Mr. Jeremy Runnells, a vocal critic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a former member.   Some time ago — a year or two back, I think, or maybe longer (who knows? whenever it happened) — I commented, in passing, on his excommunication.   My understanding, at the time, was that he had been excommunicated.   It seems, though, that he resigned just before he would (almost certainly) have been excommunicated.   If I’m not mistaken,... Read more

    In January of this year, Elder Bruce Hafen and Sister Marie Hafen delivered a joint devotional address at Brigham Young University’s Hawaii campus in Laie.   What they had to say is superb, and you can watch it, listen to it, and/or read the text of it here:   https://devotional.byuh.edu/media170124   Their presentation lasted in the neighborhood of 40-45 minutes.  I recommend their remarks to you for Sabbath listening, or, indeed, for any other day of the week.... Read more

    Tarik LaCour continues his project of responding, piece by piece, to an attack upon Latter-day Saint belief from a former believer that has had considerably more impact than its arguments merit:   http://tarikdlacour.blogspot.com/2017/07/answering-letter-to-ces-director-9.html?spref=fb   Posted from Honolulu, Hawaii     Read more

    We attended services in the Makiki Ward today, in the Honolulu Stake Tabernacle.  (We passed on the chance to meet with the Marshallese ward in the adjacent chapel.  My Marshallese is . . . somewhat weak.)   I enjoyed being in a congregation that looked quite different from me.  The bishop had a Hispanic surname.  Almost all of the other names on the program and listed as ward leadership were either Japanese, Chinese, or Polynesian.  An older, bearded... Read more

    One of the most popular myths about the (also largely mythical) perpetual warfare between Christianity and science is the notion that the medieval Church taught — and insisted that people believe — that the Earth is flat.   Here’s an entertaining little three-minute video on that subject:     If you ever hear this little chestnut trotted out, especially as an illustration of the baneful effects of religion upon science, please contradict it.  Feel free, in fact, to... Read more

    It’s mildly amusing, given that this article in the Weekly Standard is about the Biblical Archaeology Review, that I subscribe to, and very much like, both magazines:   http://www.weeklystandard.com/astonishing-biblical-archaeology/article/2007845   Posted from Honolulu, Hawaii     Read more

    http://www.ldsliving.com/A-Black-Mormon-Mans-Thoughts-on-Race-Priesthood-and-the-Churchs-Essay/s/85553?page=1#story-content   Thanks to Matt Bowen for bringing this little article to my notice.   Posted from Honolulu, Hawaii       Read more

    “Once there was a wealthy but foolish man.  When he saw the beautiful three-storied house of another man, he envied it and made up his mind to have one built just like it, thinking he himself was just as wealthy.  He called a carpenter and ordered him to build it.  The carpenter consented and immediately began to construct the foundation, the first story, the second story, and then the third story.  The wealthy man noticed this with irritation... Read more

    I recently read Lynne Olson’s superb Last Hope Island: Britain, Occupied Europe, and the Brotherhood That Helped Turn the Tide of War, and I want to commend it to anybody who is (as I am) interested in World War Two.   It flows like a novel.  It’s the kind of narrative history that I love to read.   That said, its account of the cluelessness of the politicians in many European countries in the face of the rise of the... Read more

    I’ve recently been denounced for often posting about anthropogenic global warming and, even worse, posting Incorrect Views about it.   The truth is that I rarely post on the subject and that I have no really strong opinion about it.  I post literally thousands of blog entries per year, and only a small number of those — maybe a half-dozen in some years, none in others — are about global warming.   But I’ve come across some amusing... Read more