What They Don't Teach You in Church (Dun Dun Duuuun!)

I’ve had people pull me aside twice that I can remember off-hand, for a very specific purpose. The point of these two pull-asides was to big-eyed whisper about Joseph Smith looking at a stone in a hat to translate the Book of Mormon. It wasn’t just to inform me of this piece of history (of which I was already aware), but to follow up with the question; “Why didn’t they tell us?” One of these pull-asides happened between the second and third hours of church. Wisps of sacrament meeting cheerios still clung to the guy’s breath.

The “they,” of course, are an ambiguous church leadership, likely in over-sized swivel chairs stroking lap-cats in the basement of a dimly-lit stake center. This leadership, apparently, will stop at nothing to keep you from learning about the stone in the hat. They’ll sell loads of books that mention it in the Church-owned Deseret Book, but in their heart-of-hearts they’d really prefer you skip that entire shelf.

A reason this isn’t dwelt on in Church is because the gospel of Jesus Christ is what is dwelt on. Historical side notes, though interesting, can’t save your soul. There is no trivia contest at the pearly gates – which is a good thing because I tend to spark and fizzle when put on the spot.

The stone hat thing, when presented in a ‘why didn’t they tell us’ sort of way, is meant to shake your testimony. It’s meant to show that the powers-that-be intentionally held this info back, and that whoever is telling you is a brave beacon that fought through their deception. It’s a weak argument.

Here’s a short list of other things, also documented in old pioneer diaries, that I’ve never heard talked about in church. Be careful – reading more about some of these might grow your testimony:

1)   The Moses Glow

This one has been documented a lot of times – mostly regarding Joseph Smith, but some are accounts of others. I never heard this in church. Here’s a sample:

““The Smith family was driven from New York, and a small church had been organized. Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson were members. Well, I being anxious, though young, to learn about the plates from those who knew all about it, my mother and I went up to the Smith family the next night after they came to Kirtland. As I went in, there were two or three others present. They were all there, from the old gentleman and his wife to all the sons and daughters. As we stood there talking to them, Joseph and Martin Harris came in. Joseph looked around very solemnly. It was the first time some of them had ever seen him.

“Said he, "There are enough here to hold a little meeting." They got a board and put it across two chairs to make seats. Martin Harris sat on a little box at Joseph's feet. They sang and prayed. Joseph got up and began to speak to us. As he began to speak very solemnly and very earnestly, all at once his countenance changed and he stood mute. Those who looked at him that day said there was a search light within him, over every part of his body. I never saw anything like it on the earth. I could not take my eyes off him; he got so white that anyone who saw him would have thought he was transparent. I remember I thought I could almost see the cheek bones through the flesh. I have been through many changes since but that is photographed on my brain. I shall remember it and see in my mind's eye as long as I remain upon the earth.” (https://thiscountsashometeaching.blogspot.com/2017/08/11-times-people-glowed-like-jesusmoses.html)

2)   More visitations of the Angel Moroni

At least 17 people have recorded seeing him. I never heard this in church. Here’s a sample:

“A personal friend of Brother [Heber C.] Kimball wrote, “At family prayers, just a little while before his death, he remarked that the angel Moroni had visited him the night before and informed him that his work on this earth was finished, and he would soon be taken.”  Heber C. Kimball died the next day.” (https://www.livingheritagetours.com/moroni-appeared-to-17-different-people/)

           

3)   Lots of LDS priesthood leaders raised the dead

It’s kind of a repeating theme, actually. I never heard this in church. Another sample:

“Hyrum Grant, my brother, had yellow jaundice which turned to black jaundice. He became as black as my coat. He weighed slightly more than seventy pounds, and was in a most terrible condition. A doctor Van Cott, as I remember it, was waiting on him, and finally announced that my brother was dead. He said, “His pulse has not been beating now for some four or five minutes. He is gone.”

“Hyrum’s son and son-in-law laid their hands upon his head and prayed to God that his spirit might return, that he might live to fulfill a promise made to him that he should live to preside over the Davis stake of Zion. When they got through praying, my brother opened his eyes, and said, “What is the matter with you folks? You look scared half to death.” He got well and did preside over the Davis stake of Zion.” (https://thiscountsashometeaching.blogspot.com/2018/01/8-times-lds-priesthood-holders-raised.html)

4)   The other time Lorenzo Snow saw Jesus Christ

There are lots of stories about LDS prophets seeing Christ. Lorenzo Snow, remarkably, has 2 such stories. I never heard this in church:

…My spirit seems to have left the world and introduced into that of Kolob. I heard a voice calling me by name saying “he is worthy, he is worthy, take away his filthy garments.” My clothes were then taken off piece by piece and a voice said “let him be clothed, let him be clothed.” Immediately I found a celestial body gradually growing upon me until at length I found myself crowned with all its glory and power. The ecstasy of joy I now experienced no man can tell, pen cannot describe it.  I conversed familiarly with Joseph, Father Smith and others, and mingled in the society of the Holy One. I saw my family all saved and observed the dispensations of God with mankind until at last a perfect redemption was effected, tho’ great was the sufferings of the wicked, especially those that had persecuted the saints. My spirit must have remained I should judge for days enjoying the scenes of eternal happiness.” (https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/iowa-journal-lorenzo-snow)

5)   Droves of Native Americans Seeking Out Baptism

Joseph Smith said loads of American Indians would be baptized. He wasn’t wrong. I never heard this in church:

There and then I was called to go on a mission among the Indians or Lamanites. I was set apart by some of the Twelve Apostles to go and preach to that people... President Young… promised us that the Lamanites would come to meet us and insist on us baptizing them .We started on May 15, 1855 upon our mission, some 25 of us. Elder Thomas Smith was our president. We were called to go into the north country, some hundreds of miles. We had proceeded as far as Portneoff, when we saw Indians coming for fully five miles. Before they could reach us they had to cross the Snake and Portneoff Rivers. They did not hesitate a moment but plunged into the river and swam their horses across. They came and remained with us overnight. They journeyed with us the next day. At noon they, not being able to talk our language and we had not yet learned to talk with them, they went down to the river and made motions showing us that they wished us to baptize them. Accordingly, President Smith went into the water and baptized all of them. They were very friendly to us and remained with us as we journeyed some 200 miles. (…from a handwritten account of the life of Pleasant Green Taylor found in the family record of James Levi Taylor. At present, a copy is on microfilm in the LDS Church Historian's Office. Minor changes in wording and punctuation have been made to improve readability by Michael R. Taylor, a great ­great­ grandson.)

(PS. I said droves!)

6)   Brigham Young Controlled the weather at least twice

We’ve mentioned this before – see the link below! (I never heard this in church):

“On 26 November 1839, while en route to England to fulfill a mission, a violent storm buffeted the ship on which Brother Young traveled:

“I went upon deck and I felt impres in spirit to pray to the Father in the name of Jesus for a forgiveness of all my sins. And then I set to command the winds to sees [cease] and let ous [us] goe safe on our Jorney. The winds abated and Glory & ouner [honor] & prase be to that God that rules all things.” (https://thiscountsashometeaching.blogspot.com/2018/04/2-times-brigham-young-commanded-sea_1.html)

I have literally never, never-ever heard about any of this in a church setting. Is there a secret society of senior citizens working to keep it from me? No! These stories don’t matter! They don’t pertain to your salvation. That’s why they’re not typically addressed from the pulpit. Same as the stone in the hat (and by the way you should read this). These are great stories, mind you. There are millions more that’ll make your testimony blossom like the rose, but they aren’t the basics.

The church-block is just for the basics. The basics and cheerios in a Ziploc bag.