The Paul H Dunn-ing of President Nelson

[Fair Dinkum]

 

Reinstated for Clarity of discussions sake but still  headed back into retirement, It's quite apparent that I have long over stayed my welcome. I don't have the time to research this and argue its validity so I'll leave the stage.  I believe this is a real threat to President Nelson and had hoped someone might want to tackle it.  G'Day 

Recently the internet has been a buzz with scurrilous accusations, if true, that President Nelson has been embellishing personal stories to make them more faith promoting much as Paul H Dunn was found guilty of doing.   These church critics offer as evidence three personal stories President Nelson has often used in talks.

01. A harrowing experience on a 1976 scheduled Sky West flight from SLC to St George to offer a prayer at the swearing in ceremony of a new President of Dixie State College.

02. A conversion story of a close working associate of then Dr. Nelson and this associates family, whom Nelson was able to assist in converting to the gospel by encouraging them to read the Book of Mormon.

03. An assault in Mozambique where then Elder Nelson claims being saved by angels

 

Each of these incidents have come under recent scrutiny and at least according to church critics have not fared very well under the hot lights of examination. 

 

Now new evidence has come forth to undermine the underlying claims made regarding story # 1

According to President Nelson:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/latter-day-saints-channel/watch/series/mormon-messages/mens-hearts-shall-fail-them-1?lang=eng

Unfortunately the evidence does not support this story. According to the Civil Aeronautics Board report, the pilot stated that during the November 11, 1976 scheduled flight from SLC to St George, the twin engine plane experienced a rough engine.  The engine was feathering and the pilot cut off power to that one engine, not two, and a precautionary landing was made at the Delta, Utah airport per company manuals. There was no damage to the airplane.  There was no damage to any engine, no emergency landing in a farmer's field, no exploded engine or fire, no spiraling death dive, in fact the pilot could have continued on safely to their original destination with one engine but out of an abundance of precaution followed the company manual and made a save landing at the Delta Airport.

Item # 2 was initially included in the Sheri Dew biography of President Nelson but after LDS Living Magazine printed a teaser of the book in its pages, the family reached out to the church and said the stated facts of the story about to be printed in the biography were not true.  Deseret Book removed the story from the biography and a major embarrassment was averted.

Regarding story #3, I'm still researching this but I understand that witnesses at the time have stated that even this very scary incident has become more embellished with the passage of time.  This person, who was a missionary serving in Mozambique at the time, does not dispute the break in but suggests that the incident was much more benign than it has since been presented.

So why am I coming out of retirement to share this information.  Someone needs to put their investigative hat on and counter these recent critics claims who are trying to undermine President Nelson's credibility.  For example President Nelson mentions a woman on the plane, perhaps she could be found to collaborate Nelson's claims. And I am sure there are other aspects of these stories that could be collaborated. This requires a skilled investigator willing to dig into the details to protect President Nelson's good name and reputation.  Someone really needs to counter this evidence.

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Fair Dinkum

[Vanguard]

16 minutes ago, Fair Dinkum said:

Recently the internet has been a buzz with scurrilous accusations, if true, that President Nelson has been embellishing personal stories to make them more faith promoting much as Paul H Dunn was found guilty of doing.   These church critics offer as evidence three personal stories President Nelson has often used in talks.

01. A harrowing experience on a 1976 scheduled Sky West flight from SLC to St George to offer a prayer at the swearing in ceremony of a new President of Dixie State College.

02. A conversion story of a close working associate of then Dr. Nelson and this associates family, whom Nelson was able to assist in converting to the gospel by encouraging them to read the Book of Mormon.

03. An assault in Mozambique where then Elder Nelson claims being saved by angels

 

Each of these incidents have come under recent scrutiny and at least according to church critics have not fared very well under the hot lights of examination. 

