Jonathan Neville has no shame. None.

On February 28, 2019, Jonathan Neville wrote:

Just yesterday, a prominent M2C* intellectual bragged that “My relationship with them [“the Brethren”] has never, I think, been better than it is right now.”

This comes just a couple of days after the same M2C intellectual mentioned me by name and provided a link to a web site that purports to attack my beliefs.

It’s good to see that Neville is reading Daniel Peterson’s blog. It’s unfortunate that Neville had to remove Peterson’s quote from its original context to make it appear that Peterson was “bragging,” when he was, in fact, defending himself from base accusations like the ones Neville frequently makes against “M2C intellectuals.” Here’s what Peterson wrote, in context:

I’m occasionally accused of seeking to challenge the authority of Church leaders, of feeling that academics are superior to mere apostles. Nothing could possibly be further from the truth. And, for those who’ve been speculating lately about a supposed rift between me and the Brethren: My relationship with them has never, I think, been better than it is right now. Which is about as specific as I intend to be about the matter.

Almost daily, Jonathan Neville blogs about how “M2C intellectuals” like Peterson are advocating for teachings that contradict the prophets and undermine the Brethren and the Saints. When Peterson explicitly defended himself against that charge, noting that he has a very good relationship with leaders of the Church, Neville turned that last statement on its head and used it to attack Peterson for “bragging.”

Does Jonathan Neville have any shame?

I also note from Neville’s post that he’s become aware of our little corner of the blogosphere—hi, Brother Neville!—and considers us “a web site that purports to attack my beliefs.”

First, we don’t “purport” to do anything. We do what we do sincerely, openly, and deliberately.

Second, we’re not “attacking your beliefs.” You are perfectly free to believe anything you wish, including that the Book of Mormon took place in the American Midwest and that the hill Cumorah is the same hill where Joseph Smith received the gold plates (or even two sets of gold plates, as you claim).

What we are doing is responding to your frequent, repeated, and baseless claim that there is a conspiracy to undermine the prophets by teaching that the hill Cumorah in the Book of Mormon may not be the hill where Joseph Smith received the plates. In our responses, we have and will continue to point how you employ logical fallacies, cite sources irresponsibly, and engage in sloppy pseudoscholarship to advocate for your beliefs.

So, it’s not your beliefs we have a problem with; it’s the way you try to convince others that your beliefs are correct and others’ are incorrect.

(And, despite what you claim, you’re clearly trying to convince and persuade others. You’re not fooling anyone.)

—Peter

* “M2C” is Jonathan Neville’s acronym for the theory that the Book of Mormon took place in Mesoamerica and that the hill Cumorah in the Book of Mormon is not the same hill in New York where Joseph Smith received the plates of Mormon.