More Instructional Falsehood...
Inspired by Jason's comments on etymology and instructional falsehood, I started to remember some (what I call) “faith-promoting lies”. My favorite is the prophet Joseph’s supposed comment that if we could see the glory of just the telestial kingdom, we would kill ourselves to get there sooner. No one seems to have a reference for that one.
I hope that the recounting of such fables wouldn’t weaken one’s belief that miracles are real. Can one be guided to the truth by inspiring half truths? I feel that the difference between a testimony and an anxious belief of incredible tales is the manifestation of the spirit. For me, the myths serve a comedic purpose. I would be interested to hear some of your favorite faith-promoting lies, including prophetic misquotes, gospel gossip, and unexpected appearances of any of the three nephites.
posted by Mark @ 9/01/2004 09:21:00 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Truman Madsen once told J.D., Jason and I that Joseph Smith's famous quote (hijacked by Stephen Covey), "I teach people correct principles and let them govern themselves" has no original source.
WHAT?? You're trying to tell me that my cousin's friend's dream about a card catalog, or my sister-in-law's neice's dream about people wearing green aprons inside of bird cages are myths? Next thing you'll tell me is that Steve Martin and Jewel never got baptized. Please, if I don't have this....
Chris - Very interesting. I've never seen a source for the J.S. adage, but never heard it disputed.
So now I can tell people that my friend once heard from his former BYU philosophy professor that J.S. didn't teach people correct principles.
Check out:
http://www.ldsgames.org/myths/
and
http://www.mormonfortress.com/myth1a.html
"I haven't read up on it, but there is no contemporary account for the J.S. teaching that the Constitution of the US will hang by a thread. I think the best source is John Taylor in the later 19th C. Hmmmm."
So, is this hearsay about hearsay?? :)
What's up with the GREATEST GENERATION idea? (A talk by SW Kimball, I believe). Seminary teachers everywhere are spreading the image where angels will hush in awe (or bow) when we walk the halls of heaven. Do you think they'll want our autographs, too? (Do we sign with our new name?)