History
LDS Film Festival 2013
While the Sundance Film Festival gets all the press, Utah County is also home to the LDS Film Festival. Â I reviewed the schedule, and thought I would point out a few films that sound interesting at the Scera Theater in Orem, Utah. Wednesday – Opening night
The Trials and Deaths of John D. Lee and Brigham Young
I wanted to continue Ken Burns’ discussion of the aftermath of the Mountain Meadows as part of his series, The West (available on Netflix.) In Part 6, he discussed the trial of John D. Lee. At the beginning of part 6, he begins with this introduction. By 1874, Washington had launched still another assault on […]
Ken Burns on the Context of the MMM
I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ 1996 documentary series on The West. Â It’s a 9 part series, so it takes a bit of effort to get through. Â Of course Burns spends some time discussing the Mormons, and I found his treatment of Mormons within the context of the western United States very interesting. In Part 4: […]
Holiday Violence
It’s been a rough few weeks. 1. Dec 1, 2012. (Left photo) Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Javon Belcher killed his girlfriend, drove to the Chiefs’ Stadium, talked to his coaches and then killed himself in front of them. 2. Dec 11, 2012. (Middle photo) Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, entered a crowded Portland, Oregon mall and […]
Reassessing the Birth of Jesus
In a 2010 article in BYU Studies, Professor Jeffrey R. Chadwick of BYU made the case that Jesus was born in December of 5 BC. In the most recent issue of BYU studies, professors Lincoln Blumel and Thomas Wayment review Chadwick’s article and make the case that his handling of certain ancient sources, including the […]
Mapping Elections and Mormonism
“Maps are powerful tools”, said John Hamer at the 2011 John Whitmer Historical Association meetings. His remarks have be published in the latest issue of the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal (Fall/Winter 2012). He goes on to say Beyond their capacity to dazzle, maps allow historians to organize information in a completely different way than […]
Ron Paul at UVU
In case you thought that Mitt Romney had unanimous support in Utah, you may be surprised to find out that Ron Paul was given rock star treatment at Utah Valley University a few weeks ago. KSL noted that Ron Paul supporters turn out in droves for speech at UVU.
The Sacred/Secret Temple
I had the pleasure of attending the closed-circuit dedication of the Brigham City Temple this afternoon. Â My family was able to walk through the temple a few weeks ago. Â While the architecture seems somewhat reminiscent of the Salt Lake Temple, it is one of the newer, much smaller temples that the church now builds. Â Boyd […]
The Purpose of Fasting
Our ward doesn’t start until 11. In our family, we’ve encouraged our children to fast once they are baptized. My oldest son is ten, and my daughter is eight. One morning, after the deacons came to our house to collect fast offerings, I caught my son crouching in the kitchen trying to hide a yogurt […]
Mormon Heretic 