I confess to having no really strong opinion on the subject of anthropogenic global warming.  It’s not a subject on which I’ve read a great deal, and I figure that societies and nations will make whatever decisions they make on the subject without the need of much input from me.  If everything depended on my views about it, I would feel obliged to think and read a great deal on the topic.  But nothing depends on my views... Read more

    Another attack on reason and common sense!   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681858/Science-progress-and-religion.html   By the way, sometimes the critics who regularly comment on my columns seem especially clueless.  Just sayin’.   Posted from Grindelwald, Switzerland     Read more

I think that Bernie Sanders acquitted himself well upon hearing the news that one of his followers had opened fire upon a group of Republican senators and congressman harmlessly gathered for a baseball practice:   http://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-read-the-statement-sen-bernie-sanders-1497457939-htmlstory.html   He said what he should have said, and he said it eloquently.  And I have no doubt that he was and is sincere.   However, Senator Sanders didn’t do so well earlier in the week:   “Bernie Sanders Shows How Religious Ignorance Breeds... Read more

    Some of you may be aware that there’s yet another conflict in the Middle East.  (Yippee!  Frankly, the region was becoming rather stale and boring.)  And yet, some of you may also wonder what in the world it’s about.  Well, this might be at least slightly helpful:   https://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2017/6/13/qatar-making-sense-of-the-befuddling-middle-easts-latest-media-focus   My wife and I were in Qatar just three weeks ago, if only in Doha International Airport.  It’s an extraordinarily nice airport, though.  And Qatar Airlines is a beautiful... Read more

    An interesting little piece from the Catholic writer George Weigl about religion, and science, and some people for whom I have considerable admiration:   https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/06/way-beyond-the-new-atheist-nonsense   We’re a much smaller group, but I would hope that Latter-day Saints might do something similar.  The Interpreter Foundation’s conferences on science and religion — we’ve convened two, thus far — have been a modest nod in that direction.  (Here’s one result.)  We’re overdue for another.  Anybody want to help?  The harvest is... Read more

    I enjoyed this article:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681688/The-remarkable-brothers-of-the-Prophet-Brigham-Young.html   Brigham Young looms so deservedly large in the history of the Church that it’s often pretty much forgotten that he even had brothers.  But he did, and they did some important things in their own right.   Incidentally, my very first Mormon-related publication (I believe) was connected with John P. Greene, Heber C. Kimball, and several of the Youngs during their immediately pre-Mormon lives in Mendon, New York:   “Heavenly Signs... Read more

    “Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world of ours.”  Hermann Hesse      Read more

    David French’s article is, I think, both insightful and important:   “We’re Not in a Civil War, but We Are Drifting Toward Divorce”   I’ll go further, and apply it a bit closer to home:   One significant factor in current apostasy from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the ability of those who’ve become doubtful or fully alienated to form alternative or ersatz “communities” online, where they can “meet” together to spur one another on... Read more

    Slightly more than 45 minutes of really good listening.  At no charge.  Easily accessible.  And available through the website of the Interpreter Foundation:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/lds-perspectives-podcast-john-hilton-iii-on-teaching-in-church-settings/   Posted from Grindelwald, Switzerland     Read more

    This is a really interesting issue, and the little essay below raises it nicely:   “Two Kingdoms: Christianity and Islam:  How far should we go in restricting freedom in order to promote virtue?”   As both a Latter-day Saint and, rather distinctly, as someone with libertarian inclinations, I would prefer that the State’s role in such things be minimal.   I believe that I’ve recounted a story here about my experience at a Muslim-Mormon “dialogue” in Pocatello, Idaho, many years ago.... Read more