Elder Holland shares 'the missionary speech of all time'

[_consiglieri]

Unsurprisingly, my TBM family have taken this story as the gospel truth...Hook, Line and Sinker

You can have the last laugh on your family now by showing them Elder Holland's retraction.

[_CameronMO]

Jeffy dunn got caught.

[_Doctor Steuss]

So... did the dogs convert, or not?

[_Lemmie]

So... did the dogs convert, or not?

sadly, the dogs were imaginary.

[_Fence Sitter]

[

The key point to emphasize is that when someone asks "What are the odds?", it isn't a rhetorical question. Ask them what the odds are, and if they don't know, then they need to keep thinking. If someone is suggesting that the unlikelihood of something happening proves the existence of God or the Holy Ghost, then ask them what, exactly, the odds must be in order to prove such a thing. What's the exact number? 1 in a million? 1 in a trillion? Every time someone wins the lottery, is that proof that God exists?

Believers will be aghast if you say "Yeah, I believe it happened, but it was probably just a coincidence with no divine intervention needed." It's easy to associate the feeling of something being extremely unlikely with something being orchestrated by a divine power. We're just wired that way.

Read the stories on these threads. There are coincidences that are way more unlikely that what Elder Holland described:

My wife's visiting teacher was over the other day. She usually brings her husband so we all just sit down and talk. Both are good people and I enjoy their company. The VT mentioned that the other day while she was visiting her inactive son in another part of town, the missionaries happened to knock on his door. She asked exactly that question "What are the odds?" and without pausing went right on to express her belief that it was a miracle.

I pointed out that her inactive son was on the rolls of the ward and that the odds were pretty good that he was going to get visits from the missionaries occasionally and that it was probably just coincidence that she was visiting her son at the same time the missionaries showed up. She remained firmly convinced that God was involved in the visit.

It's this type of mentality that is willing to believe God helps people find their car keys.

[_moksha]

Elder Holland retracted the story once the relatives came forth to call BS on it. At least I think that was the gist of the story in the Deseret News.

[_Sophocles]

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a major league baseball game for the first time this season. That night, the Miami Marlins broke their club record for runs scored in a 22-10 victory over the Texas Rangers. As it happens, Adrian Beltre was ejected from the game for the first time in his 20 year career. What are the odds that these two "firsts" would occur on the same night, and that it would also happen to be the same night I was in attendance, the only game I am likely to attend this season?

What are the odds?

I can't imagine what the odds are, so it must be a miracle. I only wish I knew what message God was trying to send me.

[_I have a question]

Elder Holland retracted the story once the relatives came forth to call BS on it. At least I think that was the gist of the story in the Deseret News.

This story started being told in public by people like Holland back in 2015.
Why pull the rug now and not when it first hit the GA speaking circuit?
It's like they were giving Holland 3 years of rope before yanking the noose tight.

[_DoubtingThomas]

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a major league baseball game for the first time this season. That night, the Miami Marlins broke their club record for runs scored in a 22-10 victory over the Texas Rangers. As it happens, Adrian Beltre was ejected from the game for the first time in his 20 year career. What are the odds that these two "firsts" would occur on the same night, and that it would also happen to be the same night I was in attendance, the only game I am likely to attend this season?

What are the odds?

I can't imagine what the odds are, so it must be a miracle. I only wish I knew what message God was trying to send me.

Exactly! Faith promoting stories are a reason why many LDS members believe. Some faith promoting stories are completely true, but simple Math explains them.

The Holland story turned out to be false, but it doesn't mean a similar event can't happen. With thousands of missionaries on the streets everyday some of them are going to hit the spiritual powerball.

[_sock puppet]

So... did the dogs convert, or not?

sadly, the dogs were imaginary.

Even dogs won't befriend Holland?