“What Riots are Good For: Pay Up, or Else”   “In liberal logic, if life is unfair then the answer is to turn more tax money over to politicians, to spend in ways that will increase their chances of getting reelected.”  (Thomas Sowell)   Posted from Oslo, Norway     Read more

    The Deseret News reports on the recent FairMormon presentation by Drs. Royal Skousen and Stanford Carmack:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865660332/Examining-the-Book-of-Mormon-text-Scholars-present-findings.html?pg=all   This is some of the most subtly interesting (and potentially momentous) Book of Mormon research that I’ve seen in quite a long time.   Posted from Oslo, Norway     Read more

    “In Utah, Trump Leaves Voters Scrambling to Settle for an Alternative Candidate”   The same newspaper, Haaretz, ran this article a few days ago:   “Trump’s Immigration Tests for Muslims Recall Disturbing Echoes for American Jews”   Pat Bagley has given us a nice cartoon in the Tribune that illustrates something of the culture clash between Latter-day Saints and The Donald:   http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4249273-155/bagley-cartoon-trumps-mormon-trouble   Posted from Oslo, Norway     Read more

    “It’s OK to be envious – but only of the person you aspire to become.”  (Rolf Dobelli)   Posted from Oslo, Norway     Read more

    Sharon Eubank, director of LDS Charities, spoke for FairMormon near Göteborg, Sweden, back in June.  Her remarks are now available online.   Posted from Oslo, Norway       Read more

    Last night, we attended a concert at the Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene here on Karl Johan Gate with the Jacky Terrason Trio — which consists of the French-American pianist Jacky Terrason, Burniss Travis on the double bass, and Lukmil Perez on drums.  I really enjoyed it, except for the part where I tried to move my Coke Zero bottle out of the way on the floor, managing only to knock it noisily over during a quiet part of the... Read more

    At BYU Education Week 2016 a few days ago, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Council of the Twelve delivered a really fine speech on the importance of religious faith for Western society and civilization.   I heartily commend the entire address, which you can read (or watch) here.   If nothing else, skim through this brief account of Elder Holland’s remarks:   http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/elder-holland-byu-preserving-religions-place-can-bind-society-together   Posted from Oslo, Norway     Read more

    Pray — and, if you can, work — for an end to this kind of thing:   http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/17/world/syria-little-boy-airstrike-victim/index.html   We did not leave our Father’s presence and come to Earth in order to impose such horror on each other.   I’m writing only a few hundred yards from the Oslo City Hall, where, each year, the Nobel Peace Prize is handed out.  It has been given to some very good people, and to some who were utterly unworthy of... Read more

    https://medium.com/@phalpern/the-observable-universe-just-got-a-bit-smaller-78a2a1f91080   Posted from Oslo, Norway     Read more

    Donald Trump published an article in the Deseret News recently, addressed (more or less) to the people of Utah and to Mormons:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865660230/Exclusive-Donald-Trump-Utah-can-help-make-America-great-again.html?pg=all   Stephen Stromberg, of the Washington Post, wasn’t impressed:   “Trump’s pitch to Mormons falls flat”   I agree with Stromberg.   And here’s a response from the Salt Lake Tribune:   “In appeal to Utah, Trump leaves out Mormons”   Posted from Oslo, Norway       Read more