“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”

Last updated on: August 21, 2023 at 11:34 pm By Dan Peterson

The following is based upon my reading of Michael J. Behe, “Fearfully, Wonderfully, Deliberately: The Grandeur of God Reflected in the Molecular Foundation of Life,” in Ann Gauger, ed., God’s Grandeur: The Catholic Case for Intelligent Design (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 2023), 60-70 (and particularly pages 60-62. The author of multiple books and over forty technical scientific publications and the center of considerable controversy, not to say acrimony, Michael Behe (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is a professor... Read more

Where I Stand, Politically

Last updated on: August 22, 2023 at 10:21 am By Dan Peterson

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“Opinion: Christian conservatives betray their values in criticizing Ramaswamy’s faith” “[N]o religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” — The Constitution of the United States of America I have a confession to make: I’ve been lying to you. I actually do still have political opinions. In fact, I have very strong political opinions. I’ve been extremely interested in politics since I was about ten,... Read more

Into the Storm

Last updated on: August 20, 2023 at 11:48 pm By Dan Peterson

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For whatever little it may be worth, a video recording of the talk that I recently delivered at the 2023 FAIR LDS conference — under the title of “Understanding History Backwards” — is now available online under the title of, well, “Understanding History Backwards.” Watch the video at your own risk. Also: Paul Wuthrich, who plays Joseph Smith in the Interpreter Foundation’s theatrical film Witnesses and who is the host and narrator for the Foundation’s docudrama Undaunted: Witnesses... Read more

Houston, you have a problem.

Last updated on: August 19, 2023 at 6:35 pm By Dan Peterson

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The following note has now gone out to members of the Friendswood Texas Stake — Friendswood is in the greater Houston area, and is situated in the northwest corner of Galveston County — and I’ve been given permission to share it here. All are welcome and invited to attend: Dear Sisters and Brothers, All members of the Friendswood Stake are cordially invited to a special Stake Fireside on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 6 PM at the Stake... Read more

“Upon the Wings of His Spirit”

Last updated on: August 19, 2023 at 12:44 am By Dan Peterson

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My wife and I left Cedar City fairly early this morning, Friday morning, and headed for the town of Monroe, Utah — not far from Richfield — to attend the funeral of her remarkable 91-year-old aunt, who lost a brief battle with cancer after a very active life. We were representing my wife’s father and her siblings. It was good to be there, and to gather with many members of my wife’s extended family at the graveside service... Read more

Humanity Amid Horror

Last updated on: August 18, 2023 at 8:30 am By Dan Peterson

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We were rained upon Wednesday night, during the first portion of Romeo and Juliet. However, the weather apps that we consulted had assured us that there was no chance of rain yesterday. And who am I going to trust? The experts? Or my lying eyes? Nevertheless, we retreated for a little while to a covered area of the open air theater in which the Capulets and the Montagues were shortly to do their thing. Finally, though, the no-rain... Read more

Plays That Went Right

Last updated on: August 16, 2023 at 12:16 pm By Dan Peterson

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I would like to say a word about the Interpreter Foundation’s Not by Bread Alone film project, for which a website has now gone up that includes a preview video. Quite predictably, I’ve been accused by one of the Usual Suspects of profiteering off of the backs of impoverished Congolese Latter-day Saints (and, it seems, of using my ill-gotten gains in order to finance my trip down here to Cedar City, where I’m selfishly immersing myself in Shakespearean... Read more

An Update on the Continuing Crisis in Cody, Wyoming

Last updated on: August 15, 2023 at 6:53 pm By Dan Peterson

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For some reason, the tune of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” is going through my mind. I’m told that something with political implications may have occurred there. But, for reasons that I’ve explained earlier, I no longer post on partisan politics or follow partisan politics or even know that there is such a thing, so I’m going to return to a topic on which I dare to have an opinion: I’ve posted on three prior occasions here... Read more

William Shakespeare on the Book of Mormon Witnesses

Last updated on: August 14, 2023 at 12:13 pm By Dan Peterson

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My wife and I will be heading in a couple of hours down to Cedar City, Utah, where we’ll be attending the wonderful Utah Shakespeare Festival, which is one of my adopted state’s priceless treasures. We’ve been attending the Festival annually for something on the order of thirty-five years — except, painfully, last year, when we simply weren’t in the country long enough to be able to pull it off. I deeply regretted that omission because, during my... Read more

The British Pageant

Last updated on: August 13, 2023 at 9:12 pm By Dan Peterson

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Did I announce this article of mine from Meridian Magazine? I think that I may have neglected to do so, even though it was published nearly two weeks ago: “Are Latter-day Saint Temples too Lavish?” My wife and I recently watched a streamed version of the Latter-day Saint British Pageant that is performed every four years (I think) near the Preston England Temple in Chorley, Lancashire. The pageant tells the story of the beginnings of the... Read more