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Hugh Nibley

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Hugh Winder Nibley (born March 27, 1910) was born in Portland, Oregon and is one of Mormonism's most celebrated scholars. Prolific author and professor emeritus of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, he is a notable apologist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fluent in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Egyptian, Coptic, Arabic, German, French and Spanish languages.

Nibley served as a missionary for the LDS Church in Germany and served as a master sergeant working in military intelligence for the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. He was among the force on Omaha Beach that invaded Normandy on D-Day and witnessed the aftermath of the concentration camps.

Nibley began studies at University of California, Los Angeles and earned a doctorate at University of California, Berkeley. While at Berkeley he reportedly perused all of the library shelves, beginning on the first floor and moving up. When a book's title struck his fancy, he would then read the book. At the request of Apostle John A. Widtsoe he became a professor at Brigham Young University in 1946. He is now retired from university teaching.

Nibley has received acclamation by non-LDS historians and researchers for his ability to draw upon historical sources to give evidences for Latter Day Saint beliefs. In one study the authors said that most of his work is reliable, encouraging anti-Mormon writers to directly combat Nibley's research, rather than dismissing it, because of its reliability and his celebrated scholarship (see http://www.apologeticsindex.org/cpoint10-2.html ). Nibley's research ranges from Egyptian, Hebrew and early Christian histories, and he often takes his notes in a mix of Gregg shorthand, Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, and Egyptian.

Other topics written about by Nibley include the LDS Temple, the historical Enoch, Christian Gnostic similarities to Latter Day Saint beliefs as well as direct responses to anti-Mormon literature, including a response to Fawn M. Brodie's "No Man Knows my History," which was titled "No Ma'am, That's Not History."

Nibley is considered by many to be the foremost Mormon apologist, and on occasion has been referred to as "defender of the faith," a title that has been shared by only one other Mormon: historian and Church leader, B. H. Roberts.

He is also recognized by the fans of his works for his signature testimony in all caps: "I KNOW THE GOSPEL IS TRUE."

Until recently he came to a little office in the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU working on his magnum opus titled, One Eternal Round, which focuses on the hypocephalus ("Facsimile 2") in the Book of Abraham. A nonagenarian, he is dealing with health challenges. He turned over the materials for his last book to FARMS sometime before 2003.

Biography

The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley series

  • Old Testament and Related Studies, Vol. 1; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875790321 (Hardcover, 1986)
  • Enoch the Prophet, Vol. 2; Deseret Books; ISBN 087579047X (Hardcover, 1986)
  • The World and the Prophets, Vol 3; Deseret Books; ISBN 087579078X (Hardcover, 1987)
  • Mormonism and Early Christianity, Vol 4; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875791271 (Hardcover, 1987)
  • Lehi in the Desert/The World of the Jaredites/There Were Jaredites, Vol 5; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875791328 (Hardcover, 1988)
  • An Approach to the Book of Mormon, Vol 6; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875791387 (Hardcover, 1988)
  • Since Cumorah, Vol 7; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875791395 (Hardcover, 1988)
  • The Prophetic Book of Mormon, Vol 8; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875791794 (Hardcover, 1989)
  • Approaching Zion, Vol 9; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875792529 (Hardcover, 1989)
  • Ancient State: The Rulers & the Ruled, Vol 10; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875793754 (Hardcover, 1991)
  • Tinkling Cymbals and Sounding Brass: The Art of Telling Tales about Joseph Smith and Brigham Young Vol 11; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875795161 (Hardcover, 1991) (includes No, Ma'am, That's Not History)
  • Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present, Vol 12; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875795234 (Hardcover, 1992)
  • Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints, Vol 13; Deseret Books; ISBN 0875798187 (Hardcover, 1994)
  • Abraham in Egypt, Vol 14; Deseret Books; ISBN 157345527X (Hardcover, 2000)
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