Daniel C. Peterson's Blog, page 974

A note on the current tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia

    http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/...    

“The Case for Civil Disobedience in Oregon”

    As you’re probably aware, there’s a prominent Mormon element in the takeover of that federal property in Oregon.  Here’s a reasonably accurate account of that element:   http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2016...   Quite understandably, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has distanced itself from the action:   http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article...   But do Ammon Bundy — note the [Read More...]

“Is Interstellar Travel Possible?”

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/startswit...      

“Mormon background helped 5 BYU grads make list of world’s 50 most important management thinkers”

    http://www.deseretnews.com/article/86...   I pass over in humble silence the fact that two of the five are represented on “Mormon Scholars Testify” (here and here) and that one of them recently contributed the Interpreter Foundation’s 2015 Christmas message.    

BOM 1 Nephi 10

    Just a couple of quick notes about today’s reading, in 1 Nephi 10:   1.   The prophecy recorded here of the coming of Jesus is strikingly exact, including the intervening Babylonian captivity of the Jews and their return, the number of years still ahead between Lehi’s own time and the advent of the Savior, [Read More...]

Save the Date!

    On Saturday, 12 March 2016, the Interpreter Foundation will host a conference on science and religion on the campus of Brigham Young University.   Full program details are nearly finalized and will be forthcoming, but I can tell you that the keynote speaker will be Guy Consolmagno, S.J., director of the Vatican Observatory [Read More...]

Everyone’s greatest need

    “I have never met a person whose greatest need was anything other than real, unconditional love.  You can find it in a simple act of kindness toward someone who needs help.  There is no mistaking love. . . .  It is the common fiber of life, the flame that heats our soul, energizes [Read More...]

“Dear Media: Stop Trying to Teach Christians Theology”

    http://thefederalist.com/2015/12/31/d...   I think that this article makes a good and important basic point.  I’m quite sympathetic.  Journalists — many of them secularists — have little standing and few credentials for lecturing us on what constitutes true Christianity and real Christian discipleship.   That said, while I agree that the media should stop [Read More...]

Mitt Romney on Jeb Bush, on entering the presidential race, and etc.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/p...   I confess to having real reservations about the current Republican field.   Trump is an abomination.  Jeb Bush is effectively comatose.   Rubio would be okay with me, and perhaps Cruz (despite what I regard as mistaken and rather risky views on surveillance and national security), but neither has any demonstrated [Read More...]

Yes, I actually do Islamic studies (not apologetics) for a living

    Well, the new semester — called Winter 2016 at BYU — has begun.  Yippee!   I’m routinely accused of writing on Mormon topics (and, especially, of defending Mormon claims) because I’m richly rewarded for doing so by the Church.  (I’ve even seen estimates putting my apologetic income in the seven figures!)  Actually, of [Read More...]