Mormon mythology

[ozzy]

Hey guys, so I am taking a class in which our next assignment is to bring some of the Mormon myths we have heard to class. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas?

[annamaureen]

I met a guy who literally thought that we sacrified babies in the temple. No idea how he could logically believe that, but there you go.

[pam]

Mormons aren't allowed to dance.

[Tarnished]

Lets see here, these are some of the ones I have heard:

Mormons have horns

Mormons can't use technology or electricity

Of course the old, Mormons have 10 wives

To support Annamaureen's myth there is a story I heard of a woman who broke into the Salt Lake City Temple. According to her she snuck in past the armed guards, and made her way first to the basement where they sacrificed babies, but while she was there she was discovered and was chased through the temple, up through the orgy room and into the upper levels. Finally the woman was able to get away by jumping out an upstairs window and diving into the Great Salt Lake. Now this is quite a feat as the upper windows in the temple do not open and the temple is about 18 miles from the Great Salt Lake. Someone should find that woman and put her in the Olympics!

[ozzy]

Wow. I agree. Anyone who can dive 18 miles has got to head to the olympics. Thanks guys. Keep em comin if you have any more. :)

[Vanhin]

“On the sad character Cain, an interesting story comes to us from Lycurgus A. Wilson’s book on the life of David W. Patten. From the book I quote an extract from a letter by Abraham O. Smoot giving his recollection of David Patten’s account of meeting “a very remarkable person who had represented himself as being Cain.”

‘As I was riding along the road on my mule I suddenly noticed a very strange personage walking beside me… His head was about even with my shoulders as I sat in my saddle. He wore no clothing, but was covered with hair. His skin was very dark. I asked him where he dwelt and he replied that he had no home, that he was a wanderer in the earth and traveled to and fro. He said he was a very miserable creature, that he had earnestly sought death during his sojourn upon the earth, but that he could not die, and his mission was to destroy the souls of men. About the time he expressed himself thus, I rebuked him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the holy priesthood, and commanded him to go hence, and he immediately departed out of my sight…” (Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, pg 127, 1969)

[Snow]

Hey guys, so I am taking a class in which our next assignment is to bring some of the Mormon myths we have heard to class. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas?

Yes, I've heard some myths believed by Mormons:

1. There was a literal flood as described in the Bible.

2. Evolution is incorrect.

3. The Book of Job is literal history.

4. God orders his followers to murder, steal, kidnap, enslave, etc.

[ozzy]

Hmmm, thats an interesting set of myths. Honestly I had never really thought of those. Personally I think there are a number of biblical mistranslations, and at least on some level, evolution is very correct. I will address those in class if given the chance, and we shall see what happens.

I like the Cain story. Its pretty good. You might be surprised the number of variations of it too.

[hordak]

Temple president from (insert town) sees temple lights on about to go check and get call form (GA, Apostle, Prophet) who says don't worry the lords doing his work.

Missionaries run from Gang members in car only to discover when they get to safety the care is missing (tires, battery, engine, alternator).

3 nephites changing tires for stranded Mormons,

We were saved for the last days, and were more valiant

[Jenamarie]

Hey guys, so I am taking a class in which our next assignment is to bring some of the Mormon myths we have heard to class. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas?

I'm 100% for my Visiting Teaching this month!

[bytebear]

Myths:

We stock ammunition for some great war, or to take over the government.

We shower and bathe in our garments, and never take them off ever!

Various garment protection stories.

All Mormons live in Utah

We wear pioneer clothing.

We live in log cabins.

The LA Temple's angel Moroni was installed facing South (as the Temple does) and a nearby non-LDS neighbor said she would join the church the day that angel turned and pointed toward her house. Well, the prophet had the angel rotated so it faced East, and the woman woke up to quite a shocking scene!

[pam]

This thread might also help:

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/23543-ask-mormon.html

[FairChild]

Women wear no makeup and are very plain, dowdy, subserviant and depressed.

[FairChild]

Oh, I forgot, as women we also hate sex, but are forced to have baby after baby.

[The_Seeker]

This website might help:

HolyFetch.com - Mormon Urban Legend and Folklore Site

[nbblood]

The myth that Mormons aren't Christians is the one that really gets me.....I mean, how could somebody from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints possibly believe in Christ?

[Guest mormonmusic]

That Mormons are the same thing as FLDS members.

[Moksha]

That the nude clogging and the Dance of the Lava Lamp occur

simultaneously. They are in truth completely separate.

:)

[Moksha]

That the Book of Mormon specifies the preference of green over

other colors of Jell-O or the same thing with red Kool-Aid. These are

but cultural notions that once practiced, seem to have caught on and

thus became the norm, despite a lack of scriptural specificity.

Of course, why take chances!

[RanMan]

That LDS bathe with their garments on.

[Hemidakota]

Hey guys, so I am taking a class in which our next assignment is to bring some of the Mormon myths we have heard to class. I was wondering if anyone had some ideas?

The Hill of Cumorah [New York State]. Joseph never, ever, called that hill Curmorah. Or stated there was a battled at that sight.

[Wingnut]

Myths:

Various garment protection stories.

While most of the stories related to this topics that we hear probably are myths, they are not all. I won't share it, but my dad had one. I think that for the most part, though, people put too much stock in what is physically speaking, just a piece of fabric.

• We worship Joseph Smith.
• We have sex with dead animals on the altars in our temples (I did actually hear this one in high school).
• A woman fitting a certain profile is passed over one night in a dark alley by a serial rapist, and when he was later questioned as to why, he said that he wouldn't attack her with the three men there (Three Nephites) (or any other variation on the Three Nephites story).
• We think women are inferior.
• We're not allowed to drink caffeine (heehee...I couldn't help it).
• We believe that only Mormons will go to heaven and everyone else will go to hell.
• If you're not Mormon when you die, we'll baptize you anyway after you're dead (the myth part comes into play when people think about corpses).

[Elphaba]

Myths:We shower and bathe in our garments, and never take them off ever!

My pioneer ancestors did bathe in their garments. They would remove one piece, bathe that part of the body, and so forth until washed.

They never took them off ever! And were very proud of it.

Elphaba

[Elphaba]

The Hill of Cumorah [New York State]. Joseph never, ever, called that hill Curmorah. Or stated there was a battled at that sight.

Perhaps not. But every single mention of it I heard, and was taught, as a young girl growing up in the Church referred to the Hill Cumorah in New York State, and that the final battle happened there.

I would not consider that a Mormon myth.

Elphaba

[pam]

Another I've heard is in reference to baptisms for the dead. That we actually baptize the corpse instead of performing it by proxy.

Don't know if that one has been mentioned.