Posted in Asia Europe Inflation Islam Missionaries Provident Living Travel

Preparing for Inflation and Yearning for Zion: Thoughts From My Visit to Turkey

The New Mosque (Yeni Cami) in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. Thoughts on Freedom in Two Grand Cities:…

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Posted in Communism Europe Travel

Lessons from Bulgaria: The Dangers of Censorship

During the Communist era in Bulgaria, the annual May Day parade was a major spectacle that drew huge crowds to the streets of Sofia. The crowds would come to 9th…

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Crucifixion of Christ: Crown of Thorn
Posted in Bible Book of Mormon Evidence Jesus Christ

What Day Was Christ Crucified? Dr. Jeffrey Chadwick Argues That the Book of Mormon Provides Valuable Information

An archaeologist and professor at BYU, Dr. Jeffrey R. Chadwick, published an article in  that provides a great example of how the Book of Mormon can help us better understand…

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Book of Mormon cover
Posted in Book of Mormon Evidence

What to Make of “Plagiarism” of the Bible in a Purportedly Ancient Text? A Jewish Scholar Offers a Thoughtful Perspective

The Book of Mormon’s frequent “plagiarism” of passages from the Bible is one of the most common criticisms raised against it’s authenticity and antiquity. It’s actually not very much like…

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Posted in Arabian Peninsula Bible Book of Mormon Critics Evidence

About That Burial Marker in Yemen for a Man Named Ishmael: Impossible That He Was a Hebrew?

Neal Rappleye recently reported that a grave marker in Yemen bearing the name Ishmael could fit the time and place for the burial of Ishmael inn the Book of Mormon. David Bokovoy argues that this is impossible because the marker bears the image of a face, and real Jews forbade images of faces. I discuss why that is an oversimplification of ancient Jewish practices. If cherubim in the Tabernacle can have faces, I suppose a grave marker can, too, as long as no idolatry was intended.

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Posted in China Communism COVID freedom

Prayers for China

  A view from Xi’an, China, the beginning of the Silk Road China has been in my prayers daily for a long time. It’s a land I love and respect…

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Posted in Asia Bible Book of Mormon Evidence Scripture

The Words of Gad the Seer: Thoughts on a “Lost Book” Preserved by the Jews at Cochin, India

The cover of the Hebrew edition of Meir Bar-Ilan’s The Words of Gad the Seer An old Jewish manuscript said to contain writings of Gad the Seer, one of the…

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Posted in Bible Book of Mormon Evidence Israel

News from Mount Ebal: An Ancient Hebraic Inscription on Metal, a Chiasmus, Possibly Dating to the 13th Century BC or Earlier

An ancient Hebraic text dating to the 13th to 14th century BC has been discovered by sifting through the detritus of an archaeological dig at Mount Ebal in Israel. The…

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Posted in Africa freedom health Provident Living

Dinner with One of Africa’s Richest Women

My wife and I are friends with one of Africa’s richest women, at least by her accounting. We were honored to have her over for dinner at our home recently,…

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Posted in Arabian Peninsula Book of Mormon Critics Evidence

“O Captain, My Captain”: Walt Whitman’s Surprising Role in the Ultimate Refutation of All Book of Mormon Evidence

Fond Memories from Before the Blast Back before a massive nuclear logic bomb wiped out Latter-day Saint apologetics a few days ago,  the story behind the map below once counted…

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