War, Terror, and Mormon Urban Legends

The December 2006 Sunstone Magazine has a free article titled, "The Cost of Credulity: Mormon Urban Legends and the War on Terror." [Link] Robert Rees debunks a number of the rumors that have circulated in the wake of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. You've likely heard at least a couple of them.

He starts out the article by listing some of the classics, including the 1736 prophecy by a Catholic priest of the restoration of the gospel. I admit that I was taken in by that one as a teenager. I'm not really sure when it lost credibility with me, but I also remember some nice members on my mission who brought it to our attention and were quite taken with it. I think maybe I was suspicious by then. Heck, while I'm on the subject, I was introduced to the Del Parsons 'fireside and the painting of Christ' story in the MTC and fell for it until our teacher gently suggested it was not true.

Rees points out what he thinks are some of the dangers of these rumors. I tend to agree with him, but I'll add one of my own: People who habitually spread these things hurt their own credibility.

Of course Mormons are not the only ones with these kinds of stories. The old disappearing hitchhiker story has a more generic Christian version, and I heard on NPR that some Iraqis, following his hanging, claimed to see Saddam's face in the moon--taking it as some kind of victory sign.