Paradise Lost

This week brought another trip to Dallas for business. North Dallas and Plano are busier places than ever. There is major construction going on with 635. It looks like they are making it a double-decker freeway. Our hotel was next to a Benihana's and the consensus among my coworkers was to go there.  We walked to the restaurant that was on beautiful grounds with very healthy looking Koi.

  Inside was a picture of this guy with a Benihana Chef.

There were photos of other celebrities as well, from tiger Woods to Yoko Ono. Alas, when we discovered the wait was 1 hr for a table, we opted to go to Pappadeaux's instead.

My boss ordered a plate of oysters for the table. Needless to say I didn't participate.

I came back home on Wednesday evening. We discovered Friday morning that Tucson was covered in a smokey haze. A fire apparently started in the Rincon Mountains. I rode up on the hill to get above it. The city is in the haze in the background.

Haley returned on Saturday. Eric drove her to the airport. Eric stayed in Rexburg to seek an internship which we hope he obtains. Here we are a Buca di Beppo'...which Alison introduced us to.

I have been reading Milton's poem Paradise Lost written in 1660. John Milton wanted to write an epic poem on Christianity to match Homer's poems on Greek Mythology. It is not an easy read but it is fascinating how much Christianity at that time had in common with Mormonism. Having rejected many traditional beliefs in Hell, Satan, and pre-mortal life, modern Christianity is further away from Mormonism than Milton was. Paradise Lost appears to be near LDS views on the nature of the Godhead, Satan’s rebellion and the War in Heaven, the Creation, the fortunate fall, free will, obedience and repentance, the Atonement of the Son, and the Apostasy. Christ is described as the creator, having been appointed by the Father. Michael leads the war in Heaven with the Christ finally casting Lucifer out.

In his paper, Making a Mormon of Milton, John Tanner says some of Milton's beliefs are uniquely shared with LDS doctrine. Milton subscribes to the then heretical belief that the earth was not created from nothing. Milton also describes Adam learning of the future atonement of the Savior and the hope for redemption of mankind.