Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1215

Once more, a little look at the geological history of Hawaii

    Many people — I was certainly one of them until just a few years ago — have little idea about how big the Hawaiian Archipelago actually is, nor about the manner in which the Hawaiian Islands were formed and in which they’re still being formed.   As the Pacific Plate moves toward the [Read More...]

“Facing ISIS, MIddle Eastern Evangelicals Exchange Strategies”

    Here, from the superb Evangelical magazine Christianity Today, is an account of an element in the current Middle East that you won’t often find covered in the mainstream media:   http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2...   Posted from Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii    

A courageous God?

    I like this comment, which I take to be about Christ’s willingness to suffer at Gethsemane, under the lash of the Roman soldiers, and on Golgotha in order to work out the redemptive atonement on our undeserving behalf:   “Alone of all creeds, Christianity has added courage to the virtues of the Creator. [Read More...]

Portrait of a dejected loser

    I still read fairly frequently online and in (often anonymous) personal messages that I was fired from the Maxwell Institute by order of the Brethren, that I’m in disgrace with the leadership of my church, that I’m a washed-up and pathetic irrelevancy and now, at the end of my life, a pitiable, frustrated, [Read More...]

“All now mysterious shall be bright at last.”

    1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side; With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; In ev’ry change he faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav’nly Friend Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end. 2. [Read More...]

A remarkable marketing mistake

    Some time ago, Cassandra Hedelius called my attention to the items above, which were found in the “discontinued” or “marked down for quick sale” section of a department store in, I think, Maryland.   It reminds me of a little Palestinian kid, many years ago, who was (no doubt) delighted when four full [Read More...]

Do the Book of Mormon’s “Isaiah chapters” plagiarize from Isaiah?

    Incidentally, while I’m going through 2 Nephi’s notorious “Isaiah chapters” I might as well briefly address the accusation that such extensive quotations from Isaiah constitute plagiarism.   Here’s a definition of the word plagiarism:   http://dictionary.reference.com/brows...   It seems to me rather absurd to suggest that the Book of Mormon is plagiarizing from [Read More...]

FreedomFest 2015

    It seems that I’m going to be one of the minor lights speaking at next summer’s Freedom Fest 2015 in Las Vegas.  I’ve participated in Freedom Fests before, and have enjoyed it, so I’m looking forward to this one.   My topics and the number and nature of my talks are still in flux.  I [Read More...]

2 Nephi 21

    Isaiah’s remarkable eloquence is yet again on display in today’s reading, 2 Nephi 21 (= Isaiah 11).   He envisions the coming of a just and kind ruler, whom Christians for centuries have taken to be the millennial Christ, who will judge fairly and not according to mere appearances (verse 3) and who will [Read More...]

A video version of Mr. Romney’s Obama joke

    It’s better this way:   http://www.ijreview.com/2014/10/18726...   (Thanks to Kent Stephens for calling this to my notice.)   Posted from Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii