Mark Twain's Autobiography

[HoosierGuy]

I love this story. Mark Twain wrote his autobiography over one hundred years ago and told the publishers not to publish it for one hundred years after his death. Now it's coming out!

It's number one on amazon.com.

Mark Twain's autobiography ? after a century's delay ? becomes a bestseller - CSMonitor.com

Mark Twain completed his autobiography – which he called "a complete and purposed jumble" – more than a century ago. But he told his publishers that they would not be able to publish it till 100 years after his death – which happens to be this year.

[CookieC]

Wow! This is so cool. I hadn't heard about this, so thanks for the heads up. Off to reserve a copy at the library....

[ConquestT4]

Thats kinda crazy..... but hey.... didn't he have some negative things to say about Mormons....

like I think he said..."The book of ether is rightfully named" (ether puts you to sleep) and he said "if you take out 'and it came to pass' from the book of mormon it would be a mere pamphlet."

I like the guy but I'm bitter about those quotes......hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[pam]

Thats kinda crazy..... but hey.... didn't he have some negative things to say about Mormons....

like I think he said..."The book of ether is rightfully named" (ether puts you to sleep) and he said "if you take out 'and it came to pass' from the book of mormon it would be a mere pamphlet."

I like the guy but I'm bitter about those quotes......hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

He did in a commentary called "Roughin It - A Personal Narrative."

[Jamie123]

I must say I've often wondered what all the and-it-came-to-pass's were about.

My two favourite Twainisms:

* Golf is a good walk spoiled.

* A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.

[Wingnut]

Thats kinda crazy..... but hey.... didn't he have some negative things to say about Mormons....

like I think he said..."The book of ether is rightfully named" (ether puts you to sleep) and he said "if you take out 'and it came to pass' from the book of mormon it would be a mere pamphlet."

I like the guy but I'm bitter about those quotes......hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

If you're bitter about such tongue-in-cheek comments as those, you probably need to get out more.

[Just_A_Guy]

like I think he said..."The book of ether is rightfully named" (ether puts you to sleep)

"Chloroform in print", is the way I heard it.

He obviously read 2nd Nephi.

[beefche]

I remember it that way too, JAG. And I also remember hearing he called Mormon wives ugly. Funny man.

[NeuroTypical]

He also is on record for supporting polygamy:

Our stay in Salt Lake City amounted to only two days, and therefore we had no time to make the customary inquisition into the workings of polygamy and get up the usual statistics and deductions preparatory to calling the attention of the nation at large once more to the matter.

I had the will to do it. With the gushing self-sufficiency of youth I was feverish to plunge in headlong and achieve a great reform here, until I saw the Mormon women. Then I was touched. My heart was wiser than my head. It warmed toward these poor, ungainly and pathetically homely creatures, and as I turned to hide the generous moisture in my eyes, I said, "No, the man that marries one of them has done an act of Christian charity which entitles him to the kindly applause of mankind, not their harsh censure, and the man that marries sixty of them has done a deed of open-handed generosity so sublime that the nations should stand uncovered in his presence and worship in silence."

The man was a brilliant humorist.

LM

[ConquestT4]

If you're bitter about such tongue-in-cheek comments as those, you probably need to get out more.

Whoa... I'm not that bitter!

I mean that I don't like "famous people" who criticize the church. I lost some respect for Mark Twain when I heard this. Its like if I were to like a celebrity and I found out the celebrity was pro abortion. How would my thoughts about the person change.

Sorry. I like the Book of Mormon.....????? This doesn't mean I can't appreciate anything about him or any of his work. It doesn't mean I wouldn't read the book. Just I don't think very highly of someone intelligent and recognized when they read something like the Book of Mormon and see it as a thing of naught. I know Twain isn't the only one.

1 Ne. 19: 7, 9

7 For the things which some men esteem to be of great worth, both to the body and soul, others set at anaught and trample under their feet. Yea, even the very God of Israel do men btrample under their feet; I say, trample under their feet but I would speak in other words—they set him at naught, and chearken not to the voice of his counsels.

2 Ne. 28: 16

16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.

I have some people I knew from High School who would use quotes like this from recognized people as authoritative statements. All I am saying is a don't really support anything anti and these comments while maybe intended to be a bit humorous (maybe maybe not) are anti. When people read them before investigating the church they can have a more significant impact on what the person will think of the Book of Mormon. (Mark Twain thought it was boring and worthless>>I like Mark Twain, Mark Twain is intelligent, People respect Mark Twain>>Therefore I will tend to agree with him and think the BOM is boring/worthless).

I just don't want to sympathize with any apostate/ groups/people.

Don't take it tooo seriously^_^

[Wingnut]

Yeah, I still think you need to get out more. And you can probably quit watching TV and movies, because pretty much all celebrities are pro-choice.

[beefche]

just don't want to sympathize with any apostate/ groups/people.

So, because someone disagrees with your religious beliefs, that makes them an apostate? And if you appreciate them for some other reason (good friend, writes good books, is a good actor, etc.) that makes you sympathize with an apostate group? Are you referring to the temple recommend question when you say this? 'Cause I gotta say, that certainly is not my understanding of that question based on personal discussions with at least 3 stake presidents.

