Critical Analysis of Certain Apocryphal Reports in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

74 Pages·2017·3.8 MB·English

BBrriigghhaamm YYoouunngg UUnniivveerrssiittyy
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Theses and Dissertations
1971
CCrriittiiccaall AAnnaallyyssiiss ooff CCeerrttaaiinn AAppooccrryypphhaall RReeppoorrttss iinn tthhee CChhuurrcchh ooff
JJeessuuss CChhrriisstt ooff LLaatttteerr--DDaayy SSaaiinnttss AAss RReellaatteedd BByy MMeemmbbeerrss ooff tthhee
CChhuurrcchh
Don L. Penrod
Brigham Young University - Provo
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Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of
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BBYYUU SScchhoollaarrssAArrcchhiivvee CCiittaattiioonn
Penrod, Don L., "Critical Analysis of Certain Apocryphal Reports in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
Day Saints As Related By Members of the Church" (1971). Theses and Dissertations. 5028.
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apocryphal
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OOPF CERTAIN REPORTS IN THE
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LLAATTTTEERRDDAAYY SAINTS AS
RELATED BY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH
2
L
thesis
A
presented to
the
history
department of church doctrine
and
university
brigham young
parrttial
pa ffuullffiillment
in a bulf lammeenntt
1 1
1
of the requirements ffoorr the degree
arts
master
of
by
pen
penrod
don L rod
august
1971
TABLE OF CONTENTS
page
chapter
introduction
1
1
0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
statement of the problem
1
0 0 0 0
purpose
of the study
2
0 0 a 0 0 a 0 0 0 0
Is
procedure
method of 3
delimitation the study
of 4
e a
sources stories
of
5
0 0 0 0 0
manifestations
2 SPIRITUAL 6
a
0 0 0
41
appointed leaders personal revelations
and 6
cciirrccuullaattei
circulation sensationalism
of
on 15
criteria guidelines
and 19
a
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 VARIOUS STORIES AND ACCOUNTS 26
0 0 0
storage
food 26
0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0
patriarchal
blessings
3313
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
stories
various
33
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
white indians
36
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10
4 ERROR IN PRINT 39
0 0 a 0 a 0 0 a 0 0 0 0 0 0
publications
scope
within the
of the church 39
0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
sarver story
my ccoonnvveerrssiioonns the 40
a
0 0 0 0 9
hope of zion 42
5 46
HORSES AND PROPHECY
0 0 0 0 0 0
hhoorrsseesshhooeepprroopphheeccyy
46
the wwhhhhiiittteeehhoorrssee prophecy
50
at conclusions
66 t 63
a
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
41
bibliography
67
0 0 0 0
iliiil
chapter
I
11
introduction
statement of the problem
jesus christ llaatttteerrday ssaaiinnttss1i
in the church of of day
there exists a seemingly endless stream of sensational
stories about church leaders historical events vvvilisesiiioonnssy
prophecies and happenings which are supposed to have taken
place yet which unofficial sources such stories
come from
auxiliary
are perpetuated in classes of the church priesth-
ood pulpit visits
qquuoorruummss addresses from the of home
teachers study groups in casual conversation they
and
are circulated through duplicated ditto
by word of mouth
spirit
process or typewritten
mimeographed handwritten
sheets in published pamphlets
and books and
the claimed source of information by the person
relating the story iiss usually a relative a good or close
friend neighbor or
a even a ccoowwoorrkkeerr of some church
authority to
the event supposedly happened other
whom
it
times is a phantom stake or ward ooffffiicceerr who was supposed
yet
to hav inquiry
havee made the announcement yets upon the
person relating the story often cannot single out
and
identify specifically
the individual the
would be
who
thereafter
to
referred as the church
I
1
2
story
authentic source of information for the
this type story is as supple-
of sometimes used
mentary material to an approved course outline without being
airrsstt
it
first
investigated ffirse noott until later is to
and n found be
inaccurate or completely untrue 2 the incorporation of such
stories into the lesson is usually all the authority needed
sor
ffoorr future use by class such stories whether
members
presented by the teacher or a class oofftteenn go
member
it
present at is
unchallenged by those the time voiced
it
sear
apparently ffoorr ffeeaarr that the questioning of might
be
aailtthh
misconstrued as backbiting or displaying fffaailtthh
a lack of
are
some authors of the church have
who members
gathered and published a number of accounts and stories
little
yet
questionable they
which have and documentation
present stories positive attempt to
these iinn a manner and
substantiate while omitting apparently ignoring
them and
statements evidence indicating that these stories
and same
it
are unreliable garbled or false seems that both sides
to story
need be presented in order that one might weigh the
accurately
stua
ppuurpose
study
rrose of the sskhuudmy
the purpose of this study is to attempt to the
do
sort
following fact fiction in currently circu-
from
1
lated reports stories unofficial sources
and from
2don penrod be not dDeecceeivivededy impact wwweeeeeekkrdddaaay
M
religious quart iilliip 0
quarterly tIiIlIs
education no summer
111 4 ummer 1970 38
380
j
3
investigate authority
the basis of for accounts
some
2
ascer-
circulated in printed
by word of mouth and form 3
tain the official position of the church on a given story
establish to publicize
the order of the church used
4
information accounts events
and of
procedure
method of
as the material in this study deals with
inasmuch in
