“Some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them.”  (George Orwell)     Read more

    Today marks the 159th consecutive week in which Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture has published an article.  The Interpreter Foundation has existed for just slightly more than 160 weeks.   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/not-leaving-and-going-on-to-perfection/   Posted from the 17th annual FairMormon conference Provo, Utah     Read more

      Dr. Charles Krauthammer has an opinion about the proposed nuclear deal with Iran:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/just-who-is-helping-irans-hard-liners/2015/08/06/45700fde-3c75-11e5-8e98-115a3cf7d7ae_story.html   Posted during a break at the 17th annual FairMormon conference Provo, Utah   Read more

      My friend Mark Stoddard handed me a photocopied reproduction of this painting an hour or two ago.  Mikhail Nesterov (1862-1942) was a leading Russian religious painter, and this work reflects very old Russian folk traditions of a visit by Jesus to the ancient Russians, the Kievan Rus.   What a weird idea, that the resurrected Jesus visited people outside of Palestine!   Posted from the 17th annual FairMormon conference Provo, Utah     Read more

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33790405   This must be false.  I thought that archaeology had pretty much settled everything.     Read more

    Yesterday’s FairMormon program — which Ed Pinegar, Margaret Barker, Brant Gardner, Ron Dennis, Brittany Chapman, David Larsen, and Jim Gordon — was extremely good, and it was capped off with a dinner for speakers and FairMormon volunteers.  My wife and I sat at a table with Margaret Barker, Kevin Christensen and his wife, , John Hall, David Larsen, and Cassandra Hedeliius.  Needless to say, there was good conversation, along with the good food.   On Wednesday night, I participated in... Read more

    http://ldsmag.com/the-church-shows-joseph-smiths-seer-stone-for-the-first-time-five-things-to-know-about-the-seer-stone/     Read more

      Luke 17:1-3 Compare Matthew 18:6-7; Mark 9:42   A substantial portion of the trial of this life is dealing with the boorishness, betrayals, indifference, selfishness, dishonesty, and occasional hatred and violence of others.   Such things are an essential part of the test.  But those who are guilty of them will receive no divine reward for them.   And, of course, that includes us.     Read more

    “As for ourselves, yes, we must be meek, bear injustice, malice, rash judgment.  We must turn the other cheek, give up our cloak, go a second mile.” Dorothy Day (d. 1980)     Read more

    http://etherscave.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-name-zarahemla-howlers-29.html   Posted from the 17th annual FairMormon conference Provo, Utah     Read more