Darth J wrote:It is proposed that we sustain Thomas S. Monson as prophet, storyteller, and embellisher........
Is lying a sin? I think morally that it is wrong. I think that lying does point to a devious character. Other than the admonition to avoid bearing false witness, I don't find it banned in the Bible, anywhere.
Can we lie without suffering eternal consequences?
This, or any other post that I have made or will make in the future, is strictly my own opinion and consequently of little or no value.
"Faith is believing something you know ain't true" Twain.
Darth J wrote: The one where he put on roller skates and strapped a rocket on his back, but still couldn't catch the roadrunner.
My favorite cartoons! Written both for youngsters and adults. Rocky and Bullwinkle were the same. I'm guessing that the writers were cracking themselves up while coming up with episode ideas.
This, or any other post that I have made or will make in the future, is strictly my own opinion and consequently of little or no value.
"Faith is believing something you know ain't true" Twain.
interested wrote:If the storyteller is telling demonstrable lies while claiming to be prophetically telling the truth, that would tend to undermine any claim to prophetic ability, reliablity or credibility.
Nah, the stories were meant to emphasize a point he was making in a talk rather than being an exposition of a historical event. I see it as being like an inspiring story in Readers Digest or Grimms' Fairy Tales rather than something which would be included in the Columbia Timeline of the World. Why would the story about Jonah and the whale in any way diminish that biblical author's credibility?
sock puppet wrote:Did Jesus fib about facts in the parables?
Great question in light of this current discussion.
But, as far as I know.....Jesus never represented his parables as being the truth, did he? He also never claimed to be the one who was the main character in them (just symbolically). At least these are my impressions. I would love to know other's thoughts on this.
sock puppet wrote:Did Jesus fib about facts in the parables?
You mean was there really a good samaritan? Well, there were undoubtedly Samaritans that were good. Roadside muggings did occur. There were people who professed righteousness but couldn't be bothered to stop and lend a hand. As Dickens would observe, it was a time very much like our own.
So was the story Jesus related an actual event off the Israeli crime blotter? Who knows. What was important was the message that could be gleaned from the tale.
Parables are wonderful. Perhaps we could chat about it further at the Great Banquet. Perhaps we could look for the Lost Attendee. Perhaps then we can help Shine a Lamp on this matter. Till then we can content ourselves with symbolism.
Quasimodo wrote:There are many stories of "Coyote" in Native American mythology (all of them entertaining... very much like Aesop's fables of Fox). Which one are you referring to?
The one where he put on roller skates and strapped a rocket on his back, but still couldn't catch the roadrunner.
LOfreakin'L!
+1 to you, sir.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
jon wrote:I would be very surprised if future General Conference talks by Monson contained errors like those we have seen here. In the end we may well have done him a large favour - probably at the cost of a talk writer or researchers gainful employment.
I agree and I think we may have already seen the caliber of talks Monson will be giving at conference from now on. Ones about miraculous $5.00 bills surviving wash day still in a jean's pocket. The facts on that one are pretty difficult to verify.
not so sure, i expect the critics here to reveal that when TSM was younger he told this same story but spoke of finding a "fin" in his "dungarees", thus revealing his weakness for contemporary colloquialisms and rendering any and all of the CoJCoLDS invalid.
Seek freedom and become captive of your desires...seek discipline and find your liberty I can tell if a person is judgmental just by looking at them what is chaos to the fly is normal to the spider - morticia addams If you're not upsetting idiots, you might be an idiot. - Ted Nugent
Hi subgenius, thanks for posting on the 'thread that won't die'.
It's the good folks like you that keep threads like this going and going and going and going and going and...well, you get my point.
Any way - looks like Monson got caught out on this one - in terms of the OP question "Does Thomas S Monson tell lies...? Kinda looks like it don't ya think?
'Church pictures are not always accurate' (The Nehor May 4th 2011)
Morality is doing what is right, regardless of what you are told. Religion is doing what you are told, regardless of what is right.
People who tune into GC are generally believers already.
When TSM is at the podium, they believe they are hearing from a man to whom god funnels his messages to the rest of us. I.e., god's prophet.
Does one who is already held in such high regard really need to embellish the facts of a story to drive home a point to the LDS faithful listening in?
Wouldn't just telling the GC congregation that they should spiritually minister with other people they know to be in need be enough? Or a simple declarative statement to the GC congregation that after death, we will again have the companionship of those that have died before us?
What is the need for these stories in the first place, whether true or untrue?
If I recall correctly, BRM was not much of a story teller, but a dispenser of doctrine, boldly declared. Now I realize that BRM has been downplayed by the GAs and especially the mopologists since his death, but BRM was a religious leader who did not need the crutch of telling stories to be taken seriously. From those sermons of JSJr that I've read, such as the King Follett sermon (4/7/1844 at JSJr's last GC) or that famous/infamous one aboard the Maid of Iowa on Sunday, 6/26/1844 just weeks before his death, there was not such story telling. There was doctrine dispensing.
Maybe the storytelling points up more that the COJCOLDS has run out of doctrine to preach, more than it points out that Dunn, TSM, and others tell a fib or two here and there.