It's obvious that Nelson is a narcissistic attention whore. Changing "LDS" and "Mormon". Throwing himself a big birthday bash,etc. Meeting with the Pope and getting his picture circulated was probably on his bucket list. He couldn't get the publicity on his own, that he got with meeting the Pope. Nelson, ala Trump, would throw himself a military parade down West Temple if he thought he could get away with it.
I could see giving Pope John II some praise since he was instrumental in helping take down the Soviet Union and communism in eastern Europe.
Nelson looked like an idiot praising Pope Francis. A pope a large percentage of the Catholic members don't like. I have Catholic friends that no longer participate in their church because they hate Pope Francis and think the church has fallen due to all the scandal and a Pope that seems like he's not even Christian.
Bruce. That would have been a show as he would have seen himself as David slaying Goliath?
Russ sees himself in the league of Nixon going to China in 1972 as a strategic move in the interest of the country. We had something to offer China and vice versa. Resolution of diplomatic isolation.
Mormonism has nothing to offer the Pope except perhaps asylum the way things are going with lawsuits and bad publicity.
I think Bruce just would have refused to go. He would have gone to the temple dedication but I don't think that man would even step a foot in the Vatican. I doubt Ezra Taft Benson would either because Pope Francis behaves like a communist.
I grew up with church leaders that were more about principle than public relations. The whole PR church began with Gordon B. Hinckley. I think past prophets would be quite disgusted at Nelson's show boating.
messygoop Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I don't think that arrogant Bruce would have had a > personal meeting. He'd be lucky to be shown the > Vatican parking lot. > > Edit: I think that both religions have lost favor > and prestige throughout the world. Neither has > much influence like they once did.
Two leaders of two failing church's meet and nobody really gives a damn. Heck even most LDS members care more about March Madness than what Russ is doing.
Bruce and the rest would have been a little more prickish. Anyone remember Lee, and Smith, Petersen, Benson, and Packer. These were not nice men, but very rigid, they were never wrong or would admit it....
They would have arranged the meeting just so that they could challenge the Pope to a no-holds-barred wrestling competition. And the whole time Bruce and Joseph Fielding Smith were wrestling the Pope, Joseph Fielding Smith's third wife, Jessie Evans Smith, would be loudly singing "Oh~how the Scarlet Who~re of Babylon has Fallen" in the Pope's ear.
Mark E. Petersen, the getaway driver, would be waiting in a souped-up Cadillac outside the gates of the Vatican. As soon as Bruce and Joseph Fielding Smith succeeded in subduing the Pope and rendering him unconscious, Jessie Evans would grab the beanie, Bruce would grab the crucifix necklace and Joseph Fielding Smith would grab the slippers and head out to the getaway car.
Once safely back in Temple Square, the trophies from their epic beat-down of the Pope would be put on display for the faithful to view, so that all could marvel at the modern day miracle, which thenceforth would forever be formally known as the "Vindication of the Restoration" and more informally known as "The Day the Prophet Kicked the Pope's Gluteus Maximus."