Comments on: The Little Bird and the Red Rose http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/ A Mormon Blog Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:52:19 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: porter http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91081 porter Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:20:06 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91081 i've been looking for this same story - and this is the first time i've come across it on the internet from the time i heard it as a young boy. but this is a very different storyf rom the one i heard. it changed with the bird volluntairily sticking out his chest and piercing it with a thorn. the young boy then notices the rose and runs to school. but getting to school, he is invited to play in the basket ball game. and dropps the rose to play a game with his friends, realizing he "didnt really want to go to prom anyway." so the question is stated, will we take advantage of the sacrafice? or will we toss it down, to take part in the temporary joys of the world. i’ve been looking for this same story – and this is the first time i’ve come across it on the internet from the time i heard it as a young boy. but this is a very different storyf rom the one i heard. it changed with the bird volluntairily sticking out his chest and piercing it with a thorn. the young boy then notices the rose and runs to school. but getting to school, he is invited to play in the basket ball game. and dropps the rose to play a game with his friends, realizing he “didnt really want to go to prom anyway.” so the question is stated, will we take advantage of the sacrafice? or will we toss it down, to take part in the temporary joys of the world.

]]> By: BobW http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91080 BobW Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:24:36 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91080 Just a thought on the bird story: Is it not good that we, a) suffer with the suffering b) love birds c) love talking to birds d) love nerds e) want to date chicks f) will die for love g) love Jesus h) love chicks What is wrong with this story? Just a thought on the bird story:

Is it not good that we,

a) suffer with the suffering
b) love birds
c) love talking to birds
d) love nerds
e) want to date chicks
f) will die for love
g) love Jesus
h) love chicks

What is wrong with this story?

]]> By: Sarah http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91079 Sarah Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:50:41 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91079 Hey, now, Alma the Younger repented in a somewhat vegetative state. And stories like the one with the bird and the thorn have nothing on people testifying that they know it was our personal righteousness in the preexistence that resulted in us all being allowed to live in such a great country (I wish I was as not-self-absorbed to think of immigrants and starving children in East Timor at that time, but I was too annoyed.) At least cute stories let us play games with casting the various characters as Sin or Repentance. Hey, now, Alma the Younger repented in a somewhat vegetative state.

And stories like the one with the bird and the thorn have nothing on people testifying that they know it was our personal righteousness in the preexistence that resulted in us all being allowed to live in such a great country (I wish I was as not-self-absorbed to think of immigrants and starving children in East Timor at that time, but I was too annoyed.) At least cute stories let us play games with casting the various characters as Sin or Repentance.

]]> By: Susan M http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91078 Susan M Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:10:18 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91078 You're all a bunch of snobs. You’re all a bunch of snobs.

]]> By: Bro. Jones http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91077 Bro. Jones Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:27:59 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91077 <blockquote>How could he repent while in a coma?</blockquote>Eek--if someone can repent when in a coma, that implies that we can also sin in our dreams. And if so, hoo-boy, I've got some (comatose) repenting to do.

How could he repent while in a coma?

Eek–if someone can repent when in a coma, that implies that we can also sin in our dreams. And if so, hoo-boy, I’ve got some (comatose) repenting to do.

]]> By: Ray http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91076 Ray Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:09:22 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91076 I agree with john f. that there is a danger in dismissing "miraculous" stories as being in the same category as doctrinally warped allegories. I could tell more than one story from my personal experiences with missionaries and investigators that is similar in "unbelievability quotient" to the first story in #58 - and they all would be true. I agree with john f. that there is a danger in dismissing “miraculous” stories as being in the same category as doctrinally warped allegories. I could tell more than one story from my personal experiences with missionaries and investigators that is similar in “unbelievability quotient” to the first story in #58 – and they all would be true.

