Indubitable

I’m continually impressed with the literary sophistication of the Book of Mormon–yet another testimony of it’s veracity for me.  Much has been written about Book of Mormon examples of chiasmus, a rhetorical arrangement of concepts that was particularly common in ancient Hebrew writings. Chiastic form is common in the Old Testament, particularly when read in Hebrew. This rhetorical tool was extensively used a an aide-memoire in times when you couldn’t easily jot down important things in a notebook (or smart phone)….

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Ceiling of Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelofresco, 1508-1512 I have the tendency to think of God in terms of his great love.*  However, it’s hard to spend any time reading the scriptures and ignore the fierceness of his anger and wrath. This is particularly true of the Old Testament, but also of the Book of Mormon.  I encountered this recently in reviewing the message of Samuel in the Book of Helaman.  After warning them that ‘heavydestruction’ awaited the unrepentant (apparently ordinary…

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un·con·quer·a·ble/ˌənˈkäNGk(ə)rəbəl/ Adjective: (esp. of a place, people, or emotion) Not conquerable: “an unconquerable pride”. Synonyms: invincible – insuperable – inexpugnable – insurmountable ____________________________________________ It’s a word that generally evokes the most noble human qualities.  It occurs twice in the Book of Mormon.  Yet in both instances, it is used in a very negative context. The first is speaking of unconquerable spirit of Jacob the Zoramite, who was determined to destroy Moroni and the Nephite people (Alma 52:33).  The second is used by…

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It’s hard to look at The Ugly Duchess and not come away moved by her eyes.  They are completely out of keeping with everything else about her. While most folks in her shoes would be hiding behind their veil, she poses unashamedly. Those eyes shout out self-confidence and contentment; they speak of a certain inner beauty that is certainly not obvious at first glance. I, and many others, have made much of the Duchess’ ugliness.  Yet the Duchess truly appears gruntled (it’s a word we…

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Five Grotesque Heads, circa 1490pen and ink on paper, by Leonardo Da VinciLocation: Windsor Castle, Windsor, UK The Ugly Duchess got my Art History 101 juices flowing again.  As I looked through some of Leonardo’s Grotesques, I was astounded to see a familiar face.  The guy in the right upper corner of the sketch is a dead ringer for Emperor Vespasian (A.D 69-79), the first Flavian Emperor (see this for an old post of another striking look-alike). Check out the obverse of the coins below…

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An Old Woman (The Ugly Duchess), oil on wood; painted about 1513 – by Quinten Matsys (1465-1530)Photo Credit: Big Reid’s iPhone @ National Gallery, London What inspired the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci? At the end of the 14th-century, Quentin Matsys (also spelled as Massys) was a little-known Flemish artist who went on to be the founder of the Antwerp School. While wandering through the National Gallery in London, I stumbled on to his 1513 painting: An Old Woman (The Ugly Duchess).  This…

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While visiting the British Museum last week I was blown away by the collection of antiquities, especially the Elgin marbles from the Parthenon in Greece.  Perfectly proportioned bodies and facial features are captured eternally in white marble without the slightest wrinkle or blemish.  In a word, they are beautiful. The experience got me thinking about beautiful people.  a detail on the Portland vase As my kids were growing up, we would use the beautiful people as a form of code-speak to describe a…

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While in London I literally stumbled on an art exhibition by Mr. Brainwash.  I sandwiched it between visits to the British Museum and the National Gallery. It was more than a bit ironic to see this guy’s work in between the most enduring art of ancient Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece and Rome and the works of Europe’s great masters: Da Vinci, Titian, Monet, Rubens, van Eyck, Rembrandt . . .I have to say that I enjoyed it far more than I would…

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I’ve always wanted to get a picture of me “reading” a genuine issue of L’Equipe. [1]  It is a French sports newspaper that promotes the Tour de France. Our recent trip to Paris afforded me the opportunity. I think a passerby could reasonably conclude that I was fluent in French.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I’m just a good pretender.  It’s a skill I’ve been working on since I was a little kid. We used to say ‘let’s pretend’ as a…

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A wall hanging at St. Timothy’s soup kitchen At a recent commencement speech to the 2012 graduates of Loyola University, Father Gregory Boyle (see my post on Father G’s ministry) said: “Loyola has not prepared you for the real world. It has asked you to challenge it, to be less concerned with the bottom line and more concerned with those that line the bottom.” For the last week, “issues” at work have had me irritated and stressed out. Lately, practicing…

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