Author: Gordon Smith

Gordon blogged at Times and Seasons between 2003 and 2007. Further biographical information can be found here.

The Da Vinci Code Movie: Better Than the Book

My wife and I read The Da Vinci Code two years ago. Describing the book on T&S, I used "clumsy," "tedious," and "implausible" in one sentence. When I saw that the film was getting panned by the critics, I was not very excited about seeing it, but Friday is "date day" for my wife and me, and we decided to judge for ourselves. I thought the movie was better than the book. Much better.

Contention

I love the book of Fourth Nephi in the Book of Mormon, especially this verse: “And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.”

Watching General Conference

Over the past few years, we have been watching General Conference at home. I know this is old hat in Utah and some other regions, but it’s a relatively recent innovation in the nether regions, enabled by the internet, satellite television, or certain cable providers. For families with children, General Conference in the home is a huge blessing, though sometimes I feel a bit of nostalgia for the old days.

Discarding Limbo

My mother was born to a Norwegian Lutheran, who feared for her infant children, lest they die prior to receiving the ordinance of baptism. I never knew my grandmother, but according to my mother, her fear was genuine.

Gordon: My Conversion

When I first learned that Joseph Smith had written more than one version of the First Vision, I understood completely. Like Jim, I have “any number of versions” of my conversion story.