{"id":60902,"date":"2018-05-07T12:40:11","date_gmt":"2018-05-07T18:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=60902"},"modified":"2018-09-05T09:53:46","modified_gmt":"2018-09-05T15:53:46","slug":"from-the-city-of-palm-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2018\/05\/from-the-city-of-palm-trees.html","title":{"rendered":"From the City of Palm Trees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Mount<\/a>
The Mount of Temptation, above Jericho (Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sometimes, traveling in the Holy Land reminds me how very much I miss Truman Madsen.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was a huge influence on me at a pivotal point in my life, and he ultimately became a friend. \u00a0He was the director of BYU\u2019s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies during the nearly six months in 1993 when I served on its faculty.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

When I was just beginning to come into activity in the Church as an early teenager, sometime between 1966 and 1969, some kind ward members took me to Education Week in Covina or West Covina, California. \u00a0(Back then, they did three-day \u2014 or perhaps four-day \u2014 \u201cEducation Weeks\u201d at far flung locations in the West, at least.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was an intellectual feast for me, just at the time that such a feast would have the greatest impact. \u00a0As I recall, Daniel Ludlow was among the speakers, and even Elder Bruce McConkie (then of the presidency of the Seventy) lectured to us. \u00a0At least, I think he did. \u00a0Perhaps Hugh Nibley was even there, as well. \u00a0(I know that I heard him over in Whittier once, and that too was a transformative experience. \u00a0But I think he may have been at this one, too.) \u00a0And the 3Ds<\/a> sang Mormon pioneer songs, including some very moving pieces, and some very funny satirical tunes, that I still remember (and sometimes sing and play) down to this day.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But the speaker who blew me away on that occasion was Truman Madsen. \u00a0Each evening he spoke to a packed audience. \u00a0One night it was on \u201cLogical Positivism,\u201d of all things. \u00a0Another night it was on \u201cExistentialism.\u201d \u00a0The topic(s) for the other night or two have slipped from my memory.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But I was thrilled. \u00a0Here was Mormonism<\/a> with an intellectual face, with depth. \u00a0Heady stuff. \u00a0For me, life-changing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I bought his book Eternal Man<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0I purchased a subscription to BYU Studies<\/em>. \u00a0And I decided that I wanted to attend Brigham Young University, where such scholars \u2014 both very brilliant and very Mormon \u2014 were to be found.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Much of my subsequent career and professional focus can be traced more or less to that encounter with one of the greatest speakers and teachers that the Church has ever produced.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the indefatigable Dr. Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, who serves as one of the Interpreter Foundation\u2019s vice presidents (and who is currently serving with his wife in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Kinshasa Mission):<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gospel Doctrine Lesson 17: \u201cBeware Lest Thou Forget\u201d (Deuteronomy 6; 8; 11; 32) (JBOTL17A) \u2014 KnoWhy OTL17A \u2014 \u201cWhat Are the Most Cited, Recited, and Misunderstood Verses in Deuteronomy?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Having just returned to our room following a (false) fire alarm at our hotel here, I think that I\u2019ll catch up a bit with LDS-related news:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cElder Christofferson speaks at United Kingdom Parliamentary meeting\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cElder Uchtdorf Discusses Future Russia Temple\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRelief Society General President Delivers White House Prayer:\u00a0Sister Bingham participates in National Day of Prayer\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cElder Patrick Kearon Says \u2018Rise Out of Ourselves\u2019:\u00a0Mormon leader invites young adults to help someone in need\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cElder and Sister Gong Teach Women to Love as Christ Loved:\u00a0Messages at BYU Women\u2019s Conference teach that service is essential to unifying congregations and communities\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMormon Apostle visited Germany, Cape Verde and The Netherlands\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cElder Dale G. Renlund visits Sweden\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWomen Leaders Minister in Alaska\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMormons Around the World Country Newsroom Websites: April 27, 2018\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m delinquent with this one:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Nelson Concludes Global Ministry Tour in Hawaii:\u00a0Special devotional held at BYU\u2013Hawaii\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Posted from Jericho, Palestine<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

\u00a0 \u00a0 Sometimes, traveling in the Holy Land reminds me how very much I miss Truman Madsen. \u00a0 He was a huge influence on me at a pivotal point in my life, and he ultimately became a friend. \u00a0He was the director of BYU\u2019s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies during the nearly six months […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom the City of Palm Trees<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    Sometimes, traveling in the Holy Land reminds me how very much I miss Truman Madsen.   He was a huge influence on me at a pivotal point\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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