Gratitude, and “Prayer with Uplifted Hands”

I’m pleased to remind you that both Witnesses (2021) and Six Days in August (2024) are now available on DVD and Blu-ray through Deseret Book.  And I happily point out that each of them would very nicely accompany and complement this year’s Come, Follow Me curriculum at appropriate points.

In that connection, I received a note this morning from someone back in one of the eastern states — whose name is suppressed here in conformity with my rule of protecting the innocent from abuse by The Usual Pseudonymous Suspects — who was finally able to watch Six Days in August.  He shared some objections to it with me that, he said, were an attempt to get into the spirit of some of the film’s anonymous online critics:

In D&C 67:5-9 the Lord challenged Church leaders to come up with writings equal to the revelations of Joseph Smith, and William McLellin took up the challenge.  Following his example, I’m going to try to equal the criticisms of the Six Days critics. Here goes:

• A statement in the credits claimed that no animals were harmed in the production of this movie, but I’m sure at least some of the cast members ate catered turkey and ham sandwiches!
• Car tire tracks existed on one of the dirt roads. Just because I couldn’t see them didn’t mean they weren’t there. Anachronism!
• Some of the film was shot in Tennessee according to the credits. A subspecies of Tennessee housefly was buzzing in the background; one that doesn’t exist in Kirtland!
• Joseph and Brigham each cut down a tree. Therefore, your movie will undoubtedly increase climate change!

How’d I do? Seriously, it was a good movie, nice music, and allowed us to see through the eyes of the Saints who faced the leadership dilemma.

A previously published book chapter has just been made available on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:  The Temple: Past, Present and Future: “Prayer with Uplifted Hands,” written by my long-time friend, former missionary companion, and former BYU department colleague Stephen D. Ricks:

Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in The Temple: Past, Present and Future, edited by Stephen D. Ricks and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw. For more information, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/the-temple-past-present-and-future/. For video and audio recording of this conference talk, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2020-temple-on-mount-zion-conference/videos/ricks/.

“The religious ceremony of prayer with uplifted hands, practiced in Christian denominations contemporary with the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has an extremely ancient and venerable history that goes back thousands of years and is attested in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Israel as well as in ancient Judaism and earliest Christianity.”

Please note that this previously published book chapter is part of our book chapter reprint series.  It is not an article.  It is a book chapter.  It is not published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship.  It was published in a book.  Items in our book chapter reprint series go up online on Thursdays.  They are distinct from our journal articles, which go up on Fridays.  Friday is the day after Thursday.  One of my readers was very confused about this a few weeks back, and his confusion made him a bit indignant.  He imagined himself to have found evidence of fraud and deception.  Indications are, though, that he’s better now.  At least for the moment.

Back on 19 December 2024, in connection with our recent visit to the annual holiday Luminaria there, I commented briefly about the great blessing that has been given to Utah Valley and to Utah in general through Thanksgiving Point:

Alan and Karen Ashton bestowed an inestimable gift upon Utah Valley when they created Thanksgiving Point.  And their annual Luminaria display of Christmas lights takes Thanksgiving Point to a whole new level.  After we visited Luminaria last night, a five-year-old granddaughter announced that “This is the best place ever!”

We’ve also taken our granddaughter to the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving point.  And, last night, we took her to Thanksgiving Point’s new Mountain America Jurassic Jungle (see here and here).  She was in absolute bliss; try as we might, she was running about in such delight with all of the other kids that we scarcely caught so much as a glimpse of her for at least an hour.  Afterwards, we walked with her through the pre-existing dinosaur exhibits in the Mountain America Museum of Ancient Life, where Jurassic Jungle is housed.  What a wonderful place!

This afternoon, one of my former students (from back when I led an intensive Arabic program in Jerusalem) came by to visit us, along with her husband and her son.  Since those days in Israel, she’s gone on to serve a Spanish-speaking mission, earn a graduate degree and marry, raise a family in Texas and England and China, and, now, take up residency in Pittsburgh.  It was really fun to catch up and to recall old times.  And I was reminded of a couple of scriptural passages:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.  (3 John 1:4)

Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord.  (Alma 17:2)

Here’s another item from the infinite (and yet, paradoxically, growing) list of the evils inflicted upon humankind by theism and theists that is to be found in the Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File™:

“Pennsylvania Amish Build 12 Houses In Less Than Two Days For North Carolina Hurricane Victims”