Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 123

“Archaeologists Reveal Oldest Inscription in Jerusalem: A Canaanite Curse”

    I wonder if you noticed this item from a little while back:   Haaretz:  “Archaeologists Reveal Oldest Inscription in Jerusalem: A Canaanite Curse: Brought to you by the letter representing the discovery of the earliest word, ‘the’: Somebody among the Jebusites really wanted the governor of Jerusalem to die”   It doesn’t, alas, […]

On that possible image of Joseph Smith

    You’ve probably already seen the news regarding the discovery of what may be an authentic daguerreotype image of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Here’s a basic article about the find that includes an official response on the matter from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:   “Does an image of Joseph Smith […]

“Witnesses” claims a prize

    I’m pleased to report that, just a few minutes ago, the Interpreter Foundation’s theatrical film Witnesses was announced by the Association for Mormon Letters as the winner of its 2021 Film Award.  (More information on this to follow.)   I’m so very grateful to our filmmaking team of Mark Goodman, James Jordan, and […]

“Abridging the Records of the Zoramite Mission: Mormon as Historian”

    I’ve had only intermittent internet access over the past few days — thus far, today, the WiFi where we’re staying has been down for at least the past nine hours (and I’ve had to walk to another, fairly distant, location to post this) — so I’m a little bit behind in announcing here […]

Do we finally have a photograph of him?

    The John Whitmer Historical Association — an independent organization that is more or less aligned with the former Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ) — has issued a very interesting statement:   “Smith family members and historians have long believed that a daguerreotype, or photograph, […]

Alcohol, Chocolate, Keeping Promises, and Seeing the Cosmos with the Eye of God

    Three new items went up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation yesterday, and I’ve been tardy in calling your attention to them:   “Nibley Lectures: Time Vindicates the Prophets — Prophets and Traditions” Between 7 March 1954 and 17 October 1954, Hugh Nibley delivered a series of thirty weekly lectures on KSL […]

A questionable extermination and an indisputable explosion

    Here’s a link to an article of mine that went up in Meridian Magazine yesterday.  Because I’ve been on the road and in the air for much of the past thirty-six hours or more, I’m a bit late in calling attention to it:   “Does Merneptah Stele Contain the First Extra-biblical Mention of […]

A Speakable Gift

    For some reason, I found myself thinking today about alphabetic writing, which is, arguably, one of the greatest inventions or discoveries or gifts in the history of humanity.   Think about it:  With just a few simple symbols — twenty-six in English — a virtual infinity of thoughts can be expressed, and not […]

A high point of our time in southern Alberta, Canada

    One of the many highlights of our time here in southern Alberta has been our opportunity to participate in a session at the Cardston Alberta Temple on Saturday.  Another temple patron whom I did not know approached me and requested that I take one of his family names through, so I represented one […]

I hope that I did some good (or, at least, no harm)

    I spoke tonight in Cardston, in fireside that was sponsored by the two Cardston stakes.  Apparently, it had been publicized as being on the subject of navigating crises of faith.  I didn’t know that — I never saw any publicity about the fireside, either before or after — so I spoke on the […]