The Day After...Christmas

I trust that all of you had a very Merry Christmas and are headed for a Happy New Year! I had good time and got lots of books for Christmas, so I'm happy.

I have been reading (big surprise!) The Story of Christianity, Volumes 1 & 2 by Justo L. Gonzalez. They are an excellent overview from Christ's birth until today. Well, until 1985, when the second volume was copyrighted, but you get the idea.... I'm only about halfway through the first volume, but find that the writing is clear and easy to follow and there are lots of details mentioned. There are also bibliographies at the end each part if you want to do more study.

I am still reading on evolution, as well, plus I just read A Christmas Carol in honor of the season. Love that book! And the movies (I have several versions)! I recently got The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament by Bart D. Ehrman. Then, too, I found sale copies of Josephus: The Complete Works translated by William Whiston and Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History translated by C. F. Cruse. In a different vein, I recently obtained copies of Corrie Ten Boom: Her Story (which contains The Hiding Place, Tramp for the Lord, and Jesus is Victor) and Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

Did I say that I am also working on organizing my books?

At least I am all set for winter weather--I can stay home, curled up on the couch, happily reading my life away! Enjoy your holidays!

Evolution?

In my constant search for knowledge of all kinds, I have come up against a brick wall with the topic of evolution. I have never felt it was the right answer, but it seems like all the mainstream science material starts with an assumption that evolution is true. I have wanted to read other viewpoints on this and have finally located some resources. I am listing them below because I think that it is good to look at all sides of any question.

First is a website, Science Against Evolution.

My other resources so far are four books:

Kicking the Sacred Cow by James P. Hogan
Tornado in a Junkyard by James Perloff
Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D.
Refuting Evolution 2 by Jonathan Sarfati, Ph.D.

Kicking the Sacred Cow talks about other science issues, as well as evolution.

So far, I have read a few articles on the website and the book, Tornado in a Junkyard. And, yes, I have heard people say they can debunk all this stuff with one hand tied behind their backs, but so far, no one has actually done any debunking. I would prefer to find my own way through this, anyway, but I did want to list the resources in case anyone else is interested in reading some different material than that which is so readily available. The links for the books are to Barnes & Noble and the customer reviews range over the spectrum. Amazon likely has reviews, as well. I don’t care to debate the topic, though if anyone wants to post a comment, that is fine. Naturally, I would welcome references to other sources of information. At this stage, I am simply wanting to read and research.

There and Back Again

I recovered from the flu, but then had to play catch-up with a number of things at work and at home. However, here I am again!

I have just read a wonderful little book called Before You Get to Heaven: 8 Mighty Changes God Wants for You. It's written by D. Kelly Ogden. The book talks about increasing our ability to pray and read scriptures meaningfully, have faith, repent, get and keep the Spirit, be exactly obedient, get rid of pride, and obtain the love of Christ. I thought it had some good insights and thoughts, but in an overall way, it reminded me of the importance of spiritual growth. I know I get caught up in my intellectual studies and that can lead to the neglect of the more important spiritual aspects of my life. There is room for both, of course, and I think Heavenly Father wants us to use our brains and learn many things. It's just that we need to keep our priorities straight.

Years ago a small volume entitled The Mighty Change was published. It was written by Elaine Cannon and Ed J. Pinegar and published by Deseret Book in 1978. I don't know if it is still possible to find a copy, but it, too, has been a valuable book for me. It is based on Alma 5 to a great extent and really has given me some things to think about as I work on becoming truly converted and experiencing that mighty change of heart.

It lifts my spirits immensely to spend some time concentrating on the spiritual aspects of life and on the basics of the gospel. I also like to choose a topic such as faith and study it more in depth. These things feed my soul and help me to make progress. Reading the scriptures themselves are most important, but I find reading what others think has given me insights and inspired me.