TikToker El_Urim_Tumim posted this video which outlines how President Nelson has evolved his story about an attack when he was in Mozambique into a miracle story. My thoughts are based on the points made in the video.
May 30 2009 - Elder and Sister Nelson were visiting a mission and while having dinner the mission home was robbed, the Mission President's wife had her arm broken, others got some cuts and bruises. Former missionaries said this is common and people usually use machetes for these types of robberies. link
June 1 2009 - Blair Packard, mission president, says Elder and Sister Nelson were not specifically targeted and it wasn't an act against the church, their guards were not involved. Said they were robbed by armed gunmen. link
November 21 2009 - Only intention was to harm Elder Nelson and kidnap Wendy. Mission President's wife gets outside and shouts for help, breaks her arm, others get cuts and bruises. Wendy felt peace right before the bad guy came in. link
March 27 2017 - Accomplishing the Impossible: What god does, what we can do page 25 (excerpt) - Elder Nelson says he was dining with a member family, bad men stormed in and announced they wanted to kidnap Wendy and kill Elder Nelson. A gun next to Elder Nelson's head failed to fire, Sister Nelson was miraculously released from their grip, they disappeared as quickly as they appeared. He knows angels saved them. No mention of the mission president's wife making it outside to get help, no mention of other things from the house being stolen.
Seems to me at this point either the mission president lied about what happened or Elder Nelson lied about what happened. Can both of them be telling the truth here? Why would one say Elder Nelson wasn't a target but then Elder Nelson says he was the sole target? Why would the Mission President say his wife got outside and got help and the other say angels saved them?
One clear reason for Elder Nelson to improve the story is that it makes him look more important. God saved him from a gun, armed evil men attacked him with the purpose of hurting him but then were miraculously foiled. This take makes it seem like Elder Nelson is someone special that God is watching over. The first account makes it seem like Elder Nelson just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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