LDS Urban Legends (priest, testimony, missionaries, elder, attending)

[Kungfuzed]

I'm sure every church probably has some urban legends, stories of miracles that get passed along and get embellished more and more with each telling. I remember a story of an Elder who tried to give a priesthood blessing to a fence post and was struck by lightning. Or the story of the missionary who was shot but his garments stopped the bullet. I found a website telling a few more stories. Do you ever hear stories being passed along or even preached from the pulpit that set off your BS meter? Does it even matter weather or not it really happened? I mean, as long as it is inspirational it shouldn't matter if it was all made up, right?

What are some of the stories you have heard? Do you think people are just completely making things up, or are any truth at all in urban legends?

[nutshell]

When I was in Japan I heard the story that when Pearl Harbor was attacked a single bomber was sent to destroy the Mormon temple in Hawaii. The bomber saw the temple in the distance, but when he reached it he could no longer see it to drop his bombs. He circled around and, again, he could see it from a distance, but when he got close enough to drop his bombs it would dissappear.

BS Level: HIGH

[jonny]

I think that some urban legends have truth in them, but the truth is usually elaborated.

My favorite urban legend is the one of the missionary who got his mission call and was getting ready to leave. His parents left him at home alone for an afternoon and asked him to change the laundry when the buzzer went off. Well, when his parents were gone he called up his girlfriend and the immediately got down to business. The buzzer goes off and he gives her a naked piggy-back ride down to the laundry room to change the laundry. What does he find when he opens the laundry room door naked?







The entire ward, including his parents and bishop, attending his surprise going away party.

BS Level: High
Inspirational Level: Zero

For some reason I heard this one all the time, and it always happened to someone who someone knew...

There are a lot of urban legends about missionaries. I could go on all day.

[jonny]

Here's a page with some short descriptions of some urban legends.

http://library.usu.edu/folklo/folkar...MCSeries3.html

Anson Call healed of impediment in speech upon
joining the Church.

I have to look into the one about Anson Call. His father, Cyril Call, is one of my great-great grandfathers.

The Three Nephites: Did one of Columbus’ Sailors See Them?

I wish I still had the book "The Three Nephites." There were lots of good urban legends in that book.

[jonny]

Hmm... on Anson Call, this is all it says in his autobiography:

I have forgotten to say that shortly after I joined the Church, I was administered to for my stammering of speech from which I was relieved.

http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/ACall.html

I tend to believe these types of stories since they were told by the person who it happened to, I have personally witnessed people who were healed through the priesthood, and I have a testimony of the priesthood. I've seen too many things happen for which there is no other explanation in my mind.

[FFH]

Originally Posted by Kungfuzed

What are some of the stories you have heard? Do you think people are just completely making things up, or are any truth at all in urban legends?

A neighbor of mine (Shane Stephensen) went to California on his mission, I forgot which part, but he was involved in a drive by shooting and a bullet went through the main supporting metal post of his bike (the one that goes from the pedal crank/sprocket to the seat.

It was hard to believe, but he brought his mountain bike home for all to see, knowing that no one would believe him..

There was clearly a large hole where a bullet had cleanly passed through his bike, probably at a fairly close range...in order for it to pass completely through, although today's mountain bikes are so light and it probably was made of a heavy or light weight aluminum..

Clean bullet hole right through his main bike post just mid way between the seat and the crank/main pedal sprocket..

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it...

Drove an hour to see that, because they had since moved to Layton, Utah...

God protects those who are faithful...

I had a bike accident miracle happen to me on my mission, which proved to me that God truly does protect his missionaries, unless it's their time to be called home..

I also know someone, personally, who was murdered on his mission in South American. His name is Jeff Ball, if you want to look him up/google him...

He was my younger brother's age, so my brother knew him better, and his older sister was my age, just three years older.

I was just off my mission when it happened...

We attended the same high school and LDS seminary and used to stop off at their small store on the way to our cabin, at least once a month, which was just near the base of the Rockport lake dam, in Utah, so we saw them often..

[FFH]

This one is true and the article appeared in the LDS church news. I saved the article.

St. Louis temple appears to be on fire

The same thing happened to the Kirtland Nauvoo temples, soon after they were first dedicated.

This is not a legend, but a real event...

People passing by thought it was on fire and called the fire department, this can be verified...

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Kungfuzed

I'm sure every church probably has some urban legends, stories of miracles that get passed along and get embellished more and more with each telling. I remember a story of an Elder who tried to give a priesthood blessing to a fence post and was struck by lightning. Or the story of the missionary who was shot but his garments stopped the bullet. I found a website telling a few more stories. Do you ever hear stories being passed along or even preached from the pulpit that set off your BS meter? Does it even matter weather or not it really happened? I mean, as long as it is inspirational it shouldn't matter if it was all made up, right?

What are some of the stories you have heard? Do you think people are just completely making things up, or are any truth at all in urban legends?

There may be some truth behind such legends, but in my opinion, they are probably about 5% true and 95% legend. I'd put them in the same category as many of the miracles, divine manifestations, etc. you find in various other religions, particularly Catholicism. I keep my personal BS meter on a very low setting.