BookofMormonLuvr Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 There is this inspirational story circulating around Facebook, but I have noticed that it is never accompanied by a actual new story and reading the story I see things that, it seems to me, are not possible.Is it OK to point out the anomalies of an inspirational story- or should you just let people feel good about a story they really want to believe?
BookofMormonLuvr Posted September 23, 2011 Author Posted September 23, 2011 Here is a snopes write up on it...http://www.snopes.com/glurge/quakemother.asp
ERMD Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 Reading the account, I assert that it is false. Trauma severe enough to crush a woman and kill her would have killed the infant as well.This type of story I find trite and a waste of time. When people cross into the religious FPR world, it's downright irritating.
Bill “Papa” Lee Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 Reading the account, I assert that it is false. Trauma severe enough to crush a woman and kill her would have killed the infant as well.This type of story I find trite and a waste of time. When people cross into the religious FPR world, it's downright irritating.Agreed.
bluebell Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 I was just wondering about this as well, actually. I know that that story about the quake mother is probably false, and the story accompanying it is your basic emotional manipulation which makes me gag anyway, but i wasn't comfortable telling the people who put it as a status up date because i didn't want to make them feel stupid about passing it on.Still not sure what the best course of action is.
BookofMormonLuvr Posted September 23, 2011 Author Posted September 23, 2011 I was just wondering about this as well, actually. I know that that story about the quake mother is probably false, and the story accompanying it is your basic emotional manipulation which makes me gag anyway, but i wasn't comfortable telling the people who put it as a status up date because i didn't want to make them feel stupid about passing it on.Still not sure what the best course of action is.I apologetically linked to the snopes article with this preface:Will posting this make me a jerk- I don't know. I like an inspirational story as much as the next guy, but I like truth also and a tale of true heroism will inspire me much more then one invented to tug at my heart strings. So I apologize in advance for those who won't like this...
ERMD Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 A relative of mine is a sucker for this type of thing that circulates on the net. She is constantly forwarding them to everyone in her address book. I usually delete without reading and just move on.
Calm Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 I apologetically linked to the snopes article with this preface:I think this was a good way to do it.
The Nehor Posted September 23, 2011 Posted September 23, 2011 I think the most awkward one of these I've ever experienced was when I was with missionaries at a teaching appointment and they shared one of these unsubstantiated stories with their investigators. I knew the guy was pretty bright and might investigate so I tried to contradict the story without humiliating the missionaries.It was the one about a Japanese pilot at Pearl Harbor being unable to attack the LDS temple there. It was made less likely to stand up as the missionaries explained that the plane's missiles wouldn't fire. The guy was a World War II buff and he and I both stared awkwardly at the idea of Japanese planes carrying missiles in that attack.
Garden Girl Posted September 24, 2011 Posted September 24, 2011 Okay... so here's a real inspirational story from my own experience...My favorite holiday was Thanksgiving (I say "was" because my folks are both gone now, the home of my girlhood that I loved has been sold, my sister lives 2,500 miles away, and I'm now widowed... my holidays now pass with barely a notice).All through the years Thanksgiving meant going "home" to the home of my childhood, even after I moved to San Francisco and finally up here to Oregon. Every Thanksgiving my husband knew that I just felt the need to go home and we'd head for So Cal to be with my folks.After moving to Oregon the trip home became a little more difficult because what lay between us and Calif was the Siskyou mountains... high altitude with several dangerous switchback areas... lots of semi-rigs and heavy traffic on a holiday.This one year my dear husband had a bad cold, but he knew how important it was for me to go home. That year there was a snowstorm in the Siskyous just prior to our leaving, so we knew we'd need chains (we had the cable kind). We decided to go anyway and started out... we usually planned to stay overnight in No Cal with friends in Redding, and then drive on in to So Cal the next day. We got into the Siskyous a little later than planned and dusk was approaching by time my husband put on our chains. It was very cold, traffic was heavy... all of a sudden we heard this noise and the car swerved... one of the chains had broken and become wrapped around the axle. We were on a dangerous curve but managed to pull off the road as close to the mountainside as possible. He got out and layed down under the car on the icy pavement as he tried to untangle the chain. It was wrapped tight and he worked and worked trying to loosen it. All the time it was getting darker... traffic was heavy, now