“For friends at first are friends again at last”

September 25, 2023 By Dan Peterson

I found this article by Sheluyang Peng very interesting, and I think that you might, as well: “Immigration is religion’s only hope: White progressives face a surprising alliance” From a Jewish academic: “Attacks on Catholic Institutions Should Concern All of Us” From the Deseret News: “12 times Joseph Smith defended religious freedom: Joseph Smith left behind a legacy of defending religious freedom. Smith’s quotes on religious freedom can be found in the Joseph Smith Papers, which released its final volume... Read more

An evening hour of patriotic appreciation and inspiration

September 24, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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Our stake put on a patriotic fireside tonight, complete with the stake choir, a brief vocal solo by a young woman, a violinist, a pianist, a flautist, and an organist. A reader recited quotations from some of the Founding Fathers (e.g., Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, John Adams, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin) and our founding documents (the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution). There was also a second reader toward the end. I was the... Read more

Why we’re doing it

September 23, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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Last night, my wife and I were privileged to attend and to participate in a reception and dinner celebrating “Moroni Day” that was sponsored by Scripture Central and held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Salt Lake City. Roughly 550 people enjoyed a program that included the unveiling of two new statues of Moroni (late in his life and as a resurrected being) by the sculptor and plastic surgeon Steven Neil; musical performances by Dallyn Vail Bayles, Ross... Read more

An expression of gratitude

September 22, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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Two new articles appeared today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: “Mormon’s Narrative Strategies to Provide Literary Justice for Gideon,” written by Nathan J. Arp Abstract: Although unable to write more than a hundredth part of his people’s history, Mormon seemingly found the time and plate-space to deliver literary justice on behalf of Gideon, who suffered a martyr’s death at the hand of the wicked Nehor. This article applies a literary approach buttressed by evidence from the... Read more

“Religion builds hospitals. Science builds hydrogen bombs.”

September 21, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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A few days ago, I published a post here in which I replied to the silly atheist slogan “Science flies men to the moon. Religion flies planes into buildings.” Responding to my response, an occasional participant on the Peterson Obsession Board who does not appear to be as reflexively hostile to theism as many of the others there — an (American?) physicist teaching in Germany who has never been a Latter-day Saint — offered an alternative slogan: “Religion... Read more

Remembering “Moroni Day” and Appreciating the Book of Abraham

September 20, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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Newly posted on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Conference Talks: Group Ascension to Heaven in Early Judaism and Christianity. This presentation was originally given by David Larsen on Saturday, 5 November 2016, at the Interpreter Foundation’s 2016 Temple on Mount Zion Conference. This is good to hear, although, since there are still matters before the courts, it may not quite be the last word: “Breaking News: City of Cody Issues Building Permit for LDS Temple... Read more

“Walk in the Spirit”

September 20, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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Two more items have gone up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. As is typically the case, they are available to you at no charge: The New Testament in Context Lesson 40: “Walk in the Spirit”: Galatians In the 3 September 2023 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, Terry Hutchinson (the moderator), Spencer Kraus, Brent Schmidt, and Hales Swift discussed New Testament lesson 40, “Walk in the Spirit,” covering Galatians. You can listen to... Read more

“Joseph Smith’s Gold Plates and “The Annotated Book of Mormon”

September 18, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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I acquired two new books at the end of last week, and I’m looking forward to reading them. The first is Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith’s Gold Plates: A Cultural History (New York: Oxford University Press, 2023), Renowned historian Richard Lyman Bushman presents a vibrant history of the objects that gave birth to a new religion. According to Joseph Smith, in September of 1823 an angel appeared to him and directed him to a hill near his home.... Read more

“There Were Giants in the Land”

September 17, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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I received the following from my friend Mark Skousen, and I think that some of you will be interested in it. So I share it here pretty much in toto: Our New Book is Banned in Beijing! By Mark SkousenEditor, Forecasts & Strategies 09/14/2023 “Cleon Skousen was truly a giant. I encourage everyone to read the story of this great man, which will inspire you to join the cause of liberty.” — Senator Mike Lee I’m thrilled... Read more

More about “LD$ Inc.”

September 16, 2023 By Dan Peterson

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I pass on to you a message from my friend Scott Gordon, the president of FAIR LDS, about FAIR’s upcoming virtual conference on “Defending the Book of Mormon,” which will occur on 22-23 September (commemorating the 200th anniversary of the appearance of the angel Moroni to the young Joseph Smith): Join us September 22-23 for a FREE virtual Book of Mormon conference with keynote speaker Richard Bushman Please join us for this event commemorating the day in 1827... Read more