Backroads Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 I start this as a more fun than serious topic, let's see where that goes.Our religion does not seem to be one that is attached to random sacred relics, but do we ever get funny about certain things?Example: when I was student-teaching I admired this large basket my mentor kept some reading books in. I asked where she got it and she replied Gordon B. Hinckley had sent it hee way, figuring it could be useful in a classroom (her husband was one of his personal security). For a moment I was shocked a basket touched by the prophet was holding sight word readers.Yesterday I ran into a kid attached to a cap he had received from Elder Bednar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Certain myths...Such as the sword of laban.Probably the temples themselves come closest to being a holy relic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laniston Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Isn't the podium in the conference center made from a tree from President Hinckley's property? You could say everyone who speaks from that podium has to pass what they say through Pres. Hinckley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Yeah, I basically agree with the OP. I think we keep Joseph Smith's pistol in a museum somewhere, maybe in Nauvoo. Not exactly holy relic status. We've got scripture about the location of Eden, and where a prophesied temple must be built, and the hill Cumorah, but those places don't seem to hold as much importance in most of our minds as, say, Jerusalem or the tomb we think might have been Christ's. We don't exactly require pilgrimages to Joseph's grave or Carthage or whatnot. I mean, a lot of us (including me) have been to church history sites, but when I stand next to a Muslim and ask him about Mecca, there's quite a bit of difference between his response about his places, and mine about mine. Blackmarch and Backroads 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Certain myths...Such as the sword of laban. The sword of Laban is a myth? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 There is, of course, the seer stone that the church supposedly keeps in it's vaults somewhere. Backroads 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
char713 Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 My dad has kept at least one copy of every church manual that has ever been issued to him. When I was still living at home one of his favorite FHE lesson ideas was to compare and contrast things like the old and new For the Strength of Youth pamphlets. I offered to give him my copy of the fairly new Nursery handbook, he wasn't interested because there's nothing older to compare it to. Backroads and NeuroTypical 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdowis Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) My Catholic friend asks, "Why don't Mormons use the cross?" "Well, we don't use the cross, but we do have the Angel Moroni. Not only on temples, but also on tie pins." Edited August 2, 2015 by cdowis Backroads 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 I have a original stone from the Nauvoo Temple ..... It's in our flower garden. If it ever turns up missing I will start checking all the members homes first. Blackmarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james12 Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 I have a original stone from the Nauvoo Temple ..... It's in our flower garden. If it ever turns up missing I will start checking all the members homes first.In the garden, that's not even close to a relic. Now my piece of original Nauvoo Temple stone is mounted and displayed on the top of my book cases! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 Actually the church does keep sacred relics. Many are put on display - for example the original 12 Arnold Friberg Book of Mormon painting that were commissioned for the primary 50 year celebration are displayed in a special room for that purpose at the conference center. Some are not put on general display but are kept in special vaults in the basement of the old Church Office building. An example is the death mask of Joseph and his brother Hyrum. Some are in the hands of the Reorganized Church that has now been renamed to the "Community of Christ" - or something like that. An example is the original manuscripts for the Book of Mormon - unfortunately this sacred relic was hidden by Ema and others - in the grave of Joseph Smith and mostly destroyed by time and age. Some still remain under the control of prominent LDS families. An example is an original official distribution of the Rules of the United Order that remains with my family now under the watchful control of my brother. Who intended to donate this to the Church when objected and threatened law suit by other family members -- that we are waiting to all die off (only one left). Some are completely bogus - An example is the White Salamander letter falsely uncovered by Mark Hoffman. One rather strange and odd thing I find about sacred relics is that in all history the saints have never been able to preserve and save any original manuscripts of scriptures - only parts of scripture like the manifesto on polygamy and the recent declarations -- all basically very recent and hardly more then just 100 years old. Blackmarch and Backroads 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted August 2, 2015 Report Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) In the garden, that's not even close to a relic. Now my piece of original Nauvoo Temple stone is mounted and displayed on the top of my book cases! :)That depends ..... It's a relic in my eyes and that's all that matters .....Lol!!!! Edited August 2, 2015 by Palerider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdowis Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Regarding Adam's altar at Adam-ondi-ahman== was told in my church history class that the stones have eventually been taken away. From time to time, the church replaces the stones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 (edited) The sword of Laban is a myth? :)that the church (on earth) still has posession of it. Edited August 3, 2015 by Blackmarch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridagal Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Interesting stuff! (sorry nothing more to add. Just enjoying this topic.