A nice piece in the Deseret News by Taylor Halverson:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636600/John-10-and-hearing-unto-salvation.html     Read more

    Well, we’re two weeks into the semester, and I still haven’t made a complete train wreck of my classes (“Qur’an,” “Introduction to Islamic Humanities,” and “Introduction to the Religion of Islam”).  So I remain guardedly optimistic.   To celebrate, we did dinner and a play with a friend tonight.   The play was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahama! at the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley City, and they did an excellent job of it.  The choreography, for example,... Read more

    Very sad:   http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34226003   I’ve been showing images of this very mosque — the Grand Mosque or, in Arabic, al-Masjid al-Haram — and talking about it in my classes this past week.   The loss of life might, perhaps, have been even worse, though, had this accident occurred eleven days from now, when pilgrims from all over the world will have gathered in Mecca for the annual pilgrimage of the hajj.   إِنَّا للهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ  ... Read more

    “It is always a difficult task to hold the scales of justice at even balance when weighing the deeds of men. It becomes doubly more so when dealing with men engaged in a movement that one believes had its origin with God, and that its leaders on occasion act under the inspiration of God. Under such conditions to state events as to be historically exact, and yet, on the other hand, so treat the course of events as... Read more

    I posted a little item on this topic earlier today.  But here’s a good, concise article that’s worth a read:   http://www.ldsliving.com/5-Things-Mormons-Should-Know-about-the-Mountain-Meadows-Massacre/s/79809?utm_source=ldsliving&utm_medium=email     Read more

    http://www.nationalreview.com/article/423845/iran-deal-obama-resolution     Read more

    An interesting article in the Economist on what is perhaps the most difficult problem in all of science:   http://www.economist.com/news/science-brief/21664060-final-brief-our-series-looks-most-profound-scientific-mystery-all-one   In fact, it may actually be insoluble.     Read more

    An interesting little story from the Africa Southeast Area website:   http://africase.lds.org/the-johannesburg-templethree-photosthree-miracle     Read more

    It’s Friday.  So, with the depressingly monotonous regularity that’s been a hallmark of the ever-dying-but-never-coming-to-a-full-engagement-with-death Interpreter Foundation, there’s a new article up on the Interpreter website:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/toward-ever-more-intelligent-discipleship/     Read more

    The Mountain Meadows Massacre is the worst episode in the history of the Restoration, the most terrible story in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It can, perhaps, be partially understood, but it cannot be excused.   That said, despite the best efforts of generations who dearly wanted to use it as a weapon against Mormonism,  it also cannot be laid at the feet of Brigham Young, nor at the feet of the Church itself.... Read more