Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 803

“Changes in Languages from Nephi to Now”

    The transcript of Brian Stubbs’s presentation at the 2016 FairMormon conference is now up:   http://www.fairmormon.org/perspective...   While I do a number of languages — including the professional teaching of a Semitic one — I don’t consider myself a linguist in the strict sense of the word.  Moreover, apart from the words tomato [Read More...]

“Why no one believed Einstein”

    Very much like other disciplines involving humans, science is influenced by fashions, traditions, assumptions, and personalities.  The reception of Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity isn’t necessarily the best illustration of such influences, but it, too, plainly shows their effect:   http://daily.jstor.org/why-no-one-bel...   Posted from Oslo, Norway    

Viking words of wisdom — or folly

    There is much to admire about the Vikings, my ancestors — and very, very much not to admire.  One valuable text from the Viking age is a collection of gnomic sayings in verse called the Hávamál.  Here’s one specimen:   Cattle die. Kinsmen die. All men are mortal. Words of praise will never [Read More...]

“Why doesn’t the public trust science?”

    http://www.realclearscience.com/artic...   Permit me to suggest another factor that, in my judgment, sometimes plays in:   Some evolutionists have advanced conclusions that go far beyond biological science, arguing that Darwin’s discovery proves the universe meaningless, life pointless, intelligence and personality mere chance occurrences, and the cosmos Godless.   Some Christians object to evolution, [Read More...]

The Dead Sea is dying.

    I’ve seen massive changes myself since I first lived in Jerusalem back in 1978.   I’m horrified to think that that’s been nearly four decades now.  I never imagined being so old.   On the other hand, in historical terms, let alone from a geological perspective, forty years is nothing.   Come with [Read More...]

New SquareTwo

    I meant to call attention to the newest issue of SquareTwo the other day, but I became distracted and forgot.  So here’s the Table of Contents:   “Editors’ Introduction, Summer 2016,” by Editorial Board, SquareTwo Journal “Female Genital Cutting and Mormons,” by Chad F. Emmett “What’s in a Name? SquareTwo Poll Survey Results [Read More...]

Giving women better titles in the Church?

    When I posted my little piece the other day about what titles to give women who serve in the Church, I (of course) hadn’t yet seen this article, which has just been published in the Salt Lake Tribune:   “Mia Maids? Mission prez’s wife? Please, in the name of all that is holy, [Read More...]

A genuinely inspiring moment from the Olympics

    This article talks about something that’s even better than medal totals:   Runner who helped competitor says she’s fueled by faith   For more on Abbey D’Agostino, see here.   Posted from Oslo, Norway    

“What a ‘fatwa’ is and is not”

    This newly published Deseret News article may be of use (or, at least, of interest) to one or two of you out there:   http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   Posted from Oslo, Norway    

Friday night in Oslo

    We had dinner at a really pleasant traditional Norwegian restaurant called the Engebret Café.  We ate outside, and the food was quite good.  It is said that the great Norwegian writers Bjornstjerne Bjørnson, Henrik Ibsen, and Knut Hamsun all had regular tables at the Engebret, as did the composer Edvard Grieg — listen [Read More...]