Would you not say to yourself, in whatever language supercalculating intellects use, “Some supercalculating intellect must have designed the properties of the carbon atom, otherwise the chance of my finding such an atom through the blind forces of nature would be less than 1 part in 1040000.”  Of course you would. . . .  I have always been intrigued by the remarkable relation of the 7.65 Mev energy level in the nucleus of 12C to the 7.12 Mev level... Read more

    First, a piece by David French:   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435800/mitt-romney-third-party-campaign-president-urgently-needed   Second, an article by Jamie Weinstein:   http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/23/win-or-lose-a-third-party-run-would-be-mitt-romneys-greatest-legacy/   Third, a brief comment by Bill Kristol:   http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/05/22/bill_kristol_trump_and_clinton_are_scared_of_my_third_party_idea.html   Fourth, an article by Jay Caruso:   http://www.redstate.com/jaycaruso/2016/05/24/time-never-better-third-party-run/   The odds of Governor Romney’s running are probably slim.  The odds of his winning are likely even slimmer.   But the country desperately needs somebody with integrity, competence, and character in the White House — attributes that neither Mrs. Clinton nor Mr. Trump... Read more

      Today’s reading is Alma 11.   I’ve already posted recently — here and then here — about Nephite “coinage” as it’s set forth in this chapter, so I won’t return to that topic.   One of the high points of Alma 11 is Amulek’s strong testimony of the resurrection in verses 43-45:   The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we... Read more

    If I were a businessman or a venture capitalist, I would see this as a potentially huge, underserved market:   http://mashable.com/2016/05/22/muslim-entrepreneurs/#_UMQxhkaY8qH   Seriously.   There are enormous opportunities here.     Read more

    With a group from our neighborhood, my wife and I regularly go out to dinner and then attend the latest production at the Hale Center Theater in Orem.   It’s a real highlight for me, to be able to talk with neighbors and then to enjoy good live theater not far from home.   Last night, we saw a musical production of Jane Eyre, based upon Charlotte Brontë’s famous 1847 novel.   Many would be shocked to know... Read more

    An interesting short piece by the famous University of Chicago church historian Martin Marty:   https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/living-longer   I’ve been aware of such findings for quite a few years now, but the science seems to be firming up considerably.   On a virulently anti-Mormon (mostly atheist) message board that I look in upon fairly frequently — deep inside me, there’s always been an aspiring social psychologist — a thread regularly appears on Fridays entitled “What are you drinking tonight?”... Read more

    Higher numbers of children typically mean less education for each child.   But Mormons appear to violate this generalization rather significantly:   http://news.byu.edu/news/family-size-and-education-levels-right-support-could-reverse-long-held-theory     Read more

    “Faith is a footbridge that you don’t know will hold you up over the chasm until you’re forced to walk out onto it.” Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son   Read more

    “Truly, those who believe, and those who practice Judaism, and the Christians, and the Sabaeans — whoever believes in God and the last day and does righteous works — they shall have their reward with their Lord.  There shall be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve.”  (My translation)     Read more

    A Hamblin/Peterson Deseret News article from nearly 3.5 years ago that I think some will still find of interest:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765621073/Old-Testament-divine-council-called-a-sod.html     Read more