Author: Jim F.

  • In-laws

    Jim F.

    Both of my daughters-in-law are very smart and good-looking, and they are good writers

  • Ricoeur Dies

    Jim F.

    Paul Ricoeur, Christian philosopher, friend of Emmanuel Levinas, colleague of Jacques Derrida, is dead.

  • Sunday School Lesson 22

    Jim F.

    Lesson 22: Doctrine and Covenants 89 Notice that this is the first revelation given after the School of the Prophets was organized. Is there a connection between that organization and this revelation?

  • Sunday School Lesson 21

    Jim F.

    Doctrine and Covenants 29:9-29; 34:5-12; 45:16-75; 88:86-89; 101:22-34; 133

  • Catholics and Protestants

    Jim F.

    Mormons are often dismissive of some Protestants, especially evangelicals.

  • Sunday School Lesson 20

    Jim F.

    Lesson 20: Doctrine and Covenants 76; 131:1-4; 132:19-24; 137 These are longer than usual.

  • Why I Love My Ward

    Jim F.

    Sitting in Fast and Testimony meeting last Sunday, I started thinking about why I enjoy my ward so much, and it came down to the people in it.

  • Sunday School Lesson 19

    Jim F.

    Lesson 19: Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-19; 76:40-42, 96-112; 88:14-16; 138:55-56

  • The Order of Things

    Jim F.

    My discussion of belief and practice has in its background a larger discussion concerning what it means to be religious.

  • Belief and Practice

    Jim F.

    I have been carrying on an argument with Nate on one of his posts (## 5 and 7) and in his responses to one of Blake’s posts ( #23) –sort of.

  • Sunday School Lesson 18

    Jim F.

    Lesson 18: Doctrine and Covenants 95, 109, 110

  • The New Pope

    Jim F.

    There have been many responses to the election of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy, becoming Pope Benedict 16. Here are some of them (thanks to Arts and Letters Daily)

  • The Gift of the Holy Ghost

    Jim F.

    Lately I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the gift of the Holy Ghost. In one sense, nothing profound has come from that thinking. I’ve felt that my thinking has been worth the effort it took. I have enjoyed the spirit I felt while thinking about it and feel better prepared to received the Holy…

  • Sunday School Lesson 17

    Jim F.

    Lesson 17: Doctrine and Covenants 59:13-14, 21; Doctrine and Covenants 119; Doctrine and Covenants 120 Thought questions for D&C 59 were included in lesson 16, so I will not repeat them here.

  • Sunday School Lesson 16

    Jim F.

    Doctrine and Covenants 59

  • Sunday School Lesson 15

    Jim F.

    Lesson 15: Doctrine and Covenants 46

  • Sunday School Lesson 14

    Jim F.

    Lesson 14: D&C 42:30-42; 51; 78; 82; 104:11-18

  • Sunday School Lesson 13

    Jim F.

    Lesson 13: Doctrine and Covenants 5:10; Moses 1:40-41; 2 Nephi 3:11-15; Doctrine and Covenants 84:19-25; 88:15-24; 93:29; 107:23, 33, 35; 124:37-42; 128:16-18; 130:22

  • A Small Thing

    Jim F.

    When I was in graduate school, I had long hair and a beard.

  • Sunday School Lesson 12

    Jim F.

    Lesson 12: D&C 29:1-8; D&C 33:3-7; D&C 37; D&C 38:24-41; D&C 52:2-5, D&C 52:42-43; D&C 57:1-3; D&C 110:11; Articles of Faith 1:10

  • The Sway of Philosophy

    Jim F.

    As I see students get excited about Heidegger or Wittgenstein or some other philosopher and the insights into their own lives and the gospel that come with that excitement, I remember my first year or so in graduate school.

  • FeastUpontheWord

    Jim F.

    My second son, Matthew, has been working on a web site, actually a Wiki site, for a while now: http://feastupontheword.org.

  • Christian Meditation

    Jim F.

    This week’s lesson in my ward’s Priesthood and Relief Society meetings was number four, “The Elements of Worship.” As we talked about reverence, meditation, and communion, I was reminded of a talk President Hinckley gave when, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, on one of many visits to Korea, he spoke to…

  • Sunday School Lesson 11

    Jim F.

    Lesson 11: Doctrine and Covenants 4, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 31, 33, 75 Since most of the other sections for this lesson repeat what we find in section 4, I will focus my questions on it.

  • Keys and Authority

    Jim F.

    In Gospel Doctrine class today, we read several verses from Doctrine and Covenants in which the keys of the priesthood are referred to. (We are on lesson eight.) An example is D&C 84:19: “This greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge…

  • Sunday School Lesson 10

    Jim F.

    Lesson 10: D&C 25 Verse 1: Christ is speaking here, rather than the Father. Why is it important for us to become his son or daughter rather than to be his brother or sister? He tells us that we become sons and daughters by receiving his gospel. How do we that? (Compare Mosiah 5:7.)

  • Sunday School Lesson 9

    Jim F.

    Lesson 9: D&C 20:1–36, D&C 20:68–69, D&C 20:75–79; D&C 21; D&C 27; D&C 115:1–4

  • Sunday School Lesson 8

    Jim F.

    Lesson 8: D&C 13; D&C 20:38–67; D&C 27:12–13; D&C 84:6–30; D&C 107:1–20; D&C 110:11–16; Joseph Smith History 1:66- 73 This lesson is on the restoration of the priesthood. I will spend two weeks on this lesson, the first devoted to the Aaronic priesthood and its restoration, the second devoted to the Melchizedek priesthood. I’m including…

  • Prayer

    Jim F.

    Each month of this semester the Faculty Center at BYU is sponsoring a panel discussion of prayer. The participants are Julia Boerio-Goates (Chemistry), Thomas Griffith (University General Counsel), Roger Keller (Church History and Doctrine), and James Siebach (Philosophy).

  • Sunday School Lesson 7

    Jim F.

    Lesson 7: Various scriptures on the First Principles and Ordinances Before I offer some study questions, let me say why I object to this year’s way of organizing our Sunday School lessons.