I’ve been busy with cinematic matters today — among other things, we made some real progress on the Witnesses-related documentary — and so I’m getting to this a bit late. (It now appears that the documentary or docudrama will be about 2.5 hours long, and that we’ll wait to put it out until the theatrical film has had its run [perhaps in the fall of this year], so as not to step on that.) But I need to... Read more
My wife and I attended a screening of Heart of Africa 2: Companions last night at the LDS Film Festival. It is, to some extent, a retelling of the story in the first Heart of Africa movie, but this time the story is told from the standpoint of the white American half of the service-missionary companionship, rather than from that of the black African missionary. Still, it depicts a culture and a missionary experience that could scarcely be... Read more
In which I lay out a basic and relatively brief argument regarding the various witnesses, and classes of witnesses, to the Book of Mormon: “Come Follow Me Week 8 – Doctrine & Covenants 14-17 “Stand as a Witness”” *** Well, the Interpreter Foundation’s theatrical film, Witnesses, had its first public screening last night as the opening event of the 20th annual LDS Film Festival. It was (within COVID-19 guidelines) a sold-out show, and, so far... Read more
*** On Facebook: “Heartfelt thanks from Caleb Josiah Spivak aka Oliver Cowdery for a SOLD OUT audience at LDS Film Festival! Summer 2021!” Beginning at roughly 26:00 in this KSL-Radio interview and continuing until approximately 33:45, Doug Wright talks about the 2021 LDS Film Festival, which runs from Wednesday night through Saturday night, with the festival’s director, Kels Goodman. For the first minute or two, the focus is on the Interpreter Foundation’s forthcoming theatrical film, Witnesses: The... Read more
Here’s a brief article from Provo’s Daily Herald about the LDS Film Festival, which opens on Wednesday night and continues through Saturday night. It refers, in passing, to the Interpreter Foundation’s theatrical film, Witnesses: “LDS Film Festival celebrates 20 years of cinema” With her kind permission, I’m sharing some thoughts here that we received today from Deanna Warden. She is referring to the Interpreter Foundation’s newly-launched website, Witnesses of the Book of Mormon: ... Read more
For my revised and expanded book on the Middle East for a Latter-day Saint audience: The dominant religious tradition among the pre-Islamic Iranian peoples was Zoroastrianism. In the West, the tradition was named after its founder, the priest and prophet Zoroaster, whose name in Persian is Zartosht or Zardosht. (In Persian, it is called Mazdayasna, meaning “Mazda worship” or “Mazda devotion.”) There is little agreement about Zoroaster’s birthplace — probably somewhere in the eastern part of what is today Iran,... Read more
The 7 February 2021 installment of the Interpreter Radio Show is now archived and available, free of commercial and other intrusions, The participants in this episode were Neal and Jasmine Rappleye, Hales Swift, and Spencer Marsh. They discussed the Book of Mormon and anti-discrimination, the translation of the Book of Abraham, and the witnesses of the Book of Mormon. The second portion of the show was devoted to a roundtable in which they covered the upcoming Come Follow Me... Read more
First, though: “Witnesses Movie Interview and Special Screening” Book of Moses Essays #43: Moses 1: A Literary Masterpiece. Many-Great Waters and Moses’ Mission to Baptize (Moses 1:25-26) *** “Bill Gates is investing big in American farmland: The Microsoft co-founder’s personal investments mirror a growing trend amongst the uber-wealthy.” “Farmland offers an excellent means to diversify a tech-heavy portfolio,” O’Keefe told Crosscut. “It’s a sound counterbalance with proven rates of return. In addition, given the scale... Read more
New, today, on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Daniel C. Peterson, “All Can Partake, Freely” Abstract: The Interpreter Foundation welcomes faithful ideas, insights, and manuscripts from people of all backgrounds. In this brief essay, I share some that were recently shared with me regarding Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, as recorded in 1 Nephi 8. Among other things, Lehi seems to have been shown that the divine offer of salvation extends far beyond a small elite. As Peter exclaims... Read more
I’ve written on two previous days here — see “Love in a Time of Tribalism” and “Some notes following the death of Rush Limbaugh” — about the toxicity and personal animosity that characterize far too much of our contemporary public discourse. I had thought that I was done with the subject. But I’ve seen some good, relevant things that I want to call to your notice. First of all, though, as I’ve read more and more about the incredibly... Read more
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