Introducing DKL
DKL

DKL lives in Boston with his wife and four daughters. He was raised in northern Virginia and attended college in Utah and Indiana, where he studied philosophy, which he remains passionate about to this day.

His interests include genealogy, books, philosophy, and LDS History. He thrives in dynamic environments and loves throwing himself into emerging technologies.

158 Posts
In Defense of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (and Its Readers) Dec. 4th, 2009 at 8:17 am

Why are Mormons so willing to attack Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series and those who enjoy it? Not just willing, but eager? I don’t know how it is outside of Mormondom, because I’ve never seen it come up. But I’ve frequently observed Mormons attacking other Mormons — their brothers and sisters in Christ — for reading these books. Why is this?

I’ve been made fun of for what I read. A lot. In college, I read the Illiad on a road trip to a rowing regatta in Madison, WI — not because it was assigned, but because there was a new translation that promised to be the first since Lattimore’s that was worthy of Homer. Once I was reading War and Peace on a beach on Cape Cod. They had a lot of fun with that one. I shrugged and mumbled something to the effect of, “Sorry. It’s just too good to put down.” I don’t really know what to say when this happens. They expect me to bring literature that is merely a diversion, like a James Bond novel. A low-brow, unsophisticated page-turner. I love James Bond novels, the original ones by Ian Flemming. Funny thing: Nobody’s ever made fun of me for reading one of those.

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Climate Change: The Enron of Science Nov. 27th, 2009 at 2:54 am

Last week, a whistle-blower leaked emails that show leading climate change alarmists destroying scientific data because it refutes their global warming theories, strategizing to suppress and silence and subvert disagreeable scientists and scientific data, privately acknowledging that no global warming has occurred since 1998 (more than a decade), and strategizing on how to use propaganda to avoid having to admit that climate data universally refutes warming-prediction models. (If you haven’t heard about it, look here.) Basically, the most acclaimed scientists in all of the climate change establishment have been caught red-handed twisting the world’s most prestigious, peer-reviewed, scientific journals into tools to to advance their fraudulent conclusions and silence dissent.
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John Whitmer Historical Assoc. 2009 Roundup Oct. 5th, 2009 at 12:03 am

Attention Readers: If you enjoy mormon-themed posts on blogs or visiting restoration historical sites, then you should attend the JWHA Conference, the MHA Conference, or the Restoration Studies Symposium. You’ll love it. Ask Mel Selcho and Randy Butterfield, two well-known bloggernacle participants who attended the JWHA for the first time just this year. It was great to see them there, and best I could tell, they had a blast. Here’s the schedule for next year’s events:

Set aside the time and make the plans now.

I had a great time attending my favorite historical conference, the John Whitmer Historical Association annual meeting. As usual, attending it was an amazing experience.

The conference began with a screening of Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons, the groundbreaking documentary on African Americans in the LDS church by Darius Gray and Margaret Young (reviewed on this blog by Devyn S). I’ve seen it several times before, but never with an audience like the one at the JWHA. Connell O’Donovan described how Jane Manning James was forced to stand outside the Salt Lake City temple while she was sealed by proxy to the family of as Eternal Servitor of Joseph Smith. Linda King Newell described doing the temple work for Jane Manning James that had been denied her by LDS church leaders when she was still alive.
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ATTN: Utah Readers, “Nobody Knows” to air on KUED Sep. 20th, 2009 at 11:40 pm

KUED-Channel 7 will be airing Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons, the groundbreaking new documentary on the history of African Americans in the LDS church by Margaret Young and Darius Gray. (Reviewed on this blog by Devyn S.)

KUED HD:

    Wed, Oct 7 at 9:00 PM MDT
    Sun, Oct 11th at 4:00 PM MDT

KUED World Channel

    Thu Oct 8th, 2008 at 7:00 PM MDT

KUED-Channel 7 is the television station of The University of Utah. It is a PBS member station that broadcasts to the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Major regional cable providers carry KUED-Channel 7, so check your cable provider for channel information and listings.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to see this outstanding documentary that has been years in the making. Please spread the word to friends and family in the area.

