After my experiences this week with Italian public transportation, I’ve decided to write an opera. It’s called “Le Disgraziate” (“The Wretches”) It’s about two lovers on opposite ends of a metro train, trying to reach each other in the middle car before one of them dies of heat, stench, or asphyxiation. The chorus a\is the other bus riders. The cast includes train musicians, gypsies, and tourists. The main aria will be “Non schende mai nessuno!” (Nobody’s ever getting off”) The... Read more
The default assumption of non-LDS is that the unique LDS scripture in the Pearl of Great Price and the Book of Mormon are ahistorical. That is, they do not describe actual historical people, places and events. There never was a Nephi or a Moroni, and Jesus certainly didn’t visit the Lehites in the New World. Abraham, if he existed, did not do or write the things attributed to him in the Book of Abraham. Rejection of the historicity of LDS... Read more
An in depth and insightful analysis of the nature of scripture from David Larsen at “Heavenly Ascents.” I agree with his analysis. Read more
Matt Roper has an insightful blog called “Ether’s Cave.” (I like that name. It speaks to me.) His most recent entry is on the vital topic of scripture and historicity. Read more
The recent Church statement on the “Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham” has garnered some media attention. KUER Radio Washington Post Unremarkably, the media can’t seem to understand the issues (or perhaps chooses to ignore some of them). Here are some important things to bear in mind. 1- Everyone–LDS and non-LDS agree that the extant fragments of the JS papyri do not contain the Book of Abraham. 2- The position of most LDS scholars is either: A- the... Read more
Well, that all depends on what you mean by “scripture” and what you mean by “relevant.” At least according to some people. The Maxwell Institute has posted as a “podcast” a round table on “Is Scripture Relevant?” with Joseph Spencer, David Bokovoy, and Adam Miller. A video version, including Q&A can be found here. As far as I can tell, they don’t really engage the question directly, so let me help. The essential question seems to be this: The perspective being... Read more
Those who think that “violence never solves anything” have never studied history. For good or ill, violence has transformed a great many historical trends. Constantine’s vision and victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge not only transformed Christianity from a minority to a world religion, but also transformed the nature of Christianity by creating the “Imperial Church,” and its 1500 years of infestation with numerous forms of priestcraft. Here is the famous commemoration of that event by Guilio Romano (1520) in... Read more
This statement seems difficult to reconcile with claims of a fictional Book of Abraham. Read more
Tomorrow I’m off to Rome for a month. I’ll have intermittent wifi access, and will be posting some photos and thoughts about the Christianization of Rome, and the Romanization of Christianity. There may be some delays in posting comments. Read more
Those who propose that our scriptures are best understood as “inspired fiction” almost inevitably frame the questions wrong. The question is not whether fiction can be inspired. Jesus’ parables, the Allegory of the Olive Tree, many of the Psalms are obvious examples of inspired fiction. The question is: Is that what ALL scripture is? The question is: Can fictional stories of Jesus’ resurrection provide us with eternal life? The question is: Can a fictional Book of Mormon demonstrate that Jesus... Read more
Enigmatic Mirror
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