 

Now new evidence has come forth to undermine the underlying claims made regarding story # 1

According to President Nelson:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/latter-day-saints-channel/watch/series/mormon-messages/mens-hearts-shall-fail-them-1?lang=eng

Unfortunately the evidence does not support this story. According to the Civil Aeronautics Board report, the pilot stated that during the November 11, 1976 scheduled flight from SLC to St George, the twin engine plane experienced a rough engine.  The engine was feathering and the pilot cut off power to that one engine, not two, and a precautionary landing was made at the Delta, Utah airport per company manuals. There was no damage to the airplane.  There was no damage to any engine, no emergency landing in a farmer's field, no exploded engine or fire, no spiraling death dive, in fact the pilot could have continued on safely to their original destination with one engine but out of an abundance of precaution followed the company manual and made a save landing at the Delta Airport.

Item # 2 was initially included in the Sheri Dew biography of President Nelson but after LDS Living Magazine printed a teaser of the book in its pages, the family reached out to the church and said the stated facts of the story about to be printed in the biography were not true.  Deseret Book removed the story from the biography and a major embarrassment was averted.

Regarding story #3, I'm still researching this but I understand that witnesses at the time have stated that even this very scary incident has become more embellished with the passage of time.  This person, who was a missionary serving in Mozambique at the time, does not dispute the break in but suggests that the incident was much more benign than it has since been presented.

So why am I coming out of retirement to share this information.  Someone needs to put their investigative hat on and counter these recent critics claims who are trying to undermine President Nelson's credibility.  For example President Nelson mentions a woman on the plane, perhaps she could be found to collaborate Nelson's claims. And I am sure there are other aspects of these stories that could be collaborated. This requires a skilled investigator willing to dig into the details to protect President Nelson's good name and reputation.  Someone really needs to counter this evidence.

Why would you not believe the critics' claims?

Edited July 28, 2021 by Vanguard

[JAHS]

Sort of a passive aggressive post. I have not heard of the criticism of any of these yet, but I have a solution. Stop worrying about what church critics say. 😉 

[webbles]

I've never been to the Delta airport so I had to go find it on Google Maps:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.3871304,-112.5166955,3a,75y,119.7h,88.71t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1seeCTNYnkUVhsRx1oCQTB-g!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DeeCTNYnkUVhsRx1oCQTB-g%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D343.56473%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

I don't know about you, but that sure does look like a field to me.  If I had to have an emergency landing of any sort and the plane landed there, I would think that we were in some random field.

[mgy401]

I see we’re resorting to the Harry Reid style of discussion—make something up, claim to have “reliable sources who prefer to remain anonymous”, and lay on the target the burden of doing the research necessary to disprove the accusation.

Excellent.  Excellent.  

Edited July 28, 2021 by mgy401

[Fair Dinkum]

26 minutes ago, Vanguard said:

Why would you not believe the critics' claims?

First, even Deseret Book removed the one story, second, The civil aeronautics report is authoritative, which is why I felt finding that woman on the plane would be helpful, third, I'm merely suggesting someone go to bat for President Nelson to dispute the evidence being accumulated. geez

[Fair Dinkum]

28 minutes ago, JAHS said:

Sort of a passive aggressive post. I have not heard of the criticism of any of these yet, but I have a solution. Stop worrying about what church critics say. 😉 

Sorry I mistakenly thought someone here might care

[ksfisher]

52 minutes ago, Fair Dinkum said:

Unfortunately the evidence does not support this story. According to the Civil Aeronautics Board report, the pilot stated that during the November 11, 1976 scheduled flight from SLC to St George, the twin engine plane experienced a rough engine.  The engine was feathering and the pilot cut off power to that one engine, not two, and a precautionary landing was made at the Delta, Utah airport per company manuals. There was no damage to the airplane.  There was no damage to any engine, no emergency landing in a farmer's field, no exploded engine or fire, no spiraling death dive, in fact the pilot could have continued on safely to their original destination with one engine but out of an abundance of precaution followed the company manual and made a safe landing at the Delta Airport.

What is your source for this?

