Nearly two and a half years ago, our family went through an experience of excruciating pain.  This morning, a granddaughter arrived, healthy, safe, and beautiful.   We’re relieved, and deeply grateful.   Posted from Chicago, Illinois     Read more

    “If we believe a thing to be bad, and if we have a right to prevent it, it is our duty to try to prevent it and damn the consequences.” — Alfred, Lord Milner (d. 1925)   Posted from Chicago, Illinois     Read more

    My wife and I had lunch with my long-time friend Scott Woolley today, at the Berghoff, which has been something of a Chicago institution for over a century.  I haven’t come to Chicago all that often, for some reason — apart from what used to be frequent plane transfers at Chicago O’Hare — but, whenever I do, I have German food at the Berghoff.  It takes me right back to the Vaterland.  Or close to it, anyway, since... Read more

  If you’re local, you’ve seen the two exceptionally large LDS meetinghouses that share this corner not far from Costco.  The fireside will be in the northeasternmost of the two buildings, and, I understand, in its east chapel.  (Each building has two chapels.)     I’ve known and admired Jack Welch for much of my life, and began formally working with him in the late Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) nearly three decades ago.   For those of you... Read more

    In the run-up to 2012’s presidential election, Nancy French and her husband, David, ran a website called “Evangelicals for Mitt.”   This year’s Republican campaign is a bit different, and this article is a moving account of her personal disillusionment:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/10/21/what-its-like-to-experience-the-2016-election-as-both-a-conservative-and-a-sex-abuse-survivor/?postshare=3011477055898417&tid=ss_tw-bottom   If you’re inclined to dismiss what we know about Donald Trump as trivial and unimportant, if you don’t believe (as so many conservatives once maintained, in the days of Bill Clinton) that “character matters” —... Read more

    Tired of the presidential campaign?  Depressed that your team isn’t in the National League playoffs?  (Mine is.  But they’re probably going to lose.  About thirty blocks from where I currently sit.)  Already worried about your Christmas shopping?   Cheer yourself up with this:     Posted from Chicago, Illinois     Read more

  This is a horrifying account:   http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/21/middleeast/iraq-kirkuk-attacks/index.html   I’ve had some slight dealing with Zeid bin Ra‘ad al-Hussein, including a memorable dinner with him and then-Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT)  at a home near Washington DC.  He is a very measured, intelligent man; if he takes this report seriously, I certainly do, too.   And, before some of the anti-Muslims out there begin explaining how this demonstrates all Muslims to be evil, may I point out that most if not all... Read more

    In my view, Donald Trump has essentially no path to victory.   Nor does Evan McMullin, really.  Mrs. Clinton will be the next president of the United States.  But we can still stand for principle, even if we go down to defeat.   http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/21/politics/evan-mcmullin-utah/index.html   Posted from Chicago, Illinois     Read more

    Has evidence for life on Mars already been discovered?   An interesting article suggests that it has:   http://phys.org/news/2016-10-year-old-viking-life-mars.html   In any case, don’t miss the important little section on the resistance in mainstream academia to ideas that depart from the mainstream.   Posted from Chicago, Illinois     Read more

    Joseph M. Spencer is the author of the newest article published in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture.  We invite you to enjoy it!   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/on-the-dating-of-moroni-8-9/     Read more