“The Faith of an Observer”

There are, no doubt, many out there now for whom Hugh Nibley is, at most, a vaguely familiar name rather than the riveting, life-changing model and mentor that he was for a few of us.

I wish that The Faith of an Observer could have been done a few years earlier.  Hugh was a bit past his prime, in certain regards, by the time it was made in 1985.  He was seventy-five years old.

Nevertheless, this 53-minute video offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind and soul of one of Mormonism’s great characters, as well as one of its greatest scholars and most original thinkers.  And he was still very, very sharp and interesting:

We enjoyed dinner tonight with some of those who have done the most to carry on the work with which Hugh Nibley was so prominently associated — Jack Welch, Lou Midgley, Noel Reynolds, etc. — as well as some of the current leaders of the Interpreter Foundation and some of its financial supporters and, prominently, the speakers for tomorrow’s conference on science and Mormonism.  Dr. Lynn Dayton and his wife, Senator Margaret Dayton, generously made their home available for a pleasant meal and social gathering.

Hugh was pleased when he realized that a new generation would be carrying the torch forward.  We’re doing our best.