[JAHS]

17 minutes ago, Fair Dinkum said:

Sorry I mistakenly thought someone here might care

I care in general but I just don't care about what critics say. What they say is not going to change what I believe to be the most important truths.

[juliann]

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

 

According to President Nelson:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/inspiration/latter-day-saints-channel/watch/series/mormon-messages/mens-hearts-shall-fail-them-1?lang=eng

Unfortunately the evidence does not support this story. According to the Civil Aeronautics Board report, the pilot stated that during the November 11, 1976 scheduled flight from SLC to St George, the twin engine plane experienced a rough engine.  The engine was feathering and the pilot cut off power to that one engine, not two, and a precautionary landing was made at the Delta, Utah airport per company manuals. There was no damage to the airplane.  There was no damage to any engine, no emergency landing in a farmer's field, no exploded engine or fire, no spiraling death dive, in fact the pilot could have continued on safely to their original destination with one engine but out of an abundance of precaution followed the company manual and made a safe landing at the Delta Airport.

 

Source? 

If this is accurate, you have one embellished story, one withdrawn story, and one who knows story. And you are comparing this to Paul Dunn? (I thought the withdrawn by "the family" was a nice touch, BTW....as if nobody asked Pres. Nelson and he had to have other people speak for him or was this like Elder Holland, who also had to withdraw a story that he was told by people who made stuff up? Since you mysteriously left out all detail on this story I suspect it wasn't as damning as you needed it to be.

  

 

[Fether]

 

27 minutes ago, Fair Dinkum said:

I'm merely suggesting someone go to bat for President Nelson to dispute the evidence being accumulated. geez

Timmy tells my son that his dad can beat me up. Should I go take time and energy out of my day to go teach Timmy a lesson in respect?

Edited July 28, 2021 by Fether

[Duncan]

One thing about history is getting to what was actually said by the person. Did Pres. Nelson ever say when this took place? The inauguration of W. Rolfe Kerr happened on Nov. 12, 1976 but according to the video he never said when he flew down. He could have flown down the day before two days before, who knows. So, if someone had access to those records i'd check them. Besides of which we are only going on what someone else said was in and not in the airplane report, could they be posted for all to see? Otherwise they are just as guilty of obscuring the facts as someone else is propping up the story. 

[Vanguard]

25 minutes ago, Fair Dinkum said:

First, even Deseret Book removed the one story, second, The civil aeronautics report is authoritative, which is why I felt finding that woman on the plane would be helpful, third, I'm merely suggesting someone go to bat for President Nelson to dispute the evidence being accumulated. geez

IMO you should not discount JAHS initial commentary about your post coming off as passive aggressive. Really. And why would someone need to 'go to bat' for President Nelson? Why can't more than one person have their own take on events without it having to mean the other fabricated the story? That is, unless you're suggesting another's version is evidence President Nelson is no different than Paul Dunn? And even if another's version incontrovertibly proved President Nelson had lied, why would this affect you so? Haven't you already 'dismantled' so many of the faith's tenets and so much of the leadership's positions so as to render this particular issue mute? irrelevant? inconsequential? immaterial? trivial? in your eyes?    

[The Nehor]

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

Sorry I mistakenly thought someone here might care

We just don’t trust you.

[cinepro]

As someone who understands (just a little) how memory works, I don't find these discoveries about the stories to be surprising or disturbing. I find them to be expected. In fact, I would be more surprised if objective investigation showed the memories to be absolutely accurate. That would be unexpected!

You may find the discussion around the Brian Williams situation (the NBC news anchor who had his career destroyed over an inaccurate memory) to be relevant:
 

Quote

Daniel Schacter, a Harvard psychology professor, said people are subject to memory distortion for a variety of reasons. One common memory error is when people combine bits and pieces of things that happened into an event that never happened, but contains elements of what really did happen, Schacter said.

“There’s a large literature that shows that memory is prone to error and distortion,” said Schacter, who has been doing research in memory for over 30 years and has written books on memory and memory errors. “We sometimes have high confidence in things that didn’t occur exactly in the way that we remember them.”

