"The Torch" Still Burns
Things to Expect from and Ways to Contribute to "The Torch"
Dear readers and friends,
If you would like to help kindle this torch, keep it alive, and increase the light, warmth, and reach of its flame, please donate directly to this Substack or here:
Venmo: @John-Hancock
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Verseball
Cash, checks, and other contributions are also accepted
I haven’t forgotten about my Substack, even though I have been absent for a time.
I hope that my efforts to study and comment on the Book of Mormon, chapter by chapter, were useful and perhaps even beautiful to someone. I hope that my Book of Mormon Notes will also serve as a solid foundation for my Substack as I continue to write.
My original blog “The Torch” consists mainly of my notes and commentary on a study of the entire Old Testament. In a similar manner, my Substack “The Torch” consists mainly of my notes and commentary on a study of the entire Book of Mormon. In turn, these blogs are an outgrowth of my original blogs, first my gratitude journal entitled “Johnny” and then “The Good Report.” My subsequent blogs include “Corléan” (a creativity blog), “Aether” (a social and political commentary blog), “Psychiatric Survivors” (a blog for articulating the truth about psychiatry), “The White Horse” (a record of my studies and experiences at Hillsdale College), and a few travel blogs (Israel 2016, Sailing 2016, and a fishing blog). I also began a verse by verse study of the Book of Mormon in my blog “The Most Correct of Any Book.” All of these and more I have gathered into one (see also my Linktree).
About a month ago I also unearthed a collection of approximately thirty floppy disks that contained much of my work from Waterford School and my undergraduate experience at Brigham Young University. These I have digitized and stored on my hard drive, along with all of my scanned journals, school work, pictures, documents, etc. Having gathered all of these materials together I was able to produce a manuscript (three volumes and more than 500 pages) and rough draft of my autobiography, complete with links to many of these things. In essence, much of what I have said, written, recorded, drawn, painted, done, and experienced in my almost two score and eight years of life on earth I can now access by the click of a button on my laptop.
As wonderful and as useful as this is, I draw inspiration from the Apostle Paul’s testimony and perspective on his own life and work:
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
In other words, I too count all things but loss or but dung, that I may win Christ, and press forward toward Him.
These reflections on the Apostle Paul remind me of Dante’s fascinating tercet in the second canto of the Inferno in his Divina Commedia:
Ma io, perché venirvi? o chi ’l concede?
Io non Enëa, io non Paulo sono;
me degno a ciò né io né altri ’l crede.
But I, why thither come, or who concedes it ?
I not Aeneas am, I am not Paul,
Nor I, nor others, think me worthy of it.
I mention this because another 100 Days of Dante begins soon (on September 11th), and naturally I want to do it again. A year ago I started a blog called “A Single Sparkle” for my notes on Dante, and I would like to continue studying, writing, and even translating Dante. Toward this end, my Dante professor from BYU recommended the following article to me:
Madison U. Sowell, “On Selecting the ‘Best’ Translation of Dante.” Approaches to Teaching Dante’s Divine Comedy, ed. Christopher Kleinhenz and Kristina Olson (New York: Modern Language Association, 2020), pp. 200-209.
I also mention this because my readers may wonder what to expect from “The Torch” now that I have finished my Book of Mormon Notes. To respond to any such curiosity, I remind myself of why I started this Substack in the first place. This is still a good starting point.
What, then, should readers of “The Torch” expect from now on? I am open to ideas, suggestions, feedback, and constructive criticism, but here is what I have come up with thus far:
I recently finished setting up my “office” and dream library, which is the perfect place from which to write and to begin tackling some of the books that are most on my radar at this time, including Avraham Gileadi’s introduction to and translation of the Book of Isaiah (see also here and here), Seneca’s On the Shortness of Life, Jay E. Jensen’s Treasure Up the Word, Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, and so forth.
In the Provo Great Books Club we are just starting the epic of Gilgamesh as part of a session on epics (we read Beowulf and The Iliad too). So I may have a thing or two to say about that as well.
In addition to these things, there are many interesting developments in the modern world and current events that may elicit some commentary. For example, the news that Brigham Young University will soon begin a new medical school has already provoked some interesting discussion. But I probably need to weigh in on this matter too. There are secret combinations to expose, a rapidly approaching presidential election to evaluate, and Tucker Carlson is coming to Utah. There are a variety of YouTubers with whose content I may engage (e.g. Greg Matsen at CWIC Media, Jason and Alexia Preston at We Are the People, Ben McClintock at Tree of Liberty Society, and so forth). I even found a great channel on soccer that I really enjoy, and I don’t mind promoting it. These are just some examples of what to look forward to on “The Torch.” I appreciate any feedback or ideas that you have for improving “The Torch.”
Thank you for reading and thank you for supporting my work. Now that I am moving more fully into the political, philosophical, literary, and social realm (and not just theological) in my writing, I don’t mind asking for contributions. If you enjoy and benefit from my work and my writing, consider making a generous donation. I appreciate the generosity of those who have already donated, and I invite others to follow their good example. 😊
If you would like to help kindle this torch, keep it alive, and increase the light, warmth, and reach of its flame, please donate directly to this Substack or here:
Venmo: @John-Hancock
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Verseball
Cash, checks, and other contributions are also accepted
Also consider sharing “The Torch” with your friends.
Thank you. 😊