Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 831

Harold Bloom on Joseph Smith

    Harold Bloom is an atheist — or, if not an atheist (he denies it), something like one.  He’s certainly not an orthodox Jewish believer, let alone a devout Christian.  So his remarks below have to be viewed as in some sense metaphorical.  Still, they’re remarkable:   “Whatever his lapses, Smith was an authentic [Read More...]

Is there no good news for human sorrow?

    My wife and I were stunned and deeply saddened today to learn that a young man who grew up just a few houses down the street from us, the son of good friends and himself the father of seven children (one of them just two weeks old), was accidentally killed a couple of [Read More...]

“EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dump Trump’ RNC Delegate Leader: We ‘Have The 28 Votes’ To Unbind Delegates”

    Thanks to Yvonne Wells Swinson for calling this to my attention:   http://www.dailywire.com/news/7337/ex...   See also:   “Dear Mr. Trump: Are You Even Trying to Unite the Party?”   All of which connects neatly with my post from earlier today.    

BOM Alma 50

    Just a few quick notes about today’s reading, Alma 50:    It’s instructive that, even in a time of great peace, Moroni is preparing defenses in case of war.  Moroni finds it comparatively easy to recruit soldiers because his preparations give them a sense of confidence.  When morale is high, when confidence is justified, [Read More...]

“Discovery of Philistine Cemetery May Solve Biblical Mystery”

    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/20...    

“As Convention Approaches, Will Romney or Kasich Step Up?”

    Bill Kristol raises an intriguing possibility:   http://www.weeklystandard.com/as-conv...   I would happily support either of them.   And here are three articles for background:   “Neither of the Above”   “What’s Next for the Never Trump Camp?”   “America Is Driving toward the Abyss, and It’s Time We Hit the Brakes”  

“What did President Kimball think about pressure regarding the pre-1978 priesthood ban?”

    http://blog.fairmormon.org/2016/01/12...   This isn’t, of course, merely a historical issue.  There are those who believe, or who claim to believe, that the 1978 revelation on priesthood was received, in large or small part, because pressure from dissidents forced President Kimball to take the matter to the Lord.  And they conclude from that historical [Read More...]

What it means to love someone

    To love someone means to see him as God intended him. Fyodor Dostoevsky  

The Guardian: “Mormons Pledge to Stay in Russia Despite Religious Clampdown”

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/201...   Under difficult circumstances, it’s fortunate that the Church has able leadership on site.   The area president in Moscow is my old friend Elder Bruce D. Porter, whom I’ve known since we were freshmen dorm neighbors at Brigham Young University.   I have enormous respect for him.    

“The Five Phases of the Sexual and Cultural Revolution”

    Thanks to Nathaniel Hancock for making me aware of this interesting little piece:   http://www.truthandcharityforum.org/t...