Knock, and He’ll open the door.Vanish, and He’ll make you shine like the sun.Fall, and He’ll raise you to the heavens.Become nothing, and He’ll turn you into everything. Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273)       Read more

    Apart from one unfortunate phrase — be warned! — I completely agree with this impassioned article:   http://opinion.injo.com/2016/02/253451-i-will-never-vote-for-donald-trump-with-god-as-my-witness-i-will-never-vote-for-donald-trump/     Read more

    http://www.vox.com/2016/2/23/11099644/trump-support-authoritarianism   This is one of the things, frankly, that most concerns me about the Trumpist phenomenon.   Thanks to Matthew and Julia Nielsen for calling this article to my attention.     Read more

    http://icatholic.dioslc.org/article/vatican-astronomer-to-speak-at-three-free-events-9628651   I, alas, will be unable to attend the first one, because I myself am scheduled to speak at an event for the International Center for Law and Religion Studies that will continue on through Brother Guy’s Summerhays Lecture.   I’m really, really, really sorry about the conflict.  Really sorry.  The topic he’ll be addressing interests me intensely.   But I’ll be spending a lot of time with him anyway, I hope, because, after all, he’ll be... Read more

  I wasn’t even aware that this was available online:     I frankly can’t remember (though I might have it noted down somewhere) when this discussion took place, but it was quite a while ago, on Martin Tanner’s radio program.   Thanks to Robert Boylan for alerting me to it.     Read more

    Today’s column in the Deseret News:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865648546/Of-Napoleon-and-religious-wars.html     Read more

    Baylor history professor Tom Kidd critiques a claim recently made by Glenn Beck — a claim that presumably reflects Beck’s Mormon faith (although Professor Kidd neither mentions that fact nor alludes to Mormonism at all): The Constitution “Divinely Inspired”? Ben Franklin Answers However — whatever Brother Beck may or may not hold, precisely — Professor Kidd’s discussion of Benjamin Franklin’s attitude toward the Constitution conforms quite nicely (in at least this Mormon’s judgment) to what Latter-day Saint leaders have... Read more

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/3557905-155/landmark-new-mosque-planned-in-salt     Read more

    A really good article — meaning, among other things, that I enthusiastically agree with it — by my friend Ben Huff:   Utah Transcends Political Tribalism     Read more

    Jacob 2 is a remarkable document, and it’s our reading for today.   This isn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last, that my strict rule of being concise and of focusing on one or two or three items, but no more, will cause me regret.  But, realistically, I know that I simply don’t have the time to give any chapter the time and attention that it deserves.   So, for now, I’ll write about just... Read more