Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 1234

Two specimens of ancient stand-up comedy

    A couple of items from what may be the oldest surviving joke book, the Philogelos (“Laughter Lover”), which probably derives from the fourth or fifth century AD but which likely draws on older materials.  I paraphrase them from the somewhat updated forms supplied by Steve Mirsky in, believe it or not, the current (October [Read More...]

1 Nephi 21

    It’s been a long and busy day, and it’s not over yet.  But I’m determined not to miss a day.  Not yet, anyway.  (There may eventually be some travel days where it just won’t be possible to post.)  So I’m going to content myself with a very brief note on today’s reading, 1 [Read More...]

“No more excuses: Mormon dad designs home teaching app”

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...    

“Find your passion”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ml9U...    

A new center (or centre) for Islamic art in North America

    I don’t know when (or even if) I’ll get to Toronto again, but I’m excited about this:   http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesi...   Thanks to Jabra Ghneim for bringing this article to my notice.   See also here.    

“You Never Know”

    This relatively longish “Mormon Messages” video (lasting nearly nine minutes) will speak especially to mothers and to women generally, I think — though men very much need to hear it, to get it, and to appreciate it:   http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mo...   Late last night, or, more accurately, early this morning, I began to read [Read More...]

Something for your calendar

    I’m not sure that I’ve called attention yet to the 2014 annual meeting of the Book of Mormon Archaeological Forum, which will be held in Salt Lake City on 18 October:   http://bmaf.org    

What is the most valuable thing in the world?

      “The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth . . . is worth worlds.” Brigham Young (17 February 1861), Journal of Discourses 9:124   Bonnie Oscarson, general president of the Young Women organization in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — who previously served with her husband as he presided [Read More...]

“Enlarge the place of thy tent”

    Richard Gwilliam, Cassandra Hedelius, and Martin Tanner joined forces for the ninetieth (90th) scripture roundtable of The Interpreter Foundation.  Their conversation revolved around Lesson 40 in the 2014 Gospel Doctrine manual, which covers Isaiah 54-56 and Isaiah 63-65.   It has now been posted:   http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/scri...    

Where did religion come from?

    “There is not one case against religion, but many.  Some say, like Capaneus in Statius, that it is a projection of our primitive fears, primus in orbe deus fecit timor: others, with Euhemerus, that it is all a ‘plant’ put up by wicked kings, priests, or capitalists; others, with Tylor, that it comes [Read More...]