Historian of Religion, Science, and Biblical Interpretation
An insightful comment in an archival letter highlighted an irony for me this week. While the Church cares deeply about history, encourages historical research and production— personal journal writing, family history, etc.— it is simultaneously true that Church materials have long tended to flatten or even ignore all that history. Continue reading
(I’m under a number of serious deadlines right now, and haven’t had time to update this much.) Today we get to meet Samuel, who prophecies of, well, 3 Nephi, basically.
Thought question: What does it mean that the Lamanite prophet Samuel has a name from the Hebrew scriptures? What does it say, potentially, about his parents, upbringing, etc.?
My notes on these chapters of Helaman. Continue reading
A new interview, me talking with Cwic Media for 80 minutes on, well, the usual topics 🙂 Continue reading
In 1984, Neal A. Maxwell was interviewed privately. At that point, he had served as Apostle for three years, as Seventy for five, Commissioner of Church Education, etc.
Today’s text includes a good bit of carry-over from the war chapters, while adding political intrigue and plots. Continue reading
In response to my recent post on the temple, “How Long Adam and Eve were in the Garden,” someone asked why I don’t just jettison the Adam and Eve story entirely. The short and dramatic answer is… Continue reading
And that is why I will not vote for Donald Trump, nor any politician at the local or state level who supports him.
Make America honorable again, by voting out Trumpism wherever it is found.
I’m on the road, and pressed for time, but wanted to leave a brief memory and paean for Armand Mauss, an LDS sociologist, academic, disciple, and wonderful person. Some biography and other memories here from the SLTrib, here from a number of LDS scholars, here from Claremont, where he had been on the Mormon Studies Council. Continue reading
I don’t have anything particular to say here, only that I’d like to increase my short posts with a thought, a historical observation, etc., often from my dissertation work. This is from Leonard Arrington’s journals, Dec 4, 1973, talking about the chain of command with the newly reorganized Church magazines.
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