DiscussMormonism.com

I remember as a child being told of a 'miracle' relating to the Joseph Smith monument.

The story goes that whist they were trying to get the monument into its location the wagons carrying it became bogged down in heavy ground and it couldn't be budged. The Saints prayed about it and the following day an unseasonal hard frost hit and made the ground so hard that the wagons rolled over it easily. It was a miracle.

Have I remembered that story correctly or is my head paying tricks?

Let's see, the monument was dedicated on December 23rd. I not sure how long it would have taken to install a 38 foot phallus, but I would think the materials would have been on site sometime in the fall. Are deep freezes uncommon in Vermont in the fall?

Spurven Ten Sing wrote:Let's see, the monument was dedicated on December 23rd. I not sure how long it would have taken to install a 38 foot phallus, but I would think the materials would have been on site sometime in the fall. Are deep freezes uncommon in Vermont in the fall?

I'm thinking the story was taught in Seminary in the 70's.

The story is falling apart. From The Joseph Smith Memorial Monument and Royalton’s “Mormon Affair”: Religion, Community, Memory, and Politics in Progressive Vermont

During
the previous six months, the monument’s designer and project managers
had marshaled the vast resources of Vermont’s granite industry to
quarry and polish half a dozen granite blocks and transport them by
rail and horse power; they surmounted all odds by shoring up sagging
bridges, crossing frozen mud holes, and beating winter storms to erect a
fifty-foot, one-hundred-ton monument considered to be the largest of
its kind in the world.

There is mention of frozen mud, but the work seems to have gone on for half a year previous. If, on one day in August, Vermont experienced a cold snap to enable the movement of supplies, the miracle was quite useless as the project continued well into cold weather season regardless.

Was there a miracle to save one day's work in 180?

Spurven, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the story was complete and utter faith promoting nonsense.

I just want confirmation of the story I believe I was taught during seminary.

Drifting wrote:Spurven, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the story was complete and utter faith promoting nonsense.

I just want confirmation of the story I believe I was taught during seminary.

I'm looking, but damned if there is even a peep about any miracles. I will dig some more.

Spurven Ten Sing wrote:

Drifting wrote:Spurven, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the story was complete and utter faith promoting nonsense.

I just want confirmation of the story I believe I was taught during seminary.

I'm looking, but damned if there is even a peep about any miracles. I will dig some more.

Thanks, you're a good 'un.
I will see if I can find any 70's seminary material.

I think the tale might be in the conference report of April 1906 - it references 'providential help in overcoming obstacles in erection of monument' but I can't acces it as I get a server error message.

You were referring to the birth monument, right?