Joseph Fielding Smith: Two-Faced?

[_Dr. Shades]

It just seems to me that the Book of Mormon would be very, very short. . . and darn near useless. . . if the prophets therein exercised their prophetic mantle with the same approach employed by Gordon B. Hinckley.

[_Mister Scratch]

I think the secret and/or embarrassing nature of certain aspects of Mormonism foster deceptive behavior.

Mormons, to my thinking, are not at all generally deceptive people, but I know from experience that it's disconcerting to be asked to keep things secret from investigators and even other members. I justified it with the old "pearls before swine" argument, but even with that excuse, I was often uncomfortable with not telling the complete truth at times. I never felt telling people certain things were "sacred" and that I couldn't talk about them was a good answer, but it was the only answer I could give.

Looking back, I resent being asked to keep religious ordinances secret from others--even my own family at times.

KA

I tend to try not to fall back on a "pearls before swine" escape when I am in one-on-one situations, or especially when I know the person I am talking to and feel they know me. Friends know where I stand on some of the less-discussed issues because we have a relationship aside from a happenstance religious discussion.

Translation: anyone who is not dealing with you "one-on-one" is therefore a "swine."

[_LifeOnaPlate]

I think the secret and/or embarrassing nature of certain aspects of Mormonism foster deceptive behavior.

Mormons, to my thinking, are not at all generally deceptive people, but I know from experience that it's disconcerting to be asked to keep things secret from investigators and even other members. I justified it with the old "pearls before swine" argument, but even with that excuse, I was often uncomfortable with not telling the complete truth at times. I never felt telling people certain things were "sacred" and that I couldn't talk about them was a good answer, but it was the only answer I could give.

Looking back, I resent being asked to keep religious ordinances secret from others--even my own family at times.

KA

I tend to try not to fall back on a "pearls before swine" escape when I am in one-on-one situations, or especially when I know the person I am talking to and feel they know me. Friends know where I stand on some of the less-discussed issues because we have a relationship aside from a happenstance religious discussion.

Translation: anyone who is not dealing with you "one-on-one" is therefore a "swine."

Not necessarily. Sometimes there are swinely situations, though. Also, sometimes not sharing is a failure on my part.