“By Small Means”

New, in the soon to be renamed Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture:

“‘By Small Means’: Rethinking the Liahona,” by Timothy Gervais and John L. Joyce

The Liahona’s faith-based functionality and miraculous appearance have often been viewed as incongruous with natural law. This paper attempts to reconcile the Liahona to scientific law by displaying similarities between its apparent mechanisms and ancient navigation instruments called astrolabes. It further suggests the Liahona may have been a wedding dowry Ishmael provided to Lehi’s family. The paper displays the integral connection Nephi had to the Liahona’s functionality and how this connection more clearly explains the lack of faith displayed by Nephi’s band during the journey than traditional conceptions of its faith-based functionality.

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This is an important statement from Book of Mormon Central regarding the Annotated Edition of the Book of Mormon that’s being published by the FIRM Foundation:

Executive Summary of the Annotated Edition of the Book of Mormon

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And here’s a significant resource for those who are thinking and talking about President Russell M. Nelson call for us to reemphasize the official name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which believing members regard as having been given to us by divine revelation:

“A ‘Mormon’ By Any Other Name”

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I’m hoping that this will be helpful to at least some folks out there:

“Am I good enough? A conversation on mental illness with Elder J. Devn Cornish (+podcast)”

Incidentally, before he was called to serve as a General Authority of the Church, Elder J. Devn Cornish was a physician and a professor at a prominent medical school.

And this topic is obviously something that’s been on his mind for a while, as is manifest from the title of this 2016 address in General Conference:

“Am I Good Enough? Will I Make It?”

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“CNN Features Video of Latter-day Saint Praying as She Escapes Deadly Camp Fire”

Regarding those fires, by the way, see my post from yesterday entitled “Paradise Lost”:

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2018/11/paradise-lost.html

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This has the potential — if members of the Church will rise to the occasion — to be really spectacular and to do a very great deal of good.  I have to admit that I particularly like the vending machines.  They’re actually fun:

“5 Incredible Ways the Church’s #LightTheWorld Will Be Different This Year”