Matthew 17:10-13 Mark 9:11-13   Elias, of course, is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Elijah (more properly, אֱלִיָּהוּ, Eliyahu; the Greek alphabet can’t represent a medial “h”).   Since Joseph Smith taught of a character called Elias who is distinct from the historical prophet Elijah, many critics have contended that he simply didn’t understand that Elias and Elijah, in his Bible, referred to the same person.   But it’s nowhere near that simple, as ought to be evident... Read more

    It reminds me of Wilford Woodruff in England:   http://www.missiongeek.net/2015/05/how-we-baptized-a-whole-village/     Read more

    Thorncrown Chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones, a former apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, on a commission from a retired schoolteacher named Jim Reed.   Perhaps Mr. Reed, apparently a religious sort, should not have been permitted to commission such a toxic building.  Yuck.     Read more

      Matthew 17:1-9 Mark 9:2-10 Luke 9:28-36 Compare Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; 9:37; John 12:28-30     In Matthew 16, Jesus promised to give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven.  In Matthew 17, Peter, James, and John — acting as the First Presidency of the Church — received them.   As the Church’s New Testament manual for college-age students explains, “These keys include the power to administer the ordinances of salvation in a manner acceptable to... Read more

    “Among the repulsions of atheism for me has been its drastic uninterestingness as an intellectual position. Where was the ingenuity, the ambiguity, the humanity (in the Harvard sense) of saying that the universe just happened to happen and that when we’re dead we’re dead?” John Updike Read more

    Reports have it that the average Hillary Clinton speaking engagement, prior to the launch (a few weeks ago) of her presidential campaign on behalf of “everyday people,” lasted approximately an hour and cost approximately $300,000.00.   That’s roughly $5000.00 per minute.   And it’s also said that Ms. Clinton, perhaps fearful of relapsing into her recent state of being “dead broke,” demands accommodation in the hotel’s Presidential Suite (along with other commensurate perks) when she is out on speaking... Read more

    http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/presidential-campaign/242400-does-america-need-mitt-romney   Just about every day — literally — I think to myself how much better things would be if we had Mitt Romney in the White House rather than the ineffectual incumbent.   I doubt very much that we’re going to see a sudden groundswell of sentiment for drafting Governor Romney, but I would be far from unhappy if one materialized.   By all accounts, he’s a really good man.  Moreover, he’s bright, and an excellent manager.  ... Read more

    http://www.nationalreview.com/article/418556/about-poll-showing-fewer-us-christians-david-paul-kuhn     Read more

    http://www.nationalreview.com/article/418571/obamas-isis-credibility-gap-bing-west     Read more

    Yesterday, I posted a brief item about Sir Salman Rushdie’s advocacy of atheism during his recent commencement address at Emory University in Atlanta.   But here’s a different perspective on things, from a contributor to Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture who has already distinguished himself as a heavyweight fighter in the boxing ring and who, almost certainly owing to his connection with the Interpreter Foundation, recently delivered superb and genuinely inspiring commencement remarks at Saint Anselm College in... Read more