Mingled with Scripture – GenCon 2015

Here are the words of scripture from conference as delivered line upon line, here a little and there a little.¹ 11.5 hours of conference and this is every line read during the 11.5 hours.

Play: Mingled with Scripture

Some thoughts:

Are the scriptures meant to be read as short phrases?

Does God speak in sound bites?

Are we really only trying to memorize the most quotable passages of scripture?

Did the prophets of old sound like this when they called the world to repentance?

If this continues, will we end up with one verse a week, quoted in a talk that quotes other talks?

It’s difficult to get a true sense of what their talk was about once you remove everything else.

I never realized how many references are only sound bites. (One, two, or three words)

They rarely quote a full passage of scripture.

Many references seem to support the speaker’s point more than the scripture’s own meaning.

The scriptures were seldom expounded.

Other verses are never used to support or clarify what’s being read from the scriptures.

A short phrase can take on a meaning the passage never had.

They do not quote leaders from more than ~25 years ago.

Joseph Smith was quoted only five or six times.

They tend to rephrase verses so that they aren’t actually quoting scripture, but making something new.

Without the stories and music around them, the verses themselves are easier to see.

It’s amazing how little scripture their talks contain.

What did you notice?