Schacter said that when a person retrieves an event and inserts details that may not have been part of the original event, that retrieval can come to be the memory for the event instead.

Scientists explain how Brian Williams’ memory may have failed him

 

Quote

Scientists have been telling us for years that memory of autobiographical events, also known as episodic memory, is pliable and even unreliable. The consensus from neuroimaging studies and laboratory experiments is that episodic memory is not like replaying a film but more like reconstructing an event from bits and pieces of information. Memories are stored in clusters of neurons called engrams, and the proteins responsible for storing those memories, scientists say, are modified and changed just by the reconstruction process of remembering.

The science behind Brian Williams’s mortifying memory flub

Edited July 29, 2021 by cinepro

[Fair Dinkum]

38 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

We just don’t trust you.

Yeah I've gathered that.

[CV75]

2 hours ago, Fair Dinkum said:

deleted,  headed back into retirement, I don't have the time to research this and argue its validity so I'll leave the stage.  It I believe this is a real threat to President Nelson and had hoped someone might want to tackle it.  G'Day 

As a rule of thumb, the time one is willing to invest in addressing a threat is proportional to their level of concern for it.

[bOObOO]

1 hour ago, Fair Dinkum said:

First, even Deseret Book removed the one story, second, The civil aeronautics report is authoritative, which is why I felt finding that woman on the plane would be helpful, third, I'm merely suggesting someone go to bat for President Nelson to dispute the evidence being accumulated. geez

Not worth my time.  I believe him only when God tells me that what he is saying is true.  And God has yet to make any comment to me about those stories.

[smac97]

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1992/05/doors-of-death?lang=eng (1992 first-person account by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

I remember vividly an experience I had as a passenger in a small two-propeller airplane. One of its engines suddenly burst open and caught on fire. The propeller of the flaming engine was starkly stilled. As we plummeted in a steep spiral dive toward the earth, I expected to die. Some of the passengers screamed in hysterical panic. Miraculously, the precipitous dive extinguished the flames. Then, by starting up the other engine, the pilot was able to stabilize the plane and bring us down safely.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/1994/06/most-important?lang=eng (1994 first-person account by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

I remember well an experience I had as a passenger in a small two-propeller airplane. One of its engines suddenly burst open and caught on fire. The propeller of the flaming engine wasn’t moving anymore. As we dropped in a steep spiral dive toward the earth, I expected to die. Some of the passengers screamed in hysterical panic.

Miraculously the steep dive put out the flames. Then, by starting up the other engine, the pilot was able to get the plane under control and bring us down safely.

Spencer J. Condie, Russell M. Nelson: Father, Surgeon, Apostle, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003 (culled from another message board) :

Quote

"I was in an airplane going from Salt Lake City to St. George to participate in a function at Dixie College. We were in one of those small commuter airplanes. There were about six passengers in it. The pilot had just announced that we were over the halfway point between Salt Lake City and St. George—we were past the point of no return. I thought, 'Well, that's a weird announcement to make.'

"Shortly after that, the engine on the right wing of the airplane burst open in flames, spewing oil all over the right side of the plane. The propeller became starkly still and the whole engine was on fire. We then went into a dive earthward. I assumed that my life was going to be terminated right then and there.

"The poor lady across the aisle from me was in absolute hysterics. She was right there where the flames were the brightest. But the pilot had turned off the ignition that fed more gas into the fire and had purposely been in a steep dive hoping that the flames might be extinguished, which was what happened. Then, with the power still left in the other propeller—which he then turned on just as we were about ready to have our moment of impact—he was able to glide us, following a highway, until we could make an emergency landing.

https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2004-09-18/gospel-principles-vital-to-correct-living-94995 (2004 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

Elder Nelson spoke of a harrowing trip he once made on a small airplane. One of the plane's motors exploded an hour after take-off, sending the aircraft into a spiral dive. The dive fortuitously doused the fire sparked by the explosion and the pilot was able to regain control and land the plane safely.

https://www.deseret.com/2006/4/15/19948411/death-is-part-of-life-ex-surgeon-says (2006 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

Those who have lived to tell the tale about a brush with violent death often recount the horror of knowing they were about to die, as did a woman on a small plane with Elder Nelson several years ago. One of the engines blew up and the plane caught fire, sending it into a steep dive as they were en route from Salt Lake City to St. George.

