Chile Earthquake Revelation by MP's Wife

[_Scottie]

Reality fail. It's impossible for men to have babies. It is possible for women to be ordained.

I beg to differ. Arnold Schwarzenegger did it!! :P

[_Nightingale]

Without casting judgment on the revelation, I would argue that a prediction that comes true is not a validation of an entire belief system. Lots of people have had their predictions come true. I am not signing up to join their organizations. I would have to join millions.

Good point Trevor. Thanks.

But.

To a TBM, it does seem to validate the entirety of Mormonism.

Mormonism, more than any other belief system I have observed or experienced, connects all the pieces together. If the Book of Mormon isn't true then Joseph lied, etc., according to their own thinking on the matter. If the Book of Mormon isn't inspired of God then the church isn't true, repeatedly stated by their own prophets. Therefore, they can absolutely buy into the idea that a single TBM's "revelation" proves their entire religion. It is, at least, proof of "ongoing revelation" that is so integral to Mormonism. I actually liked the revelation concept and it was a big part of the reasons I joined the Mormon Church.

It's sort of the same as when I gave my "testimony" (once in three years in the church), due to some strong encouragement from the mishies and others to do so, when I said that I believe in God and Jesus Christ and the validity of the Bible but not a single word about Joseph Smith, of whom I did not have a testimony (and they knew that before my baptism and said it was OK), or any of the canned phrases like I know the church is true (because I avoid canned statements like that and because I didn't even know what that meant at the time, "the church is true"). Later, the Stake Missionary raved about how wonderful it was to hear me give my testimony of Joseph Smith. I said I hadn't said a single word about Joseph Smith and repeated to him precisely what I had stated. He stared at me for a long moment and then said, "Well, that's the same thing". To him and many other Mormons apparently, saying you believe in God is the same thing as giving a testimony of Joseph Smith. It indicated to me that many times with certain thinking patterns, dots get connected that are not actually connected, skewing their conclusions and causing misperceptions.

So to many Mormons, one MP's wife's so-called revelation that turned out to be "true" props up the entirety of Mormonism. I'd like Trevor's point to be reflected upon by them, that indeed it does not but that's not how their thought processes go. Just as a non-Mormon, and certainly many ex-Mormons, automatically consider that there was no actual divine revelation and search for a different cause.

As I said, it's impossible to present objective evidence that this was not a revelation, especially as the MP and his wife acted upon her "feeling", so for sure, it "happened" for them.

[_John Larsen]

Sounds to me more like validation that women should get the priesthood.

I don't think most women would want themselves exposed to the various callings that go along with having the priesthood. So likewise, I certainly wouldn't want myself to be exposed to getting pregnant.

;)

In the Mormon tradition service is not a matter of our own personal desires, it is about what the Church, priesthood leaders, fellow members and the Lord asks of us. Callings are extend to those who the Lord sees as fit via the authority.

Women's lack of desire to serve, as you imply, should be irrelevant. The fact that women are not allowed to serve shows an institutional disregard for the service that may be rendered by any female in any circumstance.

[_truth dancer]

Here is the problem.

Why did this woman not tell the whole Country and world that God told her an earthquake was about to happen.

Because she did not tell anyone, with the exception of her husband, thousands of people died.

Is this really the way God works? He gives revelations that are completely worthless?

God gave a revelation but it helped NO ONE? Seriously?

Why didn't God give someone the revelation who would actually do something about it?

Why not give a revelation to someone in Haiti?

See, it all comes back to God. Is this the way God works? If God is giving this woman a revelation, why can't he give her a revelation to, oh I don't know, cure cancer?

This whole things makes NO sense whatsoever.

One other point... for those who think they need to get their one year supply of food. A little FYI, in an earthquake or tsunami or tornado, bombing, or fire food storage gets destroyed. MUCH better to have some extra funds along with a three day emergency kit.

[_krose]

Oh, crap. I hope I didn't also receive a revelation that will come to pass, because I have been doing something similar.

