LDS Church News, Mostly (But Not Quite Entirely)

LDS Church News, Mostly (But Not Quite Entirely) 2018-09-05T09:53:03-06:00

 

Crystal Cove from the air
An aerial view of nearby Crystal Cove   (Wikimedia CC public domain photo).

 

The most recent iteration of the bi-weekly Hamblin/Peterson column in the Deseret News has appeared.  Reading it has not yet been certified unhealthy:

 

“The last Jewish high priest”

 

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A new curricular development in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I look forward to seeing these materials:

 

“LDS Church to release ‘Come, Follow Me’ curriculum in 2019 for home, Primary and adults”

 

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Here’s a nice story of a Chinese atheist who converted to Mormonism and then became a missionary:

 

“Mormon missionary spreads ‘light'”

 

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From my friend Brent Top, who recently stepped down as dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University:

 

“Life After Death: 6 Insights into the Spirit World”

 

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Does this omnipresent Book of Mormon phrase have any actual ancient background?  Or was it just a personal tic of that cunning conman Joe Smith?

 

‘And it came to pass’ in Middle Egyptian”

 

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Latter-day Saint news from Europe:

 

“Elder Uchtdorf Visits German Chancellor in Berlin: Helping ‘one’s fellow man in need’ discussed during meeting”

 

“Elder Holland presents ‘David O. McKay Stone’ to Scottish Museum: Artefact has become part of Scotland’s rich religious heritage”

 

Incidentally, Stephen Kerr, the member of Parliament for Stirling who is mentioned in the article just above, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — indeed, a former Area Authority Seventy.

 

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Out of Australia:

 

“Why does the Mormon Church want state records? And what do they do with them?”

 

From back in 2014:

 

“Mormons Digitise Ancestral Records and Save Victorians Millions”

 

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This is very, very important.  In some cases, in fact, it may be urgently so:

 

“Reach Out in Love to Those Considering Suicide, Elder Renlund Says: Apostle’s comments part of new series of suicide prevention videos”

 

See also this website:

 

“Suicide Prevention and Ministering: Understanding and Healing from the Pain of Suicide”

 

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Published in a non-LDS venue outside of Utah:

 

“In Utah, Rare Lessons in Pluralism”

 

I’m pleased that the article specifically discusses a panel that I chaired.

 

Here’s a non-LDS reaction to (and an endorsement of) the article:

 

“National Review offers in-depth look at BYU’s religious freedom and media conference”

 

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There’s a nice book review in the New York Times by an atheist writer whom I’m scheduled to debate in Las Vegas shortly.  (The debate will be filmed by C-SPAN.)  Here are links, first to the review and, secondarily, to the conference at which the debate will take place:

 

Must Science Conflict With Spirituality?”

 

FreedomFest 2018

 

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This is a question in which I’m profoundly interest but to which I’ve been unable, as yet, to give the systematic attention that I had hoped for:

 

“Are standard theories about the decline of religion in United States crumbling?”

 

Posted from Newport Beach, California

 

 


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