Another column in which I take aim at honesty, decency, kindness, and science:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681606/Is-religion-good-for-your-health.html   Posted from Richmond, Virginia     Read more

    First of all, racial bigotry is hateful, and an offense against the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Just to be clear.   The Salt Lake Tribune has just published two relevant articles on the topic of Mormonism and race:   “39 years later, priesthood ban is history, but racism within Mormon ranks isn’t, black members say”   “Steps the Mormon church could take to enhance race relations within the faith”   And here’s a response to the Tribune from... Read more

    I’m always gratified to read about undertakings such as this one:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681556/Salt-Lake-City-Mormons-and-Muslims-join-together-to-break-the-fast.html   Interfaith dialogues and so forth are very valuable, but nothing is nearly as effective at building bridges as person-to-person, face-to-face contact, working together on common causes, and, yes, sitting down together to converse over a meal.   It’s very difficult to dehumanize a person whom you’ve come to know in that way.  This is one path to greater peace.   Incidentally, here’s an amusing little... Read more

    I’m very excited about this:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681321/Church-Historian-details-forthcoming-new-comprehensive-Church-history.html   Moreover, Elder Snow is entirely right in saying that there has never been a period of greater historical openness and transparency in the Church than we enjoy today.  Partly, but only partly, this is a function of vastly improved technology, which makes publishing historical documents to a wider audience easier than it has ever been before.   I’m delighted.  I’ve long hoped for maximum openness, and we’re now seeing that.... Read more

A good friend in Florida sent me the following five important points about government:   1.     You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. 2.    What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. 3.   The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. 4.   You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. 5.   When half of the people get the idea that they do... Read more

    Note the subtitle:  “Six perspectives on how the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict changed Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Mormonism.”   The 1967 “Six-Day War” between Israel and its Arab neighbors — the fiftieth anniversary of which falls this very week — has had an enormous and still-vivid impact on the region.   What impact, if any, did it have on religions in the area and in the United States?   I’m happy that we’re included, of course, and I don’t want... Read more

    To hear some critics, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a massive force for evil in the world — and, if some accounts are to be believed, for little else.   Well, here’s one example of the many wicked things that it does:   http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.nz/article/church-dental-clinic-serves-all-of-samoa   Posted from Richmond, Virginia     Read more

    To my untrained, non-legal eye, this seems an important ruling, if only for the fact that, by a vote of 8-0 (with Justice Gorsuch not participating), the Supreme Court of the United States declined to weigh in on the difficult but momentous question of defining what is and what isn’t “religious”:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865681365/Supreme-Court-rules-unanimously-in-favor-of-faith-affiliated-health-care-systems.html   Posted from Richmond, Virginia     Read more

    In this 27-minute podcast, available on the website of the Interpreter Foundation, Nick Galieti interviews Robert Millet, former dean of Religious Education and Abraham O. Smoot Professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, regarding the relationship of Mormonism to the wider Christian world:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/lds-perspectives-podcast-robert-l-millet-mere-christians/   Posted from Richmond, Virginia     Read more

    Here’s another one to add to your “Muslim leaders never denounce terrorism” file:   https://www.buzzfeed.com/aishagani/imams-refusing-to-do-funeral-prayers-for-uk-attackers?utm_term=.raAkQ0LvW#.noqp0JK1V   I’m glad that such statements as these are receiving some news coverage.  I’ve heard complaints from imams that, when they organize anti-terrorism demonstrations and symposia at their mosques, they never get any attention from the media — except complaints that they never speak out against terrorism.   Posted from Richmond, Virginia     Read more