RIP: Irving Kristol Sep. 19th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

IrvingKristol.jpgIrving Kristol died yesterday of lung cancer at 89. A titan of political and social theory, he invented neoconservatism. He was, by the accounts of everyone who knew him, an absolute prince of a man. And he had among the most vigorous minds in American political thought, as he made obvious whenever he wrote or spoke.

Among his accomplishments, aptly summarized by Wikipedia, are the following:

He was an editor and then the managing editor of Commentary magazine from 1947 to 1952; co-founder (with Stephen Spender) of the British-based Encounter from 1953 to 1958; editor of The Reporter from 1959 to 1960; executive vice-president of the publishing house Basic Books from 1961 to 1969; Henry Luce Professor of Urban Values at New York University from 1969 to 1987; co-founder and co-editor (first with Daniel Bell and then Nathan Glazer) of The Public Interest from 1965 to 2002;. These were originally liberal publications. He was the founder and publisher of The National Interest from 1985 to 2002.

Kristol was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute (having been an associate fellow from 1972, a senior fellow from 1977 and the John M. Olin Distinguished Fellow from 1988 to 1999). As a member of the board of contributors of the Wall Street Journal, he contributed a monthly column from 1972 to 1997. He served on the Council of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1972 to 1977.

In July 2002, he received from President George W. Bush the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Kristol was married in 1942 to the historian Gertrude Himmelfarb. They had two children, Elizabeth Nelson and William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard. His family dog, Sniffy, was said to be the inspiration for Snoopy, which was created by his then neighbor Charles M. Schulz.

I am not, myself, a neoconservative. My own conservatism tends to be an economically-focussed version of traditional conservatism with a hint of libertarian conservatism — probably best described as American Thatcherism. But on a gut level, I’ve always felt a strong sympathy for the neoconservative outlook, and I’ve always admired Kristol’s transformation from a radical liberal into a conservative who helped other liberals to make the same transformation and helped to shape American foreign and domestic policy for decades.

Welcome New Perma-blogger: Burgess Sep. 8th, 2009 at 8:00 pm

We’re proud to announce an exciting new addition to our perma-blogger roster: Burgess. Burgess is well known for bringing us his poetic musings, as well as his unique point of view to such topics as BYU Grounds Crew Poetry, the BYU Standards Office. More recently, he’s posted an interesting analysis of the 2009 Burma Trespassing incident against Aung San Suu Kyi. He is a welcome addition to our blog.

Happy International Bacon Day Sep. 5th, 2009 at 10:42 am

The anticipation is over, and that day that we’ve been waiting for all year long has finally arrived. I wish you and your loved ones a happy International Bacon Day.

For those of you who doubt that crack is not as addictive as bacon, this little video will set you straight.

Analyzing Paul Krugman’s New York Times Editorial Aug. 10th, 2009 at 8:00 am

Paul Krugman’s recent analysis of anti-Obamacare protests makes Philip Kennicott’s idiotic piece in the Washington post look like the work of a genius. Krugman’s reasoning is so baffling, that it won’t do to simply summarize it; one must read it for herself:

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Philip Kennicott’s Idiotic Piece in the Washington Post Aug. 6th, 2009 at 10:40 am

Philip Kennicott’s piece in today’s Washington post offers a far-fetched explanation of why the Obama/Joker posters are racist. Other writers have simply inferred racism from the color of the makeup, as though it were not dictated by the character juxtaposed with the President’s face. Kennicott tries to extrapolate racism by equating the Joker with racist fears of the inner city, even trying to use the anonymity of its author as evidence of racism.
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Racism and the Black Good Ol’ Boy Network Jul. 24th, 2009 at 12:01 am

Earlier this week, a Cambridge, Massachusetts resident called the police to report that two men were breaking into a neighbor’s home. When a police officer responded to investigate, the man who broke into this home berated, browbeat, and made racist statements to the police officer in front of numerous observers and fellow police officers. Because the man refused to get himself under control, the police officer eventually arrested him for disorderly conduct.

