This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Just as Latter-day Saints worldwide begin their yearlong study of the faith's signature scripture, a group of members has launched a website, Book of Mormon Central, to bring together all relevant research and analysis.

It was the brainchild of Lynne Wilson, who teaches at Stanford University's LDS Institute of Religion.

Wilson was tired of "seeing bright Latter-day Saints not knowing where to turn to seriously engage the Book of Mormon," it says on the site. "She envisioned an organization capable of communicating the wonders of this text to a broad audience, including especially the rising generation of young people."

So Wilson joined forces with Jack Welch, a Brigham Young University law professor who decades ago helped create FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies).

FARMS no longer exists, but scholars continue such research in various forms and at different sites.

There are a lot of online resources for studying the Bible, Welch says. "You can find entire suites of biblical research materials ... even electronically accessible Greek and Hebrew dictionaries."

With the Book of Mormon, he says, information is "scattered so widely, you wouldn't know where to begin, what websites to use. You would spend a lot of time poking around and trying to find the best materials."

Welch believes Mormons and interested others needed "a central archive that would be readily accessible, searchable, online, free, linked by topic, by chapter and verse, word and lots of ways to make information just a click or two away."

The site will be directed by volunteers such as Welch, but some of the designing, posting, gathering and computer work will be done by recent graduates.

"This new resource is designed and built by and for people who love, treasure, ponder, research, apply and believe the Book of Mormon," organizers say. "It exists to freely inform, explain, invite, engage, inspire and encourage greater knowledge and appreciation of every aspect of the Book of Mormon."

To that end, the site has posted a digital repository of archived materials. It already includes more than 1,000 items.

The site includes "Wiki-style articles on every imaginable Book of Mormon topic," organizers explain, and "KnoWhys — brief illustrated essays, videos, podcasts and memes that present little-known information about the Book of Mormon, then explain why it is significant."

It also is partnering with several LDS-related organizations, including the Ancient America Foundation, BYU Studies, Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, BYU Religious Studies Center and Interpreter.

A "consortium of affiliates" is how Welch describes it.

The site promises to be active in social media, posting fresh materials on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, to name a few.

"Book of Mormon Central believes that increased understanding of this transformational text will," the site proclaims, "advance goodness, justice and faith on personal, family, social and international levels."

Peggy Fletcher Stack