*** Today, a new article by Loren Blake Spendlove has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: “Mine House is a House of Zion and not a House of Babylon!” Abstract: In Doctrine and Covenants 132:8 we read: “Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” I propose that the words “order” and “confusion” in this passage are literary allusions to the ideals, constructs, and outcomes that embody... Read more
*** Newly posted on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Interpreter Radio Show — October 10, 2021 The 10 October 2021 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show featured Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen. In the first hour of this particular episode, they discussed various aspects of scholarship and academic writing. In the second hour of the show, they carried on a roundtable discussion of the upcoming Come Follow Me lesson #47 (D&C 133-134). The... Read more
*** Newly up today, from Kyler Rasmussen, on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: “Estimating the Evidence Episode Episode 17: On Geographical Consistency” [Editor’s Note: This is the seventeenth in a series of 23 essays summarizing and evaluating Book of Mormon-related evidence from a Bayesian statistical perspective. See the FAQ at the end of the introductory episode for details on methodology.] And please be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming next installment in our series... Read more
*** Nibley Lectures: Come, Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 6 “That You May Come Off Conqueror” (D&C 10-11) During 1978, 1979, and 1980, Hugh Nibley taught a Doctrine and Covenants Sunday School class. Cassette recordings were made of these classes, and some of them have survived. These were recently digitized by Steve Whitlock. Most of the tapes were in pretty bad condition. The original recordings usually don’t stop or start at the beginning of the class... Read more
*** Posted earlier today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “Moses 6–7 and the Book of Giants: Remarkable Witnesses of Enoch’s Ministry” Abstract: The Book of Giants (BG), an Enoch text found in 1948 among the Dead Sea Scrolls, includes a priceless trove of stories about the ancient prophet and his contemporaries, including unique elements relevant to the Book of Moses Enoch account. Hugh Nibley was the first to discover in the BG a rare personal name... Read more
*** The Babylon Bee recently had a little bit of fun with Calvinism: “Man Showing No Signs Of Repentance In His Life Still Pretty Sure He’s One Of The Elect” But the question of the salvation of those who, in this life, were not reached by the preaching of the Gospel remains a very serious one. And it becomes increasingly urgent as formerly segregated religious groups — e.g., Christians and Muslims, and Christians and Buddhists... Read more
*** Here are a couple of interesting items that were kindly shared with me by the Utah-based Latter-day Saint psychologist Dr. Lynn Johnson: “Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association between Day-to-Day Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms?” Abstract: Although numerous studies have shown that discrimination contributes to poorer mental health, the precise mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In this paper, we consider the possibility that the association between day-to-day discrimination (being disrespected, insulted, and harassed)... Read more
*** A new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: Godfrey J. Ellis, “The Rise and Fall of Korihor, a Zoramite: A New Look at the Failed Mission of an Agent of Zoram” Abstract: The accounts of the Anti-Christ, Korihor, and of Alma’s mission to the Zoramites raise a variety of apparently unanswered questions. These involve Korihor’s origins, the reason for the similarity of his beliefs to those of the Zoramites,... Read more
*** Did you miss Jeffrey Mark Bradshaw’s virtual fireside last Sunday, on the subject of “Freemasonry and the Origins of Modern Temple Ordinances”? If so, don’t despair! It was recorded, and it is available via this link: “Videos of the “A Life Lived in Crescendo” Firesides” And don’t miss the virtual fireside this coming Sunday, 24 October 2021, by Brian C. Hales, which will be entitled “Doctrine and Covenants 132: Questions and Discussions.” Go... Read more
*** First, though, Kyler Rasmussen’s latest installment in his series of Bayesian investigations has now been posted: “Estimating the Evidence Episode Episode 16: On Varying and Variable Themes” [Editor’s Note: This is the sixteenth in a series of 23 essays summarizing and evaluating Book of Mormon-related evidence from a Bayesian statistical perspective. See the FAQ at the end of the introductory episode for details on methodology.] It seems unlikely that an ancient book would have so many themes and... Read more
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