I’ve received a number of (sometimes very foul) email, Facebook, and other challenges over the past few days — the Church’s semiannual general conference seems to enrage certain folks, judging from the fact that I’ve experienced similar spikes over past conference weekends, as well — calling me to account for the horrific evils that Mormonism regularly inflicts upon innocent people, who would be far better off if the religion, and perhaps indeed any religion, would just disappear.   I find such... Read more

    I suppose it’s probably too late to get on this year’s tour, but, if you would like to go to the Holy Land someday, perhaps you should consider joining this group:   http://www.cruiselady.com/landtours/holy-land-tour-11/     Read more

    If you lie awake nights worrying about extraterrestrial invaders, there’s hope!   http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35938886     Read more

    An interesting suggestion from Jeff Lindsay:   http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-chain-that-veils-word-play-in-moses.html   It merits consideration.     Read more

    Princeton’s Robbie George, one of the leading conservative thinkers in America (and, incidentally, a great friend of BYU — he was just here again, a few days ago — and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) takes aim at Mr. Donald Trump’s newfound stance as an opponent of abortion:   http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/03/trump-is-no-pro-lifer   In doing so, by the way, Professor George also takes a swipe at Mitt Romney.   I understand this, but I want to... Read more

     The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. John Milton   The longer I live — and I’ve lived a very long time; North America has moved roughly three quarters (3/4) of a meter to the southwest since the fateful day that I arrived on the planet — the more illustrations I’ve seen of this basic principle.   My father was fond of a little story:  ... Read more

    Appearances notwithstanding, this isn’t an anti-Trump article.  (Some may have noticed that I’m not exactly hesitant about posting such things, but this isn’t one of those.)   The consistently good Jeff Lindsay responds to Professor Benjamin Hertzberg’s jaundiced speculations about what really motivated Utah to reject Donald Trump so resoundingly in the recent Republican caucuses here:   http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2016/03/critical-professor-explains-why-mormons.html     Read more

    A useful call to watch our biases:   http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2016/04/02/beware_of_biased_skepticism_109589.html   Confirmation bias, false assumptions, blinders, and preconceptions don’t exist only among your adversaries.   “I’m with stupid” should sometimes more accurately read “I’m [with] stupid.”     Read more

    It becomes quite clear in today’s reading, Mosiah 21, that the Lord will not sustain an unrighteous people when they go out to seek aggressive battle against their oppressors.   Rather, if they will repent, he will deliver them himself, in his own way.   This will be a major theme during the downfall of the Nephites at the conclusion of the Book of Mormon.  The prophet-editor Mormon was, himself, a central participant in the final phase of Nephite history,... Read more

  If you didn’t have the chance to hear Elder Patrick Kearon’s remarkable address about refugees during the concluding session of April 2016 general conference this afternoon, here’s a link where you can watch and listen.  It’s slightly less than fourteen (14) minutes:       Read more