Folklore plays role for LDS

[snopes]

William "Bert" Wilson tells a tale from the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Two missionaries who are spreading the gospel in an area hostile to Mormons find a house in which to spend the night. Before long, a mob carrying lanterns and pitchforks shows up, marches the elders to a wooded area and puts nooses around their necks.

Just as the mob is ready to string up the missionaries, the lanterns mysteriously go out. The missionaries throw off the nooses and hide in the forest.

Despite almost stepping on them, the mob members do not find them and the missionaries survive to carry on their work.

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695216121,00.html

[surfcitydogdad]

The LDS Church is rife with such missionary folklore. Since so much of it isn't properly documented, we often refer to such tales "faith-promoting rumors."

There was an excellent website a few years ago, by a grad student somewhere (not in Utah), devoted to Mormon missionary folklore, but he must have got his degree, as the site went inactive, and I can't even find it anymore.

It isn't considered taboo or anti-faith to intellectually analyze such stories, many of which are more humorous than inspirational. I have many such accounts in my own family history. Mostly, they seem based on fact, with no intent to exagerate, but I find them slightly suspect when they seem to have been polished (in some versions more than others) to add to their narrative effect .

BTW, Deseret News - one of two major newpapers in Salt Lake City - is owned by the LDS Church.