My TBM mother is always sending me short story's like the one below, thinking I'll be inspired to rejoin the cult. I very gently tell my wonderful mother, "mother, these story's are not true. They are folk lore. They are bogus. Somebody made this up. It can not/has not ever been corroborated, nor will it ever be." She say, "oh son, ye of little faith. This story came from a missionary journal somewhere, and isn't it wonderful. It is true."

A good example of the mormon delusion. In her mind, it absolutely true. I sware morgbots ride the short bus.



Never to late to hear this story...Several years ago, a newly called Mormon Missionary accepted a call to serve in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he and his companion
had occasion to ride the bus from their apartment to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought,'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a'gift from God' and keep quiet.'When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change ..' The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new
missionaries at the Mormon Church in town?' 'Yes' he replied.
'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.' When the missionary stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh Heavenly Father, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'Our lives are the only scripture some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Mormons, and will put us
to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you are baptized and take the Sacrament. Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. I'm glad a friend forwarded this to me as a reminder.

Even if it was true, how does the honesty of one person make the church more true than another?

If true, the bus driver should try that experiment with a hundred other people and ask them what their religion is? I bet not only the Mormons would return the quarter and probably a lot of Mormons would keep the quarter.

... did that story SUCK!

"This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Mormons, and will put us to the test!"

I guess ... NOT!

Timothy

The guy goes to the mormon church and it's fast sunday. Everyone there starts talking about Joe Smith and some gold plates. After researching, the man realizes the mormons are delusional.

He decides he doesn't care how many quarters mormons return, he will never join the cult.

Instead of wasting his quarters on tithing the man is now free to donate to charity, go on a much needed vacation, and smoke some fine cigars.

That's the story I heard...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2011 04:21PM by Freevolved.

Is that the best they have?

I was so shocked by Steve Benson's report on Oakes and Maxwell's spiritual experiences and how stupid they were--

You can go to any F&T meeting every Sunday and hear better than this story--and that isn't saying much.

... testify to the verifiable FALSEHOOD of this faith-promoting missionary lie.


Since when (decades maybe) do bus drivers even touch MONEY??

You either have exact fare or you get off the bus -- no ride for you.

Maybe someone in Houston can tell us if bus drivers are still living in the dark-ages and "make-change" for fares.

Call me cynical.

I hadn't thought of that, but you're right! Even in my little podunk town 10 years ago when I was riding the bus it was exact change only and you put it in a little box the bus driver didn't even touch it.

When I was a missionarry in Houston we almost never rode the bus and when we did they wanted exact change. It would have been more credible if they were specific about what building. He could have said the Church over on Bearing or over in Maplewood and it would have been more beliveable. At least you know someone from Houston was writing the crap.

If a bus driver DID purposely give a rider too much change, I'd imagine he could be fired for that.

Also, I used to ride the bus all the time in Europe (where the drivers in the countries where I lived did make change for passengers), and I doubt I ever bothered counting my change. Once I'd paid my fare all I could think about was grabbing a decent seat before the bus lurched forward again; I just said "Thanks" to the driver and threw the change in my pocket or purse.

In other words...how would the bus driver have known that the missionary would actually bother counting the change and notice he'd received too much?

Stories like this are proof there is no God. If there was one we'd all be covered in divine vomit by now. ;)

But I don't remember the story quite that way. Sounds like it has been embellished over the years.

The missionary was short of cash one day by a quarter. They were regulars on the bus, so I told him that he could pay me the next time he saw me and I paid his last quarter.

As they got off the bus, I said "This will be a test to see if you're truly honest or not." He said he would pay me back next time.

Well, I never did get that quarter back.

Since I live in the Houston, TX area (Ft. Bend Co), I think I can categorically say that NO bus driver that works for METRO would talk that way or say that. I doubt they would even say one word to you. And as I think I read, they do not make change. So Big time BS call out on this story.......

Horse hockey. Metro bus drivers in Houston do not carry change of any kind and never have. It's exact change or MetroPass only. This story is a crock.

Ron

Oh, and I've lived in Houston since 1991, and since 1978 in Texas. Bus drivers never have change. Exact change or bus pass only, please. Step aside.

