All Mormon prophets are only one death away from being irrelevant, and becoming a prophet who was "only speaking as a man." But does anyone remember when Joseph Fielding Smith gave a talk in conference about it being wrong to hunt? Gun-crazed Utahns did not take that sitting down, and as I remember, the church walked it back and made some comment in the vein of Smith "speaking as a man."

Anyone remember this event? Am I getting this right? The only thing that Google found for me was Kimball speaking against hunting; I don't remember that he got reamed for it, though. I also remember Kimball's "don't kill the little birds" talk.

“I never could see why a man should be imbued with a blood-thirsty desire to kill and destroy animal life. I have known men-and they still exist among us-who enjoy what is, to them, the “sport” of hunting birds and slaying them by the hundreds, and who will come in after a day’s sport, boasting of how many harmless birds they have had the skill to slaughter, and day after day, during the season when it is lawful for men to hunt and kill (the birds having had a season of protection and not apprehending danger) go out by scores or hundreds, and you may hear their guns early in the morning on the day of the opening, as if great armies had met in battle; and the terrible work of slaughtering the innocent birds goes on” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, vol 4, p.45).


Joseph F. Smith (who actually is Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr.):

"I do not believe any man should kill animals or birds unless he needs them for food . . . I think it is wicked for men to thirst in their souls to kill almost everything which possesses animal life," President Joseph F. Smith stated in "Gospel Doctrine," a book published in 1939.

https://www.deseret.com/2000/10/7/19532179/churches-speak-out-on-hunting

Spencer W. Kimball:

"The decision to hunt and fish, under appropriate regulations, is left to the discretion of the individual. However, many clear guidelines have been supplied to assist those who may be involved in such activities. These guidelines are designed to stop the unnecessary and wasteful slaughter of animals and birds, not to define public policy on predator control and game management."

https://www.deseret.com/2000/10/7/19532179/churches-speak-out-on-hunting

++++

The common thread in all of these statements is that hunting per se is not evil or forbidden, when necessary to "put food on your family" (as George W. Bush maybe would have put it). But hunting just for sport and taking pleasure in wasteful, unnecessary killing of animals was bad according to the above prophet guys. Generally, that's a sentiment I agree with. Like broken clocks, they still get things right now and then. Of course they have no real authority to make pronouncements on behalf of the creator of the universe and EVERYTHING they ever say is just a case of some man speaking as a man, regardless of any pretentious claims they may make to the contrary.

Back in Joseph F Smith’s time, hunters used boat-mounted punt guns with bores of a couple of inches to take down 50 birds at a time. It’s no surprise that he would speak against it.

I find it comforting that today’s Utahns are less crazy than their ancestors.

...reminds me of a .50 cal. ball-bearing cannon I built using a 300cfm compressor. Shot a bearing ball over a half mile....HARD!

..."Jail-time not included".

And it shall come to pass in the future that Russell M's war on the word Mormon shall be regarded as him only speaking as a man when that word persists in common usage.

Wasn't that Kimball and his "don't kill the little birds" talk?

of the birds. But so were Joseph F. and Joseph Fielding Smith. (See above. They all especially mentioned birds in their condemnation of wanton and wasteful slaughter for sport.)

Maybe if they just shot their wings off they could be considered good Ammonites.

I foresee the nepotism getting so bad that "speaking as your parents" will become a thing to dismiss a Mormon leaders advice.

"Julie: Yes. They were both remarkable leaders. [00:07:00] As I served as Release Society General President and traveled around with other general authorities who knew my parents, they’d say, “You were talking, you sounded just like your father, and then the next sentence I thought you were your mother?”
Kurt: Well, that’s a good compliment.
Julie: It was a nice compliment. But they never said, “You sound like yourself.” So it was kind of nice that they saw my parents in me. I felt it was an honor."
https://leadingsaints.org/how-i-lead-as-general-relief-society-president-an-interview-with-julie-beck/

I don't ever remember hearing about profits and church leaders having their quips and quotes watered down. Did this result from apologists and fair mormon websites making up crap to deflect hypocritical and contradicting statements?