Just in case anybody’s interested and in the area: I will be presenting a fireside in the vicinity of Calgary, Alberta, Canada next week, on Thursday, 14 July 2022, at 7:30 PM. I regret that I don’t yet have an address, but I’m told that it will be at a stake center — or, given where I am right now and where the venue will be, at a stake centre — that is not far from a restaurant... Read more
*** We boarded a small propeller-driven plane this morning for the short flight from Vancouver to Victoria and, before our room was ready, had a nice lunch of fish and chips at Spinnakers, on Lime Bay. That’s become a bit of a tradition for us whenever we’re here. And we love being here. I could live here and be very happy. *** As far as this blog is concerned, of course, I no longer have... Read more
Interpreter Radio Show — June 12, 2022 In the first half of this episode of the Interpreter Radio Show, Martin Tanner, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen discuss Under the Banner of Heaven — thus, no doubt, somehow mystically confirming my own ongoing personal obsession with that recent FX/Hulu miniseries. The second portion of the show is devoted to a roundtable discussing the upcoming Come, Follow Me lesson #30 (Ezra 1; 3–7; Nehemiah 2; 4–6; 8). The Interpreter Radio... Read more
I’m happy to share with you three new items on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Nibley Lectures: Time Vindicates the Prophets — Prophets and Scholars From 7 March 1954 through 17 October 1954, Hugh Nibley delivered a series of thirty weekly lectures on KSL Radio that were also published as pamphlets. The series, called “Time Vindicates the Prophets,” was given in answer to those who were challenging the right of members of the Church of Jesus Christ... Read more
My father sometimes liked to play a little trick on people. And it was amazing to me how many of them — adults, as well as children — often fell for it. “Does Canada have a Fourth of July?” he would ask. And a surprising number would reply that, no, only America has a Fourth of July. “Actually,” he would then point out, “Canada does have a fourth of July. It comes right after the third of... Read more
On his Facebook page, the inimitable Jim Bennett posted a nice short summary of some of his criticisms of the recent FX/Hulu miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, created by Dustin Lance Black and starring Andrew Garfield. With his generous permission, I share it here> Finished “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” on Netflix last night. Terrifying. Bone-chilling. Creepy beyond words. Very, very well done. It’s what “Under the Banner of Heaven” wanted to be, thought it was,... Read more
*** A new short-video feature was posted earlier this evening on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. The Witnesses film project continues to generate material that we hope will be of interest and helpful to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to anybody investigating the claims of the Restoration: “Witnesses of the Book of Mormon — Insights Episode 11: What were the Voree Plates?” In 1845, former member of the Church James... Read more
*** My father died nineteen years ago today, on 30 June 2003. He didn’t quite make it to Independence Day, which he loved. I still remember the call from my brother, telling me the news. I picked up the phone. He didn’t even say hello. “Dad died,” he blurted out. “You’re kidding,” I replied, stupidly. I’ve reflected on that reply ever since. Why did I say that? I don’t know. I guess I was stunned. I... Read more
*** As is customary on Fridays, a new article went up today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: “Plural Marriage: Beauty for Ashes,” by Julie A. Russell Abstract: When Eliza R. Snow agreed to become one of Joseph Smith’s plural wives, she feared she would never be looked upon as a decent woman. Nevertheless, she accepted Joseph Smith’s proposal and eventually became a strong advocate of the practice. Reading about her understanding of... Read more
*** The obituary for our friend Michael Lyon, who died yesterday afternoon, has now appeared. He was one of the most interesting people I’ve ever known: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/deseretnews/name/michael-lyon-obituary?id=35508241 I wrote yesterday about our visit to Michael’s room at Utah Valley Hospital — by which time, sadly, we could not communicate with him — and about noticing the prominent display of the Pride Flag at several locations on the hospital’s campus. (See “Of Rainbow Flags and Anarchy.”).... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In