Recent Posts
Of Nero, King-men, and Flaming Cities
Nero has been mocked for centuries as the man who allegedly fiddled while Rome burned. Fiddler or not, he apparently benefited from the Great Fire of Rome because it opened…
The Bus to Inverness: Blessed to Attend Church in Scotland
As the first Sunday in June approached, I struggled with a difficult decision. I was in Scotland participating in a family reunion for my wife’s side of the family, where…
The Divine Is in the Details: How Paying Attention to Word Choice in the Book of Mormon Can Reveal Important Meaning
When you read the Book of Mormon, do you ever notice how common language can connect two distant verses and sometimes add meaning? For example, when you read the angry…
Was the Sacrifice of the Messiah Really Needed? How the Book of Moses + Book of Mormon May Help Remove a Stumbling Block
I received a thoughtful question from a former member of the Church who struggles with our belief that a sacrifice of the Messiah was really necessary to save mankind. Based…
What Did Oliver Look at When He Began to Translate? Or, What Doctrine and Covenants 9 Really Tells Us About the Translation of the Book of Mormon
Quick overview: Doctrine and Covenants 9 refers to a time when Oliver Cowdery had permission to attempt to translate the Book of Mormon. He “began to translate” (Doctrine and Covenants…
“Community Color”: A Wealthy Neighborhood in Crisis, Filled with Good-Hearted People
I had a dream this morning that moved me to arise early and begin writing while the details were fresh. The key image and source of the title of this…
The Word of Wisdom and the Science of Secret Combinations, Part 2: Real Science vs. the Idolatrous “Cult of Science”
(Also see “Part 1: The ‘Evils and Designs of Conspiring Men’ in Light of Book of Mormon Teachings,” Jan. 3, 2025.) Is the Word of Wisdom Growing Less Relevant? The…
The Word of Wisdom and the Science of Secret Combinations, Part 1: The “Evils and Designs of Conspiring Men” in Light of Book of Mormon Teachings
The Restoration provides impressive scope in the revelations we have received. They involve much more than the theological and spiritual realms, but dare to give us practical knowledge for living…
A Book for Refugees: The Book of Mormon
Recently I was invited to speak about Hmong culture to a group of missionaries working with the Hmong people in Wisconsin. My family used to be part of a Hmong…
Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 4: Modern Scholarship and First-hand Sources on the Workings of Secret Combinations
“And it [the Book of Mormon] shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of…
