Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1180

“Commemorating a Covenant”

    A relatively brief article (“Commemorating a Covenant”) in the January/February 2015 issue of the Biblical Archaeology Review summarizes archaeologist William Dever’s final excavation report on his field work at Tel Gezer, which he completed more than forty years ago.  (For a map showing Gezer’s location in north central Israel, see here.)   Such a [Read More...]

New Testament 25

    Matthew 21:12-13 Mark 11:15-17 Luke 19:45-46 John 2:14-22   Some, particularly among Protestant commentators, say that the advent of Jesus and Christianity eliminated the need for a temple.  But Jesus’ righteous zeal for the House of God, which is depicted in all four of the canonical gospels, seems to suggest (along with such passages [Read More...]

“Meet the 100 Most Significant Americans of All Time”

    My Deutsch-sprechender BYU colleague Eric Ringger has kindly drawn my attention to this interesting item:   http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithso...   Please notice who the first and third persons on the list of “Religious Figures” are.   “He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, [Read More...]

“Ether’s Cave”

      Just a reminder of the blog that my friend and former colleague Matt Roper maintains:   http://etherscave.blogspot.com   Check in on it from time to time, and you’ll be rewarded.    

“The Lamb,” by William Blake

    Little Lamb who made thee          Dost thou know who made thee Gave thee life & bid thee feed. By the stream & o’er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing wooly bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice!          Little Lamb who made thee          Dost thou know [Read More...]

“5 quotes that show the true character of the Prophet Joseph”

    This little item, published slightly more than a week ago on the 209th anniversary of Joseph’s birth, represents much, much more that could be said in defense of his much-maligned good character:   http://www.ldsliving.com/story/77567-...    

Doing and Not Doing

    “Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone.  The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.” Lin Yutang (d. 1976)    

“Religious Values and Public Policy”

    An important 1992 address by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Council of the Twelve:   https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/10/re...   As relevant today as it was nearly a quarter of a century ago.    

Common sense, physics, and God

    “The ghostly presence of virtual particles defies rational common sense and is non-intuitive for those unacquainted with physics. Religious belief in God, and Christian belief . . . may seem strange to common-sense thinking. But when the most elementary physical things behave in this way, we should be prepared to accept that the deepest [Read More...]

Arabs and Israelis join to deal with an ecological issue

    I love to post positive stories from the Middle East and the Islamic world.  Thanks to Allen Hansen for drawing my notice to this one.