We flew this evening from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, and from Atlanta to Richmond, Virginia. It’s a matter of some satisfaction to me that there is now a temple in each of these cities — long dedicated and operating in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale and, in Richmond, very near to completion and dedication. While in the air, I began to read a book by one Terry Higham, “a research-minded Catholic layman” who is based in the United... Read more
I’m not in Jacksonville, but I am in Florida, and this Florida-related story from twentieth-century Church history seems Sabbath-appropriate to me: Elder Charles A. Callis had presided over the Southern States Mission for over twenty-five years prior to his being called to the Council of the Twelve and was virtually “sainted” in the hearts of Church members living there. The assignment to create the first stake of the Church in the South had been long contemplated in 1946, but... Read more
Newly available at no charge, online: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon — Insights Episode 27: The Hiram Page Revelations Hiram Page, one of the Eight Witnesses, claimed to have received revelations through a seer stone. What do we know about this event? This is the twenty-seventh in a series compiled from the many interviews conducted during the course of the Witnesses film project. This series of mini-films is being released each Saturday at 7pm MDT. These additional... Read more
Here’s a quaint little story that caught my attention: “‘The Chosen’ Under Fire for Apparent Reference to The Book of Mormon.” Now, I’m not even sure that there is an actual reference there to the Book of Mormon. If there is, it’s merely a passing one, very slight, probably accidental, and pretty harmless. Or, anyhow, so it seems to me. But also, assuming that it really exists (if only for the sake of discussion), I don’t see... Read more
Two new articles went up today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. I’m very pleased to be able to call them to your attention: “A Backstory for the Brass Plates,” written by Noel B. Reynolds Abstract: This paper brings contemporary Ancient Near East (ANE) scholarship in several fields together with the ancient scriptures restored through Joseph Smith to construct a new starting point for interpretation of the teachings of the Book of Mormon. It assembles findings from... Read more
Here’s a thought-provoking article by Terryl Givens and Nathaniel Givens: “Secularism as scapegoat: In the 21st century, has faith become too easy and brittle?” And here’s another article that’s well worth the read, by Cassandra Hedelius and Greg Smith. It addresses a piece recently written by Nate Oman, who was, briefly, a student of mine many years ago at Brigham Young University (and one of the best that I ever had): “It’s Not Loving to Mislead People... Read more
Astoundingly — who could possibly have predicted such an event? — something new went up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation this afternoon: Conference Talks: “Covenant and Temple in Psalm 105,” by Stephen D. Ricks Stephen Ricks takes a close look at the literary structure of a psalm, reintroducing us to chiasmus both in modern and ancient texts, including the Book of Mormon, then uses this literary structure to show how the psalm contains the basic... Read more
Three new items have gone up today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. Ignore them at your eternal peril. Or, anyway, please feel free to take a look at them: Come, Follow Me — Old Testament Study and Teaching Helps: Lesson 44, October 24–30: Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47 — “A New Spirit Will I Put within You” Steadily, methodically, generously, and reliably, Jonn Claybaugh continues to produce these concise notes for students and teachers of the... Read more
First, though: I failed to note here that an article of mine was published by Meridian Magazine several days ago. Some of you might perhaps find it interesting, and, in order to make up for lost time, my most obsessive critics will want to get down to the task of maliciously misreading, grossly misunderstanding, and flagrantly misrepresenting it as soon as they possibly can: “Sacrifice, Morality, and the Halifax Explosion” One more thing: The parental units... Read more
From time to time, when I worship with my home congregation (something of a rarity in recent months!) or visit with good friends and share, among other things, “talk of poems and prayers and promises and things that we believe in,” it suddenly hits me how good it is — and how blessed I am — to be part of such a community. This is especially apparent to me at times of great loss and sorrow, such... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In