The story behind one of the most popular painkillers now available without a prescription:   http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34798438   Posted from Istanbul, Turkey     Read more

    The Mormons are deeply concerned only with what they accept as scripture.  Non-Mormons, raised in the tradition of the infallible Bible, are unable to conceive of a man’s being a prophet and at the same time a fallible mortal. They persist in thinking  .  .  .  that the discovery of any slightest flaw in Joseph Smith’s character or his work must necessarily bring the whole structure of Mormonism down in ruins. It isn’t that way at all. Hugh... Read more

    An amusing new study:   http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2015/11/15/meta-neuroscience-studying-the-brains-of-neuroscientists/#.VkrAJEvgMdt   Posted from Istanbul, Turkey     Read more

    I found this interesting partly because I’ve always loved the University of Cambridge and wish that I had been able to spend some serious time there:   http://www.varsity.co.uk/features/9299   Posted from Istanbul, Turkey     Read more

    What on earth am I doing in Turkey right now?   Some may have noticed that President Barack Obama is here in Turkey for the 2015 G-20 Summit.  Well, I’m here for the G20 Interfaith Summit, which is devoted to the theme of “Religion, Harmony and Sustainable Development.”  If anybody’s in town, please drop by:  My particular panel will be held on Wednesday afternoon.   Yesterday, some of the Latter-day Saints involved in the conference — joined by a... Read more

    In this, the 147th scripture roundtable posted by the Interpreter Foundation, Jeff Bradshaw, Craig Foster, Ben McGuire, and Dan Peterson discuss 1 Nephi 8-12, 15, in connection with 2016 Gospel Doctrine lesson 3   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/scripture-roundtable-147-book-of-mormon-gospel-doctrine-lesson-3-the-vision-of-the-tree-of-life/   Posted from Istanbul, Turkey     Read more

    Some years ago I made a long study of just what objections had been raised against Mormonism in the past. From the beginning it was always the same. Nobody was really worried about polygamy, which was in fact a welcome stick to beat the Mormons with; the ferocious denunciations from press and pulpit, the incitement of mobs, and the stampeding of legislatures always rested on one thing alone—the incredible fact that in an age of modern enlightenment, universal... Read more

    Since I’m in Turkey at the moment, and since, in the Church’s adult Sunday school curriculum, we’re coming to the point where we’ll be discussing the Revelation of John, I’ve been thinking about this Deseret News article that I published back in July.  Some, I think, might find it interesting, and perhaps even of use:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865632206/The-failing-churches-of-ancient-Roman-Asia.html?pg=all   Posted from Istanbul, Turkey     Read more

    For the 146th scripture roundtable published by the Interpreter Foundation, Cassandra Hedelius, Craig Foster, Martin Tanner, and Bruce Webster focus on 2016 Gospel Doctrine lesson 2, which is based upon 1 Nephi 1-5 and 1 Nephi 7:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/scripture-roundtable-146-book-of-mormon-gospel-doctrine-lesson-2-all-things-according-to-his-will/   Posted from Istanbul, Turkey     Read more

    A young man once long ago claimed he had found a large diamond in his field as he was ploughing. He put the stone on display to the public free of charge, and everyone took sides. A psychologist showed, by citing some famous case studies, that the young man was suffering from a well-known form of delusion. An historian showed that other men have also claimed to have found diamonds in fields and been deceived. A geologist proved... Read more