Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 150

A very full and fulfilling day, offering both joy and sadness

    ***   We’re just back from one of the best Utah Valley events of the Christmas season — the annual music night at the spacious home of Jeri and Steve Covey (whose son Britain, by the way, was there; he will be playing for the University of Utah in the Rose Bowl on […]

Seven pieces of Christmas music for your enjoyment

    ***   Among the chief glories of the Christmas season is its music.  I’ve already shared three of my favorite pieces, appropriate to the holiday.  Here, I offer a few more:   First, something wonderfully beautiful, from one of the most amazing singers that I’ve ever heard:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqm-h...   The lyrics vary. […]

“Demythizing the Lamanites’ “Skin of Blackness.””

    ***   It’s Friday, so — what a surprise! — a new article appeared today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.  Written by Gerrit M. Steenblik, it’s entitled   “Demythizing the Lamanites’ “Skin of Blackness.”” Abstract: Racial bias is antithetical to the Book of Mormon’s cardinal purpose: to proclaim the infinite […]

Adam and Eve, Early Christian Temples, Baptism for the Dead, and Other Fascinating Topics

    ***   Here are five Interpreter articles from a previous number of the journal that might catch your interest:   David M. Calabro, “Early Christian Temples and Baptism for the Dead: Defining Sacred Space in the Late Antique Near East” Abstract: This paper addresses the early Christian transition from temple-based Judaism to the Constantinian […]

Some verses for Christmas from the Qur‘an

    ***   For several years, one of my sons wrote occasional articles for the Deseret News, along with Peterson père.  Here’s an interesting and seasonally appropriate article from Peterson fils that appeared in 2010:   “Telling ghost stories is a lost tradition on Christmas Eve”   It seems a rather odd Christmas custom, […]

Drawing a Conclusion

    ***   The last installment of Kyler Rasmussen’s series of Bayesian reflections on the Book of Mormon and related topics went up earlier today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:   Estimating the Evidence Episode 23: On Conclusions [Editor’s Note: This is the last in a series of 23 essays summarizing and […]

Astoundingly Good News

    ***   Back on 3 November 2021, I posted a shocked and sad entry regarding a relatively young friend and colleague, Arthur VanWagenen of Deseret Book and Excel Entertainment, who was in the hospital in very grave condition following a catastrophic medical event.  He is still in the hospital. Today, though, I’m even […]

“Suppose you were an idiot.”

    “Suppose you were an idiot,” Mark Twain once said.  “And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”   I couldn’t help but think of Mark Twain’s comment when I learned of Rep.. Marjorie  Taylor Greene’s recent remarks about measures taken against COVID-19.  Over the weekend, she betook herself to […]

“O great mystery!”

    ***   Three new items were posted earlier today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:   Nibley Lectures: Come, Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 18 “The Promises … Shall Be Fulfilled” (D&C 45) During 1978, 1979, and 1980, Hugh Nibley taught a Doctrine and Covenants Sunday School class. Cassette recordings were […]

A Loss and a Gap

    ***   I was saddened, just now, to learn of the death of V. Garth Norman last week.  He was a dedicated pioneer of modern Latter-day Saint scholarship on Mesoamerica and the Book of Mormon.  More personally, he offered more than once to take me on a tour of the Parowan Gap in […]