On Two Women in the Old Testament, and regarding Heavenly Mother

Last updated on: September 9, 2022 at 10:16 pm By Dan Peterson

“Hannah’s Adversity and Peninnah’s Redemption,” written by Loren Blake Spendlove Abstract: Most biblical students are familiar with the story of Hannah, who after years of barrenness, finally gave birth to the prophet Samuel. Some will remember her adversary, Peninnah, who allegedly tormented Hannah to tears. My objective in this article is to reclaim Peninnah’s good name by reinterpreting the passage found in 1 Samuel 1:6. “Interpreting Interpreter: Redeeming Peninnah,” written by Kyler Rasmussen This post is a summary of... Read more

Coming up on 5 November 2022

Last updated on: September 9, 2022 at 10:28 pm By Dan Peterson

In the first portion of this episode of the fabled Interpreter Radio Show, Neal Rappleye and Jasmin Rappleye and Hales Swift, joined by their guest Stephen O. Smoot, recap the 2022 FAIR conference., which was originally broadcast on 7 August 2022. (It has now been edited, meaning that all commercial and other extraneous interruptions have been meticulously removed from it, and archived, made accessible to you at your convenience and at no charge.) By contrast, the second portion... Read more

Seeking help from readers in Canada, the UK, and beyond

Last updated on: September 9, 2022 at 10:35 pm By Dan Peterson

I’m asking a favor from readers of this blog who live, move, and have their being outside of the United States of America. Recently, during our extensive travels overseas (which are, alas, far from over for the year), I’ve been made aware of limitations in the distribution of Witnesses and Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon that I had not expected. It turns out that streaming rules vary in surprising ways from country to country. And... Read more

An infallible formula for never lapsing into inactivity in the Church

Last updated on: September 5, 2022 at 9:27 pm By Dan Peterson

The inexplicably weird English of the headline continues throughout the article. Still, I think that some of you will find it of interest: “Can BYU is mainstream and can still be ‘not of the world’?” One day, many years ago while I was serving as a missionary in Interlaken, Switzerland, I sat in sacrament meeting. The speaker was a counselor in the mission presidency. (I was fairly green, still a rather new missionary, and my... Read more

Don L. Lind, RIP

Last updated on: September 4, 2022 at 9:26 pm By Dan Peterson

I saw the news yesterday that Don Lind has died. Holder of a doctorate in high-energy nuclear physics, a faithful Latter-day Saint, and a retired NASA astronaut, he had written an entry for my old Mormon Scholars Testify site, now renamed Latter-day Saint Scholars Testify: Don L. Lind I actually only met him a few times, but here are a couple of stories about him: During my last months as a young missionary, while I... Read more

At IANDS

Last updated on: September 4, 2022 at 9:31 pm By Dan Peterson

A new item went up today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: “Witnesses of the Book of Mormon — Insights Episode 20: Who Wrote the Testimony of the Witnesses?“ Every edition of the Book of Mormon has included a copy of the Testimony of the Three Witnesses. Who wrote it? And if each of the three witnesses didn’t actually write the words themselves, does that somehow invalidate that testimony? This is the twentieth in a series compiled... Read more

An ancient idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33, as well as a demonic attack in Lancashire

Last updated on: September 2, 2022 at 4:55 pm By Dan Peterson

It’s Friday, so yet another new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: ““But That Thou Wouldst Clear My Way Before Me”: A Note on the Personal and Emotional Rendering of an Ancient Idiom in 2 Nephi 4:33,” written by Matthew L. Bowen Abstract: The biblical Hebrew collocation pinnâ derek or pannû derek (cf. Egyptian Ἰr wꜣ.t [n]), often rendered “prepare the way” or “prepare a way” in English, is an evident stylistic... Read more

“What You Didn’t Hear About the LGBT Pamphlet at BYU”

Last updated on: September 2, 2022 at 4:59 pm By Dan Peterson

Wow. This article, written by the forthright and courageous Cassandra Hedelius, is both extremely important and extremely concerning: “What You Didn’t Hear About the LGBT Pamphlet at BYU: BYU was right to remove an LGBT “resource pamphlet” from freshman welcome bags, but the public doesn’t understand why. It disturbingly promoted a drag show and gender “transition” to students.” Another person of tremendous bravery and integrity is Robert P. George, who is the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence... Read more

Into Thin Air?

Last updated on: September 2, 2022 at 7:15 pm By Dan Peterson

I don’t know what to say about these new takes on the alleged incident of allegedly uncontested, unimpeded racist insults allegedly hurled by a non-student at a women’s volleyball game between Brigham Young University and Duke University. I wasn’t there. I assumed initially that the incident really occurred as described. And maybe it did. These articles do suggest, however, that those who immediately (and quite predictably) jumped from the specific alleged case to full-throated denunciations of BYU more... Read more

Controversies Past and Present

Last updated on: September 2, 2022 at 7:50 pm By Dan Peterson

I should call your attention to the 2022 annual meeting of IANDS — the International Association for Near-Death Studies — which begins today, 31 August, and runs through 4 September. It is convening in-person in the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, at 255 South West Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will apparently also be available on-line. Other than saying the other day that I’m perfectly happy to see the jerk who evidently yelled racist... Read more

Why was Daniel thrown into the lion’s den?