Recent Posts
Nephi’s Three-day Journey into the Wilderness: The Natural vs. the Naturalistic Reading
Of the many interesting details in Nephi’s description of his journey through the Arabian Peninsula, one of the first comes after his mention of reaching the “borders” of the Red…
The Rapid Fall of Nephite Society: Another Book of Mormon Weakness Begins to Make More Sense
As I saw troubling reports and videos this week of students at the once-great Harvard University and other major universities harassing Jewish students for being Jewish or chanting in…
Saved by Grace “After All We Can Do”? Nephi’s Context of Reconciliation
2 Nephi 25:23 has the statement, “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” Does this mean that salvation is a chore in which we do much of the work, or a transaction in which we pay as much of the price as we can, and Christ only steps in after all we have done or paid to make up the difference? Or does this actually mean that salvation is completely “apart from” if not unrelated to all that we can do? Or something else? I think a plausible answer comes through considering the context.
I Saw Zion, and It Was in Africa (a Dream)
It’s 4:15 AM, but I had to get up and write. I just saw Zion, and it was in Africa. But not just Africa. Parts were from Asia, maybe Mexico,…
No, WHO Is Not a “Secret Combination” for Corrupting Children, in Spite of Their Sex Ed Guidelines for Ages Four and Younger (But Being Public Doesn’t Make WHO Safe)
For people losing faith in local or national government over abuses regarding free speech, excessive spending, corruption, or other misdeeds, it’s easy to be even more skeptical of global agencies…
Exciting News on an Apparent Breakthrough in Deciphering the Indus Valley Script: A Great Way to Turn the Hearts of the Children to Their Ancestors
The closing words of the Old Testament are a prophecy about the Lord sending Elijah, who “shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of…
“That Thy Faith Fail Not”
In studying the final days of Christ’s life, I was struck by the implications of Christ’s kind teachings to Peter to prepare him for what was to come. He…
“Whole Worlds Are Full of His Glory”: Thoughts on a Passage from the Words of Gad the Seer
In a post on “The Words of Gad the Seer” and in a related book review for Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, I’ve shared the dramatic…
What Does Jacob 2:30 Say About Polygamy? Is the Church’s Traditional Interpretation Wrong?
One of the many conundrums related to the controversial past practice of polygamy is the Book of Mormon’s stance on the issue. In Jacob 2, the prophet Jacob condemns the…
Cherishing the Book of Mormon’s Teachings on the Fairness of God
One of the most spiritually and intellectually satisfying elements of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ the is fairness of God. Contrary to centuries of tragically misguided theology about the…