needing headlights. I was becoming frantic (this was before cell phones) so I couldn't call for assistance. I thought what I'd do is flag down a semi truck because they have two-way radios... My dh continued to struggle... and still the chain stayed intact. This had been going on for some time and so in tears and near desperation I stepped around to the other side of the car and in my heart I cried out to the Lord for help... that He would help this good man so we could get out of this dangerous situation. No sooner had I finished my prayer but what I heard my husband let out a whoop! The chain had literally fallen apart... I didn't say anything about my prayer... but I knew my prayer was answered and back inside the warm car I prayed again in gratitude as we slowly made our way, one chain short, but safe.from the beach... GG 3
Questing Beast Posted September 26, 2011 Posted September 26, 2011 @Garden Girl: I've had answers to prayer happen just like that, only not under such dramatic, desperate conditions! We really do "have the power." Connection to "God" is our legacy, our birthright if you will. And in this we often really do not live up to our privileges. But once a person is convinced of the power of prayer, "all things are possible to them that believe".... 1
Saints Alive Posted September 26, 2011 Posted September 26, 2011 I absolutely detest false inspirational stories for two reasons:1. They are not true, yes they may make you feel good or help teach / convert someone but end the end you are basically lying.2. Say someone bases their testimony on a series if these inspirational / faith promoting stories and later finds them to be false. They will surely lose all faith because they have basically been lied to.
Bill “Papa” Lee Posted September 26, 2011 Posted September 26, 2011 A relative of mine is a sucker for this type of thing that circulates on the net. She is constantly forwarding them to everyone in her address book. I usually delete without reading and just move on.Have you seen or read the book or website "23 minutes in h***"? Oh my.
Stargazer Posted September 27, 2011 Posted September 27, 2011 A relative of mine is a sucker for this type of thing that circulates on the net. She is constantly forwarding them to everyone in her address book. I usually delete without reading and just move on.My sister used to do this with wild abandon and I kept snopesing her until she finally started checking things out herself first. But she still likes to pass around stories. They are more reliable stories, though.
The Nehor Posted September 27, 2011 Posted September 27, 2011 (edited) Have you seen or read the book or website "23 minutes in h***"? Oh my.Big deal,"Nevertheless, I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again;"Many have seen hell and his description doesn't match the others I know of. Really, the scariest thing you can come up with is a demon that looks like a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reject? That's your idea of ultimate fear? C'mon.....And this message that is so important that is has changed his life and made him want to witness about it to the entire world so that all will know all about it and avoid hell? What is he doing with it? Proclaiming from the housetops? Telling people in the streets? Trying to get on TV to share it in full completeness? Giving a sample....oh, okay, and the rest?Selling it? Ummmmm.......yeah.Epic fail. Edited September 27, 2011 by The Nehor
Bill “Papa” Lee Posted September 27, 2011 Posted September 27, 2011 Big deal,"Nevertheless, I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut it up again;"Many have seen hell and his description doesn't match the others I know of. Really, the scariest thing you can come up with is a demon that looks like a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reject? That's your idea of ultimate fear? C'mon.....The movie or the series, or the musical within the series? I must know!
KevinG Posted September 27, 2011 Posted September 27, 2011 Snopes.com is a wonderful resource when confronted by internet rumors and stories. Most of the faith promoting stories (generic and Mormon versions) can be found in their Glurge section.http://www.snopes.com/glurge/glurge.asp
boblloyd91 Posted September 27, 2011 Posted September 27, 2011 I agree with all that has been said here. I'm of the opinion that there are plenty of substantiated and true inspirational stories that we can read in the scriptures and church history. I recently read a book called when faith writes the story (an older church book) and read a story about a fella named Daniel Mich in Guatemala who had one of those "prepared for the gospel" experiences (he had a dream about David O. Mckay). It was an awesome story, and it had quite an impact on me when i read it. I realized that if it had that kind of impact on me I would need to find another source that would substantiate it besides the book. well the story came from a conference talk and I found out from reading some other things that yes, Daniel Mich was a real person. I have been doing this more and more when ever I come upon faith promoting stories because there are plenty of urban legends, second and third hand stories, and people who just love to embellish things. On the subject of inspirational stories, I read a collection of interviews given to Cambodian refugees who later joined the church. It's called Out of the Killing Fields Into the Light. Good read.
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