A Google Search of the Modern Day Prophets

[Gabriel]

I was doing a google search on Heber J. Grant to see if I could find a quote from him as regards Japan (ie. that the Japanese would flock to the church in such numbers as to astound the world in the years to come). At any rate, I couldn't find it. I just thought it odd that when I googled "Heber J. Grant", his name came up with the sub-heading "Political Leader" (rather than 6th President of TCOJCOLDS). So I searched the names of all the prophets online to see how they are characterized in Google. This is what I found:

Russell M. Nelson
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Thomas S. Monson
American Religious Leader

Gordon B. Hinckley
American Religious Leader

Howard W. Hunter
American Lawyer

Ezra Taft Benson
American Farmer

Spencer W. Kimball
Business Person

Harold B. Lee
(no further identifying description)

Joseph Fielding Smith
American Writer

David O. McKay
American Educator

George Albert Smith
(no further identifying description)

Heber J. Grant
Political Leader

Lorenzo Snow
Political Leader

Wilford Woodruff
(no further identifying description)

John Taylor
Mormon

Brigham Young
American Religious Leader

Joseph Smith
American Religious Leader


I am sure that I am not the only one to see a curious pattern here: Ezra Taft Benson: American Farmer?!! Spencer W. Kimball: Business Person?!!

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Wow. That's a great find. Anyone know how we can check to see who maintains and edits wiki entries for these folks?

- Doc

[Gabriel]

Wow. That's a great find. Anyone know how we can check to see who maintains and edits wiki entries for these folks?

- Doc

I just googled Dallin Oaks:

Dallin H. Oaks
American Jurist

[Philo Sofee]

Wow. That's a great find. Anyone know how we can check to see who maintains and edits wiki entries for these folks?

- Doc

I just googled Dallin Oaks:

Dallin H. Oaks
American Jurist

This might be a possible demonstration that they see themselves as the world's prophets, but the world certainly doesn't see much prophetic in them... I wonder what they can do to change that perception? Then again, they DO want to be seen as mainstream, so they probably have no legitimate complaint if they are taken as just more of the same, screeching religious people, because they are choosing to be just that, perfectly normal instead of peculiar. There is a price to pay for attempting to mollify the world in order to gain its riches.

[Gabriel]

This might be a possible demonstration that they see themselves as the world's prophets, but the world certainly doesn't see much prophetic in them... I wonder what they can do to change that perception? Then again, they DO want to be seen as mainstream, so they probably have no legitimate complaint if they are taken as just more of the same, screeching religious people, because they are choosing to be just that, perfectly normal instead of peculiar. There is a price to pay for attempting to mollify the world in order to gain its riches.

You're right, Philo. It seems that they don't even wish to appear as religious people: 'Screeching' or otherwise. Rather than ruffle feathers by being hot or cold, they've all opted for what lies behind door number 3.

I just googled the following with these results:

Dieter F. Uchtdorf
German aviator

Jeffrey R. Holland
American educator

Henry B. Eyring
American author

Quentin L. Cook
American lawyer

David A. Bednar
(no further identifiers)

D. Todd Christofferson
American lawyer

Ulisses Soares
Brazilian businessman

M. Russell Ballard
American businessman

Gerrit W. Gong
Author

Gary E. Stevenson
American businessman

[Chap]

Anyone can edit Wikipedia (assuming that is where you found these entries) - give it a try and see what happens ...

[Gabriel]

Anyone can edit Wikipedia (assuming that is where you found these entries) - give it a try and see what happens ...

I hear you, Chap. Obviously, Wikipedia is a free-for-all (like the Gunfight at the OK Corral). However, I was referring to the "Knowledge Panel" which Google provides on the right side of the searched results.

For example, if you do a search on Dieter Uchtdorf you get about 1,420,000 results. But Google provides a summarizing "Knowledge Panel" on the upper right side of the page, with some photos and the caption:

Dieter F. Uchtdorf
German aviator

Although the knowledge panel provides a link to his Wikipedia article (along with a link to his books, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), one can't just unilaterally make edits to the panel itself (or I don't think so, anyway). If the description "German aviator" is perhaps not the first thing that one would think of as regards all things Dieter, one has the option to provide feedback to suggest a more apt description. Nevertheless, it's not my circus, not my monkeys. More power to Dieter for being a German aviator. I would never wish to take that away from him.

[Gabriel]

I tried to see if just anyone can change the information on the Google "Knowledge Panel" for Dieter F. Uchtdorf - German aviator. It appears that the only one who can do this is the one who has access to Dieter's Twitter account:

The following is the screen you have to maneuver through to make changes:

Verify that you represent Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Sign in to one official site/profile below

Twitter · @uchtdorfdf