Reading Between the Headlines

This news story tells about the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of the Liberty Jail visitor's center. This is the list of speakers for the two day event:

• M. Russell Ballard (member of the Quorum of the Twelve)
• Robert C. Gay (member of the First Quorum of the Seventy)
• Karl Ricks Anderson (local historian from Kirtland, Ohio)
• Donald Keyes (president of the Missouri Independence Mission)
• Alexander Baugh (professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU)
• Susan Easton Black Durrant (professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU)
• Daniel C. Peterson (professor of Islamic studies at BYU)

I have heard rumors that say that Professor Peterson is not in the favor of Church leaders in Salt Lake. I have a hard time squaring such rumors with the fact that he was invited to speak on such an occasion. I suspect that the rumors are wishful thinking on the part of those circulating them.