An image of Christ from the Monastery of St. Catherine (Sinai Peninsula, 6th-7th century)
Here’s my latest column for Meridian Magazine. I used it to report on a book that I recently read and that I really liked. Perhaps somebody out there will enjoy the column, or profit from it, or at least find it uproariously funny: “Did Jesus Really Claim to Be Divine?”
James Tissot, “Moses Speaks to Pharaoh”( ca. 1896-1902, at the Jewish Museum, New York; Wikimedia Commons public domain image)
Abstract: Ancient prophets have had contests with those claiming established authority and ability to do miraculous things, such as Moses with the magicians at the court of pharaoh. The prophets won the contests because of their calling and the power of the priesthood that they held. Scholars have called this a “magical contest.” It might also be considered a “ritual contest” because ritual is involved. This essay identifies common elements in such contests to show that Joseph Smith had essentially the same kind of contest, such as his encounter with folk magic and its ritual at the time of his youth, and the ritual of Freemasonry when he established the Latter-day Saint temple rites.
Note: This article is posted as part of the Interpreter Foundation’s book chapter reprint series, not as an article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. Journal articles appear on Fridays. Reprint articles appear on Thursdays. At least one reader of this blog has found the distinction between the two very confusing and upsetting. Don’t be that guy.
Twenty-first century re-creations of the golden plates, the Liahona, the Urim and Thummim, the sword of Laban, and the breastplate, made by David A. Baird, who also created the plates used in the Interpreter Foundation’s “Witnesses” film, which is now available on DVD and via streaming, as well as in the “Undaunted” docudrama and the associated short-feature videos.
I’m afraid that I’m going to continue reminding you for the rest of the month of February that the dramatic film Witnesses is available for free streaming until March. And that its docudrama sequel, Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, is freely available for the foreseeable future. Both can be accessed via The Witnesses Initiative. Please do enjoy these films. And, if you do, please share them with others, or at least bring them to the attention of others that you think might enjoy them or benefit from them.
Why am I being so pestiferous about this offer and these films? Why am I being so wearisome? Because we made them to be seen. We devoted uncounted hours over several years (during the COVID pandemic, no less, which posed multiple unforeseen challenges) to producing them, and we believe that they convey a vitally important message.
A Landsat USGS public domain satellite view of Maui, showing the smaller island of Kaho’olawe to its south. The two volcanos that formed the island as its two nuclei — the older to the west and the newer to the east — are clearly distinct, as is the “saddle” between them.
Yesterday, we approached Maui from the south, over Maalaea Bay. Twice, though, we had to abort the landing just as we were about to touch down at the airport in Kahului. The problem was sudden gusts of wind near ground level. Each time, we suddenly surged forward and upward and out over Kahului Bay and the ocean to the north, then circled about and came in again. I’ve never had that happen before. Not here or anywhere else. The pilot assured us that we had plenty of fuel, and I wondered whether we might eventually be obliged to divert to Honolulu or to one of the other islands. But we landed successfully on the third try. In the meantime, we enjoyed wonderful low-altitude views of the saddle-like plain between massive Haleakala on the east and the west volcano, Mauna Kahalawai, on the opposite side, and I even spotted some whales out in Maalaea Bay. It could have been worse!
The traffic near Lahaina, though, couldn’t really have been worse. I’ve never seen it so bad. Well, live and learn. We were trying to drive during Maui’s “rush hour”; we won’t make that mistake again.
The eponymous Christopher Hitchens, speaking in Colorado in 2005. Mr. Hitchens had an exceptional personal interest in matters alcoholic. (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)
Alcohol consumption is linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast, liver and colorectal cancers, with even small amounts increasing risk
Acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism, directly damages DNA and promotes tumor development, making alcohol a significant carcinogen
Reducing or quitting alcohol leads to measurable decreases in cancer risk, with oral and esophageal cancers showing a 50% or greater reduction after 20 years of abstinence
Public awareness of alcohol’s role in cancer is alarmingly low, with fewer than half of Americans recognizing it as a risk factor for colorectal cancer, particularly in high-risk populations
Adopting healthier habits, such as eliminating alcohol, significantly reduces cancer risk and improves overall health
I’m grateful to Dr. Lynn Johnson for bringing this Hitchens File document to my notice. (Frankly, the Hitchens File is so capacious that no single meaningless and causally determined humanoid biochemical unit can process its contents in their entirety.)
"Here is an article that crunches the Pew numbers on women and happiness. https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/04/24/popular-distortions-latter-day-saint-women/Latter-day Saint ..."
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