[NeuroTypical]

I don't think very highly of someone intelligent and recognized when they read something like the Book of Mormon and see it as a thing of naught.

Well, as a representative of the "intelligent people who read the BoM and spent a portion of their lives seeing it as a thing of naught" club, let me just say that we are trying our best to not take it personally.

Don't take it tooo seriously

I think that's good advice for both of us.

[ConquestT4]

I must say I've often wondered what all the and-it-came-to-pass's were about.

I think some archeologists were doing a study and they were figuring out what some symbols meant down in south or central america. They came upon one symbol and they couldn't figure it out. They brought in some old old native speaker and he looked at the symbol on the wall and said it mean "and it came to pass"

Thats just what I heard. I couldn't tell ya if thats true or not but it sounds good right?

[ConquestT4]

Yeah, I still think you need to get out more. And you can probably quit watching TV and movies, because pretty much all celebrities are pro-choice.

Are you related to Mark Twain or something or are you just in the mood to get mad at someone? We are the same religion... remember? I didn't know I could offend someone so bad by saying I don't like it when famous people say negative things about the Book of Mormon. I never said I hate famous people who don't accept the Book of Mormon. I just don't like their views sometimes.

I need to get out more? Well that's kinda......rude. Aren't we both sitting here in front of the computer on an internet forum?.......not getting out. Would getting out be defined as flipping on the television and finding out more about celebrities and famous people and what their stances are on abortion? I guess I am just not qualified as a human being if I don't know what Brad Pitt's stance on abortion is. That's probably not how you really feel is it? I used abortion as an example. I think you are twisting what I said.

Did I do something to offend you before this? Whats going on????

*Sigh*.....I understand that I probably failed to communicate what I was thinking properly. Bitter is the wrong word.... This is what I was trying to say:

Humorous or not, it makes me sad when negative things are said about the Book of Mormon in society. Its hard to view the Book of Mormon as something special and sacred your whole life and then see someone else who you value in some way as a reasonable intelligent person label it as worthless. I know that's just the reality of things. I feel helpless that I can't make people see things the way they should.

I do understand and can even appreciate the humor in all of Twain's comments. I would be lying if I said I have never joked about anything in the Book of Mormon. Does that make it right to joke about it(The BofM)? Probably not. I don't think anyone can be truly justified in joking about it. But my point is that quotes by famous people influence the people that know them ie. society.

Have Twain's comments on the Book of Mormon helped the word of God spread to all the earth or are there some people that have accepted his statements as being true and have therefore been hindered??? I am almost certain that many people who have read these statement who don't know about the church have been negatively influenced by them in some way. Is that such a stretch? Now, as members I don't think it affects us personally. We can laugh with Twain and just laugh. I know it hasn't negatively affected my testimony!

I'm not as uptight as it may seem. I promise! I am not trying to influence people to hate the man or not read his books/auto-biography. Heck, Id read it. Hes one heck of an interesting and funny guy. I loved Tom Sawyer. I feel like your acting like I'm trying to say Mark Twain is the anti-Christ.........I'm not. Why do people draw conclusions so fast? I guess I didn't realize how "uptight" I must sound with my internet voice.

I say all this because I want to be understood. So please....understand! This is probably overkill.

[ConquestT4]

So, because someone disagrees with your religious beliefs, that makes them an apostate? And if you appreciate them for some other reason (good friend, writes good books, is a good actor, etc.) that makes you sympathize with an apostate group? Are you referring to the temple recommend question when you say this? 'Cause I gotta say, that certainly is not my understanding of that question based on personal discussions with at least 3 stake presidents.

Of course not. I'm on your side. I just didn't express that very well. I feel like everyone is trying to make it seem like I intended something I did not. I guess my humor is not appreciated. In my post before you quoted it there was a smiley face there. I don't know if you took that out or if it just doesn't show up when you quote but there was definitely a face there. It was this one >>>>

Well, as a representative of the "intelligent people who read the BoM and spent a portion of their lives seeing it as a thing of naught" club, let me just say that we are trying our best to not take it personally.

I think that's good advice for both of us.

I'm sorry. Once again thats not exactly what I meant to communicate. I meant it more for high status people. It makes me lose regard for those people are celebrities or famous people. Not look down on them as human beings or souls. On my mission I ran into plenty who wouldn't accept the Book of Mormon. In fact, most didn't. That didn't make me view them as inferior. That would not be Christ-like love, long-suffering, etc. Does that make sense?

Wow... I totally didn't expect any of these responses.

[Wingnut]

I'm neither mad nor offended. And I'm saying that you probably shouldn't be either.

[beefche]

Sometimes, humor is indecipherable in forums. I'm not used to your style of writing or personality yet to determine joking from seriousness. Give us time.

[mordorbund]

Mark Twain made a living from insulting every profession under the sun. It's something of a back-handed compliment that he found Mormons significant enough to turn his pen on.