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 I love going thru some of the homes in Nauvoo and looking at things that actually belonged to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapikui Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 Actually the church does keep sacred relics. Many are put on display - for example the original 12 Arnold Friberg Book of Mormon painting that were commissioned for the primary 50 year celebration are displayed in a special room for that purpose at the conference center. Some are not put on general display but are kept in special vaults in the basement of the old Church Office building. An example is the death mask of Joseph and his brother Hyrum. Some are in the hands of the Reorganized Church that has now been renamed to the "Community of Christ" - or something like that. An example is the original manuscripts for the Book of Mormon - unfortunately this sacred relic was hidden by Ema and others - in the grave of Joseph Smith and mostly destroyed by time and age. Some still remain under the control of prominent LDS families. An example is an original official distribution of the Rules of the United Order that remains with my family now under the watchful control of my brother. Who intended to donate this to the Church when objected and threatened law suit by other family members -- that we are waiting to all die off (only one left). Some are completely bogus - An example is the White Salamander letter falsely uncovered by Mark Hoffman. One rather strange and odd thing I find about sacred relics is that in all history the saints have never been able to preserve and save any original manuscripts of scriptures - only parts of scripture like the manifesto on polygamy and the recent declarations -- all basically very recent and hardly more then just 100 years old. I'm not sure I would classify any of these as a sacred relic so much as an historically important item. Any good artwork by a famous individual is at a bare mininmum valuable. Original BoM manuscripts would likewise be historically important in much the same way that an original Shakespear manuscript would be. I'm not sure that the Church puts much emphasis on such things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 I'm not sure I would classify any of these as a sacred relic so much as an historically important item. Any good artwork by a famous individual is at a bare mininmum valuable. Original BoM manuscripts would likewise be historically important in much the same way that an original Shakespear manuscript would be. I'm not sure that the Church puts much emphasis on such things. I agree. We are not a Church of sacred relics (though I have to admit that the genuflection, literal and figurative, toward the "Sacred Grove" comes close). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted August 3, 2015 Report Share Posted August 3, 2015 In times past, canes made with wood from one of Joseph Smith's coffins--or with a branch from the tree that stood in for the Tree of Life in the Nauvoo Temple's garden room--were perceived as having healing qualities. See here. Backroads and Blackmarch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeuroTypical Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 Huh - current news seems to be turning this thread on its head. SLTribune: Mormon church releases photos of ‘seer stone’ used by founder Joseph Smith Backroads and Blackmarch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie123 Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Huh - current news seems to be turning this thread on its head. SLTribune: Mormon church releases photos of ‘seer stone’ used by founder Joseph Smith I can better imagine Joseph Smith putting that stone into a top hat and looking at it than using it as a spectacle lens. A Mormon missionary once assured me that the "stone-in-hat" story was an invention of South Park. When I pointed out that it predated South Park by quite a long spell, he still insisted it was false. Blackmarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I'd like to see a baseball glove the prophets used as kids. I think that would be so cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I can better imagine Joseph Smith putting that stone into a top hat and looking at it than using it as a spectacle lens. Wait! Are you certain it was a "top" hat? We don't want to be perpetuating falsehoods here. Because down the road someone may find out that the hat was actually a cowboy hat and lose their testimonies. Jedi_Nephite, Blackmarch, Jamie123 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmarklin Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) My Catholic friend asks, "Why don't Mormons use the cross?" We don't use the cross in the sense that Catholics do. ie. Having a piece of the true cross in a place of prominence in any of our churches and other public buildings. I've seen several of these pieces BTW. Unlike us, the Catholic churches are mostly open daily to worshipers. In that sense there are AFAIK no relics in any of our churches. Edited August 11, 2015 by mrmarklin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 I'm pretty sure that if we (the LDS church) pulled an Indiana Jones and found the Ark of the Covenant, we'd consider it a sacred relic. Bum ba dump dum. Bum ba daaa. Wait...why does Indy have claws? Jamie123 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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