*** Another article has appeared, this one by David M. Calabro, in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: “The Divine Handclasp in the Hebrew Bible and in Near Eastern Iconography” Abstract: David Calabro explores what he describes as the “divine handclasp” in the Hebrew Bible. The term refers to a handclasp between God and his human servant that had a place in ancient Israelite temple worship. Calabro indicates it was a ritual gesture that was... Read more
*** Here, I share some passages that I marked when reading Thomas Dubay, The Evidential Power of Beauty: Science and Theology Meet (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1999), a while back: [F]or science, beauty is objective, “out there”. Among the mechanistic suppositions of previous generations was the idea that beauty is an inner attitude of the beholder rather than a property of the objective world. The awareness that the universe is stunningly beautiful wherever we turn our... Read more
*** This is very, very good news: “President Nelson announces plans to preserve pioneer craftsmanship of Manti Utah Temple, construct a new temple in nearby Ephraim” “Church announces new Latter-day Saint temple in Ephraim, Utah. Manti temple to retain its pioneer heritage” *** I hope that some of you might enjoy this: “The Strength of Joseph’s Character” *** I wrote about our dear friend Henry M. Yeates the other day. ... Read more
*** This new article appeared earlier today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: Loren Blake Spendlove, “And the One Pointed the Way: Issues of Interpretation and Translation Involving the Liahona” Abstract: In describing the operation of the spindles in the Liahona, Nephi’s statement that “the one pointed the way” in 1 Nephi 16:10 is frequently taken to mean that one of the two spindles indicated the direction to travel. However, Nephi’s apparent use of the... Read more
*** Somewhat more than eight years ago, a plainly overconfident pseudonymous critic on a small, extraordinarily nasty, and mostly atheist ex-Mormon message board took it upon himself to prophesy: “By Jan. 1, 2014 Interpreter will be dead. . . . Either totally dead or down to token ‘blog’ style postings.” (Bond James Bond, 25 January 2013) But prophecy is a risky business. *** This press release has just been issued by our publicist for the Witnesses theatrical... Read more
*** It’s very possible, unfortunately, that you won’t be able to access the full text of this article in The Economist. It’s quite good, though, and I think that most of you would find it interesting: “Why Utah’s conservatism is better: The Mormon right has not followed white evangelicals’ descent into grievance politics” In this matter, I side unhesitatingly with Utah’s governor, Spencer Cox: “‘The Rundown’: Tucker Carlson rips Spencer Cox” What is described... Read more
*** Our longtime neighbor and friend Henry Yeates died early this morning. After a struggle against cancer that lasted somewhat more than a year and a half, and especially after the dismal and hopeless wait of the past few weeks, his passing is a mercy and a deliverance. But we who are left behind still mourn, and we feel his loss — and will feel his loss — deeply. The pain is most acute, obviously, for his... Read more
*** Here’s some striking news involving two very vocal atheists. Unusually, I find myself siding with them: “Bill Maher’s Audience Cheers As He Trashes Young People With Far-Left Views: ‘Your Ideas Are Stupid’” “Richard Dawkins loses ‘humanist of the year’ title over trans comments: American Humanist Association criticises academic for comments about identity using ‘the guise of scientific discourse’, and withdraws its 1996 honour” *** I’ve had nothing to say about the recent case... Read more
*** I hope that you caught at least part of the superb online conference on the Book of Moses that began this past Friday evening and occupied much of Saturday. If you didn’t, there still might be a chance. The presentations were very good. And the proceedings will eventually be published. In the meanwhile, here are some other good things that recently went up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Book of Moses Essays #52:... Read more
I hope that you caught Richard L. Bushman’s magnificent opening keynote speech for the Book of Moses conference last night. It was remarkable. And the presentations so far this morning — by Kent P. Jackson and Kerry Muhlestein and David Rolph Seely and Stanford Carmack — have also been very, very good: Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses *** Matthew L. Bowen, “Alma — Young Man, Hidden Prophet” Abstract: The biographical introduction of Alma... Read more
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