I could not possibly begin to exhaust the riches to be found in this marvelous chapter, Mosiah 2 — todays’ reading and the first installment of King Benjamin’s well-beloved sermon.   In the glory days of the old Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), we devoted considerable attention to King Benjamin’s address.  Among the fruits of that attention were this book, and this simpler one based upon it.  And here’s a brief newspaper column that I wrote, about the setting of King Benjamin’s sermon, in... Read more

      Well, the Second Interpreter Conference on Mormonism and Science has come and gone, and already we’re thinking about another one.  (I had good conversations with David Bailey about possible future themes.)  Many thanks to David and to Jeff Bradshaw for organizing it.   The conference was well attended.  I always wake up on the mornings of such meetings, when I bear any responsibility for them, wondering whether we’ll manage to attract an audience of even five people,... Read more

      Every common biological organism is more intricately articulated, more astoundingly put together, than the most sublime literary composition. . . .  Despite all evasions, the ultimate agency of intelligence stares one in the face.  Frederick Ferré         Read more

    There are, no doubt, many out there now for whom Hugh Nibley is, at most, a vaguely familiar name rather than the riveting, life-changing model and mentor that he was for a few of us.   I wish that The Faith of an Observer could have been done a few years earlier.  Hugh was a bit past his prime, in certain regards, by the time it was made in 1985.  He was seventy-five years old.   Nevertheless, this... Read more

  Thanks to Bill Hamblin for alerting me to this important political development:   http://www.reelnewsnetwork.com/sauron-endorses-donald-trump-for-president/   Those familiar with the history of Middle Earth will recall that Sauron made Mordor great again.   In other news, Dr. Ben Carson forfeited much of his moral authority and credibility yesterday by joining Sauron and Vichy Republican Chris Christie in the endorsement of Herr Donald Drumpf for the position once held by Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.     Read more

    This is the second of the two new pieces that appeared today in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/telling-the-story-of-the-coming-forth-of-the-book-of-mormon/     Read more

    It being Friday, a new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/latter-day-saint-youths-construction-of-sacred-texts/     Read more

    We were expecting to have dinner tonight with Stephen Webb, and we were looking forward to hearing his presentation tomorrow, at the Interpreter Foundation’s second conference on science and Mormonism.   Sadly, these things will not be.   However, here’s a fascinating article from Stephen that appeared some time back in BYU Studies:   http://byustudies.byu.edu/content/godbodied-matter-latter-day-saints?utm_source=BYU+Studies&utm_campaign=7b4e1ac911-Daily_Features_March_7_11_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e4342d96b2-7b4e1ac911-73903809     Read more

    I’m watching the rise of Trumpism with increasing dismay, not entirely devoid of horror.   Here are two very serious articles that deserve attention:   “Donald Trump’s Terrifying and Distinctly American Authoritarianism”   Thanks to “Mike” for calling this one to my attention.  I’m happy to see Jacob Weisberg notice the fact that Trumpism has attracted support from people who are ostensibly on both the political right and the political left.  It isn’t a product pur sang of... Read more

    “We can’t understand the universe in any clear way without the supernatural.”  Allan Sandage   Read more