The other day, I posted a blog entry about my own very occasional and very amateur (and very armchair or, perhaps better, very car-seat) interest in geology:   Plainly, one of the readers of this blog — although, like me, he isn’t a trained or professional geologist — is a much more serious amateur geologist than I am.  Here is a blog that he maintains:   Wanderlusting the Jemez: Geological adventures in the Jemez Mountains and surrounding areas... Read more

    Hot off the metaphorical press, two articles have appeared today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:   “An Approach to History”   Abstract: When researching and evaluating historical information, it is easy to come across things that may lead to a crisis of faith. Some of those crises may lead individuals to leave the Church and actively proselytize against it. It is much better when dealing with historical issues to approach them from a standpoint of charity,... Read more

    Luke 8:19-21 Compare Matthew 12:46-50;Mark 3:31-35; John 15:14   The take-away here, I suppose, isn’t some supposed denigration of his family, or of the family generally, but the indication that Jesus had brothers.  (Presumably half-brothers.)   This quite clearly seems to work against the idea of Mary’s perpetual virginity, which has become dogma among Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.   We had a speaker on campus several years back, George Zervos, an Eastern Orthodox priest (I think) who... Read more

    The latest installment of my bi-weekly “Defending the Faith” column has appeared in the Deseret News:   “‘A Documentary History of the Book of Mormon’ examines primary sources”   ***   Available via the website of the Interpreter Foundation:   “Discipleship,” an interview with Eric Huntsman   ***   “Church Sponsors 11th International Art Competition : Exhibit opens at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City”   ***   “Mormon style update: AP changes rules on referring to... Read more

      Just in case anybody out there is interested . . .   I will be involved on Thursday, 11 April 2019, in an Interfaith Panel in Poway, California.  (For those who may be unfamiliar with Poway, it’s located in San Diego County.)  The panel, which will run from 7 PM until 8:30 PM, will be moderated by Reverend Glen Larsen, of Poway Community Church, and will be held in the Poway Stake Center at 15750 Bernardo Heights... Read more

    One of my regrets is that I’ve never taken a geology class.  But the subject interests me very much — and probably for some of the same reasons that history interests me.  I recall a lengthy conversation with the late Eugene Clark in Costa Rica about his early desire to become a historian.  But he was dyslexic, and he simply couldn’t keep up with the reading that his history classes demanded of him, and that a career as... Read more

    Matthew 13:34-35 Mark 4:33-34   I would think that these verses might be just a little bit jarring to the kind of Protestant who thinks that everything he or she needs to know about God and divine things is laid out plainly in the Bible.   There’s a clear reference to secrecy in these verses, and, if there’s a reference to revealing secrets (which there is), it’s also pointed out that such revelation occurs symbolically, after a long wait,... Read more

    If you’ve been thinking that it might be fun to come along with my group to the famous Passion Play in Oberammergau, Bavaria, in 2020, you probably need to decide on that really, really soon.  I’m told that the tour is very near to being sold out:   http://www.cruiselady.com/tours/oberammergau-2020-passion-play/   ***     On Monday night, my wife and I joined with friends for dinner and then, with them, attended a performance of the musical An American in... Read more

    In my younger years, I climbed to the top of the traditional Mount Sinai several times.  I’ve done it only once or twice since then, and I haven’t done it at all for quite a few years now.     Still, I might be able to offer some helpful pointers.  First of all, though, in the spirit of full disclosure I need to say that I think that the actual historical Mount Sinai may not be the Sinai... Read more