{"id":115844,"date":"2026-04-19T12:10:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T18:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=115844"},"modified":"2026-04-19T12:10:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T18:10:34","slug":"how-are-we-doing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2026\/04\/how-are-we-doing.html","title":{"rendered":"How are we doing?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"First<\/a>
The official October 2025 portrait of the new First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>. \u00a0Seated is President Dallin H. Oaks. \u00a0To his right is his first counsellor, President Henry B. Eyring. \u00a0Standing behind him on his left is his second counsellor, President D. Todd Christofferson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two weeks after the close of the most recent iteration of General Conference, it\u2019s perhaps time to take a concrete step toward ensuring that what was said there doesn\u2019t altogether fade into complete oblivion. \u00a0I choose to focus on the Sunday morning remarks of President Dallin H. Oaks, who had been sustained in the previous morning\u2019s solemn assembly as the new president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. \u00a0Not surprisingly, it being Easter Sunday, President Oaks focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. \u00a0But he also devoted his remarks to something that is desperately needed in today\u2019s America and, I think, elsewhere as well:<\/p>\n

Mariya Manzhos<\/a>, in the Deseret News<\/em>: \u00a0\u201cThe prophet who wants to save democracy:\u00a0Plus, Pope Leo\u2019s Easter message to end war\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

A video recording of his April 2026 remarks, accompanied by its full written text, can be found on the official website of the Church at \u201cAlive in Christ.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

My question now is, How are we doing? \u00a0How am I doing? \u00a0In person. \u00a0Online. \u00a0On social media. \u00a0Are we making any real effort toward following the counsel given by President Oaks? \u00a0Are we having any success with ourselves? \u00a0I speak primarily, of course to those \u2014 like myself \u2014 who sustain him as the prophet, seer, and revelator to the Church. \u00a0It\u2019s a serious question.<\/p>\n

\"Jebel<\/a>
A distant rainbow as seen from Jabal Musa, in the Sinai \u2014 the traditional site of Moses\u2019 encounter with God (Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This went up online yesterday and, regrettably, I failed to mention it. \u00a0However, today is just as good a day to watch it as yesterday was. \u00a0In fact, very arguably, it\u2019s an even better day: \u00a0Conversations with Interpreter<\/em>: Jonathon Riley: Hebraisms in the Book of Moses<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter<\/em>, Jonathon Riley discusses his presentation and publication about Hebraisms in the Book of Moses. There has been a lot of discussion over the years about Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon, but Dr. Riley looks at the rich possibilities in thinking about the possibilities of an underlying Hebrew text for parts of the Book of Moses. The Book of Moses is an extract of Joseph Smith\u2019s New Translation of the biblical book of Genesis, which makes it somewhat more complicated to look at, because not all JST changes are doing the same thing. However, Dr. Riley walks us through places where we can see a Hebrew substrate in the Book of Moses and shows ways in which this can enhance readers understanding of our scriptures.<\/p>\n

His paper was published by the Interpreter Foundation in the conference proceedings Tracing Ancient Threads in the Book of Moses<\/em>. Information about the conference proceedings is available at https:\/\/interpreterfoundation.org\/books\/ancient-threads-in-the-book-of-mose<\/a> and the text of his presentation is available at https:\/\/scholarsarchive.byu.edu\/ifb\/1\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"DR<\/a>
From James G. Jordan of Redbrick Filmworks, a view along the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). \u00a0He was there a few years ago, along with Russell Richins, for some shooting on the Interpreter Foundation\u2019s ongoing \u201cNot by Bread Alone\u201d film project.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/blockquote>\n

I found parts of this morning\u2019s Tabernacle Choir broadcast<\/a> moving. \u00a0Particularly when small local Latter-day Saint groups from various African nations were shown, in pre-recorded segments, singing along with the Tabernacle Choir on \u201cHow Firm a Foundation.\u201d \u00a0I hope that some of you were able to watch it. \u00a0The pre-show and post-show segments are also available here<\/a>, I think.<\/p>\n

\"May<\/a>
Relatively little snow fell here this year, and the mountains are still rather brown. (This Wikimedia Commons photo was taken in May, several years ago.) \u00a0I\u2019m really fond of this Catholic church \u2014 St. Mary\u2019s \u2014 that\u2019s located just outside of Park City, although it doesn\u2019t appear to best advantage in this Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph because its spire doesn\u2019t show up very clearly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Important notice: \u00a0My wife and I have been up in Park City this weekend with certain other family members, but no Interpreter Foundation funds have paid for this expedition. \u00a0No donors were duped into covering our expenses, and no animals have been harmed (thus far, anyway) by our stay here.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the trailer for Episode 13 of Becoming Brigham<\/em> runs for thirty-three seconds and is accessible online right now, at https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lpC8KnpvPPg<\/a>. \u00a0The full episode will go up tomorrow, Monday.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
It\u2019s scarcely coincidental that, if you scramble my name, \u201cDan,\u201d you get \u201cDNA.\u201d I\u2019m absolutely saturated with the stuff. \u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the invaluable Jacob Hess, in the Deseret News<\/em>: \u00a0\u201cAre American young men really surpassing young women in faith? Digging into Gallup and PRRI\u2019s new reports: These two national reports send different signals on whether faith is growing, especially among young men\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

National Review<\/em>: \u201cNew Gallup Poll Shows Gains in Religiosity Among Young Men\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Religion News Service: \u00a0\u201cGen Z women are losing their religion, new study finds \u2014 Women have long been more religious than men. But a new study finds the gap closing as more young women under 30 identify as \u201cnone\u201d \u2014 unaffiliated.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

And this, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is (and likely will continue to be) interesting: \u00a0\u201cHastening Now: A Weekly Church Report\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Also of note, from the eminent American geneticist Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., which likewise appeared in the Deseret News<\/em>: \u201cDivine discovery: Are faith and science in conflict?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Oliver<\/a>
A depiction of Oliver Cowdery and Joseph Smith in the Susquehanna River, from the 2021 Interpreter Foundation theatrical film \u201cWitnesses.\u201d \u00a0They are shown performing the very first authorized baptisms of this dispensation, just after the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Drawn straight from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial \u201cHow Religion Poisons Everything\u201d File<\/em>\u2122: \u00a0\u201cLatter-day Saints respond to \u2018Secret Lives\u2019 with everyday moments of faith:\u00a0The \u2018Secret Life\u2019 of Latter-day Saint husbands? Early mornings and acts of service\u201d<\/a>\u00a0 All that can really be said is \u201cUgh.\u201d \u00a0Because they hold the so-called \u201cpriesthood,\u201d these Latter-day Saint men feel that they not only can<\/em> but should<\/em> go around interfering in the lives of others. \u00a0In other words, they feel entitled.<\/p>\n

Posted from Park City, Utah<\/p>\n

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

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