“Prophet Meets Pope Francis at the Vatican”
I’m delighted at this. Despite its notorious current woes, I’m a great admirer of the Catholic Church in many ways and especially of some of its leaders. Pope St. John Paul II, whom I once had the opportunity of seeing at fairly close range when I was invited to attend a meeting with him in Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, is a particular hero of mine.
And here’s something that’s pretty amazing:
It isn’t merely highly unusual, it’s literally unprecedented for every member of the two leading priesthood quorums of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be present for the dedication of a temple.
Why is this temple so very special, in a way, beyond even other temples? Partly, I’m sure, because it’s in Rome, where the largest single Christian church has had its seat for many centuries. Both churches claim apostolic authority; the statues of the apostles that are located in the new Rome Italy Temple implicitly state our claim. But it’s also important because this is our first temple built in a land of the Bible. There is no biblical Epistle to the Residents of Manhattan nor any biblical Epistle to the Mexicans. But there is an Epistle to the Romans, and strong tradition holds that the both the apostles Peter and Paul gave their lives as martyrs — “witnesses” — in the city of Rome. The Lord’s Church is coming home.
***
Still in the Eternal City:
“The Deeper Meaning Behind One Beautifully Profound Symbol in the Rome Temple”
***
Leaving Rome — although one member of the Foundation’s board lives there and has served as a bishop in the city — here’s a notable milestone in the history of the Interpreter Foundation:
“Volume 30 Now Available for Ordering in Paperback and E-book Formats”
The Interpreter Foundation is pleased to announce that Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, Volume 30 (2018), is now available in paperback and digital formats for ordering and downloading. This volume took longer than normal (or desired) because of the recent change in the name of the Journal. The 392 page paperback volume can be ordered online at Amazon, or better yet, at AmazonSmile if you would like to donate a portion of your purchase to The Interpreter Foundation at no additional cost to you. The volume price is $9.29 plus shipping (or free shipping with Amazon Prime membership). This price reflects the cost of printing only, with no markup or royalty. This bound volume includes all of the peer-reviewed articles that have been published in volume 30 online at MormonInterpreter.com.
If you purchase the print edition through Amazon or AmazonSmile, you’ll also receive a free copy of the digital Kindle edition of the volume through the Kindle Matchbook service. Those who have purchased the paperback volumes in the past from Amazon can also access the Kindle edition of those same volumes for free.
Further information is available at the link given above. All of the thirty volumes of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship that have been published thus far are similarly available.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In