Due to the tragic earthquake in Haiti, and realizing that I live just a couple of miles away from the Wasatch Fault, I started taking preparatory actions, such as strapping down the water heater and hanging a wrench near the gas meter's shutoff valve. I have also reminded family members and friends that they should be ready.

Remember to give me the prophecy credit if The Big One hits the Salt Lake valley sometime in the next few months.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

A friend's TBM family emailed him a story about the MP's wife in Chile having a "revelation" that an earthquake was about to occur.

Sounds to me more like validation that women should get the priesthood.

Prophet, Seer, and revelator, President Thomas S. Monson just got OWNED by a stay at home mom.

God told her about the quake but not his friggin mouth piece Tommy? WTF?

Nearly two-and-one-half weeks ago, I was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: "There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries." I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake.

Wow, so then God favors white boys from Utah?

Why not go out and help the locals who actually needed help? Yanno, the sick, poor, destitute...

Why didn't this woman call Tommy RIGHT THEN???

Perhaps God tried to tell Tommy, but he was nodding off.

Given the regular occurance of tremors and quakes in this region, I'd venture to bet she had this same "feeling" many times due to her suffering from confirmation bias. Well this time it was close enough and validated her feelings.

I bet you could find 10-20 other religious folks in the region with similar stories.

[_MsJack]

Prophet, Seer, and revelator, President Thomas S. Monson just got OWNED by a stay at home mom.

Okay. I laughed.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Prophet, Seer, and revelator, President Thomas S. Monson just got OWNED by a stay at home mom.

Okay. I laughed.

Edit to add, A stay at home mom who is a staunch chapel Mormon!

[_Polygamy-Porter]

In the midst of great pain and suffering, we can always find our Savior.

He stands with His arms open, pleading for all of us to humble ourselves and come unto Him.

He loves us. He invites us to accept His gift...the atonement.

What a sick son-of-a-bitch.

Jesus looks down on the boy as he lay dying from his lower body being crushed by a fallen concrete block, "Hey little Chilean boy, I love ya bud! Tell ya what, I will open my arms to ya, but only if you humble yourself before me and come unto me. Otherwise eat crap and die!"

[_Sethbag]

Haiti was a big wake-up call to all of us. I too have thought at least a little more than usual about what sorts of things we would have to be prepared for if some kind of disaster hit my area.

What would be really interesting is to somehow objectively poll all of the MPs and their wives in the whole world, the bishops, stake presidents, EQ presidents, Relief Society presidents, home teachers, etc. around the whole world, in the church, how many of them had some kind of "inspiration" about increased preparedness following the Haiti disaster, and then how many of these subsequently experienced major earthquakes of their own.

This sounds almost like that scam where a guy starts out with 1024 people and tells half of them that a stock will go up, then half that it will go down. Whichever way it goes, he kicks out the "unsuccessful" half and then redoes the same type of prediction with the 512 who remain, and so forth, until finally, with just 1 person left, he's been right like 10 times in a row and that one person, out of the 1024 we started with, thinks our man is a freaking Prophet or something.

So, of all of the people with a heightened sense of vulnerability, and the urge to be more prepared in the future, following the Haiti disaster, one person's feelings were "validated" by a subsequent earthquake occurrence. Ok. This doesn't really show us anything at all.

I also have to wonder, given the order of things in the Mormon church, how come it was the MP's wife to whom the Creator of the Universe shared his plans of impending doom for Chile, and not the man upon whom the mantle of responsibility for those missionaries actually rests? And as PP says, why not to the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator in Salt Lake? And why not tell anyone else the news? Could not that busload of retired seniors have been saved if only Elohim had been a little more forthcoming with his plans? Was it really just the white boys from Idaho and Salt Lake City that God felt like saving? Was it only the missionaries who weren't masturbating who got saved?

Seriously, this whole thing is just one more inspirational anecdote which in reality means almost nothing, but which innumerable Mormons will point to as validation for their entire worldview.