*** And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be... Read more
*** And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him... Read more
*** Today marks the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1805. Which, I suppose, explains why I was awakened this morning by the distant sound of braying donkeys. Some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are rolling out their annual claim that Latter-day Saints celebrate “Smithmas,” the Prophet’s birthday, with more enthusiasm and vigor than we celebrate the mainstream Christian holiday of Christmas. For many such unfortunates, I... Read more
*** Interpreter Radio Show — November 28, 2021 The 28 November 2021 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show, which featured Mark Johnson, Matthew Bowen, and Kerry Muhlestein, has been purified from commercial and other interruptions, archived, and, now, made available to the general public at absolutely no charge. In the first hour of this episode, Brothers Johnson, Bowen, and Muhlestein discussed new books on Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah. The second portion of the show, by contrast, was... Read more
*** I failed to mention that some new pieces went up yesterday on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. Here they are: Nibley Lectures: Come, Follow Me Old Testament Lesson 1 “This Is My Work and My Glory”: Moses 1; Abraham 3 During the Winter Semester of 1986 at Brigham Young University, Dr. Hugh W. Nibley, a professor emeritus of ancient scripture at BYU, presented a series of twenty-six lectures to an Honors class on The... Read more
*** As we’ve often done when we’ve been here in the Richmond area, we’ve driven past a huge Philip Morris production facility at least twice each day. Right now, it’s brightly lit up with Christmas ornaments and Christmas trees; its six prominent towers are illuminated in alternating red and green light. Merry Christmas! I’ve long wondered, though, about cigarette companies. What would it be like to work in an industry of which the product, if used... Read more
In scattered moments at the beginning of the day and at its end, I’ve been reading a condensed version of Churchill — Der Kampf ums Überleben 1940/65, which is a German translation of Winston Churchill –The Struggle for Survival 1940-1965, which (in its turn) is allegedly (though somewhat controversially) based on the diary of Lord Moran (Sir Charles Wilson), his personal physician. It offers an interesting perspective on Churchill and the Second World War. I’ve marked just a... Read more
*** A new “pre-print” has appeared on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Enoch and the Gathering of Zion: The Witness of Ancient Texts for Modern Scripture Bradshaw, Jeffrey M. Enoch and the Gathering of Zion: The Witness of Ancient Texts for Modern Scripture. Orem, Springville, and Salt Lake City, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, Book of Mormon Central, and Eborn Books, 2021. https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/enoch-and-the-gathering-of-zion/. Have a look at it. There’s still time to get a copy of the... Read more
*** Some who accept the common political spectrum that puts Communists on the left and Nazis on the right like to point to the fact that the two extremes often come to resemble each other. (It’s partly for reason of precisely that resemblance that I’ve never accepted the traditional left/right spectrum, although that’s a matter for another discussion.) Anyway, I’ve just been alerted to yet another area where seemingly opposing positions appear to converge: “Jonathan... Read more
*** I found this item in the Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File©, and thought that some here might find it delectably horrifying: “Research: Religious Americans Less Likely to Divorce: Recent data suggests that faithful young adults can marry in their 20s without increasing the risk of separation.” One noteworthy fact that is mentioned in passing in the article is this: More than 70 percent of American marriages are preceded by cohabitation. Does... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In