religious experience doctrine wvwwiiiitttthhhhiiinnnttthhheee organized
and
structu
structurree authoritative will
of the church the approach be
their
used of the cchhuurrcchhy in an expression of free
members
0
raise
agency within the bounds of the law of common consent
their right to square significant
the in demonstration
hand a
their willingness to accept leadership pre-
of the of those
sented for their sustaining vote after such an expression
the is obligated to support follow the sustained
member and
authority
leader within the scope and of his ooffffiiccee
inextricably
connected with that vote of
common
godf3
thata
consent are the beliefs bthhaatt a must called of god
man be
in order to serve in the offices of the cchhuurrcchhy a very
definite order exists within those offices and a very
select group of men aaarrreeevs in tttrrruuutththhys prophets seers and
9
revelators for the church as a whole one of these men
at living
stands the head of the church as the oracle or
suchbeing
mouthpiece of god such being the case the exhortation
particles
3articles
articles faith jesus christ
of of the church of of
latterday
latter saints fifth article
day
4
to follow the brethren will be observed in this study
st
delimitation of the study
this thesis is limited to selected
a number of
it
stories in order that be completed an abundance of
stories to available investigation
seem be and an and
fill
all years
treatment of of them might of time and
volumes of pages stories of the supposed appearance of the
three nephhiitteess or john the purposely
Nep beloved have been
itself
avoided as that area would constitute a thesis in
originally
attempt to trace stories
an was made some
to their inception that
back but approach was abandoned
first
largely firsts
because of three problems many people could
it
story
not they the or told
remember where heard
who
their
sseeccoonndds some people did not want name connected with
investigation
study that written
an and would be and would
refrain giving their third
source information thirds
from of
story
vvaarriioouuss people referred to as the relator of a would
disavow any relationship to the story under any of these
particular
that
circumstances chain of reference would be
broken
is
an exhaustive study is not intended nor presented
each of the stories treated herein only brief
on a back-
is
ground presented iinn most cases with the most attention
given to statements that help establish acceptable
would how
story
the might
be
5
sources stories
of
stories were gathered ffrroomm oral and written sources
at
the oral sources most generally were speakers the various
meetings of the church sundry individuals during ssmmaallllggrroouupp
friendly
conversations and personal informants who have
sought out the author the wwrriitatttteeennn ones have ccoamnee ffsrrrooommm
ppuubblliished letters
bubli shed books and pamphlets personal and xxeerrooxxeeddp
eds
mimeographed or typewritten pages gathered the author
by
9
chapter
2
manifestations
SPIRITUAL
ft
apppooiinntteedd leaders
and
personal rreevveellaaftiloonnss
it
is said that the true church of christ has always
its
had as one of distinguishing marks the presence of
spiritual gifts
jesus
that
manifestations promised
and
bbeelliieevvveeeddd11ii
signs follow that bbbbeeeellliiilleeeeved they the
would them and would do
still
greater
that things 2 so that
works he had done and
there order in the church that lucifer
would be and would
pseudossppiirrriiitttuuuaaalll
not run rampant with his deceptions of pseudo spi
set
manifestations the lord up his governmental systems
it
within the kingdom simply stated is that there are
iarrsstt
first spiritual gifts
f apostles prophets
and aaannnaadys second
ands
it
the apostle paul explained this
way
wwaayyst
firrsstt
and god hath set some iinn the cchhuurrcchhy f i apostles
secondarily pprroopphheetst thirdly teachers after that
sp
gifts healing
miracles healings helps governments
then of st
diversities
tongues 3
of
paul later told the saints at ephesus that one of the
reasons jesus put such officers in the church wwaasss
iammaarrkk 1617
ark
11889
2ajjoohhnn
1412
ohn
3 italics
31 corinthians 1228
added
6
7
that henceforth be no more children tossed to
we
and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine
sleight
by the of cunning craftiness whereby
men and ctnina g
coning
9
lie
they in wait to deceive
is
there no mistaking the warning and need to follow the
appointed leadership therein lies the
of the church one of
greatest
greatestcchhaalllleennggeess to the saints to receive a very real
it
experienc authorities
experiences have declared by one of the church
ei
as contrary to the principles practices of the kingdom
and
it it it
and to then let go of and turn away ffrroomm seems
it
hard to let go sometimes is heard sssaaaiildddt I sustain
t1t
president
ssooandssoo or the general authorities with all of
and
hert
herh
my hearts but I1 know what I1 know
man claimed he was visited by one of the three
A
nephhiitteess president fielding
sought out joseph smith then
Nep and
acting president of the quorum of the twelve to tell him the
story president
smith speaking in general conference on
said
october
1943
3
it
aafftteerr listening to patiently until
he had
if
finished I said to him tif you have had a vision or
1 atif
it it
manifestation is your duty to to yourself
keep
iltt
is repeat
O0 not ffoorr the church and I1 advise you not to
it
its I hardly think that was the counsel he was seeking
1
experiences vere being
on another occasion such were
when
it
president
discussed was mentioned that smith and
M
11
0
those that have followed him have indicated that such
e4epphheessiiaannss 44111114
14
5ajjoosseepphh fielding
joseph smith vViissioionns
of dreams and si t
M
era
improvement november 1943 p 666