I was saddened to hear the news this afternoon of the death of Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor, social activist, writer, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.   Here’s an unusually good profile of him, including video, from CNN:   http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/02/world/elie-wiesel-dies/   And here is the profile of him that was published today by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz:   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.575072   Eli Wiesel’s Night is an eloquent, agonizing book.   Growing up, as I did, the son of a... Read more

    Today’s reading, Alma 43, is a relatively long one.  But I intend to post a relatively short comment.  Actually, four very short comments.   1.   I note, again, the fierce, even murderous, hatred of the Zoramites and the Amalekites for their Nephite former brothers and sisters.  The bitter anger of apostates fascinates and often astonishes me.  In this, as in so many other aspects, the Book of Mormon narrative strikes me as both insightful and believable.  ... Read more

    Ross Douthat, the principal conservative voice at the New York Times, wants him to do it.  So does at least one of his sons.  And, although I’m almost certain that he won’t, so do I.   Just do it already.https://t.co/OFbshPUiQ3 — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) June 30, 2016   And so do others:  “Why Mitt Romney’s family, supporters still want him to run.”   The people of the United States deserve a better choice than we have between Mrs.... Read more

    http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/06/rare-viking-death-house-discovered-in-denmark/   One of the things to be learned from this find is that pre-modern trade networks, and very possibly pre-modern travel, extended considerably further than some of us likely tend to assume.     Read more

    Catholic anti-Mormon writing is relatively uncommon — anti-Mormonism has long been an Evangelical Protestant specialty — but it does occur.  The indispensable Robert Boylan, who serves on the Interpreter Foundation’s editorial board and who lives in traditionally Catholic Ireland, responds to a recent specimen of such Catholic criticism:   http://scripturalmormonism.blogspot.com/2016/06/answering-trent-horn-on-mormonism.html   Along the way, he offers a special excursus on Book of Mormon “swords”:   http://scripturalmormonism.blogspot.com/2016/06/trent-horn-on-book-of-mormon-swords.html     Read more

    This is, of course, an important topic in and of itself.  But I confess that Kurt Van Gorden occupies a special place in my heart since he once sued me for 4.5 million dollars.  (Although I was the principal target, my codefendants included President Gordon B. Hinckley.)   http://scripturalmormonism.blogspot.com/2016/07/kurt-van-gorden-refuted-on-sola.html   Incidentally, just in case you’re interested, Mr. Van Gorden didn’t get $4,500,000.00 from me.  (He didn’t get $4.50 from me, for that matter.)  Nor could he have.  Nor... Read more

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turkey-urges-world-to-stand-firm-against-terrorism-after-airport-carnage/2016/06/29/6457228c-3d70-11e6-9e16-4cf01a41decb_story.html   Assuming that the Istanbul airport attack is the work of ISIS, I don’t understand the thinking of the Islamic State’s tacticians or strategists.  For many years, the relatively mildly Islamist-leaning government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been far too lax toward ISIS.  So what is the point, for the Islamic State, of repeatedly jabbing Turkey and Erdogan in the eye?   All it can do is bring down upon itself the wrath of the Turks, which, historically... Read more

    On the way back to the States yesterday, I watched a number of movies — flights are by far my best opportunity to watch films — and one of them was the old Guys and Dolls, with Marlon Brando (as Sky Masterson), Frank Sinatra (as Nathan Detroit), and Jean Simmons (as Sarah Brown, a “sergeant” in a missionary organization plainly modeled on the Salvation Army).  Truth be told, I developed a crush on Jean Simmons when, as a... Read more

    “Trump’s ‘Mormon Problem’ is Mitt Romney’s Fault”   So, at any rate, claims a writer for the Trump propaganda organ called “Breitbart”:   http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/07/01/mitt-romney-trump-mormon-problem/   It’s nonsense, of course.  Mormons aren’t mind-numbed robots; they can think for themselves, without guidance from Mitt Romney.  And there are plenty of reasons for declining to support Mr. Donald Trump’s bid to gain control of our nation’s nuclear codes.   See, for example, this piece by Kevin Williamson.   And this piece... Read more

    It being Friday, Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture has posted a new article:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/reflecting-on-the-marks-of-jesus/     Read more