Russell M. Nelson's Miracle Stories

Video

This video, Episode 47 of the "LDS Discussions" series on the Mormon Stories Podcast, features host John Dehlin, Mike from LDS Discussions, Radio Free Mormon (RFM), and Nemo the Mormon 1-3. The discussion focuses on scrutinizing the honesty and integrity of Russell M. Nelson, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by analyzing four specific "miracle stories" he has shared over the years 1, 4.

The central thesis of the episode is that President Nelson displays a pattern of "gilding the lily"—taking mundane or ordinary events and fabricating miraculous details to elevate his own status as a chosen prophet and to promote faith among members 5, 6.

Here is a detailed summary of the four stories analyzed in the video:

1. The "Woman in the Hat" Story

President Nelson has told a story about baptizing a woman named Beverly Ashcraft. In his version, years after baptizing her, he saw a woman in a large hat at a stake conference in Tennessee, felt a divine prompting to call her to the pulpit, and discovered it was Beverly 7. He claims she had a dream two nights prior involving Elder Maxwell (who was originally scheduled to speak) telling her to prepare a list of the 80 people converted through her lineage 8.

The Discrepancy:The podcast reveals that this story was included in a draft of Nelson’s biography, Insights from a Prophet's Life, but was removed before final printing because Beverly’s family intervened 9, 10. Beverly's daughter and granddaughter contacted the publisher to state that the miraculous elements were false: Beverly never wore hats, there was no dream, no prepared list, and no prompting was necessary as Nelson knew she was in attendance 11. Furthermore, contrary to Nelson's claim that he met her in Korea as a nurse, she was never a nurse and never lived in Korea 12.

2. The Mozambique Robbery

In 2009, while visiting Maputo, Mozambique, Russell and Wendy Nelson were dining at the mission president's home when they were robbed.

Official/Initial Accounts: The Mission President, Blair Packard, stated that four armed men entered, robbed them, and that his wife Cindy suffered a broken arm while escaping to get help 13, 14. Crucially, Packard stated that the Nelsons "were not specifically targeted" and that it was not an act against the Church 15.

Nelson’s Evolved Version: Years later, Nelson claimed the robbers announced their intent to "kidnap her Wendy and kill me" 16. He asserted that a gun was put to his head and the trigger was pulled, but it failed to fire, claiming "we were protected by Angels" 17.

The Discrepancy:The hosts point out that the story grew from a frightening but standard robbery into an assassination and kidnapping attempt where divine intervention stopped a gun from firing—details absent from and contradicted by the contemporaneous reports from the victims who were there 17, 18.

3. The "Doors of Death" Flight

Nelson frequently tells a story of a flight from Salt Lake City to St. George in 1976. He claims an engine exploded, spewing oil and catching fire, causing the plane to spiral dive toward the earth 19, 20. He contrasts his own calm demeanor (prepared to meet his ancestors) with a hysterical woman screaming across the aisle 20. He claims the pilot miraculously extinguished the fire by diving and then restarted the other engine to land in a farmer's field 21, 22.

The Discrepancy:Using Civil Aeronautics Board (now NTSB) records from November 11, 1976, the hosts show the actual event was a "precautionary landing" at Delta, Utah, airport due to a "rough engine" 23. The official report states there was "no damage to aircraft" and "no injuries," contradicting the claims of an explosion, fire, and a death spiral 24. The hosts argue that Nelson turned a minor mechanical issue into a near-death miracle to showcase his spiritual superiority 25, 26.

4. The November 2015 Policy Revelation

In January 2016, Nelson declared that the controversial November 2015 policy (which excluded children of same-sex couples from baptism) was a revelation received by President Thomas S. Monson 27. Nelson described a process where the apostles "met repeatedly in the temple," "fasted and prayed," and considered "countless permutations" before the Lord inspired Monson 28.

The Discrepancy:The hosts cite insider accounts (specifically from Tom Christofferson via Greg Prince) indicating the policy was likely a reaction to the legalization of same-sex marriage and was pushed through in a rush 29. The account suggests the policy was presented to the Quorum of the Twelve for an "up and down vote without debate," rather than the lengthy, wrestled-with revelatory process Nelson described 30, 31. Additionally, it was noted that President Monson was suffering from dementia at the time, making Nelson's depiction of Monson receiving clear revelation suspect 29, 32.

Conclusion and Key Insights

The participants conclude that these stories demonstrate a willingness by the current prophet to fabricate details to create faith-promoting narratives 6.

Narcissism and Hero Complex: The hosts argue Nelson consistently makes himself the hero of these stories, often at the expense of others (e.g., the hysterical woman on the plane or the "foiled" robbers) 33, 34.

Spiritual Manipulation: Mike notes that members feel "spiritual witnesses" when hearing these lies, which calls into question the reliability of the "Spirit" as a method for discerning truth 35.

Credibility: The episode argues that if a prophet lies about verifiable events (like a plane crash or a hat), their claims regarding unverifiable divine revelations should be viewed with extreme skepticism 36, 37.

The discussion ends with the suggestion that this pattern of dishonesty is not just a personal failing but a systemic issue within Church leadership, comparing Nelson’s storytelling to the fabrications of early church history under Joseph Smith 38, 39.

Episode Info

Guests: Mike (LDS Discussions), Nemo the Mormon

Related Article: LDS Discussions