Category: freedom
Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 4: Modern Scholarship and First-hand Sources on the Workings of Secret Combinations
“And it [the Book of Mormon] shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of…
Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 3: Circumstantial Evidence of Further Secret Combinations
In Part 1, we considered the question of why secret combinations, one of the most prolific themes in the Book of Mormon, are so rarely discussed. In Part 2,…
David French of the New York Times Speaking at BYU on Sept. 24: Some Thoughts and Questions for Students and Faculty
Update, Sept. 25 & 26, 2026: David French’s speech at the the BYU Forum on Sept. 24 was refreshingly non-political. It was rather short and light but very upbeat, with…
Help for My Mother’s Funeral From the Best Priesthood Lesson Ever, Courtesy of Latter-day Saint Poet Elaine W. Christensen
My mother, Mary Lyon Miles Lindsay, passed away a few days ago at the age of 91 years. Many blessings, even small miracles, made it possible for my wife and…
The Rapid Fall of Nephite Society: Another Book of Mormon Weakness Begins to Make More Sense
As I saw troubling reports and videos this week of students at the once-great Harvard University and other major universities harassing Jewish students for being Jewish or chanting in…
No, WHO Is Not a “Secret Combination” for Corrupting Children, in Spite of Their Sex Ed Guidelines for Ages Four and Younger (But Being Public Doesn’t Make WHO Safe)
For people losing faith in local or national government over abuses regarding free speech, excessive spending, corruption, or other misdeeds, it’s easy to be even more skeptical of global agencies…
“The False Gods We Worship”: Why Is This First Presidency Message So Hard to Find When Searching?
UPDATE, DAY 0: With the help of my untrustworthy but still very smart friend, ChatGPT 4, I was able to determine that the reason a controversial 1976 First Presidency message…
Can We Have an Honest Chat About Abortion and Race? Not With ChatGPT
Curious about the knowledge of the impressive new Artificial Intelligence tool, ChatGPT, I started my day with a question about abortion and race. This tool, now owned by…
A Catholic Family Gets a Visit From the FBI: A Time to Carefully Follow Stories on Threats to Religious Freedom
The opening talk of the October 2022 General Conference, “Caring for the Poor and Distressed” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, asked us to not only do more to help to…
China Has More to Offer Than Fireworks When It Comes to Celebrating Liberty
The story of China’s economic revolution is barely known in the West, but has some vitally important lessons for all of us. Here I report on my trek to the small village in Anhui Province where that revolution began, and tell the story desperation and courage among a small group of farmers who risked their lives in 1978 to defy collectivism. Instead of being punished, their incredible success inspired Deng Xiao Ping and helped bring the blessings of increased economic liberty and prosperity to many millions in China. It was a quiet revolution that became a thunder sweeping China. The lessons from that revolution are now needed in the West.
