{"id":110792,"date":"2025-06-18T20:22:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T02:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=110792"},"modified":"2025-06-18T20:22:06","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T02:22:06","slug":"out-of-liberty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2025\/06\/out-of-liberty.html","title":{"rendered":"Out of Liberty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>
From left to right, in a still photograph by James Jordan from the set of the Interpreter Foundation\u2019s 2021 film \u201cWitnesses\u201d: Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Joseph Smith (who has the plates in a box)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here\u2019s a little interview with me (not quite forty-two minutes long) on Keystone<\/em> that some at least might find of interest: \u201cLDS scholar: The Book of Mormon witnesses are DANGEROUS\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

The witnesses of the Book of Mormon \u201cgolden plates\u201d either lied, were tricked, or were telling the truth. In this episode, David sits down with long-time scholar Daniel C. Peterson to talk about the different theories, and whether or not they align with the available evidence.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"At<\/a>
C. C. A. Christensen\u2019s depiction of Joseph Smith being introduced to Liberty Jail in Missouri, where he\u2019ll spend nearly six months, through the winter of 1838-1839.
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We began the morning very early, filming at Liberty Jail<\/a>.\u00a0 (What an ironic name, Liberty Jail<\/em>.) \u00a0The folks who are responsible for the site kindly opened it up to us at about 7:00 AM, well before the usual opening time, so that we could complete our work before the first tourists began to show up.<\/p>\n

After we were done there, we enjoyed a really good breakfast or brunch not far away, at a place that was recommended to us by the senior missionaries:\u00a0 Ginger Sue\u2019s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, we skipped lunch today, but some of us went out for dinner tonight at Ph\u1edf Lan<\/a>, in Kansas City. \u00a0It was very good, although I could eat only about half of my beef ph\u1edf<\/em>. \u00a0And, last night, a group of us ate at Waldo Thai<\/a>, which was also very good (but which likewise contributed an offering to my hotel room refrigerator). \u00a0It helps considerably that one of our number appears to be a \u201cfoodie,\u201d who searches through local restaurant ratings and offers recommendations to us.<\/p>\n

I occasionally put very brief restaurant reports into my entries here, for three reasons:\u00a0 First, as a memo to myself for reference during possible future return visits.\u00a0 Second, I think that some might be interested in my recommendations in the event that they themselves are ever in the area. \u00a0And, third, for some reason my doing so drives a few of my critics absolutely nuts. \u00a0It apparently reminds them that, in crass distinction to their<\/em> ascetic and abstemious ways, I typically eat meals just about every day, even while I\u2019m on the road.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>
A monument at the temple site in Far West, Missouri
(Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From brunch in Liberty, we drove out to the site of the Far West Temple<\/a>, where the four cornerstones that were laid in 1838 are still clearly visible and where we filmed in two distinct locations.\u00a0 It\u2019s a beautiful place, very serene.\u00a0 Although the countryside around it is basically flat, the temple site proper occupies a well-chosen, relatively elevated location.\u00a0 A small chapel of the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) stands across the street.<\/p>\n

To our relief, the temperatures and the humidity thus far have been quite pleasant.\u00a0 The rain held off for most of today and didn\u2019t disrupt our work. \u00a0We enjoyed gentle breezes. Unfortunately, though, such good fortune seems likely to abandon us by tomorrow.\u00a0 We anticipate considerably higher temperatures and higher humidity.\u00a0 Alas.<\/p>\n

The so-called \"temple\" of the Community of Christ<\/a>
Community of Christ Temple, Independence, Missouri \u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After Far West, we went to the Latter-day Saint visitor center in Independence, which stands very near to the headquarters of the Community of Christ (including its striking temple, its Auditorium, and the landmark Old Stone Church), as well as to the \u00a0headquarters of the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints<\/a>, which is a split-off from the former RLDS Church (and which, thus, from my perspective, is doubly schismatic) and to the Church of Christ (Temple Lot)<\/a>. \u00a0But the rain really began to pour down, so that we finally decided to conclude our filming for the day<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, I feel confident that we acquired some good and quite useable footage today.\u00a0 Our Becoming Brigham<\/em> series is beginning to take real shape.<\/p>\n

\"Capella<\/a>
Long thought to be a fresco of the Last Judgment, this image by Michelangelo, located in the Sistine Chapel, actually represents Daniel Peterson\u2019s judgmental view of the world. \u00a0He is depicted in the upper center of the painting with his right arm raised. \u00a0His wrath falls upon those of whom he disapproves, who are shown on his left. \u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few days ago, for roughly the eighteen hundred and twenty-seventh time, I read a confident declaration from an online critic who, I\u2019m fairly confident, has never met me, to the effect that I believe that departure from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a> always and invariably results from an unwillingness to live according to the standards of said church. \u00a0So I think that it might be useful to address that claim directly, head on \u2014 albeit without much real confidence in the prospect of success and for approximately the eighteen hundred and twenty-seventh time.<\/p>\n

Is it your position, Evil Buffoon Peterson, that people who leave the Church inevitably do so in order to sin, for the simple reason that they can\u2019t or won\u2019t live the commandments?<\/em><\/p>\n

There can be no reasonable doubt, in my opinion, that some people leave the Church because they prefer a lifestyle that is incompatible with its teachings. \u00a0Is this true of all<\/em> people who leave? \u00a0Certainly not. \u00a0Is it true of a majority<\/em> of those who leave? \u00a0Possibly, but I doubt it. \u00a0Perceptions of who leaves and of why people leave, however, will be seriously skewed if they\u2019re based solely or largely on internet polemics. \u00a0The \u201cchattering classes\u201d are, I would guess, much more likely to cite historical, doctrinal, cultural, or political issues among the reasons for their apostasy than are people whose lives largely don\u2019t revolve around books and academic discussions and online arguments. \u00a0Among the latter, I suspect that many simply drift away into inactivity rather than denouncing the Church and adopting explicit unbelief. \u00a0That, anyway, has been my experience with such folks \u2014 and I have a considerable amount of experience with and among them.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Posted from Independence, Missouri<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Here\u2019s a little interview with me (not quite forty-two minutes long) on Keystone that some at least might find of interest: \u201cLDS scholar: The Book of Mormon witnesses are DANGEROUS\u201d The witnesses of the Book of Mormon \u201cgolden plates\u201d either lied, were tricked, or were telling the truth. In this episode, David sits down […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":40422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[56,2905,9419,788,1615,921],"class_list":["post-110792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-book-of-mormon","tag-latter-day-saint","tag-missouri","tag-mormon","tag-plates","tag-witnesses"],"yoast_head":"\nOut of Liberty<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"  Here's a little interview with me (not quite forty-two minutes long) on Keystone that some at least might find of interest: "LDS scholar: The Book\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2025\/06\/out-of-liberty.html\" \/>\n<meta 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