Zeitcast #18

On May 22, a juvenile delinquent by the name of Lars Glenson somehow got the keys to BCC and went for a joy ride. He published a childish rant wherein he claimed to be fed up and bored with Mormon history, and described it as historical garbage. These statements were shocking to me at first, until I realized that Lars probably has not yet reached the age of accountability, at least mentally, and can therefore be excused. After all, some children are very slow, and need to be kept after school i... more

I am this year’s faculty speaker at our graduation. Here’s what I said after the traditional humorous anecdotes about the graduates: I hope you have the sense of accomplishment you richly deserve. You have learned an amazing amount. But the real richness, the real accomplishment does not lie in the scores you will get on your exams. To learn in order only to get exam scores is like earning money only to look at the pictures on the bills. The real value of your learning is not only... more

In the December 1915 issue of The Relief Society Magazine, there is an interesting discussion of two portraits that were hanging in the Salt Lake Temple at the time. The author noted that, “Few Latter-day Saints realize that we possess several masterpieces, costly, rare and strikingly beautiful” The first is a picture of the Madonna and Child. This portrait is described as an artistic piece that came from a famous collection which was carried to San Francisco by agents of Samuel... more

As I’ve previously mentioned I’m slowly reading Carolyn Jessop’s Escape; I’m about half-way through. Mostly I’ve just been reading a couple of chapters on the train after I finish the paper. It’s very interesting so far, and it is fascinating to get an inside glimpse at FLDS religious culture. One thing that really threw me for a loop was repeated references to drinking alcohol and coffee. When Merrill Jessop would take his wives to a steakhouse, they wou... more