Some confidently assume that the story of Jesus’s rising from the dead is simply a tall tale, a legend that grew up over generations, becoming “bigger” with each telling.   Aren’t the gospels, after all, much later compilations?   Maybe.  But very possibly not.   In any case, such views tend to ignore the letters of Paul, which are indisputably early:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700179165/Evidence-of-Jesus-Christs-resurrection.html   Posted from Amman, Jordan     Read more

    For our part, we shall continue to work for the new dawn when all the Children of Abraham and their descendants are living together in the birthplace of their three great monotheistic religions, a life free from fear, a life free from want – a life in peace.   Let me say this loud and clear. There is a world of difference between terrorist acts and the Islamic Shari’a. Islam is not only a religion, but a way... Read more

    We took Delta’s inaugural flight from Salt Lake City to London, so there was a party at the Salt Lake airport gate, with a spread of refreshments and several television cameras capturing the moment.   In London, owing probably to fatigue, I adjusted my watch incorrectly and we nearly missed our next flight.  That’s two errors in the past two months.  Am I losing the flawless perfection that was once my most obvious and defining characteristic?   Then... Read more

    No doubt some of you have been there.  So you know what the area looks like.   This will be a very visually impressive statement.  I hope it will have some effect in the real-world, though, beyond the merely symbolic.   http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/20/romes-trevi-fountain-to-turn-red-for-new-christian-martyrs/   Posted from London, England     Read more

    “As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the... Read more

    In this Deseret News column of a few years back, I pointed to one of several strong strands of evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700198500/Apostles-became-fearless-preachers.html   These columns are very short.  I always turn them in at between 736 and 739 words in length.  So, yes, much more could be said and, ideally, much more would be said.  I stand by the argument, though.   By itself, it doesn’t prove the resurrection.  But it... Read more

    Utah has caught quite a bit of flak for declaring pornography a public health problem.  And a huge amount of mockery.  Mormons are, of course, retrograde and fanatical religious prudes, wacky loons who hate their bodies and fear fun, etc.   Here, though, is some support for the state’s position:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/04/08/is-porn-immoral-that-doesnt-matter-its-a-public-health-crisis/?inf_contact_key=0c3ec8dfe2c9c437243d66fd0f0e1da56c7f482f5ef3750df940b2d753d3e7f0   Posted from Salt Lake City, Utah     Read more

    There’s so very, very much that could be said about this thing.  But I’m short of time, so I’ll just make a couple of basic points:   1.   Islam is not an organization, any more than Protestantism is an organization.   There are various Protestant denominations (e.g., the United Methodist Church, the Church of England, the Assemblies of God, and so forth), and there are many hundreds, if not many thousands, of Protestant organizations (e.g., Samaritan’s Purse,... Read more

    If, further, God’s purpose of identifying with our suffering and providing an example and instruction of how to live is to be fulfilled, he must show us that he is doing this.  For God to bring to life someone condemned for a certain teaching would be to express his approval of that teaching.  And since belief in the Resurrection . . . was clearly the force which led to the spread of the Gospel throughout so much of... Read more

    President Morsi is gone now, and in prison.  But, other than that, this 2012 column is still relevant as an explanation of shari‘a — the controversial Islamic legal system about which much sensationalistic and unhelpful nonsense is circulated on a regular basis:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765616753/The-function-of-Shariahh-law-in-Egypt.html     Read more