In the few seconds that passed before the pilot was able to shut off the fuel line and extinguish the flames, Elder Nelson recalls that his entire life passed through his mind, amid the hysterical screams from the woman in the next seat. "I thought of the academic regalia, the tuxedos and awards banquets," and how insignificant it all seemed, he said, adding that an overwhelming feeling of calm came over him.

What mattered in that moment were his life choices, he said — temple ordinances he had participated in, including marriage to his wife, and the deep assurance that though she would become a widow, she would be taken care of financially and they would be reunited after death.

As it turned out, the plane made a safe, emergency landing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=EMwKxmTLaCs&ab_channel=TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints (2011 first-person audio account by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

I was in a small airplane and all of a sudden the engine on the wing caught fire.  It exploded, and burning oil was poured all over the right side of the airplane.  And we started to dive toward the the earth.  We were spinning down to our death.  Oh, this woman across the aisle, I was just so sorry for her.  She was just absolutely uncontrollably hysterical.  And I was calm.  I was totally calm, even though I knew I was going down to my death.  I was ready to meet my maker.  We didn't crash.  We didn't die.  The spiral dive extinguished the flame, the pilot got control and started the other engine up and we made an emergency landing out in a field.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-shares-5-lessons-life-has-taught-me-with-49000-in-safeco-field?lang=eng (2018 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

This came clearly into focus years ago as President Nelson was traveling with four passengers on a flight from Salt Lake City to St. George Utah; during the flight, one of the two engines exploded, sending the small plane into a downward spiral.

President Nelson said he felt strangely calm. “Events of my life rapidly flashed before me. I thought about all the framed degrees, awards, and honors on my office wall and the various uniforms, tuxedos, and doctoral robes that I’d worn in my life.”

In his dying moments those honors meant nothing to him. What did matter was his wife and children—to whom he was sealed in the holy temple.

“Miraculously, the free fall extinguished the flames,” he said.

https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-09-03/president-nelson-delivers-historic-message-to-dominican-latter-day-saints-in-spanish-8931 (2018 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

Quote

President Nelson counseled the Caribbean members to remain worthy to enter the temple and to remember that the ordinances of the temple are eternal, allowing families to be together forever.

He shared an experience from traveling on a small plane. One of the engines caught fire and exploded, sending the aircraft into a spiral dive. Many of the passengers began screaming in fear.

But then a miracle happened. The speed of the fall extinguished the fire and the plane was able to land safely. President Nelson said he expected to die at that moment. But he was not afraid. He remained calm.

https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-10-26/president-nelson-finds-church-thriving-in-uruguay-thanks-to-multiple-generations-of-members-missionaries-156122 (2019 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson in Spanish) :

Quote

While speaking to the members of the Church in Uruguay in Spanish during the devotional, President Nelson recalled a time in his life when the airplane in which he was traveling almost spiraled to the ground.

But the plane did not crash and President Nelson's life was preserved for a season. "With that time, we have the privilege to work, live, love and choose," he said.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-argentina-2019 (2019 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson in Spanish) :

Quote

Speaking in Spanish, Church President Russell M. Nelson told of the time several years ago when he and others aboard a small plane survived the explosion of one of the plane’s engines, the plane’s ensuing fire and sharp nosedive toward the likely death of all aboard, and then the pilot’s miraculous emergency landing in a field after the speed of the dive extinguished the fire.

