Mormon Scholars Testify

My initial study of the Gospel quickly turned to reading various works of scholarship. I've read 90% of Hugh Nibley's works, and many other Mormon scholars. An interesting new website was just launched titled "Mormon Scholars Testify". I don't know how often it will be updated, but I'll be following it anyways. Check out these excerpts from a couple of entries:

Royal Skousen

[My] personal testimony of the Book of Mormon is independent of my work on the critical text project. The Book of Mormon stands on its own and is ultimately not dependent on how that text may vary in printed editions or in the manuscripts. Moroni promised that the Lord will give a testimony of the book to the prayerful reader – irrespective of any infelicities and errors in the text (which Moroni recognized could be there, as he himself noted in the last part of the title page of the Book of Mormon). I received my own personal witness of this book long before I ever began work on this project.

Daniel C. Peterson

I first paid serious attention to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints early in my high school years, because I found them attractive and intriguing. Very soon thereafter, I also began to suspect that they were true. I was impressed by a radical set of doctrines – radical in the best sense of the word, meaning deep down to the roots – that rested not upon inferences and speculation but upon credible witnesses. I continue to be exhilarated by the grandeur, vast scope, and cosmic sweep of Mormonism, as well as by its dramatic history, and I have long been firmly convinced that it is all that it proclaims itself to be.

Understanding Hanukkah

The BYU Religious Studies Center just published a short column by Jeffrey Chadwick, a professor at the Jerusalem Center, on the importance of Hanukkah to Jews, Christians and Latter-day Saints. The introduction:

Hanukkah, the Jewish Feast of Dedication, begins this Friday night at sundown. The Hebrew word Hanukkah actually means “dedication.” The eight-day festival in 2009 runs from Saturday, December 12, to Saturday, December 19. It is a holiday period of considerable significance, both religiously and historically, to Jews the world over. But it should also be of some importance to Christians, including Latter-day Saints, for without the events celebrated in Hanukkah there would have been no Christmas. Here’s the story. (Read the rest.)

I've Been Published!

I just received today my 2 complimentary, author-signed copies of "Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Why did I receive these complimentary, you ask? Because on page 73, the author used two of my photographs of the Mexico City Temple. Get your very own copy here! (It would make for a wonderful Christmas gift.) The official description:

For more than 150 years, missionaries have traveled the world, spreading the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). In their wake, beautiful temples have sprung up on nearly every continent. These buildings are the heart and soul of local LDS congregations and represent much more than places of worship. Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is both an architecture and history book that chronicles the growth of the LDS faith as it spread around the world. With their elegant spires reaching to the heavens and massive square footage, Mormon temples are majestic structures. See spectacular examples of LDS international architecture, including the Campinas Brazil Temple, Taipei Taiwan Temple, and the Aba Nigeria Temple. Located on the LDS Church’s headquarters, the Salt Lake City Temple is recognized around the world as a symbol of the church. Learn about this remarkable building and all of the religious symbols incorporated into its design. Each spread includes an introduction to the temple, as well as a section containing more specific details such as address, events (dates of dedications, ground breaking) exteriors (design style, materials, dimensions), interiors (square footage, number of rooms), and temple district. This engaging book includes a giant, colorfully illustrated gate-fold guide to symbols in LDS temple design.

Literal Sidewalk Proselytizing

A couple of Latter-day Saint missionaries set out to proselytize on the sidewalk, literally. More images found here.

LDS Resource Compilation

I ran across a seemingly useful site called OpenLDS.com that has compiled and sorted LDS resources on the web. From the site:

Thanks for stopping by- Open LDS is an effort to organize the abundance of good LDS information that is available online. Our purpose is to help you find interesting and useful LDS sites quickly and easily.