![\"Sniper](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2015\/08\/800px-Shatevari-1.jpg\")
<\/a>I liked this article in the Deseret News<\/em> that was written by the invaluable Jacob Hess \u2014 and not merely because it cites, well, me<\/em>: \u00a0\u201c\u2018I\u2019m genuinely interested in your answers\u2019: When pretended curiosity becomes a weapon to undermine faith:\u00a0The image of an earnest truth seeker invokes feelings of reverence in modern society. Little wonder some have found ways to manipulate this trust to undermine and attack things they don\u2019t like\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019m now something of a bona fide<\/em> movie mogul \u2014 albeit without the bling, the Hollywood starlets, and the Lamborghini that should attend me in such a status \u2014 so I spent a fair amount of the first part of the day today concerned with, well, movies<\/em>. \u00a0My wife and I met for much of the morning with the core of our team of film makers<\/a> discussing how, exactly, we want to move forward with the \u201cdocudrama\u201d portion of our Six Days in August<\/em><\/a> film project. \u00a0It\u2019s going to be substantially different in form, I think, from Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon<\/em><\/a>, which was our documentary or docudrama companion to Witnesses<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0There were some very good ideas shared this morning, and I\u2019m excited to see what will eventually come out of this. \u00a0I will announce developments when I feel that the time is right for doing so.<\/p>\n We went directly from that meeting to a showing of the new Angel Studios film, Bonhoeffer<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0I\u2019ve long been interested in the brilliant and heroic martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) and have read a fair amount about him and by him. \u00a0I was absolutely not going to miss this film; today was, I think, its opening day in the United States. \u00a0I might eventually have a bit more to say about the movie. \u00a0At this point, though, I\u2019ll content myself by simply noting that the communion scene near the end of the film actually had me, a notoriously heartless Scandinavian, tearing up just a bit.<\/p>\n Those who stick around for the credits \u2014 as a still relatively newly-minted movie mogul, I always<\/em> do \u2014 might notice that the name Brandon Purdie<\/em> appears in the list at the end of the film. \u00a0Brandon oversaw distribution for Witnesses<\/em> back in 2021 \u2014 but, in the interim since then, he sold his company, Purdie Distribution, to the twin brothers Adam and Donovan Montierth, who now serve as co-presidents of the company that continues to bear his name. \u00a0He left in order to sign on as Executive Vice President and Global Head of Theatrical Distribution for Angel Studios.<\/p>\n So, to the perpetually over-eager young pups over at the Peterson Obsession Board who have been wondering why Six Days in August<\/em> wasn\u2019t distributed by Purdie Distribution \u2014 did Brandon refuse to work with us? did he refuse because he had grown tired of my comic-book villainy and my stunning incompetence? did he recognize that our films will inevitably be pathetically amateurish and badly made? \u2014 the answer is that Brandon now works with Angel Studios. \u00a0Although he attended the premiere of Six Days in August<\/em>, he is no longer in the Latter-day Saint movie business. \u00a0(Angel Studios aims to reach the larger film market beyond Latter-day Saints.)<\/p>\n We seriously considered the Montierth brothers and their continuation (still under the same name) of Purdie Distribution. \u00a0They were a real option for us and, I think, would have been a good one. \u00a0I certainly wish them well. \u00a0In the end, though, we opted to go with Susan Tuckett Media, Inc.<\/a>, which had just experienced very good success with T. C. Christensen\u2019s Escape from Germany<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n There is, alas, no gratifying corruption to be found here. \u00a0No financial fraud. \u00a0No conspiracy. \u00a0No juicy scandal. \u00a0No embarrassing buffoonery. \u00a0Better luck next time!<\/p>\n Before leaving movies, though, let me mention this short Catholic response to the current Hugh Grant film, Heretic<\/em>. \u00a0The author isn\u2019t exactly impressed with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a> but then, he\u2019s not overly impressed with Heretic<\/em>, either: \u00a0\u201cHow \u2018Heretic\u2019 fails to engage religion in good faith\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 And here\u2019s a somewhat more positive review from the Harvard Crimson<\/em>: \u00a0\u201c\u2018Heretic\u2019 Review: Profound Religious Horror Falls Short.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n In the meantime, the Interpreter Foundation continues to conceal its long, slow decline from public notice by posting and publishing things. \u00a0Included among today\u2019s indicators of impending extinction are a number of items that have been newly posted on its website. \u00a0Among them is The Temple: Symbols, Sermons, and Settings<\/em>: \u201cClothed with Glory: Sacred Vestments and the Restoration,\u201d<\/a> which was written by Matthew Roper<\/a>, one of our good friends at Scripture Central:<\/p>\n Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in The Temple: Symbols, Sermons, and Settings<\/em>, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw. For more information, go to https:\/\/interpreterfoundation.org\/books\/the-temple-symbols-sermons-and-settings\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cRecently President Russell M. Nelson discussed the great blessings of temple service that have been restored in these latter days. \u201cConsider the great mercy and fairness of God, who, before the foundation of the world, provided a way to give temple blessings to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel. These sacred temple rites are ancient. To me that antiquity is thrilling and another evidence of their authenticity.\u201d Others have addressed the ancient roots of temple worship that President Nelson mentioned, including how sacred clothing constitutes one such restoration of ancient priesthood blessings. This article will focus on some of the reasons why restored practices of wearing sacred temple clothing are so important to Latter-day Saints.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Also new on the website of the essentially defunct Interpreter Foundation:<\/p>\n \u201cElder Bruce R. McConkie on Priesthood Restoration and the Doctrine of Keys\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Unpublished typescript of Mormon Doctrine<\/a> class lecture given at University of Utah Institute, 23 October 1967, transcribed by Dennis B. Horne<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cSpiritual Deception in the Age of AI,\u201d<\/a> by Eric Dahlin<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHearing the Voice of the Lord in the Mind: Prophets\u2019 Testimonies\u201d \u2014 Part Eight of a Series<\/a> Compiled by Dennis B. Horne<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 I liked this article in the Deseret News that was written by the invaluable Jacob Hess \u2014 and not merely because it cites, well, me: \u00a0\u201c\u2018I\u2019m genuinely interested in your answers\u2019: When pretended curiosity becomes a weapon to undermine faith:\u00a0The image of an earnest truth seeker invokes feelings of reverence in modern society. Little […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":19706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[13795,2905,788,3676,641,23234],"class_list":["post-107938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bonhoeffer","tag-latter-day-saint","tag-mormon","tag-nazi","tag-temple","tag-third-reich"],"yoast_head":"\n<\/a><\/a>