President Nelson told the Argentinian Saints of the unusual tranquility he felt as the plane spiraled toward the earth and some aboard shouted in fear of what was ahead. The source of his peace, he said, was his faith and the death-transcending power of the Christ-focused worship done in the Church’s temples. The Church teaches that these temple rites connect families together forever.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2021/03/a-free-fall-death-spiral.html (quoting from a second-hand source, Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019)) :

Quote

On November 12, 1976, Russell Nelson had boarded a commuter plane in Salt Lake City to fly the quick route to St. George, Utah, where he was to give the invocation at the inauguration of W. Rolfe Kerr as the president of Dixie College.

It was a short hop of less than an hour in a small, two-engine propeller plane.  Only four passengers were on board. The pilot had just announced that they were halfway to St. George when the engine on the right wing exploded, spewing oil all over the right side of the aircraft and then bursting into flames.  In an attempt to douse the flames, the pilot turned the fuel off, causing the small plane to go suddenly into a free fall death spiral.

The woman across the aisle from Russell began to scream hysterically. But Russell felt calm. “It was the most amazing thing,” he said. “I thought, ‘My wife and I are sealed. Our children are sealed to us. I’ve honored my covenants. I’ll meet my ancestors and go on to a glorious resurrection..'”

...

Miraculously, the free fall extinguished the fire, and, in the nick of time, the pilot was able to start the left engine, regain control of the plane, and guide it to an emergency landing in a farmer’s field not far from Delta, Utah. Everyone walked away from the incident unharmed. Another plane was dispatched, and Russell made it to St. George in time to give the invocation.

https://youtu.be/bACX8BXHuEs (2021 first-person account by Pres. Nelson) (transcription from this published account, nearly verbatim with the video) :

Quote

During several decades of Church service, I have seen some unforgettable moments while traveling. One occurred several years ago while flying to a university president’s inauguration, where I was to offer the invocation. It was a short flight in a small two-engine plane. We were halfway to our destination when the right engine suddenly exploded, spewing flaming fuel all over the right side of the plane. The propellers stopped. The plane was on fire, careening to the earth in a spiral dive. I expected to die.

Miraculously, the dive extinguished the fire. The pilot was able to restore power to the other engine and make a safe landing. And I actually made it to the inauguration on time.

From the 1976 Civil Aeronautices Board report:

A partial transcript (mine) :

Quote

Second incidence occurred Nov. 11, 1976 involving Piper PA 31 N74985. Pilot experienced rough engine on scheduled flight between Salt Lake City and St. George. 3 passengers on board. Engine was feathered and precautionary landing made at Delta, Utah, per instructions in company manual. Investigation revealed cylinder base studs sheered. As result of occurrence Sky West change maintenance procedures by checking torque studs at each 100 hour inspection. No damage to aircraft. No injuries to crew or passengers.

November 11, 1976 was a Thursday, and November 12 a Friday.

Per the Sheri Dew book (quoted above), Pres. Nelson took a flight on November 12, the same day as the inauguration event he was attending (see here).

The chances of there being two small aircraft problems on two consecutive days, both going from SLC to St. George, both ending up as an emergency landing in Delta, seems . . . remote.  So the above-referenced account of an incident happening on November 11 likely corresponds to the incident described by Pres. Nelson.

Is it possible that Pres. Nelson has embellished the account?  Yes.

Is it possible that Sky West, a small regional airline, having had their inventory of aircraft experience three separate engine failures within a five-week span, might have undersold the severity of the incidents in their official reports to the Civil Aeronautics Board?  Also yes.

Is there perhaps something of a discrepancy in the CAB report, which states, on the one hand, that "{i}nvestigation revealed cylinder base studs sheered" but, on the other, that there was "{n}o damage to aircraft"?  Also yes.

Thanks,

-Smac

 

[gopher]

.

Edited July 28, 2021 by gopher
check didn't clear for deflecting attention from OP

[ksfisher]

46 minutes ago, gopher said:

 

I believe you're trying to add some humor to the discussion, but perhaps a story involving the brutal murder of an 11 year old is not the best way to do it.

