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By SteveP, on May 16th, 2013
 So to begin. Assume that the story that science tells is tout court correct. That humans evolved from apelike ancestors and have existed as a species for roughly two-hundred thousand years and became behaviorally modern about fifty-thousand years ago. They have been living and dying for almost eight-thousand generations.
Dying. What do I mean by that? Actually, it can mean a lot of things. For example, it can mean the cessation of living. Scripturally it can also mean a number of things. Paul’s letter to Romans is a great place to start. No I take that back, Jim Faulconer’s book on Romans is a great place to start. Look at the attached photo It shows the index entries for ‘death’ in his book on Romans giving a short peek into the way Paul uses the word. Continue reading Death, the Fall, and Darwin: Roman Legions of Death, Part 2 of 7
By SteveP, on May 14th, 2013
This is being posted semi-concurrently at BCC (Posted there about a week earlier than here).
 ‘There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!’ snarled Voldemort.
‘You are quite wrong.’ said Dumbledore . . .
—————– Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. p. 718
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One of the key challenges in defining a post-Darwinian LDS theology is that of the Fall. The Fall is considered one of the foundational pillars of Mormon doctrine (as Bruce R. McConkie has often argued). This because the Fall is what provides the backdrop for the necessity of the Atonement, another foundational LDS doctrinal pillar. Continue reading Death, the Fall, and Darwin: A More Harmonious Reading, Part 1 of 7
By SteveP, on May 9th, 2013
Ben Park has compiled a list of Essential Readings in Mormonism that includes both fiction and non-fiction. After listing 10 essential reads, he adds a list of ‘Nearly Essential Reads’ which includes The Scholar of Moab. Wonder why? You know what to do to find out. . . . → Read More: Scholar of Moab makes Ben Park’s ‘Nearly Essential Readings’ in Mormonism for Members!
By SteveP, on March 13th, 2013
President Monson’s son weighed in on the debate about introducing wolves back into Utah with one of the most insightful articles written on the subject. It ends with this:
As Latter-day Saints, we are doctrinally obligated to preserve the Lord’s creations. Encouraging wolves to resume their ecological role in Utah is not the only way we can demonstrate our commitment to living things, but to today’s ecologically sophisticated world, it would be one of the most demonstrative and courageous.
This may be one to share with your legislature friends. Here is the link.
Wolves matter.
Continue reading Clark Monson on Wolves
By SteveP, on December 26th, 2012
In silence I’ve watched the splashes of opinion on Facebook and among blogs on gun control. Mostly because I see the issue framed in such complexity that I knew I could not put up a comment with enough depth to capture what I feel. I felt sorrow and devastation at the horrific shooting in Newtown. I found it unbelievable and still can’t get my head around the loss of so many innocents. I’ve shed tears almost at every mention. Continue reading On guns
By SteveP, on December 13th, 2012
Having trouble picking which of my books you would like to give for Christmas? Here is a handy guide I’ve created to make it easier!
You can read more about them here:
A Short Stay in Hell
Rifts of Rime
The Scholar of Moab
Or just pick them up at Amazon!
Scholar . . . → Read More: Your Christmas gift guide
By SteveP, on September 11th, 2012
From my friend Blair Hodges:
“Too often, the Sunday School teacher doesn’t have a sympathetic understanding of the place of science, philosophy, the arts, and history in the lives of young people, consequently, he depreciates, even belittles these branches of knowledge in his classes. In this way, often without realizing it, he creates . . . → Read More: Wise advice on Sunday School Teaching
By SteveP, on July 21st, 2012
 After all the excitement of this week, I am off on vacation to Maine. But to keep you entertained and well informed, with special permission from AML’s own Scott Parkin, I am reposting his review of my new book, Rifts of Rime.
This was originally posted at the Association of Mormon Literature (AML) Discussion Board. You may want to visit it and look at what’s going on in Mormon lit.
In addition, don’t forget to look at my other books, Scholar of Moab, which was awarded AML’s best novel of 2011, and was a Finalist for the Montaigne Medal, a national award for the most thought provoking book. Look at the reviews at the link.
Also “A Short Stay in Hell” is tearing up Goodreads. Warning, do not read if you don’t want to stay up all night thinking. Take a look at AaronR’s discussion ongoing right now at BCC.
Since I’ll be sailing, eating lobster, and biking through ancient forests, I won’t be checking this often so I’m turning off comments on this post until I get back.
To the Rifts of Rime Review!
Continue reading Scott Parkin’s review of my new book, Rifts of Rime
By SteveP, on July 17th, 2012
There seems to be a mistake people make about the way that BYU science departments function and should be taught. There is a myth spreading through dark corners of the internet that BYU should keep religion and science separate the way secular universities do. It takes a strange and perverted form in the voices found among those benighted dogmatists who guard the boarders of pure doctrine, as they perceive it. They claim because science is to held as suspicious or inimical to faith that scientists should not try to reconcile conflicts between the two. Actually at BYU we have been instructed, à la Brigham Young, to, “not even teach the mathematics tables without the Spirit of the Lord.” In fact, each year, two questions appear on the forms that students evaluate faculty on for each class every semester:
Has your testimony been strengthened?
And how well did the instructor integrate the gospel in the subject?
(For all my classes my rates are 7 to 7.4 out of 8, with the university and department average ranging form 6.2-6.6, so I am significantly above average! Who’da thunk it.)
Continue reading How I teach the ways of science at the Y
By SteveP, on July 8th, 2012
Scientific literacy is falling in America. Part of the reason is that its value is being under-appreciated by a larger and larger segment of the population. Suspicions about evolution and climate change have created an atmosphere where two of science’s most strongly supported investigations are dismissed. To do that, you have to dismiss science itself. Really. Continue reading Those who are suspicious of science are missing part of the restoration
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So to begin. Assume that the story that science tells is tout court correct. That humans evolved from apelike ancestors and have existed as a species for roughly two-hundred thousand years and became behaviorally modern about fifty-thousand years ago. They have been living and dying for almost eight-thousand generations.
