Save The Dates! (1-2 May 2020)

Jebel Musa in Sinai — Jabal Musa, in the Sinai — the traditional site of Moses’ encounter with God
(Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph)

This would have been a Hamblin/Peterson column — Bill read through it and approved it before his death — but now I’m on my own. When I wrote it, my wife was actually over in Europe with her friends at the Christmas markets in Krakow, Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam:

“The birth of a baby — any baby — is a moment of hope and the inauguration of virtually boundless possibilities, and Christmas powerfully reminds us of these things once more each year”

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On 1 May and 2 May 2020, joined by the Brigham Young University Department of Ancient Scripture
and Book of Mormon Central, the Interpreter Foundation will be sponsoring a conference entitled

“Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses”

Here is a tentative list of the speakers on the program as they currently stand:

May 1, 7:00 PM
Elder Bruce C. Hafen (emeritus member of the Seventy)

May 2, 9:00 AM
Matthew L. Bowen
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
David Calabro
Terryl L. Givens
Jeff Lindsay (joint paper/presentation with Noel Reynolds)

Jared Ludlow
Noel Reynolds
John W. Welch

One of the intended emphases in the presentations will be on passages that seem to have ancient affinities of which Joseph Smith would likely not have been aware.

The venue is yet to be determined, although it will definitely be on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo. One possibility is 251 Tanner Building, which would be adequate for an expected attendance of 100-200. There is also the option of the Hinckley Alumni Center auditorium, but it’s much larger, and we don’t want the room to be substantially empty.

If we sense a good response — and sense it soon — maybe we’ll go for the larger room. So can we hear an “Amen”? Loudly? Is anybody out there interested in attending? Will you commit now to bringing your spouse? Neighbors? Cousins? Ward members? (How about your children and your pet dog?) It would be nice to know very soon whether there is great interest in this subject and this conference, or middling interest, or virtually none.

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Vital evidence for your Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File continues to pour in from around the world:

“‘Building bridges’: How a New Zealand meeting exemplifies past, present and future collaborations between the Church and its friends”

“President Nelson Plays ‘Silent Night’ Alongside 7-Year-Old Singer: Prophet accompanies YouTube sensation Claire Crosby”

“Central America is evidence the gospel strengthens generations, says Elder Bednar”

Posted from Washington DC