Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 27

“We’re captive on the carousel of time”

  Here is an interesting article by my friend Brian Hales and Michael Peterson (no relation) that was brought to my attention by another friend, Scott Gordon, the president of FAIR:  “Doubt in the Digital Age: How a Perfect Storm of Random Forces Inflated the CES Letter Beyond Its Merits: What triggered the wide dissemination […]

In the bleak post-Christmas midwinter

  When I was young, the weeks-long build-up to Christmas was always followed — usually by the afternoon of 25 December — by a severe let-down.  After at least a month of mounting anticipation, Christmas was done.  The presents had arrived, which was wonderful, but the surprises were past.  There was nothing left for me […]

Rating the Book of Mormon

  I’ve had a long and busy day today.  I’ve scarcely been home and it’s late, so I think that I’m going to repost something that I originally put up several years ago.  I still hold to it: There was considerable buzz back in 2014 about the results of a Facebook survey asking people which […]

A note on the evolution of evolution (and other matters)

  It’s Friday, so a new article has been published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:  “The “Allegory” of Ruth as a Prophecy of Latter-day Gathering,” written by Jan Francisco Abstract: In the historical context of the late fifth century BC, the book of Ruth was a powerful story of hope […]

A Christmas message from Iran’s vice president and his wife

  This article has been newly posted on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:  The Temple: Past, Present and Future: “The Messianic Sacred, Not Secret: The Son as a Hidden Name in the Gospel of Mark,” written by Jasmin Gimenez Rappleye Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in The Temple: […]

“At Bethlehem I had my birth.”

  First of all, Merry Christmas to all!  I hope that you’ve had a joyous Christmas season and that you will enjoy this day to the full with family and friends and food and music and whatever else will make for a very satisfying and memorable time. On Monday last, Meridian Magazine republished a Christmas-themed […]

“Glad is the world and fair this night”

  I think it’s time to share another of my favorite Christmas poems.  Curiously, the poem is titled “Christmas.”  It was written by Sir John Betjeman (b. 1906), who was British poet laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984: The bells of waiting Advent ring, The Tortoise stove is lit again And lamp-oil light […]

There is still time to help in lighting the world

  Now available at no charge on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:  “Interpreter Radio Show — December 15, 2024” Bruce Webster and Kris Fredericton hosted the 15 December 2024 episode of the Interpreter Radio Show. They discussed Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson 2, Moroni’s prophecies about our days, the Church’s disaster relief […]

For 23 December 2024

  Tomorrow — Monday, 23 December 2024 — will be the 219th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.  Even among faithful and committed Latter-day Saints who revere his memory, his birthday is almost never noticed — which is scarcely surprising, especially given its proximity to Christmas.  (Virtually nothing can escape the […]

Here’s a little shchedrivka for you

  I had not realized until a couple of years ago that the “Carol of the Bells” stems from Ukraine.  If I did ever know it before, I had forgotten:  “The Ukrainian Choir Bringing New Meaning To A Classic Holiday Song” Shchedryk (from the Ukrainian Щедрий вечiр [Shchedry Vechir], meaning “Bountiful Evening”) is a Ukrainian […]