Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1174

New York Times: “Unlocking Scrolls Preserved in Eruption of Vesuvius, Using X-Ray Beams”

      Thanks to Paula Hicken, formerly of the Maxwell Institute at BYU, for bringing this item to my attention:   http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/21/sci...   BYU’s Maxwell Institute blazed the way on this effort, beginning back when the Institute was still known as the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (or FARMS), and a video was [Read More...]

“Dehlin’s Case is Not about Gay Rights”

    Chris Henrichsen has reposted an interesting earlier piece — “interesting” here meaning not only that I essentially agree with it, though there is that — in which he questions some of the public narrative about John Dehlin:   http://approachingjustice.net/2015/01...   It’s a narrative that he thinks (and, once again, I concur) that Mr. Dehlin [Read More...]

New Testament 42

    Matthew 8:1-4 Mark 1:40-45 Luke 5:12-16   We can only speculate as to why the Savior asked the cleansed leper not to tell others of his miraculous healing.  Maybe Jesus hoped — in vain, as it turned out, since the formerly afflicted man couldn’t contain his excitement at his new life — to have [Read More...]

The LDS violinist Lindsey Stirling

    Lindsey Stirling has been named to Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30″ music list:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   Here’s an enjoyable example — brought to my notice by Tanya Spackman via my wife — of why:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQb2...        

John Dehlin and the manipulation of the media

    I have absolutely no interest in becoming bogged down in the inevitable controversy that will swirl — that is already swirling — about John Dehlin and his impending disciplinary council.   But I’m sadly aware of the distortions that will surely appear in the media and across the Web about his case, and I [Read More...]

“The Sermon on the Mount: ‘A More Excellent Way’”

    Craig Foster, John Gee, Cassandra Hedelius, and Bruce Webster gathered for The Interpreter Foundation’s Scripture Roundtable 106, which focuses on Matthew 5:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/scri...    

Science and materialism

    “Scientific materialism is neither an implication nor a presupposition of doing science. Rather it is a metaphysical and sometimes religious stance that some people have toward science.”  Angus Menuge, Agents under Fire: Materialism and the Rationality of Science

How to be a success

    Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.  (Josh Billings)  

A Palestinian Christian voice from mid-2014

    Many Americans think of the Arab/Israeli conflict as one between Muslims and Jews.  That’s not accurate.  Many Palestinians are Christians.   Here’s one Palestinian Christian voice, from the first half of 2014:   http://time.com/110920/naim-ateek-pal...    

New Testament 41

    Luke 5:1-11 Compare Matthew 13:1-3; 4:18-22; Mark 4:1-2; 1:16-20; John 21:1-11   On one level, it seems a fairly insignificant miracle.  But it’s a teaching moment.   “You’re impressed by a miraculous catch of fish?” Jesus implicitly asks his astonished disciples.  “Don’t be afraid.  From this point on, you’ll be catching men.”   [Read More...]