*** My topic at this year’s annual FAIR conference is “The Book of Mormon Witnesses: Sincerity and Reality.” (As you might have surmised the witnesses of the Book of Mormon have been somewhat on my mind of late.) I’ll be speaking at about 4:15 PM on Friday afternoon, so, if you’re in the vicinity, beware of motorists desperately fleeing the parking lot after about 4 PM This year’s talk is intended as a companion to last... Read more
*** I would like to remind you that the Interpreter Foundation’s dramatic film, Witnesses, which is slowly ending its theatrical run, will actually be opening in Heber, Utah, later this week. So, if you live in Heber or Midway or somewhere else in that vicinity and you haven’t yet seen Witnesses or you would like to see it again, this is a good chance for you. I understand now that it will be screened at the... Read more
*** As part of my on-going effort to remind people of the rich variety of offerings that has been provided in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship — or to call it to their attention in the first place — I provide here a few more links from a previous volume of the journal: Daniel C. Peterson, “Compassion as the Heart of the Gospel” Abstract: The Greek philosopher Aristotle, clearly one of the world’s... Read more
*** Earlier today, Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship made an article by Mark Alan Wright available on its website: “Axes Mundi: Ritual Complexes in Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon” Abstract: An axis mundi refers to a sacred place that connects heaven and earth and is believed to be the center of the world. These places are sanctified through ritual consecration or through a divine manifestation that results in qualitatively detaching that space from the... Read more
*** In this space the other day, I mentioned the death of Professor David C. Montgomery, a former teacher of mine. I share, now, his obituary; the photograph that accompanies it is much closer to the way I remember Dr. Montgomery as my intimidating tutor in Turkish and as the teacher who introduced me to the utterly unfamiliar but fascinatingly exotic world of pre-modern Central Asia: David Christopher Montgomery *** Some of you are... Read more
*** This short article went up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation earlier today: Book of Moses Essays #66: Moses Witnesses the Fall: (Moses 4): The Challenges and Blessings of Celestial Marriage (Moses 4:22–26) And here’s an advance look at a little four-minute spot that will run perhaps as many as three times during this next week’s 2021 FAIR conference. Thanks. to Tom Pittman for putting it together with little time, and to Kristine... Read more
*** As I say, I’ve fallen a bit behind on my blogging. The fourth installment of Kyler Rasmussen’s series of Bayesian essays appeared on the website of the Interpreter Foundation on Wednesday: “Estimating the Evidence Episode 4: On Nephite Genetics” *** “Announcing the Interpreter Foundation Ultimate Egypt Tour Lecture Series” The Interpreter Foundation is pleased to announce a new Lecture series in anticipation of The Interpreter Foundation Ultimate Egypt Tour. The first lecture will be... Read more
*** [What with recent travels, and recovery from recent travels and catching up after them, and, most importantly, having just returned my computer to Brigham Young University (as is required upon retirement) and bought a new one, I’ve fallen behind on blogging and on many other things. I will try to make up the deficit over the next few days. If I can figure out how to make my new computer work.] A new article went... Read more
*** [Yet again, owing to a recurring technical glitch on the part of Patheos, I’ve been unable until just a few minutes ago to post an image to accompany this blog entry. And, yes, this recurrent problem is beginning to get on my nerves. I’ve already been thinking for various reasons about lowering the level of my involvement on Patheos, if perhaps not abandoning it altogether. This issue, over the course of the past month or two,... Read more
*** The domestic theatrical run of Witnesses continues to wind down. I’m happy to report, though, that the movie — which represents the initial portion of the Interpreter Foundation’s overall “Witnesses” film project — will commence screening for the first time at the Avon Theater up in Heber, Utah, later this week. So, if you live in the area of Heber or Midway or anywhere in or near the Heber Valley, this will be a good... Read more
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