Edited July 28, 2021 by ksfisher

[JAHS]

17 minutes ago, smac97 said:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1992/05/doors-of-death?lang=eng (1992 first-person account by Pres. Nelson) :

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/1994/06/most-important?lang=eng (1994 first-person account by Pres. Nelson) :

Spencer J. Condie, Russell M. Nelson: Father, Surgeon, Apostle, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003 (culled from another message board) :

https://www.thechurchnews.com/archives/2004-09-18/gospel-principles-vital-to-correct-living-94995 (2004 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

https://www.deseret.com/2006/4/15/19948411/death-is-part-of-life-ex-surgeon-says (2006 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=EMwKxmTLaCs&ab_channel=TheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints (2011 first-person audio account by Pres. Nelson) :

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/president-nelson-shares-5-lessons-life-has-taught-me-with-49000-in-safeco-field?lang=eng (2018 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-09-03/president-nelson-delivers-historic-message-to-dominican-latter-day-saints-in-spanish-8931 (2018 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson) :

https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders-and-ministry/2018-10-26/president-nelson-finds-church-thriving-in-uruguay-thanks-to-multiple-generations-of-members-missionaries-156122 (2019 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson in Spanish) :

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-argentina-2019 (2019 second-hand account of remarks made by Pres. Nelson in Spanish) :

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/danpeterson/2021/03/a-free-fall-death-spiral.html (quoting from a second-hand source, Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2019)) :

https://youtu.be/bACX8BXHuEs (2021 first-person account by Pres. Nelson) (transcription from this published account, nearly verbatim with the video) :

From the 1976 Civil Aeronautices Board report:

A partial transcript (mine) :

November 11, 1976 was a Thursday, and November 12 a Friday.

Per the Sheri Dew book (quoted above), Pres. Nelson took a flight on November 12, the same day as the inauguration event he was attending (see here).

The chances of there being two small aircraft problems on two consecutive days, both going from SLC to St. George, both ending up as an emergency landing in Delta, seems . . . remote.  So the above-referenced account of an incident happening on November 11 likely corresponds to the incident described by Pres. Nelson.

Is it possible that Pres. Nelson has embellished the account?  Yes.

Is it possible that Sky West, a small regional airline, having had their inventory of aircraft experience three separate engine failures within a five-week span, might have undersold the severity of the incidents in their official reports to the Civil Aeronautics Board?  Also yes.

Is there perhaps something of a discrepancy in the CAB report, which states, on the one hand, that "{i}nvestigation revealed cylinder base studs sheered" but, on the other, that there was "{n}o damage to aircraft"?  Also yes.

Thanks,

-Smac

 

I had flown to Salt Lake and when we landed the crew announced that any passengers that were supposed to stay on the plane to continue to another destination had to unload now.
They didn't say why but when I left the plane and looked out the window I saw that the front windshield had been completely shattered. We were not told anything about that.

 

[ksfisher]

3 minutes ago, JAHS said:

I had flown to Salt Lake and when we landed the crew announced that any passengers that were supposed to stay on the plane to continue to another destination had to unload now.
They didn't say why but when I left the plane and looked out the window I saw that the front windshield had been completely shattered. We were not told anything about that.

 

See what happens when you don't get those rock chips repaired right away.

[gopher]

42 minutes ago, gopher said:

 

 

[SeekingUnderstanding]

2 hours ago, juliann said:

Source? 

If this is accurate, you have one embellished story, one withdrawn story, and one who knows story. And you are comparing this to Paul Dunn? (I thought the withdrawn by "the family" was a nice touch, BTW....as if nobody asked Pres. Nelson and he had to have other people speak for him or was this like Elder Holland, who also had to withdraw a story that he was told by people who made stuff up? Since you mysteriously left out all detail on this story I suspect it wasn't as damning as you needed it to be.

  

 

Smac provided source material for the first. The second story can be found here:

https://www.truthandtransparency.org/news/2019/04/09/false-story-removed-from-newest-book-on-the-life-of-mormon-president-russell-m-nelson/