Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1189

“One of us”

    Responding to my Deseret News column of this morning, Ray Agostini reminds me of a 1995 hit song by Joan Osborne.  Don’t worry; the voice that begins the clip isn’t the voice in which she sings the rest of the song:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CRk...   If God had a name what would it be? [Read More...]

The darkness and chillness of Christmas

    Christmas hath a darknessBrighter than the blazing noon;Christmas hath a chillnessWarmer than the heat of June;Christmas hath a beautyLovelier than the world can show:For Christmas bringeth Jesus,Brought for us so low. (Christina Rossetti [d. 1894])    

Christmas greeting

    I would like to wish everybody out there a wonderful, joyous Christmas.   For those who abominate religious faith and loathe Christmas — such people exist; I’ve encountered a few of them personally — I wish you a reasonably decent Thursday.   Posted from Bountiful, Utah    

On the eve of Christ’s nativity

    Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. [Read More...]

Two fun prank videos for Christmas Eve and/or Christmas day

    Okay.  You’ve eaten, you’ve read from the gospel of Luke, you’ve done all of the usual Christmas Eve stuff, and now you’re just talking, reminiscing, laughing, praising President Obama, and so forth.   Here are a couple of really funny pranks.  Take a look!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj7HT...   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu5DP...   If the conversation flags, [Read More...]

“Both religion and science require a belief in God”

      “Both religion and science require a belief in God. For believers, God is in the beginning, and for physicists He is at the end of all considerations… To the former He is the foundation, to the latter, the crown of the edifice of every generalized world view.” “There can never be any real opposition [Read More...]

The Church of the Annunciation

    As I’m in the habit of pointing out, Christianity isn’t a European or American religion.  It began in the Middle East, and, for a very long time, its center of gravity was in the eastern Mediterranean.  So, in that spirit and in the spirit of Christmas, here’s a photograph of the magnificent modern [Read More...]

“Intellect and Affection: How to Be a Faithful Mormon Intellectual”

    Everybody is, or ought to be, busy with Christmas Eve, Christmas preparations, and family right now.  But some of you, when you get a chance, will perhaps find this relatively short new essay from the estimable Ralph Hancock quite interesting and thought-provoking:   http://www.patheos.com/blogs/soulandc...   For the record: I like what he’s written [Read More...]

An apostolic testimony of Christ

      A selection from a speech by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1919 until his death in 1939:   I recall an experience which I had two years ago, bearing witness to my soul of the reality of his death, of [Read More...]

Christmas Cheer 3

    In checking, I realized that I failed to make a third entry in my series on “Christmas Cheer.”  But I’ve found a good one to remedy that lack.   This wonderful story of surprising generosity was posted just today:   http://www.people.com/article/homeles...