Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
“In the beginning were the words”

“In the beginning were the words”

Last updated on: January 23, 2019 at 5:22 pm by Dan Peterson

“In the beginning were the words” 2019-01-23T17:22:44-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The interior of BYU’s Marriott Center, where Elder Corbridge delivered his remarks.
(Wikimedia Commons)

We’re told from time to time that Christianity is dying, and that atheism and agnosticism are on the rise.

Is this true? It’s undeniable that Europe is adrift, spiritually speaking, and that, in the United States, the number of religiously unaffiliated “nones” has grown dramatically in recent years. But Europe and North America aren’t the whole story, and it’s ethnocentric to imagine that they’re more important than other areas of the globe.

Here’s a Protestant voice:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/america-not-future-church

I might note, by the way, that China has experienced the unchained and sunny uplands of atheism for generations now, and Christianity may now be undergoing historically unprecedented growth in that country:

http://www.mormoninterpreter.com/christian-faith-in-contemporary-china/

***

I wasn’t quite able to listen to all of Tuesday’s BYU devotional address by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge of the Seventy, but I heard most of it, and I liked what I heard very much:

“BYU Devotional: Stand forever with faith”

I hope that the video and transcript are made available soon. (I’ll try to remember to let you know.)

***

More news from Rome:

“Donny Osmond Posts Video of Rome Temple and Shares Testimony of Temples as ‘Intersection Between Heaven and Earth'”

***

For various reasons, it seems that I may not be able to attend this conference, though I would very much like to be there. And, if I’m able to come, it may be for only a short time. You, however, have no excuse:

“BYU NTC Conference Saturday, January 26, 2019: “In the Beginning Were the Words: A Closer Look at Key New Testament Terms””

***

“Gladys Knight Offers “Classy” Response to Criticism About Singing at the Super Bowl”

***

I was delighted, a while back, to discover that the British ITV mystery/detective series Midsomer Murders (1997-) has, at least in the past, featured a character named Dr. Dan Peterson. My wife and I are avid consumers of English mysteries.

Who, I wondered, could they have hired to portray a person bearing so solemn — so august, respectable, and important — a name?

This would surely have been a decision fraught with cultural significance, entered into after long and serious deliberation.

Several actors came immediately to my mind.

One obvious possibility

All would, no doubt, be clamoring for the coveted role. Still, although many are called, only one of them can be chosen.

Another pretty obvious option

Thinking of him as Aragorn, of course. The true King of Gondor.

But no. They selected an actor who surprised me. Frankly, I wouldn’t have thought of him:

Toby Jones

Plainly, we live in a fallen world.

The problem of evil is one of the most serious challenges faced by theologians and theistic philosophers, and a case such as this illustrates (pretty well beyond dispute) why that is so.

religious disaffiliation

secularism

secularization

theism

Previous Post

January 23, 2019

Easter is still some distance off, but here's an Easter-related movie suggestion.

Next Post

January 23, 2019 Some notes on evolution, values, and possible "design"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said: "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

John The Spirit An angel Jesus (to the church in Ephesus)