Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 168

My late friend John Tvedtnes and I

    ***   I suppose that I should respond to this before it takes on a kind of eternal life of its own, as these defamatory legends tend to do:   It relates to my late friend John Tvedtnes, who worked for many years as a senior resident scholar and senior research associate at […]

“Early Christian Temples and Baptism for the Dead”

    ***   This “new” reprint article by David M. Calabro appeared just a few minutes ago in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:   “Early Christian Temples and Baptism for the Dead: Defining Sacred Space in the Late Antique Near East” Abstract: This paper examines similarities between the account of the […]

Thoughts on the Fourth of July

    ***   It’s the Fourth of July, American Independence Day.  In our sacrament meeting today, we sang all of the verses of “The Star Spangled Banner” — not merely the first verse, which is customarily followed by the words “Play ball!” — and we sang “America the Beautiful.”  Singing the entirety of the […]

Through Star Valley and Beyond

    ***   Driving down from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, today, we took roads that I, at least, have driven only two or three times before — at the very most.  And we made some interesting new discoveries, as well as visiting some familiar places.   For one thing, we drove through Star Valley, Wyoming, […]

“If Ye Believe on His Name”

    ***   A new article by the prolific scholar BYU-Hawaii scholar Matthew L. Bowen went up earlier today in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:   ““If Ye Believe on His Name”:Wordplay on the Name Samuel in Helaman 14:2, 12–13 and 3 Nephi 23:9 and the Doctrine of Christ in […]

My first day without employment

    ***   Brigham Young University’s College of Humanities can scarcely conceal its giddy joy at my long-awaited retirement from the active faculty:   “Retiring BYU Professor Closes Teaching Chapter and Opens New Doors with “Witnesses” Film: Professor Daniel Peterson (Asian and Near Eastern Languages) is wrapping up his time at BYU, but his work […]

It’s Over

  [Owing to a continuing issue at Patheos — or so it seems — I am unable to include an image with this post.  Which is really too bad, because my wife took an exceptionally beautiful and beautifully appropriate photograph tonight at sunset.]   Well, yesterday (Wednesday, 30 June 2021) was my last day as […]

See it while you still can!

    [An apparent Patheos glitch has, among other things, left me temporarily unable to include images.  I’m checking to see whether it will allow me to post blog entries at all.]   I had a lot of work to do yesterday, so we got outside much later than I had hoped.  Still, we did […]

“Ancient Temple Imagery in the Sermons of Jacob”

    ***   I’ve been thinking of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon again today, Monday, 28 June 2021.  (Some of you, of course, will perhaps be wondering whether I ever think of anything else.  Trust me, though: I do.  For example, I occasionally think of terrible drivers on I-15.)  But, as I’ve […]

A rich feast for eyes, hearts, and minds

    In all likelihood, today marks the 192nd anniversary of the experience of Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, David Whitmer, and Joseph Smith with the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, as well as with an angel and the confirming voice of God.  If the Interpreter Foundation’s Witnesses film is playing in your vicinity, today […]