“We will never get a man into space. This earth is man’s sphere and it was never intended that he should get away from it… The moon is a superior planet to the earth and it was never intended that man should go there. You can write it down in your books that this will never happen.” - Joseph F. Smith
Got a reply from a former mission buddy....
The prophet is only given revelation in regards to spiritual matters. Anything non spiritual is an opinion. Do you honestly think that if God spoke to a prophet that he would reveal things not relevant to his gospel? I doubt that it was Gods will to have a man predict that people would go into space. It would have been a pointless revelation, he has much more important things to reveal besides trivia.
Its crazy how an apostle (prophet 6 months later), makes a statement like that, and people dont even bat an eye, in fact they bend over backwards to defend it. However i had 2 people like the status that i thought were TBM, i guess they apostasized =p
The prophet is only given revelation in regard to spiritual matters? So double pierced ears and tattoos and white shirts are spiritual matters? Because if it's just an opinion, and not a revelation from God, then there are countless LDS teens who would like to know that it's just one man's opinion - not something direct from God.
According to TBM, outward appearances such as the color of ones shirt and the number of earings they have reflect their testimony, i prefer to call it conformance. I got called out by a stake president in ward conference for wearing a striped shirt to priesthood when he was teaching the lesson.
The very best thing about that quote was the very short amount of time that transpired before J.F. Smith was proven wrong three different ways (1961-1969). Eight years is NOTHING in the big scheme of things!
I had an argument w/ a TBM once about the Church Handbook of Instructions.
The argument was about how the church at one point in time counseled homosexuals to quickly find a mate and get married in the temple as this would certainly 'cure' the problem.
Of course now CHOI provides the exact OPPOSITE guidance.
I explained to this TBM that this was an enormous problem... as it was obvious that either the guidance was incorrect at the time...or it is incorrect now.
It's funny how you use the term 'didn't bat an eye'...b/c that is how this dude was.
He didn't question what I was saying at all....just that what is in the CHOI should not be considered REVELATION and provided only guidelines..
He wasn't troubled by the issue in the slightest!!!
That's when I knew...TBM's are hopeless...they'll only leave when they WANT TO.