As you may have noticed, in the past few days I've taken a break from what one of the world's leading experts on religion has called "the most difficult job in the entire world," Mormon apologetics. I guess it's harder than being a professional wrestler, harder than being a coal miner, harder than being a trapeze artist, and undoubtedly harder than mismanaging the US economy. What makes it so hard? One of our critics explained in a recent comment:

Dr. Paul L. Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, is considered one of, if not THE world's leading historian on the first century A.D. . . . has said: "I think the most difficult job in the entire world would be that of a Mormon apologist. Such a one must try to defend beliefs for which there is no evidence--archaeological, historical, geographical, or scientific--from external sources to corroborate what is claimed within the Book of Mormon on any matters not derivative from the Old Testament."

Well, no wonder I needed a rest. All the intellectual weight lifting of defending a religion without the tiniest scrap of evidence, logic, or support of any kind - you can imagine what a headache it gives me even thinking about making something up to defend the hopelessly indefensible. Much easier to whine about the loss of America and rise of Gaddianton-like theft of power and wealth.

So turning a blind eye toward Washington and Wall Street, it's back to the most wonderful job in the world, sharing the joy of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the power and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon -- mingled with a few of my opinions, of course.

But I can't resist one final note: I can't confirm it for sure, but I hear that one of the many subtleties slipped into the bailout bill to sweeten the deal for some reluctant politicians was a provision that sells Alaska to Russia for $5 billion to help pay for the bailout. I'm sure it was an innocent oversight, but one of the surprising consequences of that well-intended provision is that Sarah Palin is now a Russian citizen and no longer eligible for Presidential politics. Too bad no one read the bill before voting for it. Oh, and Islam is now the state religion. Well, if it gets us praying a few more times a day, it's a good thing, I figure.

OK, so back to LDS apologetics (before the rest of the sky falls, anyway). Here's a useful article summarizing where we are on the issue of horses and the Book of Mormon: Horses in the Book of Mormon by Mike Ash. An interesting and, yes, difficult topic.
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