http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/09/us/maher-becomes-mormon-for-romney-cnntv/   I can’t plausibly be described as a fan of Bill Maher.   I’ve recounted the story previously, here on this blog, of sitting with my wife, my late brother and my sister-in-law, and a friend of theirs in an open-air restaurant in Vienna (I believe) several years ago, and of hearing a familiar voice.  I turned, and just to my left, talking on the sidewalk with a man and a woman whom I didn’t recognize, was... Read more

    Another Friday, another article from Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/the-title-of-liberty-and-ancient-prophecy/   Wishing you a very merry weekend!     Read more

    “When the world pushes you to your knees, you’re in the perfect position to pray.” ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (AD 601-661)     Read more

    We’re learning much, much more about the very ancient Earth, and it has implications for our understanding of the potential for life on exoplanets:   https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-team-looks-to-ancient-earth-first-to-study-hazy-exoplanets   We knew very much less about such things when I was a student in high school.  As in, virtually nothing.     Read more

    I posted the other day about the possible sighting of “Janus parallelism” in the Book of Mormon, as discussed by Jeff Lindsay:   “Janus Parallelism” in the Book of Mormon?   Dr. Lindsay has now returned to the topic:   http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2017/02/janus-parallelism-book-of-mormon-hints_7.html     Read more

    “As a child of God, I am greater than anything that can happen to me.” A. P. J. Abdul Kalam     Read more

    Finally, after a few near misses and a couple of complete gutter balls (as illustrated here), one news outlet in Utah has the good aesthetic sense to include pictures of me:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865672946/Chaffetz-meets-with-Utah-Muslim-leaders-worried-over-impact-of-travel-ban-says-he-supports-order.html   Incidentally, his support for the president’s executive order didn’t seem nearly as full-throated to me as the headline seems to suggest.     Read more

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865672924/The-faith-of-Joseph-Smiths-faithful-older-brother-Hyrum.html       Read more

    Here’s some coverage of the Wednesday evening meeting that I participated in with Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) up in Salt Lake City along with some of the greater Salt Lake area’s Muslim leaders:   KUTV:  “Rep. Chaffetz meets with Utah Muslims about President’s order viewed as anti-Muslim”   Fox13:  “Rep. Jason Chaffetz meets with Utah Muslims to discuss immigration order”   Salt Lake Tribune:  “Chaffetz meets with Utah Muslims to address Trump’s ban”   The meeting was called by Rep.... Read more

    The Interpreter Foundation brought Dr. Guy Consolmagno SJ, the Director of the Vatican Observatory, to Utah last year in order for him to give the keynote lecture at our “Science and Mormonism” conference.   His superb presentation at the conference, which was titled “Astronomy, God, and the Search for Elegance,” is available for viewing on the Interpreter Foundation website, where it runs about 1.5 hours:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/brother-guy-consolmagno-sj-keynote-address-astronomy-god-and-the-search-for-elegance/   BYU’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences took the opportunity to... Read more