Ron

Tales about miracles associated with honesty have been around forever. One version I remember from Catholic school goes like this... Now, I realize this one is different because it doesn't relate to getting a testimony. But the Catholic nuns told this story to my class when we were 11, which they proclaimed was in the bible and was true.

When King Herod sent a decree to murder all the children under age 2, Joseph and Mary went out into the desert trying to get to Egypt. As they were approaching the border, I guess, they were stopped by Herod's soldiers who were trying to make sure no children escaped. Mary was holding the baby in a blanket in her arms. The soldiers asked her what she was carrying. Because she was really, really, really honest, and really, really righteous, she told the truth. She told the soldiers, "It's a baby."

The soldiers thought that couldn't be true because no one would admit to having a baby knowing they intended to kill it. So the soldiers, dumb as a rock, let her and Joseph go through with baby Jesus because they were so sure she couldn't be telling the truth. So her honesty saved baby Jesus.

Okay, so I improvised a little.

But that was the miraculous "honesty" story told at St John Bosco after school Catholic school, Miami, Florida, cir 1974-75

Cristina Wrote: [in part]
-------------------------------------------------------

> But that was the miraculous "honesty" story told
> at St John Bosco after school Catholic school,
> Miami, Florida, cir 1974-75

I know St. John Bosco's. It's on Flagler Street, right?

YEP, pretty sure it's Flagler Street or a few feet close to it.


I did my first communion there in 1975. Before I knew about Donny Osmond and the Mormons. Were you there?

Yeah, I got dragged off to some sort of therapist (Catholic Services) at St. John Bosco's. After a session, the therapist's attention was off me and focused on my mother ....

The story is supposed to inspire faith, but you can't believe it unless you faith already?

After that, it's turtles all the way down.

you're being watched.

It's one of my least favorite lessons.

My mom lost her bag at Lagoon (a resort near salt lake city)

She was looking in trash cans and bathrooms, until I dragged her to lost and found and they had it.

Nothing missing either, cash and camera.

"Only in Utah, only in morg ville!"

The next night at dinner theater a mancame over and said "you lost your bag at Lagoon yesterday "

Yes! How did you know?

"Because I returned it and I recognized it"

Oh, I told my son, only in Utah, only the moths are so honest.

"I'm not morg, and I'm from Michigan!"

Hello!

Good Grief! How many different religions are gonna use this old worn out story?

A girl once told me a story about a man who took LSD(the other LDS). He went crazy and cut his arm off. Then he cut his other arm off. How'd he do the second one, I wondered.

But she believed it really happened.

I am that man!

I did it with my prehensile tool...

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=55438

and yet another take:

http://www.yanabi.com/forum/PrintTopic340160.aspx



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2011 06:31PM by baura.

baura Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=55438
>
> and yet another take:
>
> http://www.yanabi.com/forum/PrintTopic340160.aspx


Nicely done Baura.

Bus fare boxes do not give change and bus drivers do not handle cash.

In other words ... bus drivers do not touch money.


The story sounds like a dream from the 1950's

Another tale from the collection of Paul H. Dunn...

Mormons think everyone is judging them all the time, because mormons are continually judging themselves and other mormons.

It's exhausting for them.

I love the irony. A missionary has a crisis of faith over a quarter, and this is supposed to inspire us to love a church that steals billions from its members with no accountability.

It's like the criticism of white collar crime: steal a TV, go to jail for life. Steal someone's life savings, get promoted to CEO.

About two years ago, my younger son was 16. I took him to the pet supply store, gave him a $10. He paid the cashier, cute young lady about his age. He paid, she gave him change for a $20. He said "You gave me too much change." He knew that a cashier gets in trouble for a short drawer. She said "Thank you. I really like an honest guy."

We went out to the parking lot. He said "Just a minute, Dad; I forgot something" and went back into the store.

He came out with a big grin. I asked him "What did you get?"

He said "A telephone number."

Sorry about injecting a TRUE story into the thread.

Oddly enough the cashier did not ask me about the belief system that made me so honest. Do you suppose that's because it wasn't one that involves baby Jesus? ;)