In a typical instance, a man with no previous criminal convictions would have (at worst) been released on his own recognizance, given a suspended sentence, ordered to do community service and pay court costs, and come back later to have everything dismissed provided that no further infractions occurred.
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RIP: Billy Mays Jun. 28th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

Billy Mays died today at age 50. Most people connect Billy Mays to the products he pitched, like OxiClean, and I’m guessing that would make him proud. I never met Billy, but I wish I had. Many people will remember him for his enthusiasm, and that is fitting. I’ll remember him, because more than anyone I know of, Billy Mays embodied hardworking, vigorous American entrepreneurialism and the American dream.

Billy was born into working-class Pennsylvania home, and after a short stint at college, he began the grueling work of pitching products to passers-by on the Atlantic City boardwalk, transitioning to an arduous schedule of state fairs and auto shows for another 12 years. He loved what he did, and he was, by all accounts, kind and good with a strong sense of fairness. The man who hired Billy to be the national spokesman for Orange Glo was former rival, Max Appel, who had once competed fiercely with Billy for audiences at events. Billy earned Max’s respect and his friendship when he lent Max a microphone when Max’s had broken.

When Billy made himself into a household name, he wasn’t just some TV actor who’d won an audition. Billy Mays was the real deal. Through his own hard work and his own ingenuity, he developed a memorable pitching style and parlayed it into a multi-million dollar empire. All with an easy sense of humor that was as happy to laugh at jokes about himself as about anything.

In a world transfixed by cheap thrills and momentary sensationalism, where respect falls too often upon useless “high brow” experts who just bloviate about the abstract, Billy Mays sold products by communicating their value, and he thrived in a realm where only concrete results mattered. He made his name famous through many years of hard work and exceptional performance. How many famous people can we say that about? (At our house, we keep a tub of OxiClean by the washer & dryer, and it works.)

He is survived by his wife, his 3-year old daughter, and his stepson in his 20s. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them.

Michael Jackson Humor Jun. 26th, 2009 at 7:47 pm

Michael Jackson hasn’t been dead for more than 24 hours, and the jokes are already pouring in. Here’s the best one I’ve heard:

Farrah Fawcett died, and when she went to heaven God granted her one wish. She asked Him to protect all the little children. So He killed Michael Jackson.

What good jokes have you heard?

The Jesus/Super Bowl Fallacy Jun. 8th, 2009 at 8:00 am

Some people seem to believe that if the mortal Jesus were invited to coach or quarterback one of the Super Bowl teams, He’d be unstoppable. Such enthusiasm for the skills and talents of the mortal Jesus is misplaced, and the truth is that He’d get His ass handed to Him on a plate. Thus, I call this notion that the mortal Jesus was superlative in every way “The Jesus/Super Bowl fallacy.”

It strikes me as odd that many people refuse to countenance anything that implies that Jesus ever did anything that was less than superlative. To be sure, Jesus was morally perfect, but do the rigors of moral perfection really require that He was the absolute finest carpenter in the world?
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RIP Truman Madsen May. 28th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Truman Madsen passed away this morning. His bio is here. Here’s the summary:

Truman G. Madsen is a philosopher, essayist, teacher and biographer. He is emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University, and was Director of the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Jerusalem. He held the Richard L. Evans Chair in Religious Studies at BYU. He has been guest professor at Northeastern University, Haifa, and Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He sponsored several symposia on comparative religion published as Reflections on Mormonism, The Temple in Antiquity, and Chosenness and Covenant in Judaism and Mormonism. Among his volumes on Mormon thought are: Eternal Man, Christ and the Inner Life, Four Essays on Love, The Highest in Us, The Radiant Life. Five Classics, Joseph Smith, the Prophet., Defender of the Faith, a biography of B. H. Roberts and On Human Nature. He is one of the editors and a contributor to the five-volume Macmillan Encyclopedia of Mormonism. He is married to Ann Nicholls Madsen. The couple has three children and a Navajo foster son.

