An amazing documentary for anyone interested in the Old Testament

Brian and I have been watching a lot of documentaries on YouTube lately. Some turn out to be pretty good, others are rather lame. This one embedded below, about the ancient Hittite people, was definitely worth watching. It appears to be well-based in fact, they refer to many sources and scholars and they use some great human interest stories from the lives of the Hittite kings. I would definitely recommend it.

The Bible randomly mentions the Hittites a couple of times. I had just assumed they were some Canaanite tribe that hung around. But it turns out they were a huge empire based in Turkey. I loved the interesting relationship the Hittites had with the Egyptians, especially Ramses the II. It is so interesting that the arrogant Ramses suddenly made a treaty with the Hittites, their archrivals, just about the time when Moses would have led the Israelites out  of Egypt. Interesting coincidence, eh?

Learning the lessons of the past

Lately I've developed an obsession with ancient history. So when I read the article "The World Needs Pioneers Today" by President Thomas S. Monson, this part really stood out to me:

"We forget how the Greeks and Romans prevailed magnificently in a barbaric world and how that triumph ended—how a slackness and softness finally overcame them to their ruin. In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security and a comfortable life; and they lost all—comfort and security and freedom.

"Do not yield to Satan’s enticements; rather, stand firm for truth. The unsatisfied yearnings of the soul will not be met by a never-ending quest for joy amidst the thrills of sensation and vice. Vice never leads to virtue. Hate never promotes love. Cowardice never gives courage. Doubt never inspires faith.

Some find it difficult to withstand the mockings and unsavory remarks of foolish ones who ridicule chastity, honesty, and obedience to God’s commands. But the world has ever belittled adherence to principle. When Noah was instructed to build an ark, the foolish populace looked at the cloudless sky and then scoffed and jeered—until the rain came.

"Must we learn such costly lessons over and over again? Times change, but truth persists. When we fail to profit from the experiences of the past, we are doomed to repeat them with all their heartache, suffering, and anguish. Haven’t we the wisdom to obey Him who knows the beginning from the end—our Lord, who designed the plan of salvation—rather than that serpent, who despised its beauty?"

I don't know anyone who could have said it better. If only people would listen to wisdom like this ...

To read the entire article, click here:

The World Needs Pioneers Today 

Book review: 1776

I just finished a great book: 1776, by David McCullough. McCullough, a well-known historian and writer, does a masterful job of detailing critical points in the American war for independence. He shows George Washington and the Continental Army as being critical to American emancipation, and shows how they were vital to upholding the Declaration of Independence and its signers.

One of the greatest aspects of thus book is all the in depth research that McCullough did. He knows the period and he knows the characters. He has a great command of the language and uses it brilliantly to portray America's defining hour.

The book is 294 pages long--and it's not a difficult read. I found his descriptions of some of the battles more understandable than what I've read of the same battles in some historical fiction novels. It's not a comprehensive history of the war--it only covers the last part of 1775 through the Battle of Princeton. But sometimes the more focused books are the best!