas and themes of Mormonism instead of advocating or defending them. For longtime followers, it was an about-face and a retraction of a once beautiful testimony. In August of 2012, the transformation was complete. The Professor would express something apologists don't like to admit. Doubt about Joseph Smith and Mormonism.

In subsequent months, The Backyard Professor would post themes critical of Christianity, Mormonism, and political conservatism. It has now become a regular routine for him. His comments would make even Charles Larson blush. While individuals constantly evolve and fine-tune their beliefs, and behaviors, I believe the real value in the human condition might not be the mechanism of change, but the fruit of the source. As Neil A. Maxwell once said, "Confrontive, except of themselves, of course, they leave the Church, but they cannot leave the Church alone." As flawed as it may have been, the path he was on had more virtue than the course he is taking. As the old saying has it, "Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs of thistles?"