In a post that I put up on Friday, I argued that ἐπισκοπὴν, translated in the King James Bible at Acts 1:20  as “bishoprick” (that is, in modern English, as “bishopric”), could very reasonably be rendered as “stewardship.”  The closely related Greek term episkopos means “overseer” or “superintendent,” so an episkopé is something like “an area of responsibility.”  In the New International Version of the New Testament, which I give below, it is translated as “a place of leadership”:... Read more

    Nearing the end of the first draft:   There is no such thing, in this terribly complex matter, as “the Lord’s side.” Neither side is without sin, and neither side is without just cause. As a Church, we must attempt to steer a neutral course between the various factions. As Latter-day Saints, we must hóld ourselves and everyone who would seek our support to the stan­dards of justice and charity that the gospel mandates. It is only after... Read more

    My father died fifteen years ago today.   I still miss him very much.  I think about him every day.  Certain sights always, invariably, remind me of him.  There are many things that I would like to tell him, many questions that I would like to ask of him.   He was the first of my immediate childhood family to pass to the other side of the veil.  But he was followed, much sooner than I had imagined, by... Read more

    A thought from an uncompleted manuscript:   Near-death experiences, while they do not directly demonstrate the existence of God, strongly seem to suggest that the universe is the kind of place in which it makes abundant sense to believe that God exists. The actress Jane Seymour would surely agree.  She says that her experience “confirmed her belief in God.”[1]  As one man, who survived a major automobile accident, told the Gallup researchers, “I now know, without a shadow... Read more

    But first:  It’s my practice, when I’m running on all cylinders, to do at least a little bit of reading in the Greek New Testament every day.  Here’s an observation on Acts 1:15-26:   15 ¶ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which... Read more

  Moving on down the road:   The scriptures even offer guidance on the troubling problem of how Israel should treat the Palestinians who live under its control. And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your... Read more

    My most recent Deseret News column went up on Thursday:   “An exceptionally interesting ancient Egyptian papyrus”   ***   Many years ago, I was deeply, deeply impressed by T. S. Eliot’s 1948 essay “Notes Towards the Definition of Culture.”  I really need to dust it off again and write something about it, sometime.  In the meanwhile, though, here are two passages from the essay:   “It is important that a man should feel himself to be, not... Read more

    Whenever we’re here, there are certain things that we simply must do.  They’re tradition.  We’ve already knocked a few of them off:  A couple of days ago, for instance, we had brunch with friends at The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove.  And, yesterday, with a friend, we went out on a whale-watching cruise from Dana Point.  We didn’t actually see any whales, this particular time.  But we saw California sea lions, and a Mola mola or ocean sunfish (very... Read more

    Hurtling toward the close of the first draft:   I have made the statement as my opinion—though I think it is an opinion firmly grounded in the scriptures—that only a partial or preliminary gathering of the Jews has occurred thus far. What practical conclusions can we draw from this, if it is true? One con­clusion to be drawn is that Latter-day Saints are not obliged to give a blank check of unqualified approval to the government of Israel.... Read more

    As I sit watching the last traces of a sunset over the Pacific Ocean, I’ve just been listening to a performance, by Voces8, of Sir Edward Elgar’s Lux Aeterna.  (A friend with an extensive background in choral music as both a director and a performer, including graduate study, called it to my attention.)   I posted earlier today about reports of “Music during Near-Death Experiences.”  If, as some say, the music of heaven is far better than even... Read more