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Shaq, Sir Charles, and Utah

Shaq, Sir Charles, and Utah

Last updated on: February 21, 2023 at 11:24 pm by Dan Peterson

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Shaq, Sir Charles, and Utah 2023-02-21T23:24:34-07:00 Dan Peterson

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Dedicated in 1877, the St. George Utah Temple is the oldest still-functioning temple in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (LDS Media Library)

First, though, I need to mention that the website of the Interpreter Foundation still seems to have a bit of life left in it. Here are the links that went up today:

Interpreter Radio Show — February 5, 2023

In this episode of the Interpreter Radio Show, the discussants were Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye, Stephen Smoot, and Hales Swift. Their conversation, which concentrated on purported anachronisms in the Book of Abraham, is now archived and has been made available to you at your convenience.

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show, for Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 10, covering Matthew 8, Mark 2–4, and Luke 7, has been posted separately. See below.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard on Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Interpreter Radio Show — February 12, 2023

In this episode of The Interpreter Radio Show, the participants were Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen. Their discussion, a recording of which is now freely available to you at any time of your choosing, focused on Joseph Smith and polygamy and on the fascinating work of the British Methodist biblical scholar Margaret Barker.

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show, for Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 11, covering Matthew 9–10, Mark 5, and Luke 9, will be posted on Tuesday, 28 February.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard each and every week on Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. Alternatively, you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Interpreter Radio Show — February 19, 2023

Bruce Webster, Kris Frederickson, and Martin Tanner discussed the fallibility of Church leaders — including the Adam-God Doctrine and Blood Atonement — inhis, the 19 February 2023 installment of the Interpreter Radio Show. Happily, their conversation was recorded. It has now been archived and made available for your listening pleasure and edification.

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show, for Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 12, covering Matthew 11–12 and Luke 11, will be posted on Tuesday, March 7.

The weekly Interpreter Radio Show can be heard live on Sunday evenings between 7 PM and 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. You can also listen in live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

The New Testament in Context, Lesson 10: “Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee,” Matthew 8, Mark 2–4, and Luke 7

During the 5 February 2023 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, discussants Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye, Stephen Smoot, and Hales Swift talked about New Testament lesson 10 on Matthew 8, Mark 2–4, and Luke 7, “Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee.”

Their conversation is now available to you at no charge. The other segments of the 5 February radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-february-5-2023.

As you may have noticed by now, you can listen live to the Interpreter Radio Show on Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. Or, if you prefer (or if you have no realistic alternative option) you can listen to it live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Come, Follow Me — New Testament Study and Teaching Helps: Lesson 10, February 27 — March 5: Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7 — “Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee”

As he has regularly and generously done for quite a while now, Jonn Claybaugh provides a set of helpful notes for students and teachers of the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The St. George Utah Temple glows at nightfall in the center of St. George proper. The major suburban areas of Washington and Bloomington are not shown in this photo from the Utah Chamber of Commerce. (Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

I now offer a longer than customary introduction to an appalling illustration of the evils of theism that I’ve retrieved for you from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File©:

I’ve always gotten a kick out of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, but I wasn’t especially happy at their comments about Salt Lake City (and, implicitly, about Latter-day Saints) over the recent NBA All-Star weekend. See “Barkley and Shaq criticize Salt Lake City, say it’s ‘boring’”:

“These people going to heaven. Ain’t nothing to do in this boring-*** city,” Barkley said in an interview.

“Oh my gosh,” O’Neal said in reply laughing and then added, “I never ate so much room service in my life.”

I’m guessing that neither of them went hiking or skiing in the mountains nearby. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t see them at the performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah by the Tabernacle Choir and the Utah Symphony. And I’m reasonably certain that Shaq, busy with his room service chow, wasn’t down helping out at the Utah Bishops’ Central Storehouse:

“A Slam Dunk of a Service Project: The NBA and the Church of Jesus Christ Feed the Hungry: Players and other volunteers assemble thousands of food and hygiene kits for friends in need throughout Utah”

“Can’t smoke, can’t drink,” Barkley said. Apparently, for him, it’s smoking and drinking and bars that make a place interesting and worth seeing. And at least some of those responding to Shaq and Sir Charles seem to share that premise. (See “Utah senator fires back after Shaq, Charles Barkley rip ‘boring ass’ Salt Lake City.”) Here, though, is a better response: “Opinion: Shaq and Barkley think we’re boring. Who cares? Stereotypes about Utah are as immovable as the mountains, and yet the place keeps growing and prospering.”

Personally, I’m quite content if some people who require alcohol and tobacco for happiness decide that Salt Lake City and Utah don’t interest them. I would prefer that they not move to my adopted home state; housing prices, ski lift lines, and suburban sprawl are already bad enough along the Wasatch Front and here in Washington County.

Sky Mountain Golf Course in Hurricane — near St. George, Utah — where we spent last night. (That is, we spent the night in the town of Hurricane, not on the golf course.)

As is our tradition whenever we’re in St. George and are able to do so, we visited the St. George Utah Temple — this time, though, we only drove around it because it’s under renovation — and Thomas Judd’s Store. My mother was born in St. George and spent her childhood and adolescence here before moving to California, and I think that, for her, the Temple and Judd’s Store were probably the two most sacred places in the town. I think of her whenever I see them.

Posted from St. George, Utah

Christopher Hitchens Memorial "How Religion Poisons Everything" File

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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