Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1051

“Did Joseph Smith take the easy path?”

    This week’s Thursday Deseret News column is up:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   Posted from Victor, New York    

Are the FLDS (and other contemporary polygamists) the true followers of Joseph and Brigham?

    I’ve heard the claim, many times, that it’s Warren Jeffs and his FLDS church (and similar such offshoots) that have preserved the true legacy of nineteenth century Mormonism, whereas the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has “sold out.”  Such folks, it’s said, are the true heirs of Mormonism’s founders.   The [Read More...]

Iran seeks to politicize an enormous human tragedy

    Tensions continue to mount between resolutely Sunni Saudi Arabia and militantly Shi‘i Iran:   http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/middlee...   This is not good, and, if nuclear weapons sprout up in the region, it will be very bad indeed.   Posted from Victor, New York    

The collective testimony of the Smith family

    Another indication of the Prophet’s sincerity is the striking fact that his own family manifestly believed him.[1] “The parents and all living brothers and sisters of Joseph Smith believed his account of his visions. In fact, the two grandparents still alive in 1830 also believed.”[2] For example, Joseph Smith Sr., the Prophet’s father, [Read More...]

Historical transparency. I’m very pleased.

    We spent at least two hours this afternoon at the newly dedicated Priesthood Restoration Site in Oakland, Pennsylvania (formerly known as “Harmony”), where most of the Book of Mormon was translated, where the Aaronic priesthood was restored, and in the vicinity of which the Melchizedek priesthood was returned to earth.  (Directly adjacent is [Read More...]

Curious to know who the winners of this year’s MacArthur “genius grants” are?

    Some of them — the Americans among them, anyway — are identified here, along with the areas in which they work:   http://www.nature.com/news/nanowires-...   Posted from Victor, New York    

Inspiring words, even if you’ve read them before

    Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are [Read More...]

The Pope and that Clerk in Kentucky

    As I’ve indicated, I’m ambivalent about Kim Davis, that Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage documents for same-sex couples.  I agree with her on the substance, but I think her choices were either to issue the documents or to resign — barring some sort of work-around accommodation from the state, which [Read More...]

It’s time to mark your calendars!

    The Interpreter Foundation is pleased to announce a presentation by Dr. Joshua Berman, Senior Lecturer in the Bible Department at Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. On Wednesday, October 7, at 7:00 pm in the Varsity Theater at BYU, Provo, Utah, he will present “The Differences between the Tabernacle and the Temple: Architecture and [Read More...]

Dedicated even unto death

    Joseph Smith apparently expected to die at the hands of his enemies. “He well knew that he must sacrifice his life for the principles God had revealed through him,” said Lucy Walker Kimball. Yet “Death had no terrors for him although life was dear. I have often heard him say he expected to seal [Read More...]