I’ve been reading a fair amount of believers’ accounts of Bibilical archeology lately.  One of the most interesting issues to explore is ‘Exodus’ and its historicity.

To sum up:  it is impossible to prove through archeology that the exodus took place as described in the Bible.  In fact, there are significant problems, even among believing (Christian and Jewish) archeologists, trying to find a timeline that works.  In this post, I’m going to concentrate on three large problems:  who was the Pharoah during Moses’ time?; where was the Red Sea?; and, finally, where was Mount Sinai?

It seems clear to me that the historicity of the exodus is impossible to prove.  Yet, my take is that some kind of exodus did take place because the event is central to the Jewish identity.  The fact that the exodus took place is also confirmed in latter-day revelation (see 1 Nephi 4:2 for an example).  This message is extremely important for Mormons because Book of Mormon archeology is also very difficult to prove, yet we nonetheless continue to believe in it.  It seems there are lessons here for Jews, Mormons and other Christian believers.

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The world’s strictest parent (Utah) is now M*’s latest blogger.  Nicholeen Peck, who was featured in the BBC show helping out two wayward British youths, will be writing several times a month for M*, primarily on parenting issues.  Nicholeen, a mother of four, has her own web site, teachingselfgovernment.com, where she dispenses parenting advice.  She has a long history of helping parents manage children with discipline problems.  We welcome Nicholeen to our humble blog.

We are truly honored to present to you a guest post by Nicholeen Peck.  If you have not heard of Nicholeen, she and her family star in a BBC show “The World’s Strictest Parents,” in which two troubled teenagers from the UK travel to the Peck’s suburban home in Utah, where they encounter a pretty strict LDS home-shooled family.  As a parent of four kids, I was extremely impressed with how Nicholeen and her husband dealt with the two youths, both of whom boasted of drinking, doing drugs, smoking, dressing immodestly. etc.  One of the youths got pregnant when she was 15.  You can imagine the sparks flying when the youths faced “house rules” including no smoking, no drugs, no drinking, no dressing immodestly and no caffeine.  I will not spoil the ending, but I will say that the show treated the Pecks and the LDS religion very favorably.

Please visit Nicholeen’s web site here to see the show.  There are six segments, and it will take about an hour to watch the entire thing.  All parents should watch this show.  Your lovely young kids will someday be teenagers, and you had better be ready to deal with them.  Nicholeen’s techniques — being calm and consistent but sticking to your guns no matter what — are brilliant.

By Nicholeen Peck

How it All Began

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This poll actually shocked me, and I think it’s noteworthy enough to post here.   There has been a monumental shift in public opinion away from government-run health care and in favor of maintaining the current system.  Please read the attached before commenting.

The Church has no problem with non-discrimination laws against gays in housing and employment.  This has been the position of most people I know who oppose same-sex marriage ever since the beginning, and I applaud the Church’s stand on this issue.  Comments that build up and support the Church are welcome.