Today, boy do we have a “Whale Of A Tale” for you. First RFM starts us off by explaining how Paul H Dunn of the seventy set a high bar for false faith promoting stories in the Church. Then Radio Free Mormon runs you through the past false faith promoting stories that have come through Mormonism in recent years. And he finishes by laying out the most recent example in Radio Free Mormon fashion, Elder Larry Y. Wilson’s Take the Holy Spirit as Your Guide Where good ole’ Ensign Blair saves the day.
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While I appreciate the Star Trek analogy to show the absurdity of a captain taking an ensign’s word over that of the chief engineer, I think your point might be slightly undercut by the fact of that being a recurring plot device on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which had a revolving door of at least three inept chief engineers during the first season, whereas Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher could always be counted on to save the ship.
Well done RFM. Have the GAs no shame at all? And yet when these poorly done, Primary level “miracles” are presented, TBMs feel the “spirit” and are ready to defend against all comers, regardless of the obvious problems. A common comment online and in personal conversations with defenders is to assure us all “that’s not what he meant” and “what he really meant was” or “yes but that teaches the principle of . . .” In my 20 years as a university dean I never had anyone defend me when I said something stupid in public. It was mine and I owned it. If I had said something as ridiculous as this conference talk I would have known it was time to retire. Preferably in the dead of night. BTW, since the ship’s captain politely knocked on the door of the ensign’s quarters, let’s add another “WTH”. Since when does an ensign have private or semi-private quarters? After the 3rd (and most certainly the 4th)interruption of the captain by the ensign, that young man’s quarters would have been the brig. But then the ensign appears to have been given the Key to the Bridge. Thanks for a great podcast as usual.
I guffawed two seconds into this episode when I realized what the intro music is.
Well done, good sir.
While the story was being told, I reflected immediately to the Story of Jesus calming the storm.
Jesus is the Religious figure on board (Ensign).
Jesus is sleeping while the storm is raging (Ensign).
Boat taking on water, the crew is fearful of drowning (Captain decides to wake Ensign).
Jesus is woken by his disciples out of fear (Captain wakes up the Ensign).
Jesus calms the storm and saves the boat (Ensign, through his miraculous intervention, saves the ship).
The Crew of the Boat wonder, “who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (And of course, the Ensign is heralded as the one who saved the ship)
Makes one wonder how obvious a story plot must be before believers will hold up a finger and say, “Wait a minute!”
Wonderful podcast RFM!