Since the "crash" on Wall Street and the "world financial crisis", I keep seeing and getting more and more "stuff" that is attributed to someone in the church somewhere. Often, they seem to be "friend of a friend" stories - always a dead give-away that something's not quite right. The other day in church, it was a talk circulating the internet by Elder Packer given in his home ward. My baloney detector went up because it was A) a talk give during testimony meeting and B) a full-on transcript of a talk. I wondered why he would give a written, prepared talk during testimony meeting. It was very "end of the world". Well, apparently, the talk DID happen but it was "off the cuff". The transcript circulating is someone's notes from the talk and there is a lot of "interpretation" in the notes that wasn't quite the way it was.
Then I ran across this letter. I remember them reading this because I was like, "WOW! People do that?" Well, the internet was in it's infancy back then. I was amazed when President Hinckley died to find out that my friend in Australia found out about it nearly at the same time I did - just minutes after he passed away. And all the church and Utah news sites were crashed with people trying to find out more.
The internet has given us the ability to communicate instantly with one another. And that means the ability to instantly pass on something that we have not taken the time to verify.
This talk has been posted on hundreds of blogs just like this one - usually with some commentary by the blogger that he/she pledges to change their life because of the great calamity that Elder Packer said was coming.
These were comments to his HOME WARD, not the whole church. This is not prophecy. This is a man stating his opinion to his ward in a testimony meeting. I have heard that the church is aware of the fact that this is going all over the place and is not happy, nor is President Packer. But, I have not verified that fact - so again, it's rumor.
It's too bad talks from conference aren't being posted on blogs everywhere. with blogger renewing their desire to "stand a little taller" in their callings and their faith.
The lesson here is to be cautious about hitting FORWARD whenever you receive stuff like this. The notes of this talk, if taken out of context and twisted, could do more harm than good as we are made out to look like a bunch of Kool-Aid drinkers who are waiting for the mother-ship to come pick us up before the world blows up.
I received a similar email a few weeks ago where a regular member of the church claims to have received prophecy about the Wall Street Crash in a vision. It was totally bizarre, but again, it went all over the place as THE TRUTH.
May 13, 2004
To: General Authorities; Area Authority Seventies; Stake, Mission, and
District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents
(To be read in sacrament meeting)
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Statements Attributed to Church Leaders
From time to time statements are circulated among members which are inaccurately attributed to the leaders of the Church. Many such statements distort current Church teachings and are often based on rumors and innuendos. They are never transmitted officially, but by word of mouth, e-mail, or other informal means.
We encourage members of the Church to never teach or pass on such statements without verifying that they are from approved sources, such as official statements, communications, and publications. Any notes made when General Authorities, Area Authority Seventies, or other general Church officers speak at regional and stake conferences or other meetings should not be distributed without the consent of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual use only.
True spiritual growth is based on studying the scriptures, the teachings of the Brethren, and Church publications.
Sincerely your brethren,
Gordon B. Hinckley
Thomas S. Monson
James E. Faust
EDITED:
Mark just got an email from our Stake President which was from our regional rep specifically regarding the email about Elder Packer's talk. It quoted the letter above. Interesting....
Then I ran across this letter. I remember them reading this because I was like, "WOW! People do that?" Well, the internet was in it's infancy back then. I was amazed when President Hinckley died to find out that my friend in Australia found out about it nearly at the same time I did - just minutes after he passed away. And all the church and Utah news sites were crashed with people trying to find out more.
The internet has given us the ability to communicate instantly with one another. And that means the ability to instantly pass on something that we have not taken the time to verify.
This talk has been posted on hundreds of blogs just like this one - usually with some commentary by the blogger that he/she pledges to change their life because of the great calamity that Elder Packer said was coming.
These were comments to his HOME WARD, not the whole church. This is not prophecy. This is a man stating his opinion to his ward in a testimony meeting. I have heard that the church is aware of the fact that this is going all over the place and is not happy, nor is President Packer. But, I have not verified that fact - so again, it's rumor.
It's too bad talks from conference aren't being posted on blogs everywhere. with blogger renewing their desire to "stand a little taller" in their callings and their faith.
The lesson here is to be cautious about hitting FORWARD whenever you receive stuff like this. The notes of this talk, if taken out of context and twisted, could do more harm than good as we are made out to look like a bunch of Kool-Aid drinkers who are waiting for the mother-ship to come pick us up before the world blows up.
I received a similar email a few weeks ago where a regular member of the church claims to have received prophecy about the Wall Street Crash in a vision. It was totally bizarre, but again, it went all over the place as THE TRUTH.
May 13, 2004
To: General Authorities; Area Authority Seventies; Stake, Mission, and
District Presidents; Bishops and Branch Presidents
(To be read in sacrament meeting)
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Statements Attributed to Church Leaders
From time to time statements are circulated among members which are inaccurately attributed to the leaders of the Church. Many such statements distort current Church teachings and are often based on rumors and innuendos. They are never transmitted officially, but by word of mouth, e-mail, or other informal means.
We encourage members of the Church to never teach or pass on such statements without verifying that they are from approved sources, such as official statements, communications, and publications. Any notes made when General Authorities, Area Authority Seventies, or other general Church officers speak at regional and stake conferences or other meetings should not be distributed without the consent of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual use only.
True spiritual growth is based on studying the scriptures, the teachings of the Brethren, and Church publications.
Sincerely your brethren,
Gordon B. Hinckley
Thomas S. Monson
James E. Faust
EDITED:
Mark just got an email from our Stake President which was from our regional rep specifically regarding the email about Elder Packer's talk. It quoted the letter above. Interesting....
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3 comments:
Thanks for sharing this. I got that forward about President Packer's talk and I immediately thought that even if that talk were true, people would be quoting someone's notes from it. Probably better to use wisdom before forwarding.
.........but on the other hand, did this "quote" edify anyone? Did it make someone stop and think? Did it make someone recommit to being a better person? Did it wake up anyone to the fact that perhaps now was the time to get their emergency preparedness in order? I know that others have told me that this is so...so if it helped someone who needed help, so be it. I would rather be the person seeing the good in a bad situation than the person always seeing the bad in a good situation.
I literally just received this in my email today! I'm going to pass back this information. The General Authorities have been saying things like this for years.
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