Questions and answers

I’ve been mulling over this post for some time now. My identity was recently discovered and revealed, so this seemed like a good opportunity to introduce my (real) self and respond to some questions about this blog. These questions aren’t “frequently asked,” but I suppose one could still consider this to be a FAQ.

[On April 7, 2023, I was interviewed by Robert Boylan for his YouTube channel. That interview has additional information about me and this blog, and it can be seen here.]

Who are you?

My real name is Mike Parker. I’m an active, believing Latter-day Saint who has a profound belief in the truth of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why have you been using the pseudonym “Peter Pan”?

The Peter Pan alias started as humorous idea when I decided to launch this blog in early 2019. Since I’d already decided on the name of the blog, the Peter Pan moniker seemed more clever and appropriate than using my own name.

I was open to revealing my real name at some point, but eventually this blog began to draw the attention of some unstable people in the Heartland movement, so the pseudonym eventually evolved from a in-joke to something that I used to provide a measure of protection for myself and my family.

What do you have against Jonathan Neville?

Nothing, honestly. This isn’t a personal issue for me. I’ve never met him, but I’m sure that he’s a loving husband and a swell guy.

(Except for that time he tried to blackmail me, of course.)

Then why do you maintain a blog called “Neville-Neville Land”?

The point of this blog is to examine Jonathan Neville’s claims, not to go after him as an individual.

The name of the blog is, of course, a pun. It’s meant to be humorous, not malicious. It’s no worse than Neville’s use of puns in the names of his own blogs, and it’s certainly better than the name-calling and demonization Neville himself has engaged in.

Did someone ask you to create this blog?

No, it was my idea from the start and everything I’ve written has been my own views and opinions. No one has ever asked or told me what to write about.

I hate to disappoint my detractors in the Heartland and anti-Mormon communities, but there is no grand conspiracy at work here. It’s just one guy and a keyboard.

Do you get paid to run this blog?

I haven’t received so much as a nickel from anyone for starting and maintaining the Neville-Neville Land blog. I don’t even use advertising to monetize this site.

You seem kind of obsessed with Jonathan Neville and Heartlanders. Can’t you just let people believe what they want to believe?

People are absolutely free to believe what they want to believe. Not all beliefs are true, though, and some beliefs are based on flawed reasoning, faulty methodology, or biased interpretation. To one extent or another we’re all prone to making such errors, but the Heartland movement is particularly afflicted by them.

Jonathan Neville has set forth specific propositions that are at odds with the historical record, at odds with what has been taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and at odds with careful analysis of the data. He’s free to believe whatever he wants to believe, but when he publicly advocates for his beliefs, then he opens himself up to review, criticism, and rebuttal.

I believe that his teachings will destroy faith and confidence in The Church of Jesus Christ and its divinely ordained leaders. As I wrote above, I’m sure that Jonathan Neville is a nice person, but his words are spiritually toxic. The Neville-Neville Land blog exists to expose and examine his teachings and the erroneous statements of others in the Heartland movement.

Also, based on specific things that Neville has said and done, I question his sense of good judgment in some matters.

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

If you’re referring to a European swallow, then that would be 11 to 16 meters per second.

—Peter Pan (Mike Parker)