LDS Urban Legends

[omega0401]

If this has been posted in another forum, my apologies. I just discovered a website for urban legends on LDS stories, true or false.

One story that you hear often is about Elvis Presley owning a copy of the Book of Mormon. Well this site has a YouTube video of Alan Osmond talking about that very story and it is true. What he talked about was interesting especially how Elvis felt about Lisa Marie and the Book of Mormon.

There are other stores both true and false that you might find interesting. The web site is located at here.

It might be a good source to remember in case you come across an unusual story that you need to verify.

[talisyn]

Cool site, thanks! The one about Cain was weird, though.

[Generally_Me]

Thank you; I will have a lot of fun browsing, I'm sure!

[Seanette]

Cool site, thanks! The one about Cain was weird, though.

Certainly new to me, and, uh, shall we say, "creative".

[Wingnut]

I read about the Cain theory years ago. As stated on that website, it's discussed quite plainly (albeit briefly) in President Kimball's The Miracle of Forgiveness. The account is given secondhand, quoting from a journal of someone early in the Church. It's just a description, that many people have associated with the mythical Bigfoot or Sasquatch.

[farmer]

Bigfoots mythical?

[Moksha]

Glen Beck did not really carve the Grand Canyon with his tears

[hordak]

This one is true.

"During the Vietnam War, a group of soldiers were ambushed. Fire was exchanged and during it all, a young LDS soldier was hit in the chest. The others had no choice but to retreat, leaving their friend's body in the tall grass. Later that night, back at the camp, they saw a figure moving towards them. One of the soldiers yelled out, "Who goes there?" Out of the shadows stumbled the LDS soldier. The group stood in disbelief, wanting to know how he survived. The LDS soldier reached into his jacket and pulled out a pocket version Book of Mormon with a bullet lodged in it. Holding it high in the air he exclaimed, "Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets through Second Nephi!"

[rockwoodchev]

This one is true.

"During the Vietnam War, a group of soldiers were ambushed. Fire was exchanged and during it all, a young LDS soldier was hit in the chest. The others had no choice but to retreat, leaving their friend's body in the tall grass. Later that night, back at the camp, they saw a figure moving towards them. One of the soldiers yelled out, "Who goes there?" Out of the shadows stumbled the LDS soldier. The group stood in disbelief, wanting to know how he survived. The LDS soldier reached into his jacket and pulled out a pocket version Book of Mormon with a bullet lodged in it. Holding it high in the air he exclaimed, "Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets through Second Nephi!"

Told and Reported by Elder Paul H. Dunn

[a-train]

Christians tell that story all of the time, but it was a Bible and the bullet dented the word "God".

My favorite Mormon legend is the one about the temple worker who stops the session to ask someone to leave. Nobody leaves so he says "I don't want to point you out but your sin deals with chastity." After a woman leaves the session goes one and the teller always claims the spirit then finally entered. This either has happened on some regular basis, or is a widely circulated legend.

-a-train

[Mahone]

Christians tell that story all of the time, but it was a Bible and the bullet dented the word "God".

My favorite Mormon legend is the one about the temple worker who stops the session to ask someone to leave. Nobody leaves so he says "I don't want to point you out but your sin deals with chastity." After a woman leaves the session goes one and the teller always claims the spirit then finally entered. This either has happened on some regular basis, or is a widely circulated legend.

-a-train

I doubt very much this is true. To my knowledge, the temple workers have no authority to kick people out of the session, they'd need to get authorisation from the temple president first and that is only if they are continuously doing something wrong during the session (e.g. reading a book) and ignoring warnings.

As far as I know, entering the temple is all about honesty on the part of the person receiving the recommend or if the bishop/stake president has evidence which suggests a person is lying.

Many, many unworthy people have entered the temples over the years - some of them I know personally and know why they should not have been in there. None of them have ever been kicked out. And if it really is true that the spirit will leave the temple if someone unworthy is in there, I would suggest that the spirit isn't very often there, particularly on Saturdays when people tend to come in social groups (there is pressure on them to get temple recommends then, even if they aren't worthy).

[talisyn]

Christians tell that story all of the time, but it was a Bible and the bullet dented the word "God".

My favorite Mormon legend is the one about the temple worker who stops the session to ask someone to leave. Nobody leaves so he says "I don't want to point you out but your sin deals with chastity." After a woman leaves the session goes one and the teller always claims the spirit then finally entered. This either has happened on some regular basis, or is a widely circulated legend.

-a-train

This is horrible!!!

[Wingnut]

This one is true.

"During the Vietnam War, a group of soldiers were ambushed. Fire was exchanged and during it all, a young LDS soldier was hit in the chest. The others had no choice but to retreat, leaving their friend's body in the tall grass. Later that night, back at the camp, they saw a figure moving towards them. One of the soldiers yelled out, "Who goes there?" Out of the shadows stumbled the LDS soldier. The group stood in disbelief, wanting to know how he survived. The LDS soldier reached into his jacket and pulled out a pocket version Book of Mormon with a bullet lodged in it. Holding it high in the air he exclaimed, "Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets through Second Nephi!"

I've always heard that the bullet lodges at Helaman 16:2:

2 But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows.

In fact, I think LDS author Chris Heimerdinger even uses that in one of his adventure books (but it's an arrow, not a bullet).

[Seanette]

I'd heard the bullet story told about missionaries in a rough neighborhood.

[FlaviusHambonius]

Told and Reported by Elder Paul H. Dunn

That would be inacurate to say, since Hordak said that 'This is true'

I remember listening to the tapes of Paul Dunn while in Seminary classes in High School in about 1974, and it was facinating to hear about his so-called war stories.

Then in the late 80's I remember going to hear him speak in the Ogden Tabernacle and was again facinated.

Only a short time later did all of the 'embellishing' reports come out.

If I recall correctly Paul H. Dunn also indicated that he had played proffesional Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals for a short time---there is no record of it, as far as I know.

So obviously, there is a lot of 'urban legend' about Paul H. Dunn or should I say 'was'

[pam]

I'd heard the bullet story told about missionaries in a rough neighborhood.

I've heard it too but it was set in WWII.

[Moksha]

I've heard it too but it was set in WWII.

Those were the days, eh Pam?

[pam]

Oh NOT you too Moksha. Have you been hanging out with Pale and Ben?

[Moksha]

Not to worry, I have seen a lot of birthdays go by too.