Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 138

Thoughts on Genesis, Science, and Faith

    ***   Some time ago, I read an interesting book entitled The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009).   In it, the author, John H. Walton, an Evangelical professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, just outside of Chicago, argues that Genesis […]

“Holiness to the Eternal One”

      ***   I received an email yesterday afternoon from a former neighbor of mine from long ago, back when I was an unmarried BYU undergraduate.  He had observed that all of the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bear an inscription, typically over the main entrance, announcing “Holiness […]

Hints of the Presence of the Creator

    ***   Interpreter Radio Show — February 13, 2022 In the first hour of the 13 February 2022 episode of the Interpreter Radio Show, Terry Hutchinson and John Gee discussed a new book on the 1920 edition of the Book of Mormon as well as the Interpreter Foundation’s recent Ultimate Egypt tour. You […]

Notes on the Gadianton Robbers and Ancient Law

    ***   We had dinner with a long-time friend of mine — he was at our wedding in the Salt Lake Temple many years ago — tonight in Cedar City, Utah.  We ate, by his choice, at Centro Woodfired Pizzeria.  We’ve eaten there several times before.  It’s very good.  (I simply like to […]

Scarpia in the Kremlin

    ***   On Saturday night, my wife and I attended a very strong performance of Puccini’s Tosca by the Utah Opera.  We thoroughly enjoyed it; there is little mystery about the fact that Tosca ranks among the most popular works in the standard operatic repertoire.  Unexpectedly, though, just prior to the overture, a […]

It also made me feel really old.

    ***   We spent our afternoon and early evening in a way that we don’t typically do on Sundays — or, for that matter, on any other day of the week.  We attended the promotion of a friend, the son of friends, from the rank of Colonel in the United States Army to […]

“The building code of the Demiurge”

    ***   But first:  Yes, Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” to save Ukraine from Jewish Nazis and to defend Russian against Ukrainian aggression is likely to have religious implications:   “Podcast: What’s next for Russian priests who asked if Putin will be damned for invading Ukraine?”   “Russian Victory Would Mark End of […]

“Serpents of Fire and Brass”

    ***   Two new pieces went up today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.  The second offers a concise summation of the first:   “Serpents of Fire and Brass: A Contextual Study of the Brazen Serpent Tradition in the Book of Mormon,” by Neal Rappleye Abstract: The story of the […]

On the divine name in Exodus 6:2-3

    ***   I had an enjoyable time, early this afternoon, recording two “Come, Follow Me” podcasts with Scot and Maurine Proctor of Meridian Magazine.  The first covered Exodus 1-6 and the second treated Exodus 7-13.  I’m not sure when they’ll be publicly available.   There were several relatively small things that I intended […]

Thomas Müntzer — strange, sinister, and curiously akin

    ***   An article of mine has appeared in Meridian Magazine.  Perhaps a few of you, if you have absolutely nothing better to do, might find it interesting:   “Divine Emotions: A Contradiction to Aristotle’s Best Thinking on God”   ***   Two new items went up yesterday on the website of the […]