“How Astronomers Revolutionized Our View of the Cosmos,” Revisited

Last updated on: August 27, 2020 at 12:29 am By Dan Peterson

The current issue of Scientific American contains a clear and approachable summary article by the British astrophysicist and cosmologist Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, entitled “How Astronomers Revolutionized Our View of the Cosmos: The universe turns out to be much bigger and weirder than anyone thought” (Scientific American 323/3 [September 2020, 323/3]: 58-64) about the history of modern cosmology. Martin Rees has been the Astronomer Royal since 1995. From 2004 until 2012, he also served as the master... Read more

Revision 4.7 “The Qur’an on the Last Days”

Last updated on: August 27, 2020 at 12:20 am By Dan Peterson

As we saw in the last chapter, one of the major themes of the Qur’an is the Day of Judgment, when the Lord will come with his angels.[1] On that day, which will be announced by a trumpet, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. In terms very similar to those of the Bible, the Qur’an says that great earthquakes will accompany that terrible day. Even the mountains, the most solid thing in the physical... Read more

“How Astronomers Revolutionized Our View of the Cosmos”

Last updated on: August 24, 2020 at 5:37 pm By Dan Peterson

The current issue of Scientific American contains a really nice summary article by the British astrophysicist and cosmologist Martin Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, entitled “How Astronomers Revolutionized Our View of the Cosmos: The universe turns out to be much bigger and weirder than anyone thought” (Scientific American 323/3 [September 2020, 323/3]: 58-64) about the history of modern cosmology. Martin Rees has been the Astronomer Royal since 1995. From 2004 until 2012, he also served as the master of... Read more

“Another Breakthrough for the Arabian Peninsula Evidence for the Book of Mormon”?

Last updated on: August 24, 2020 at 5:41 pm By Dan Peterson

This just up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: “John W. Welch: A Personal Reminiscence,” by Stephen E. Robinson Abstract: In these glimpses of the early private life of a very public figure, Stephen E. Robinson provides a portrait that will enable readers to see how the child became father to the man. [Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Original pagination and page... Read more

Revision 4.6 “The Religion of Abraham”

Last updated on: August 24, 2020 at 5:43 pm By Dan Peterson

Yet the Qur’an does not bring any new truths. It does not claim to do so. It is merely a restoration of those truths that had been revealed from the beginning. It carries forward what was written in the books of Abraham and Moses, confirming the earlier scriptures and particularly the Torah and the gospel.[1] “Nothing is said to you,” Muhammad is told, “that has not been said to other Messengers before you.”[2] In fact, the Qur’an addresses... Read more

A kind of Interpreter Foundation “annual report”

Last updated on: August 24, 2020 at 5:30 pm By Dan Peterson

What follows is the letter that I sent out, toward the end of this past July, to many of the donors and volunteers who make the work of the Interpreter Foundation possible: Dear friends, The past year has been a very successful one for the Interpreter Foundation. And since, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, we won’t have the opportunity to report on our progress at an annual dinner in August, I would like to do so now,... Read more

A Universe Like a Bach Fugue

Last updated on: August 23, 2020 at 7:32 pm By Dan Peterson

In his foreword to Geraint F. Lewis and Luke A. Barnes, A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016), Brian Schmidt, who shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess for providing evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, writes as follows: “Like a Bach fugue, the Universe has a beautiful elegance about it, governed by laws whose mathematical precision is meted out to... Read more

What happened in September 1823? Why? Given COVID-19, will anything at all happen THIS September?

Last updated on: August 23, 2020 at 7:35 pm By Dan Peterson

Just a reminder: The coronavirus pandemic has obviously been a nuisance (when it hasn’t been much worse). There’s absolutely no question about that. However, the Interpreter Foundation continues to press forward: “Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses: 2020 Interpreter Foundation Conference” *** I’m beginning to work my way slowly through John W. Welch, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin G. Rappleye, Jonathon Riley, and Taylor Halverson, eds., Knowing Why: 127 MORE Evidences That the Book of Mormon... Read more

Revision 4.5 “Muhammad and the Restoration of Lost Truth”

Last updated on: August 23, 2020 at 7:39 pm By Dan Peterson

After those prophets We sent forth Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Torah already revealed, and gave him the gospel, in which there is guidance and light, corroborating that which was revealed before it in the Torah, a guide and an admonition to the righteous.[1] According to the Qur’an, Jesus came as a messenger to confirm that which had gone before and to restore to the earth the pure truth that had been lost through sin and... Read more

Book of Moses Insights, Radio Shows, and How You Can Help

Last updated on: August 22, 2020 at 4:15 pm By Dan Peterson

The Interpreter Foundation is like a fountain or a spring. It produces steadily: Book of Moses Insights #17: The Teachings of Enoch: “By the Water Ye Keep the Commandment” (Moses 6:60, 64) Interpreter Radio Show — August 9, 2020 The discussants for the 9 August 2020 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show were Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen. In this episode, they discuss the recent annual FAIRMormon conference as well as recent Interpreter Foundation... Read more