I appreciate very much the attempts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in recent years — exemplified in such efforts as the Joseph Smith Papers project (which is now being emulated for one of Joseph’s most prominent followers by the private Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation) and the four-volume Saints series — to educate Church members about their history. Such education is, in my judgment, not only valuable in and of itself but very helpful as... Read more
“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus declares in Matthew 5:9,” for they shall be called the children of God.” Plainly, the Lord desires peace, and he dislikes contentiousness. It is very significant, in that light, that the Restoration begins in a response to a time of contention. Listen, with that in mind, to the account given by the Prophet Joseph Smith: Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we... Read more
For an unpleasant few days recently, a zealous and pseudonymous advocate of the “Heartland” model for the geography of the Book of Mormon was active in the comments section of this blog. His not particularly convincing approach was to call me stupid and incompetent, to insult many of my best friends, to predict that I will be severely punished in the next life for my failure to share his geographical ideas, and to accuse me of having stolen... Read more
A new article, this one a review article, has been published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship: “In New Zealand: Even More Faithful Latter-day Saints,” written by Louis C. Midgley Review of Selwyn Kātene, ed., Let Their Light So Shine: Mormon Leaders in New Zealand (Wellington, NZ: Huia Publishers, 2021). “Foreword” by Charles A. Rudd (pp. vii–viii); “Preface” by Peter Lineham (p. ix–x); “Introduction” by Selwyn Kātene (pp. 1–3); “Contributors” (pp. 215–18); “Glossary” (and “Mormon Terms”)... Read more
More than a few of you, I think, will find this enjoyable: Conference Talks: “Joseph Smith and the Architecture of Genesis,” presented by David Calabro Dr. Calabro’s interesting remarks were originally delivered on 25 October 2014 at the Interpreter Foundation’s 2014 Temple on Mount Zion Conference. And, speaking of Genesis, how about a visit to Eden? The folks at Bountiful Travel want me to mention this trip so that people out there will be aware of... Read more
But, first, these items are (relatively) newly up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Interpreter Radio Show — February 26, 2023 The 26 February 2023 installment of the Interpreter Radio Show is now available at your convenience, at no charge, and for your listening pleasure. Moreover, it has been freed from commercial and other interruptions, so that your enjoyment may be unalloyed. In this episode, Steve Densley and Mark Johnson are joined by Jan Francisco and... Read more
Recently, I’ve published four blog posts — see my “An initial survey of the “four fundamental forces” and the “cosmological constant” and “Initial Conditions and ‘Brute Facts’” and “Local” Planetary Conditions and “Three More “Local Planetary Conditions”” — that have been based on the online “List of Fine-Tuning Parameters” posted by Jay W. Richards. These four blog posts represent an initial pass through a topic that interests me very much and that, should I continue to survive past my sell-by date,... Read more
There is virtual certainty over at the Peterson Obsession Board that Stephen Smoot, going by the pseudonym of “Peter Pan,” is the author and proprietor of the invaluable Neville-Neville Land blog. But I know for a fact that he is not. Up until about two years ago (or thereabouts) I myself was unaware of the identity of the blog’s proprietor, although I suspected that it was someone in my circle of acquaintances. At that point, “Peter Pan” identified... Read more
I don’t monitor blogs or websites connected with the so-called “Heartlander” movement. In fact, I don’t think that I’ve ever actually looked at any of them. They haven’t interested me. I’m familiar enough with Heartlander books and arguments to know that I’m not persuaded by their model of Book of Mormon geography and, anyway, Book of Mormon geography isn’t a primary interest of mine. I am, though, quite displeased at the tendency of some “Heartlander” figures to badmouth... Read more
“Blessed are the pure in heart,” says Matthew 5:8 in the King James Version of the Bible, “for they shall see God.” Whenever I think of this particular beatitude, I always think of the title of a devotional essay or sermon by the great Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855): Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing. And, of course, I recall the famous words of James 1:5-8 — the first verse of which was of such pivotal... Read more
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