]]> By: john f. http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91075 john f. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:46:40 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91075 re # 58, do you consider the first Stake Conference story you mentioned (which you say was told by the attending GA) to be in the same category as the one that Amri is criticizing in the original post? To me, at least from what you have said about it, it seems different. Maybe you could provide more detail about it, as follows: (1) Was this a story that goes around and people retell it or was this a story that the speaker was sharing from having heard it himself from someone involved? (2) Is there something about the story that automatically invalidates it? (3) Do you also believe the <a href="http://abev.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/some-still-talk-of-the-old-gifts-part-ii/" rel="nofollow">remarkable story</a> I recorded at ABEV recently to be b.s.? It seems to be more in the same category as the story the visiting GA told at your stake conference than the allegory told by Amri's teacher. If you do, I would be interested to know what criteria you use to make the determination. Of course, I am not defending the temple square story to which you refer without knowing more about its provenance. I am just curious about the impulse to dismiss it out of hand. Of course the same impulse exists to dismiss the stories of angelic visitations to Joseph Smith out of hand as absurd and ridiculous, and we all know many who do just that. If the temple square story is something that simply goes around missions in old photocopies, etc., then perhaps it is suspect adn certainly unwise for a GA to include a faith promoting rumor in a talk -- but if the GA who told it heard it from one of those involved, how are we to say that it is a lame story or untrue or impossible or not helpful, etc.? re # 58, do you consider the first Stake Conference story you mentioned (which you say was told by the attending GA) to be in the same category as the one that Amri is criticizing in the original post? To me, at least from what you have said about it, it seems different. Maybe you could provide more detail about it, as follows:

(1) Was this a story that goes around and people retell it or was this a story that the speaker was sharing from having heard it himself from someone involved?

(2) Is there something about the story that automatically invalidates it?

(3) Do you also believe the remarkable story I recorded at ABEV recently to be b.s.? It seems to be more in the same category as the story the visiting GA told at your stake conference than the allegory told by Amri’s teacher. If you do, I would be interested to know what criteria you use to make the determination.

Of course, I am not defending the temple square story to which you refer without knowing more about its provenance. I am just curious about the impulse to dismiss it out of hand. Of course the same impulse exists to dismiss the stories of angelic visitations to Joseph Smith out of hand as absurd and ridiculous, and we all know many who do just that. If the temple square story is something that simply goes around missions in old photocopies, etc., then perhaps it is suspect adn certainly unwise for a GA to include a faith promoting rumor in a talk — but if the GA who told it heard it from one of those involved, how are we to say that it is a lame story or untrue or impossible or not helpful, etc.?

]]> By: peetie http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91074 peetie Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:09:23 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91074 My feelings exactly, but their feelings were obviously different. Maybe his Spirit wasn't in a coma? My feelings exactly, but their feelings were obviously different. Maybe his Spirit wasn’t in a coma?

]]> By: Noray http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91073 Noray Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:34:38 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91073 How could he repent while in a coma? How could he repent while in a coma?

]]> By: peetie http://bycommonconsent.com/2008/07/03/the-little-bird-and-the-red-rose/#comment-91072 peetie Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:00:45 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/?p=3961#comment-91072 At my last stake conference the visiting authority told a story in the Saturday evening session about a young teenage boy who was in a motor vehicle accident and entered a comatose state. After weeks of prayer and fasting stretched into months of prayer and fasting, the doctors lost hope. The mother pleaded and life support equipment was purchased, leading to the son being transfered home, where his life was extended. Months stretched into years, and SEVEN YEARS later the boy died (of unspecified causes). The GA followed the story up with how this gave the boy time to repent. I think it was meant to be a faith-promoting story, but it didn't work. Of course, it doesn't help my point, but the rest of his talk was exceptional. That story really got my goat, though. At my last stake conference the visiting authority told a story in the Saturday evening session about a young teenage boy who was in a motor vehicle accident and entered a comatose state. After weeks of prayer and fasting stretched into months of prayer and fasting, the doctors lost hope. The mother pleaded and life support equipment was purchased, leading to the son being transfered home, where his life was extended. Months stretched into years, and SEVEN YEARS later the boy died (of unspecified causes). The GA followed the story up with how this gave the boy time to repent.

I think it was meant to be a faith-promoting story, but it didn’t work.

Of course, it doesn’t help my point, but the rest of his talk was exceptional. That story really got my goat, though.

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