Making our history one step at a time
To continue the Chesterton mood, I picked up another one of his biographies of a lesser-known individual, at least among Americans. Lord Kitchener. Again, to comment on Chesterton's unique approach to biographies, rather than stick tot he chronological narrative of his subject's life, Chesterton tries to capture the "spirit" of Kitchener, or the spirit of... Continue Reading →
I believe I encountered William Blake for the first time in a high school honor's English class. But the name really meant nothing to me, other than that he was one of the Greats next to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Keats, and Lord Tennyson. They were all just poets who had achieved greatness sometime in... Continue Reading →
When you grow up in Utah, the name Bennion in ubiquitous. You probably have met a Bennion somewhere in school or at work or at church. The name Bennion to me brings to mind the Bennion Center at the Union building on the University of Utah campus. But while the name became familiar, I never... Continue Reading →
I added this book after the announced publication by Sam Brunson, one of the bloggers I follow on By Common Consent. I'm not very familiar with tax law; I just go with whatever the all-knowing TurboTax algorithm calculates for me. But the intersection between religion and tax law seems particularly relevant in today's world where... Continue Reading →
I first encountered Stephen Peck on an LDS Perspectives podcast entitled A Religion of Both Prayers and Pterodactyls. The interview conducted by Laura Harris Hales dealt with the intersection of science and religion and how Peck, a scientist himself, reconciles the two. I added several of his books to my reading list, including A Short... Continue Reading →
I added this one to my reading list after I found it in the references of a compelling article at Times and Seasons on the development of the LDS hymnbook. The LDS Church recently announced that they are beginning the process of compiling a new hymnbook, and the documented history of how hymns have been... Continue Reading →
I stumbled upon this book in a Goodreads review for another book on my shelf, Another Sort of Learning by James V. Schall. The reviewer commented that "This book in union with Another Sort of Learning would be a powerful combination in keeping young adults from being thoroughly swiped up by the ideological 'education' which... Continue Reading →
This book caught my eye when my fellow graduate student and book enthusiast, Arushi, added it to her Goodreads list. The title called up multiple images to mind, including a grumpy old man (perhaps Uncle from Jacki Chan Adventures?) and memories of the fear associated with my two years as a Mormon missionary in Germany.... Continue Reading →
I just finished listening to Papa Ostler's interview with a young Mormon, Taylor Christensen. I first found Papa Ostler through his inspiring Facebook posts about being more understanding towards the experiences of LGBT Mormons (for instance, see the article here on KUER). Papa Ostler has since founded an inspiring podcast entitled "Listen, Learn, Love" with... Continue Reading →
I recently moved back in with my in-laws to finish up the last year of my graduate degree, and a move typically also results in a new ward. After a few shared gospel doctrine classes and post-block discussions, I struck up a friendship with an insightful and well-read brother. We have many of the same... Continue Reading →
History Engineers 