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“A Case for the Book of Mormon”

“A Case for the Book of Mormon”

Last updated on: March 7, 2019 at 10:32 pm by Dan Peterson

“A Case for the Book of Mormon” 2019-03-07T22:32:48-07:00 Dan Peterson

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The steeple of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is the oldest AME church in the south. It is referred to as “Mother Emanuel”. Emanuel has one of the largest and oldest black congregations south of Baltimore, Maryland. The congregation dates back to the early 19th C. The present building was completed in 1891. It was in this church that Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white supremacist, murdered nine African Americans, including the church’s senior pastor and state senator Clementa Pinckney during a prayer service.
(Photo by Spencer Means, Wikimedia CC)

It’s Friday, so there’s a new article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship:

“Campbellites and Mormonites: Competing Restoration Movements”

Abstract: In October 1830, Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Parley P. Pratt, and Ziba Peterson were the first missionaries sent to travel through the western states to the Indian territory at the far reaches of the United States. Pratt, a former resident of northeastern Ohio, suggested they stop in the Kirtland, Ohio, area and visit his preacher friend, Sidney Rigdon. It was Rigdon who had earlier convinced Pratt that the restoration of the ancient order that included faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins, and the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit could be found in Alexander Campbell’s restoration movement. Within a few weeks, the four missionaries baptized Rigdon and more than 100 new converts into Joseph Smith’s restoration movement — many of whom had been members of Campbell’s restoration movement. Although both Alexander Campbell and Joseph Smith called their movements restorations, the foundation upon which each was built was very different.

***

“Church Donates $2 Million to the International African American Museum: Elder Bednar presents donation at RootsTech”

And here’s a wonderful expression of thanks from political leaders in Charleston, South Carolina, and from leader of the Museum itself:

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Donates $2 Million to Center for Family History”

I’m very happy about this gift, and very proud of my church.

***

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued an official statement on the geography of the Book of Mormon. It’s not too long, and it’s worth reading — especially by those who pay much attention to questions about where the events of the Book of Mormon occurred:

“Book of Mormon Geography”

Here’s a short but significant comment on the statement by Neal Rappleye:

“Official Church Statement on Book of Mormon Geography”

***

I was involved in a meeting on quite a different topic yesterday afternoon, but the subject of Tad Callister’s new book came up. There’s some real excitement about it among people whose views I respect:

“Tad R. Callister’s A Case for the Book of Mormon Available for Preorder”

Incidentally, if you’re considering purchasing A Case for the Book of Mormon (or almost anything else), please consider purchasing it through AmazonSmile.

Using AmazonSmile is easy. It’s just about as easy as using the regular Amazon.

Here’s a brief but very helpful video on “How to use Amazon Smile to Make Donations,” kindly created on his own initiative by my friend Tom Pittman:

“How to use Amazon Smile to Make Donations”

AmazonSmile donates .5% of the price of whatever you buy through it to a designated charity of your choosing. That’s not a huge amount, but it can add up if enough people use the service. And, please remember, this entails no extra charge to you.

The Interpreter Foundation is one of the charities that you can choose. But whether you designate the Interpreter Foundation or some other charitable group, you should do this. Let me reiterate that it costs you not a penny extra.

You can’t, of course, deduct the amount contributed from your taxes, because it’s Amazon that’s contributing, not you. And this really doesn’t let you off the hook for making actual, direct donations to charities. But why not enlist Amazon to support causes that you like? Really. Why not?

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