Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 791

Blind to the imperfections of others

    Blessed is he whose own faults keep him from seeing the faults of others. ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (d. AD 661)

“Why It’s So Hard to Find the Next Earth, Even If You’re Looking Right at It”

    When I was growing up, although we assumed that other planets existed out in deep space we actually knew of none until 1989.  Now, almost 3500 have been catalogued.   But only ten of those, thus far, have been classified as potentially habitable.   Why so few?   I’m glad you asked:   [Read More...]

“City Creek and the Choices of Thrift”

    Since the subject of alleged Mormon neglect of the poor and the needy has again been raised, ironically fueled by accounts of Mormons helping the poor and the needy in Louisiana, the venerable issue of “The Mall” has also (predictably) resurfaced.  What kind of “church” would build a mall?  Shouldn’t that money have [Read More...]

“The Critic’s Chair”

    This is a very good piece by Ryan Larsen, quite apropos to a time when critics are vigorously attacking the Church over its humanitarian aid programs:   http://mormonpuzzlepieces.blogspot.co...   The situation reminds me of two favorite passages from very distinct places.  The first of them was already mentioned by somebody today, but, unfortunately, [Read More...]

On fault-finding

    “Don’t allow your tongue to utter the fault of another person, because you are covered in faults and everyone else has tongues, too. Don’t allow your eyes to fall on the faults of others. Turn your eyes away and say to your eyes, ‘Oh eyes, other people have eyes too.’” Imam al-Shafi‘i   [Read More...]

BOM Alma 61

    It’s time to get back on track with my little commentary on the Book of Mormon.   In earlier entries on Alma 54 and Alma 60, I’ve commented on the Nephite military commander Moroni’s “spirited nature,” which makes him a wonderful warrior but perhaps a less than optimal diplomat.   We see a [Read More...]

Another note regarding the disdain shown in some quarters for Mormon humanitarian assistance

    In the region of the ex-Mormon web that I watch, I’m seeing fierce disapproval of the humanitarian efforts of the Church.  The occasion for what seems to be a recent spike in such denunciations is the massive clean-up effort mounted by the Church in the wake of flooding in Louisiana.   The Church doesn’t [Read More...]

“Barack Obama Just Nominated A Muslim To Be A Federal Judge. That’s A First.”

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/o...   I know nothing about Abid Riaz Qureshi.  In terms of sheer legal credentials, though, he seems quite well qualified:   https://www.lw.com/people/abid-qureshi    

Looking toward our full flowering

    “We were born to die and we die to live.  As seedlings of God, we barely blossom on earth; we fully flower in heaven.” President Russell M. Nelson   I attended a wonderful funeral yesterday, honoring a friend whom, I now realize, I’ve known for very nearly half of my life.  She was one of the [Read More...]

A final note on my recent visit to Norway

    I didn’t really finish my entries from Norway, because I ran into both time constraints and, out in the countryside, limited internet access.     But I did want to record what always thrills me most about my trips to Norway, when I can get to it.  (I’ve now been there five times, I think.) [Read More...]