As we near the end of 2016, many of us (at least in the United States) will begin to think about year-end donations.  For active Latter-day Saints, of course, that thinking involves tithing, fast offerings, and other donations made specifically to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   But many will also want to give at least a little bit to one or more other causes.  I’ve already mentioned the Interpreter Foundation, which I have the... Read more

    A new piece on the website of the Interpreter Foundation, from the remarkable Taylor Halverson:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/mormon-1-9-i-write-that-ye-might-believe-the-gospel-of-jesus-christ/     Read more

    Thank fracking, instead.   http://dailycaller.com/2016/11/15/its-official-falling-carbon-emissions-in-us-have-little-to-do-with-epa-regulations/     Read more

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/4584355-155/critics-cringe-at-trump-strategists-ties   This is the third entry I’ve posted on Mr. Steve Bannon.  See also   “Reasons to be concerned about Mr. Trump’s announced ‘chief strategist and senior counselor'”   “A bit more on the controversial Steve Bannon, hero of the alt-right”             Read more

    May those who love us, love us, and those who don’t, may God turn their hearts, and if He doesn’t turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we’ll know them by their limping. An Irish blessing     Read more

    Just a little reminder from the author:   http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2016/11/part-2-of-dust-related-publication-is.html     Read more

    I posted very recently about the selection of Steve Bannon as President-elect Trump’s “chief strategist and senior counselor.”  Here are two additional links:   “3 Thoughts On Steve Bannon As White House ‘Chief Strategist'”   “This Is How It Starts”   Of course, as should be obvious, both Ben Shapiro and Jonah Goldberg are . . . Jews.   And then there’s this:   “KKK, American Nazi Party praise Trump’s hiring of Bannon”     Read more

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/us-president-elect-donald-trump-support-assad-putin-syria-remove-rebel-backing-a7413346.html   The Syrian situation is both terrible and terribly complex.  I worry about what Mr. Trump is proposing to do, but there are no really good, clean options for this murky and violent mess in any case.  Mr. Obama’s policies toward Syria were, to put it mildly, largely ineffective and even embarrassing.     Read more

    I’m not a major fan of Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman who will become President-elect Donald J. Trump’s White House chief of staff come January.  I think he could and should have done more to prevent the Trumpist take over of my former party.  But he’s a pretty stable and experienced political hand who will probably offer up very few disquieting surprises.   Not so the man who, newly announced as Mr. Trump’s soon-to-be “chief strategist... Read more

    A newly published book by a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims that he was.   I haven’t seen the book yet, but my impression is that it’s not the kind of work that’s likely to draw much attention from serious scholars of Mormon history, whether believers or not.  For what it’s worth, the book was issued by something called “Lyrical Productions,” on which I’ve found no further information thus far.  I’m guessing that the book... Read more