Category: News
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…
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…
AP’s Narrative-Based Reporting on the Church’s Handling of an Abuse Case in Arizona
The Associated Press recently published an article about a case of abuse in Arizona that sharply criticized the Church. In “Seven years of sex abuse: How Mormon officials let it…
Preparing for War: The Folly of Trust
Some of my more painful experiences in life have come from trusting people in authority, ranging from the promises of a business to the assurances of a medical authority or other persons I respected. While I continue to be an optimistic and trusting person, I increasingly recognize the reality that people often cannot be trusted, especially when there is an opportunity for personal gain at the expense of their personal integrity. I’ve also learned that there are red flags I should have heeded more in my life, such as the words “you’ll just have to trust me” when claiming that an agreement could not yet be put in writing…. Can we trust what we are being told about Ukraine?
More Than Just a Faith Promoting Sports Rumor: Jimmer in Shanghai
When you attend church services in the Shanghai branches, you never know who you’ll meet. Recently some of us have had the privilege of receiving the sacrament from a tall,…
Stop the Crazy Rumors about China: NO, Missionaries Are Not Being Sent There
I’ve had several people tell me that they heard of someone or even knew someone who had received a “secret” mission call from the Church to go on a mission…
BYU Student Honored by China with International Award
I’m pleased to announce that a very cool friend of ours, Kate Baxter, a student now at Brigham Young University whom we met at Shanghai’s best bakery (Nancy’s Bakery in PuDong), is…
