The Good News

Just up, in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, two new book reviews:  “An Important Year in History”) and “Janus Parallelism in the Book of Job: A Review of Scott B. Noel’s Work.”

Today marks the 280th Friday in a row that Interpreter has published at least one article or review.  The Interpreter Foundation has existed for 281.5 weeks.

This represents a considerable achievement.  It results from the efforts and the generosity of many people, and I’m profoundly grateful to all of them.

***

Here’s a really good Advent calendar.  Following it — trying, each day, to enact the admonitions given for that day — would yield a remarkably good Christmas season, both for us and for those around us:

https://www.mormon.org/bc/content/assets/pdf/christmas-2017/25-ways-25-days-calendar-eng.pdf

Here are some practical ideas:

https://www.mormon.org

***

Another fragment of unearthly musical beauty, suited to the Christmas season, is to be found in the American composer Morten Lauridsen‘s wonderful O Magnum Mysterium.  Here are two versions of it:

Nordic Chamber Choir

King’s College Choir, Cambridge (listen to roughly the 6:20 mark of this live performance)

Latin text

O magnum mysterium,

et admirabile sacramentum,

ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,

jacentem in praesepio!

Beata Virgo, cujus viscera

meruerunt portare

Dominum Christum.

Alleluia.

English translation

O great mystery,

and wonderful sacrament,

that animals should see the new-born Lord,

lying in a manger!

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb

was worthy to bear

Christ the Lord.

Alleluia!

***

I think that many of you will enjoy these pieces from Book of Mormon Central:

First, a remarkable account with which, I suspect, many members of the Church are probably unfamiliar:

“How Can Sally Conrad’s Witness of the Book of Mormon Strengthen Our Faith?”

Second, the much better-known but still interesting Emma Smith:

“How Did Emma Smith Help Bring Forth the Book of Mormon?”

***

Another item for your already bulging “Utah is Hell on Earth because of Mormonism” file:

USA Today:  “Giving Tuesday: Here are the most – and least – charitable states, report says”

***

From a national religion blog:  “The most famous Mormons you’ve never heard of — or maybe I’m the only one not familiar with Studio C”

***

I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day. We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness and humanity of the whole year. As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year. And thus I drift along into the holidays – let them overtake me unexpectedly – waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: “Why, this is Christmas Day!” ~ David Grayson

Posted from Park City, Utah