*** An interesting new — very new — item was posted today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: “The First Days and the Last Days: Commentary on Joseph Smith—Matthew” Please take a look! *** Just in time for Christmas and the beginning of the 2022 Old Testament Come Follow Me curriculum, two new books by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw: The First Days and the Last Days: A Verse-By-Verse Commentary on the Book of... Read more
Here are five articles from a previous number of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship that you might find of interest: M. Steve Andersen, “The Practice and Meaning of Declaring Lineage in Patriarchal Blessings” Abstract: In this paper, I show that declarations of lineage in patriarchal blessings have, since the earliest days of the Restoration, evolved in terms of frequency of inclusion, which tribal lineages predominate, and understanding of the meaning of the declaration. I... Read more
*** We spent much of today up in Bountiful with my wife’s father, one of our sons, my brother- and sister-in-law, and a niece. It was nice to see them again and to catch up. We visit my father-in-law pretty much weekly, even taking our travels into account, but some of the other family members have been more elusive. So this was very nice. *** With the patchy and inadequate access to the internet that... Read more
*** We’re just back from one of the best Utah Valley events of the Christmas season — the annual music night at the spacious home of Jeri and Steve Covey (whose son Britain, by the way, was there; he will be playing for the University of Utah in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day). It was a magnificent evening, with operatic singing (including a singer affiliated with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City; another vocalist,... Read more
*** Among the chief glories of the Christmas season is its music. I’ve already shared three of my favorite pieces, appropriate to the holiday. Here, I offer a few more: First, something wonderfully beautiful, from one of the most amazing singers that I’ve ever heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqm-hf1LDV4 The lyrics vary. (Actually, the song was originally written in French. So part of that is simply variation in translations.) But here’s one version: 1. Whence is... Read more
*** It’s Friday, so — what a surprise! — a new article appeared today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. Written by Gerrit M. Steenblik, it’s entitled “Demythizing the Lamanites’ “Skin of Blackness.”” Abstract: Racial bias is antithetical to the Book of Mormon’s cardinal purpose: to proclaim the infinite grandeur of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The book teaches that the Lord welcomes and redeems the entire human family, “black and white, bond and... Read more
*** Here are five Interpreter articles from a previous number of the journal that might catch your interest: David M. Calabro, “Early Christian Temples and Baptism for the Dead: Defining Sacred Space in the Late Antique Near East” Abstract: This paper addresses the early Christian transition from temple-based Judaism to the Constantinian basilica of the fourth century. David argues that some Christians of the second and early third centuries may have had places of worship that, while... Read more
*** For several years, one of my sons wrote occasional articles for the Deseret News, along with Peterson père. Here’s an interesting and seasonally appropriate article from Peterson fils that appeared in 2010: “Telling ghost stories is a lost tradition on Christmas Eve” It seems a rather odd Christmas custom, doesn’t it? *** I thought that, at this Christmas season, some of you might possibly find these passages of interest. According to Muslim... Read more
*** The last installment of Kyler Rasmussen’s series of Bayesian reflections on the Book of Mormon and related topics went up earlier today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Estimating the Evidence Episode 23: On Conclusions [Editor’s Note: This is the last 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.] After summarizing the... Read more
*** Back on 3 November 2021, I posted a shocked and sad entry regarding a relatively young friend and colleague, Arthur VanWagenen of Deseret Book and Excel Entertainment, who was in the hospital in very grave condition following a catastrophic medical event. He is still in the hospital. Today, though, I’m even happier to report on his current situation than I was sad to announce his situation back then: He is up, tentatively walking without a walker,... Read more
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