The Interpreter Foundation continues to sputter along, barely alive, desperate and full of venom. Or, anyhow, so say some of its critics. Here are the items that have appeared on its website during the past three days or so: A new article has appeared in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Faith and Scholarship:under the title “A Research Note: Continuing Exploration and Research in Oman.” It was written by Warren P. Aston: Abstract: The significance of the ongoing studies... Read more
Well, we finally made it to Tel Aviv. About thirty hours late. We had time to put our luggage in our room, grab a quick bite to eat for dinner, and hold an orientation meeting with our group. Ten of them have arrived without their luggage; I hope that that problem can be remedied soon. When they’re in a better position and can appreciate the humor of it all, perhaps I’ll tell them a trio of lost-luggage... Read more
I received a note late last night from Royal Skousen. I excerpt part of it below: I will be presenting on the current status of the [Book of Mormon] critical text project at UVU [Utah Valley University] on November 12, 2022, a Saturday, from 7 to 9 p.m. The entire campus is open for parking except the parking garage, which costs $1 an hour. The location is the Sorenson Center Center Stage. . . . I would... Read more
Gotcha! I’ll bet that, judging by the title, you expected this to be another of my autobiographical entries! Some time ago, an anti-Islamic Facebook image or meme was sent to me. One of many. It includes twelve quotations from the Qur’an — or, anyway, twelve quotations that are purportedly from the Qur’an — that have been carefully selected (out of a book that’s roughly comparable in length to the New Testament) in order to portray Islam as... Read more
We flew this evening from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta, and from Atlanta to Richmond, Virginia. It’s a matter of some satisfaction to me that there is now a temple in each of these cities — long dedicated and operating in Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale and, in Richmond, very near to completion and dedication. While in the air, I began to read a book by one Terry Higham, “a research-minded Catholic layman” who is based in the United... Read more
I’m not in Jacksonville, but I am in Florida, and this Florida-related story from twentieth-century Church history seems Sabbath-appropriate to me: Elder Charles A. Callis had presided over the Southern States Mission for over twenty-five years prior to his being called to the Council of the Twelve and was virtually “sainted” in the hearts of Church members living there. The assignment to create the first stake of the Church in the South had been long contemplated in 1946, but... Read more
Newly available at no charge, online: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon — Insights Episode 27: The Hiram Page Revelations Hiram Page, one of the Eight Witnesses, claimed to have received revelations through a seer stone. What do we know about this event? This is the twenty-seventh in a series compiled from the many interviews conducted during the course of the Witnesses film project. This series of mini-films is being released each Saturday at 7pm MDT. These additional... Read more
Here’s a quaint little story that caught my attention: “‘The Chosen’ Under Fire for Apparent Reference to The Book of Mormon.” Now, I’m not even sure that there is an actual reference there to the Book of Mormon. If there is, it’s merely a passing one, very slight, probably accidental, and pretty harmless. Or, anyhow, so it seems to me. But also, assuming that it really exists (if only for the sake of discussion), I don’t see... Read more
Two new articles went up today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation. I’m very pleased to be able to call them to your attention: “A Backstory for the Brass Plates,” written by Noel B. Reynolds Abstract: This paper brings contemporary Ancient Near East (ANE) scholarship in several fields together with the ancient scriptures restored through Joseph Smith to construct a new starting point for interpretation of the teachings of the Book of Mormon. It assembles findings from... Read more
Here’s a thought-provoking article by Terryl Givens and Nathaniel Givens: “Secularism as scapegoat: In the 21st century, has faith become too easy and brittle?” And here’s another article that’s well worth the read, by Cassandra Hedelius and Greg Smith. It addresses a piece recently written by Nate Oman, who was, briefly, a student of mine many years ago at Brigham Young University (and one of the best that I ever had): “It’s Not Loving to Mislead People... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In