Our prayers are with his family and friends.

Mormon History Association 2009 Conference Roundup May. 25th, 2009 at 9:20 pm

Attention readers: If you have the slightest interest in learning more about Mormonism, you really should attend one of the conferences by the Mormon History Association (MHA) and John Whitmer Historical Association (JWHA) — or even both. You’ll have a terrific time, you’ll meet great people, you’ll learn a ton, and you’ll come away with terrific memories. So if you’re looking to visit Independence, Missouri with your family some time in the near future, you might as well do it this September or next May, when these conferences will be taking place there. Drop by the conference, and you’ll be hooked for sure.

Attending the annual MHA Conference is like spending a single day at Disney World: You have a really great time, but you can only ever see a small fraction of what it has to offer. There are so many amazing and fascinating sessions that it’s difficult to choose which ones to attend.

I was excited to attend this year’s MHA conference in Springfield, Illinois. Here are just a few highlights of the conference: Read more »

Back in the Saddle Apr. 20th, 2009 at 1:41 am

As you’ve probably already noticed, Mormon Mentality has been down for nearly a week. I apologize for this inconvenience.
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My Hope for the Bloggernacle Apr. 9th, 2009 at 12:42 am

Adam Greenwood resigned today from Times and Seasons, and some people are lamenting that his departure will make Times and Seasons less balanced. Not me.

I suppose what I dislike most about the Bloggernacle is that people like Adam Greenwood are taken to represent LDS orthodoxy — I bristle at hearing this the same way that I bristle when people say that Pat Buchanan represents conservative orthodoxy.

What I dislike second most about the Bloggernacle is how people like Adam Greenwood are able to manipulate their own disgrace into an accusatory examination of another man’s faith. Adam resigned today from Times and Seasons, and Steve Evans’ comment #88 sums up the discussion that ensued on T&S, as well as the post that Adam wrote for his own new blog: Read more »

ATTN: DC Area Readers, “Nobody Knows” to air on TV Apr. 7th, 2009 at 11:38 pm

This coming Tuesday, April 14 at 8:00 PM EDT, WHUT-TV channel 32 (33 digital) will be airing Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons, the groundbreaking new documentary on the history of African Americans in the LDS church by Margaret Young and Darius Gray. (Reviewed on this blog by Devyn S.)

WHUT-TV, Howard University Television, is a PBS member station that broadcasts to the Washington, DC metropolitan area, including Northern Virginia and southern Maryland. Major regional cable providers carry WHUT-TV, so check your cable provider for channel information and listings.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to see this outstanding documentary that has been years in the making. Please spread the word to friends and family in the area.

Priesthood Session Blog Apr. 4th, 2009 at 8:52 pm

Since nobody else has a post on the priesthood session, here’s ours — better late than never.

For those with smartphones, feel free to make live comments here. Everyone is welcome to also make comments in the aftermath.

The Controversial Big Love Episode Mar. 15th, 2009 at 10:13 pm

The plot lead up
Near the start of the episode, Barb (the 1st wife, who was brought up LDS) receives a visit from her bishop and stake president, and they ask her whether she’s involved in polygamy (Barb’s LDS sister Cindy tipped off Barb’s bishop in the previous episode). Barb confesses her polygamous relationships to them, and they talk about the possibility of a church disciplinary council.

Later, Barb visits her mother and sister, and she begs them to lend her a temple recommend to “take out her endowments,” which doesn’t make any sense at all, because (a) she would have already received her own endowment, and (b) neither of the women she spoke to would have a recommend for a live ordinance to lend her.

Barb’s mother resists the plea to lend Barb her temple recommend, saying that it’s only been a few years since they eliminated the oaths to slit the throat and disembowel anyone who messes with the ceremonies (a few years? Try 19). Barbara chides her mother, insisting she never really bought into that superstition. Finally, Barbara gets on her knees to beg. The scene cuts to another plot line.

What they show in the temple
(Note: What follows does not reveal anything significant about the temple ceremony, but it does relate in detail how the temple ceremony was portrayed on television.)
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