New thoughts on Boyd Packer's "Salt Story."

[_deacon blues]

I was pondering Elder Packer's story of his encounter with an atheist on a plane. Essentially, Elder Packer tells his traveling companion, "I have a special (magical) way of knowing the truth that you cannot deny or disprove, any more than you can explain salt to a person who has never tasted it." Supposedly, this stymied the atheist. I was comparing this story to the invisible pink dragon that I have on my shoulder, and I thought, "What's the difference?

I'm sure that many of you have already considered your own interpretations of this story, but I often look for ways to simplify concepts so God's favorites might see them from my viewpoint. Any thoughts on this?

[_sock puppet]

I have to hand it to Boyd. He took his own brand of being a putz to new heights.

[_Maksutov]

It's an argument that could be used to justify every cult that was ever created. And probably has. To say that your subjective experience trumps all else is to admit an infinite flood of paranormal nonsense. History is my witness.

[_I have a question]

If not being able to explain what salt taste like is support for spiritual belief, is not being able to explain how to reliably identify the promptings of the spirit support for belief in salt?

“If I can’t explain what salt tastes like your church is true? Have I got that about right?”

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Wouldn't salt, you know, taste salty? Bitter? Or it tastes like the ocean? Or briny? Or biting, puckery, savory, zesty, piquant? Or it tastes like one's tears?

There's dozens of descriptors that could be used to describe salt.

I dunno. If you have to describe your faith as an indescribable feeling then we're back to personal subjectivity and it's a useless analogy.

- Doc

[_zeezrom]

I think it would have been cooler had he used glycyrrhiza glabra or black licorice for the analogy. I mean, not only is the taste very distinct and unique, but it is not enjoyed by everyone. Some people really like it and other don't. It also belongs in certain things and not others. This has many similarities to Mormonism. Only certain people like it and you can't apply it to every aspect of your life. You should pick and choose the few parts of your life that you can tolerate the religion in. For example, you don't want to put black licorice taste in your delicious chicken and dumplings because that's nasty. Similarly, you don't want to mix Mormonism with healthy romantic relationships. You have to limit what you use the religion for just like the way we limit what we eat black licorice with.

And Boyd could still use the analogy. How would you describe the taste of black licorice if you had never tasted fennel, that Italian drink, or the candy before?

[_karl61]

I wonder during the time Boyd Packer was an LDS apostle, how many times a thought popped into the mind of a non Mormon, who devised a way to test it, did everything he or she could do to falsify it, but still could not; then published it and invited learned people in that field to try and prove it wrong, but they couldn't and it stands today as truth, and is taught at BYU.

[_bcuzbcuz]

I was pondering Elder Packer's story of his encounter with an atheist on a plane. Essentially, Elder Packer tells his traveling companion, "I have a special (magical) way of knowing the truth that you cannot deny or disprove, any more than you can explain salt to a person who has never tasted it." Supposedly, this stymied the atheist. I was comparing this story to the invisible pink dragon that I have on my shoulder, and I thought, "What's the difference?

I'm sure that many of you have already considered your own interpretations of this story, but I often look for ways to simplify concepts so God's favorites might see them from my viewpoint. Any thoughts on this?

Salt has the exact same taste as licking your own armpits. It is the same taste for every single person on the earth. Problem solved.

[_deacon blues]

I have read a TBM respond to a criticism by saying "if you have not experienced the Spirit, you cannot understand what I'm saying, just as a Spiritual experience can't be explained to one who hasn't felt the Spirit."

I'm reminded of a talk on "The Light of Christ" by Marion Romney in 1977. He essentially says that everyone born into the world is enlightened by the "Light of Christ." (see: D&C 84:46) If this is true, then Packer's metaphor does not apply, since everyone, at some point, has experienced the Light/Spirit.

So, if a TBM says "you have not experienced what I have" he/she would be contradicting D&C 84:46.

[_Tator]

Salt has the exact same taste as licking your own armpits. It is the same taste for every single person on the earth. Problem solved.

Sometimes pure simplicity is really humorous, thanx.