Hmmm . . . it depends on which LDS scholar you read.

Read Kerry Muhlestein’s article, “One Continuous Flow:  Revelations Surrounding the ‘New Translation'”, in the 37th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium.

He writes,

In the infancy of the Church, Joseph’s revelatory work on translating the Bible and his other concurrent revelations laid, stone by stone, a doctrinal foundation upon which the Church would firmly stand.  The revelations resulting in the Joseph Smith Translation, which he called the New Translation, and those in the Doctrine and Covenants are not two separate sides of this foundation but are instead many individual stones that overlay and interlock” (40-41).

Do you have the New Translation constantly by your side for Scripture reading?

Romney is not happy.

Neither is the Idahoan delegation happy with the President’s “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”.

Senator Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said he cannot support this level of spending.  Senator James Risch, R-Idaho stated, “This is not an economic stimulus package.  It’s a 40-year package of Democratic programs they haven’t been able to get through.”

The front page of today’s Post Register relates (I give you only the bad parts):

“Some parts of the bill have come under attack from interest groups such as Taxpayers for Common Sense and congressional Republicans:  $6.2 billion for home weatherization, $100 million to teach children about green construction, $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, insurance exemption for companies that work on recreational boats longer than 65 feet, and requirement for the Transportation Security Administration to buy 100,000 uniforms from U.S. apparel makers.”

“How will this impact the federal deficit?  If a stimulus package is signed into law this month, the Congressional Budget Office estimates it would increase the federal deficit by:  $233 billion over the remaining months of fiscal year 2009, $461 billion in fiscal year 2010, $142 billion in fiscal year 2011, and $884 billion over the 2009-19 period.”

That is a lot of money.

About these men:

“D. Jeffrey Meldrum holds a PhD in anatomical sciences with an emphasis in physical anthropology from SUNY at Stony Brook.  As an associate professor of biology at Idaho State University, he teaches human anatomy and evolution.  His research in evolutionary morphology and paleontology centers on primate and human locomotion.”  Make sure you check out his online notes about the infamous Sasquatch.

“Trent D. Stephens holds a PhD in anatomy and embryology from the University of Pennsylvania.  He is a professor of biology at Idaho State University, and his research in embryology and teratology focuses on the mechanisms of limb development.”

I just read their article, “Who Are the Children of Lehi?” in The Book of Mormon and DNA Research (The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2008).

They conclude:  “We probably will never find a genetic marker for the children of Lehi, for the children of Abraham, or even for the “Children of God.”  Ultimately we are impressed by the realization that the fundamental question of the veracity of the claims of the Book of Mormon lies beyond the ken of modern DNA research.  The final implications of the book, as a witness of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith and as another testament of the divinity of Jesus Christ, remain within the realm of faith and individual testimony” (182).

I find Trent’s description of his wife intriguing:

“Kathleen’s father was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when the children were born.  Her mother was.  When the children were still very young, her father joined the church.  A year later the family went to Idaho Falls Temple and was sealed for time and all eternity.  Kathleen knows no more about the Catholic Church than most any other Latter-day Saint [biological parents were Catholic].  She grew up with a strong Latter-day Saint heritage and is a devout member of the church.  I know of few women who are stronger in the faith.  It is her belief, and mine, that she was meant from the premortal existence to be with her brothers and her parents.  Because her parents were not able to have children, she and her siblings came by another means to live with their loving parents” (175).

“In my wife’s case, and mine, I believe, memes are stronger than genes” (176).

Interesting words coming from a scientist.

Compare this verse with a modern translation.  Do you see the remarkable truth revealed by the early Greek witness?  Taste and savor this precious truth about the Shepherd.

Despite what the modern prophet and apostles would tell you, you may pray directly to Jesus Christ, too.  Ask Him.  Ask in His name.  He is High.  He is King.  He is God.

Feast on these unbelievable words by Jesus Christ in John 14:12-14.

I have asked brothers and sisters in our church family to speak on February 15, 2009 at Berean Baptist Church in Ammon, Idaho.

9:30 am – “Science or the Religion of Science” by Mike Daniels (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Idaho; M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico)

9:30 am– Jessica Tomberlin (B.S. in Mathematics, University of Wyoming)

10:00 am– Art Watkins (B.S in Metallurgical Engineering, California Polytechnic State University; M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering, University of Idaho)

10:00 am– Dr. Mary Girling (B.S. in Biomedical & Electrical Engineering, Duke University; M.D. at Wake Forest; board member of Eastern Idaho Technical College)

10:45 am– Eric Tomberlin (B.S. in Electrical Engineering, M.S. in Electrical Engineering, special emphasis in bioengineering, University of Wyoming)

11:15 am– “My evolution out of evolution” by Dr. Josef Sobieraj (B.A. in Geology, Appalachian State University; M.S. in Geology, Western Washington University; M.B.A. in Business Administration, Pfeiffer University; Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati)

1:00 pm – Dr. Paul Creighton (M.D., Oregon State University, Oregon Health Sciences)

1:30 pm– Todd Wood (B.A. in Christian Missions, M.A. in Theology, M.Div. at BJU) – yes, I am the oddball. (chuckling)

Come visit us.  You might find our perspective surprising and refreshing.

Last night, our church family gazed upward and listened with reverence to the King of nations (Jeremiah 10:7).  My Cambridge KJV retains all the translators’ senses and crossreferences in the margins.  By verse 7, I have Psalm 89:6 and Revelation 15:4.

So placing all three references side by side in the KJV, who do LDS think this King is?

Let’s move down to Jeremiah 10:11.  It is an Aramaic antipolytheistic saying – the only Aramaic saying in the whole book of Jeremiah.  The critics refer to it as a gloss.  In fact, they won’t give credit to Jeremiah as the author for a good portion of Jeremiah 10.

What do you think?  I just finished reading the yellow dart’s post on radical monotheism a few minutes ago.

Here is the theological battle waged within the I-15 corridor.  Which “Christianity” has the proper understanding of God?  The anti-polytheist? Or the anti-monotheist?

Shall we call it Custer’s Last Stand?

Some Christians are enemies to science but not LDS BYU, claims Dave at BeliefNet, who has been posting some humdingers lately.

On Sunday, February 15, our church family in Idaho Falls is hosting a day of “Celebrating the Creator”.  More details later.

But with all the festivities why don’t all the LDS bishops in town follow suit with BYU and host a “Darwin Sunday”.  Some are pushing for this.  Why not LDS bishops?

Over here at Idaho for God’s Glory.

Mormonism in Dialogue with Contemporary Christian Theologies