What It Is

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (formerly the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts) helps recover, preserve, study, and publish ancient documents. Of particular interest are the Bible and its historical context, the manuscript sources of Eastern Christianity, and Book of Mormon scholarship.

The Maxwell Institute conducts and publishes research through the following:

• Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), which researches the Book of Mormon, the Book of Abraham, and the Bible.
• Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI), which publishes bilingual translations of ancient texts and electronically preserves and distributes information on religious traditions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

To give your gift of light this year, please complete the reply card you received in the mail or contribute online at The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship Annual Fund. Remember that 100 percent of your gift will go where you designate.

Why It Is a Priority

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is blessing lives in profound ways: making friends for the university and Church worldwide, providing educational tools and resources for scholars and laypersons alike, and defending faith in a disintegrating world.

What It Does and How It Helps

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship promotes the study, illumination, preservation, and accessibility of religious texts and ancient scriptural sources. The Maxwell Institute supports research, publication, production, and distribution of peer-reviewed studies, journals, books, multimedia works, and research resources relevant to its areas of focus for use by scholars, students, and lay readers. Areas covered range from Book of Mormon studies to bilingual Islamic texts, from Mayan mural studies to the Popol Vuh, from the Greek Biblical Manuscripts to Epicurean Philosophy, from the Book of Abraham to Egyptology. As a part of BYU, the Maxwell Institute builds bridges to other cultures and peoples by contributing to scholarship in many disciplines and establishing contacts with scholars at universities and centers of learning worldwide.