Daniel C. Peterson's Blog

  This is a remarkable story:  “A prophet’s flash of inspiration 41 years ago started President Oaks on the path to this moment: On April 4, 1984, a call woke President Hinckley at home at 2:30 a.m. It changed the course of President Oaks’ life” And this 3.5-minute video is worth watching:  “‘God’s hand, untouched.’ A […]

  Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship published a new article today entitled “The Literary Structure of Alma 21–22.”  It was written by Derek Squire. Abstract: This article is part two of an analysis of the literary structure of Alma 17–27. The current article analyzes the literary structure of Alma 21–22, which […]

  Just in case you haven’t already seen this from President Dallin H. Oaks and his wife Kristen:  “A Birthday Wish to My Wonderful Wife.” From the Law School of the University of Chicago:  “Dallin H. Oaks, ’57, Former UChicago Law Professor, Named President of the Mormon Church” “In first interview as prophet of the […]

  This article that I wrote went up yesterday in Meridian Magazine:  “The Keys of Heaven and Apostolic Succession.”  At its conclusion, I recommend several resources that I think some will find both useful and enjoyable.  (I’m still stunned at the fact that we can hear the recorded voice of President Wilford Woodruff from 1897 […]

  The big news for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today, of course, was the organization of a new First Presidency, with President Dallin H. Oaks heading it up as the eighteenth President of the Church.  The ordination of President Oaks was scarcely surprising; he had already been the presiding […]

  For a large occasional project of mine on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I’ve put together some notes toward a discussion of the topic.  How important is the claim of Christ’s resurrection to the Christian message?  How central is it to the message of the Restoration? A well-known and vitally important text from the […]

  We attended sacrament meeting this morning in the meetinghouse that is situated directly next door to the Newport Beach California Temple.  It was, I thought, a very good service.  The first speaker, a brother, used two talks from the recently concluded semi-annual general conference of the Church to address the topic of families.  The […]

  This is a really good article in Public Square Magazine, and it’s very timely:  “When Law Meets Love: Dallin H. Oaks’ ministry to sexual and gender minorities: Dallin H. Oaks pairs law with love, showing humility, outreach, and a call to hold truth with tenderness.” And this one, an article in The Conversation by […]

  It being Friday, a new article has appeared in the Interpreter Foundation’s flagship publication:  Carl J. Cranney (on whom, see here), “Reading Disciple Consistently As New-world Apostle in the Book of Mormon.” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 66 (2025): 385-402, https://journal.interpreterfoundation.... Abstract: In the Book of Mormon, the term disciple […]

  Here’s a curious voice out of Wyoming.  Not likely to tumble into the baptismal font anytime soon, but still admiring in this one respect: “My Mormon manifesto: In the wake of a deadly attack on a Michigan church, one Latter-day Saint’s particularly noble act of grace deserves our attention.” And here is a very good […]