From the floor

The Interpreter Foundation has been around long enough that, rather in the manner of Turner Classic Movies, it has amassed a considerable library of good materials that are as satisfying today as they were when they first appeared.  Here is one of them, which went up earlier today:

“Conference Talks: “By the Blood Ye Are Sanctified”: The Symbolic, Salvific, Interrelated, Additive, Retrospective, and Anticipatory Nature of the Ordinances of Spiritual Rebirth in John 3 and Moses 6“

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw gave this presentation on Saturday, 5 November 2016 at the 2016 Temple on Mount Zion Conference

I’m writing from the floor of the first day of the 2023 FAIR conference.  I’ll pass over in charitable silence the blatherings of the morning’s first speaker — the audience reacted with surprising charity; only a few bottles and other objects were thrown — but things picked up beautifully with the second speaker, Mike Ash, who presented a paper that he had put together with Ugo Perego, entitled “The Apparent Genetic Discrepancy between Mormon’s Narrative and the Origin of Native Americans.”  I can give no higher tribute, I think, than this:  I really look forward to reading it.  In the question-and-answer period following Mike’s presentation, Dr. Perego appeared on the screen via the miracle of modern computer technology.  His remarks were quite helpful.

Kerry Hull then spoke about Alma’s statement that the plates of the Book of Mormon “must retain their brightness” (Alma 37:5), and moved into a broader discussion of divine brilliance, light, and illumination, connected it in particular with stones and metals.  This topic fascinates me, partly in connection with almost invariable mention of brilliant but unearthly light in accounts of near-death experiences.  Again, I look forward very much to reading Professor Hull’s paper.

After lunch, Professor Avram Shannon gave a presentation under the title ““Written in the Books of Moses”: Mosaic Authorship and Authority in the Book of Mormon.”  He focused on Moses and Mosaic authorship and the Book of Mormon, offering some fresh insights and original perspectives.  I enjoyed what he had to say.

In “Portrayal of Latter-day Saints in Television,” Derek Westra, who works in “reputation management” for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offered a sobering overview of the way Latter-day Saints are depicted — five to one negatively — in a rapidly (and surprisingly) increasing number of productions for television.  Fascinating.

Andrew Young’s presentation, “Whistleblowers in the Last Days,” seemed to concern ideological propaganda in the media.  He is an animator who has worked, among others, for DreamWorks.

In his “Pressing Forward with the Book of Abraham,” Stephen Smoot read from the introduction and the conclusion of the recently-published special issue of BYU Studies on, well, the Book of Abraham and then took questions from the audience.

Jenet Erickson gave a presentation under the title of “For the Strength of Youth: Moving from Compliance and Defiance to Integrity in Covenant Relationship.”  She discussed principles taught in the perennial Church pamphlet For the Strength of Youth on the basis of family social sciences, focusing on healthy human relations.  I liked the title of one of her slides, “From Transaction to Relationship.”  That seemed to be at the heart of her message, which will be well worth a reading.  I also liked this great line from her presentation: “Perfect parents exist, but they don’t have kids yet.”

This opening day of the 2023 FAIR conference concluded with Don Bradley’s “Knowing Brother Joseph: How the Historical Record Demonstrates the Prophet’s Religious Sincerity.”  It was extremely interesting, as I expected it to be.  (I really look forward to seeing this talk in writing or, at least, to listening and carefully to the recording of it.)  Don described himself as a “Josephologist.”  Trying to figure out Joseph Smith’s character, motives, and thinking, he said, has been a basic focus of his life.  He laid out the thought processes that convinced him, even apart from religious belief, that Joseph Smith was sincere and that he sincerely believed himself to be a prophet of God.  He looked in some detail at the origins of plural marriage in Nauvoo.  It’s very good stuff, and I commend it to your attention when and where it’s available.  Critics should have a look at it, too.

After the regular program was over, some of us stuck around for a light dinner of cold cuts and vegetables and some very brief but thoughtful remarks by Wendy Ulrich.

Just this morning, I came across the following remarkable little story from an anonymous writer.  It showed up in my feed from a Facebook group that I commend to your attention.  It’s called “Daily Dose of Kindness”:

Did her father really come to her?  I have no way of telling.  We have only her account to go by.  But my worldview certainly permits it.