“Brothers and Sisters, do you know who has been in your midst this night?”

Last updated on: January 31, 2020 at 11:00 pm By Dan Peterson

Here are a few more notes from Susan Easton Black and Larry C. Porter, Martin Harris: Uncompromising Witness of the Book of Mormon (Provo: BYU Studies, 2018). The passage below is actually cited from Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, “Diary of Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner,” typescript, p 4, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah: Mary Elizabeth Rollins had converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio. Years later,... Read more

“Compelling Book of Mormon Evidence for Lehi’s Journey through Arabia”

Last updated on: January 31, 2020 at 11:07 pm By Dan Peterson

New on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: “Teachings and Testimony of the First Vision: General Authority Teachings and Testimonies of the First Vision”: Part Five of a Series Compiled by Dennis B. Horne *** New, from our friends at Book of Mormon Central: “Archaeological Evidence for 7 Locations on Lehi’s Journey to the Promised Land” “Watch: Compelling Book of Mormon Evidence for Lehi’s Journey through Arabia” And don’t forget the classics: Journey... Read more

“Don’t Believe in God? Lie to Your Children”

Last updated on: January 31, 2020 at 11:09 pm By Dan Peterson

It is often said of the socialist paradise known as Communist Cuba that, although, sure, yeah, it has sentenced its people to perpetual poverty and taken away their freedom, it has also vastly improved the health of its children and infants. Here, for example, from his previous bid for the presidency, is Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT): “Sanders on Cuba: “Of Course Their Economy Is Terrible,” But They Have Health Care And Education” Senator Sanders could potentially... Read more

“The Near East”? “The Middle East”? “The Nile-to-Oxus Region”?

Last updated on: January 31, 2020 at 11:12 pm By Dan Peterson

Every once in a while, I’m asked to explain the difference between the terms Near East and Middle East. You may not have asked. You may not even care. But I’ll attempt an explanation here nonetheless. My comments aren’t based on specific research, which would be interesting to pursue, but simply on my sense of things after years of being in and around the academic field. Originally, I think, the terms Near East and Middle East... Read more

“‘Hard’ Evidence of Ancient American Horses” (Part 7)

Last updated on: January 31, 2020 at 11:13 pm By Dan Peterson

Proceeding with my notes from Daniel Johnson, “‘Hard’ Evidence of Ancient American Horses,” BYU Studies Quarterly 54/3 (2015): 162-164: As of 2015, the scholarly consensus was that all “native” horses in the Americas must have descended from European stock, mostly Spanish and Portuguese, mostly strays. However, Daniel Johnson observes, the evidence for this is weak. Indeed, it seems to be mostly supposition. As a matter of fact, historical records seem to lean in the opposite direction. Spanish cavalry personnel... Read more

A “Witnesses” milestone

Last updated on: January 31, 2020 at 11:15 pm By Dan Peterson

My wife and I were quite disappointed last week, after having already delayed our tickets once, to miss out altogether on the Utah Opera’s production of Silent Night, about the famous “Christmas Truce” during the First World War. She was still too sick to go. But we received considerable compensation on Monday night. As some of you may perhaps be aware, I’ve been deeply involved over the past two or three years as an executive producer (with... Read more

Martin Harris on the witness stand in Lyons, New York

Last updated on: January 27, 2020 at 4:58 pm By Dan Peterson

A few more notes from Susan Easton Black and Larry C. Porter, Martin Harris: Uncompromising Witness of the Book of Mormon (Provo: BYU Studies, 2018). The passages below are actually cited from Lucy Mack Smith’s Biographical Sketch of Joseph Smith. In March 1829, Lucy Harris brought charges of conspiracy to commit fraud against Joseph Smith. Those charges were heard before a magistrate in Lyons, New York. Lucy Mack Smith provided an account of witness testimony during the proceedings: The... Read more

“‘Hard’ Evidence of Ancient American Horses” (Part 6), Plus a Note on Evolution and Faith

Last updated on: January 27, 2020 at 4:56 pm By Dan Peterson

Newly published on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Science & Mormonism Series 1: Cosmos, Earth, and Man “The Theory of Evolution is Compatible with Both Belief and Unbelief in a Supreme Being” Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article by David M. Belnap originally appeared in Science & Mormonism Series 1: Cosmos, Earth, and Man (2016). Abstract: David Belnap, professor of biochemistry and biology at the University of Utah, explains how the theory of evolution neither unequivocally... Read more

My career as a water witcher, armed with a divining rod

Last updated on: January 27, 2020 at 5:00 pm By Dan Peterson

Three or four times, perhaps, I’ve publicly mentioned my one and only direct experience with water witching, or dowsing, with a divining rod. It was successful, completely against my expectations and to my considerable shock. (See one account here.) Although I’ve simply described what happened in my case without drawing any grand conclusion from it, I’ve been severely ridiculed in certain quarters for recounting the story. (It seems that some critics’ professed commitment to transparency and accurate history... Read more

The real Tower of Babel

Last updated on: January 26, 2020 at 11:11 pm By Dan Peterson

Bill Hamblin and I published this column in the Deseret News several years ago: Most religions have attempted to build their sanctuaries on prominent heights to be visible to all the faithful. Since no such natural heights were available in the flat flood plains of ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), ancient priests and kings determined to build ziggurats (Akkadian “ziqqurratu”), artificial square or rectangular stepped temple platforms. Functionally, temples were placed on raised platforms to give them prominence... Read more

Who parted the Red Sea for the Israelites?