Perhaps it’s the Christmas season, but I get a warm feeling of magnanimity in the air lately. Even after reading this board’s favorite blog!
DCP just explained his position on the unbroken string of Friday articles. Specifically the holiday message 3 years ago. He had to rush because his invited author dropped out at the last minute. DCP explained his position without sarcasm, name calling, or vitriol. I admit I scrolled up and down several times in disbelief.
He even expressed some embarrassment that he had to “invite” himself to do something that traditionally he invited guests to do. That kind of humility and relatability is always endearing.
DCP isn’t a monster, he’s not even a bad guy. He’s a very normal guy, with normal foibles and quirks. But he has a lot of good qualities to admire, too.
Foremost is his work on interfaith relations. Specifically he has been a champion for Mormon-Muslim relations. He vigorously calls out any LDS bigots on this issue. It would be easy for him to stay silent, it’s not a huge issue, but he thinks it’s important to educate his fellow Mormons. I admire that greatly.
I also admire his pragmatism. He’s had to navigate a lot of politics while trying to run Interpreter. It’s no secret he dislikes Trump, but he can’t really flaunt that because so many rich Mormon donors absolutely love Trump. DCP knows which battles to pick. I think it’s a smart choice. There is no shortage of pundits online criticizing Trump, and the world will be fine with DCP staying silent. I’ve called him out for not being more vocal, but really he would just be shooting himself in the foot. You have to pick your battles.
He seems to be a great friend and family man. There’s no shortage of scholars he has worked with over the years who come to his aid when he needs them. They provided a lot of facts quickly when he was challenged on his Interpreter publishing streak. And he gets to spend a lot of time with his grandchildren, which (as a new dad myself) I can imagine feeling like the most meaningful thing you can accomplish.
In short, there’s a lot to like about DCP. It’s not as fun or interesting to point out all the areas where he succeeds. And a lot of us disagree vehemently with his worldview. I think he belongs to a corrupt, false, and politically bullying religion. I think the work he does to prop up the LDS church is ultimately morally wrong. I’d say the same of anyone doing apologetic work for Scientology, which I view as extremely similar to the Mormon church.
I’ll probably be criticizing him a lot less as my new family grows. It’s been fun to engage indirectly with his thoughts and ideas. He’s still the preeminent Mormon apologist, and the last thing I admire about him is that he engages critics as much as he does. I doubt any LDS apologist will fill that role when Dan steps down, and that will be a big loss for the church.
So here’s to DCP. Never say we couldn’t utter a kind word about him!
