Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1027

Work, craft, and art

    He who works with his hands is a laborer.He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist. St. Francis of Assisi (d. AD 1226)      

Before I forget . . .

    Happy Halloween!    

“Swedish female journalist stoned by Muslims in Stockholm”

    If true, and unless there are mitigating circumstances — I confess that I find it difficult to imagine what they might be — this story is rather troubling:   http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/...   Thanks to Darren Zechiel for calling it to my attention.    

New Testament 289

    Matthew 24:9-14 Mark 13:9-13 Luke 21:12-19 Compare Matthew 10:17-22; 24:24; Mark 13:22; Luke 12:11-12; John 14:26; 15:21; 16:2   These warnings strike me as more directly relevant, in certain respects, than they ever have been before at any point in my lifetime.   “False prophets,” love growing cold, iniquity abounding, divided families, hatred [Read More...]

“California’s Explicitly Christian Heritage”

    Today’s installment of the biweekly Hamblin/Peterson column has been published by the Deseret News:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...    

New Testament 287-288

    Matthew 24:1-8 Mark 13:1-8 Luke 21:5-11 Compare Matthew 24:11, 23-26; Mark 13:21-23; Luke 17:21, 23   In Matthew 24:3, the Greek phrase συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος  (“close of the age,” “completion of the age”) – αἰῶν (aion) is, obviously, the source of our English eon or aeon — could refer both to the overall end [Read More...]

“What is turning so many young men into internet trolls?”

    I’m grateful to Renee Contreras De Loach for bringing this item to my attention:   http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013...   I couldn’t help but think, while reading it, of some of the genuinely unpleasant and very belligerent people I’ve encountered on message boards (when I still did message boards much), in really nasty (and almost always [Read More...]

“Church Members Encouraged to Assist Refugees”

    An official letter from the First Presidency:   http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article...    

“Book Review: ‘Evolving Faith: Wanderings of a Mormon Biologist”

    Stephen Smoot comments briefly on a new book regarding a subject that has caused many to wonder:   http://www.plonialmonimormon.com/2015...    

The Prayer of St. Francis

    You’re probably aware of the famous prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226).  But perhaps you’re not.  In either case, it’s a gem, well worth becoming acquainted with or, alternatively, reading again:   Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.Where there is hatred, let me sow love,Where there is injury, pardon;Where [Read More...]