Contents of a
Letter from the First Presidency
Regarding the Passing of "Statements
Attributed to Church Leaders"
The letter was issued on May 13, 2004 and
addressed the all Church units and LDS Church leaders. Its subject was:
"Statements Attributed to Church Leaders." The contents stated:
From time to time
statements are circulated among members which are inaccurately attributed to the
leaders of the Church. Many such statements distort current Church teachings
and are often based on rumors and innuendos. They are never transmitted
officially, but by word of mouth, e-mail, or other informal means.
We encourage
members of the Church to never teach or pass on such statements without
verifying that they are from approved Church sources, such as official
statements, communications, and publications. Any notes made when General
Authorities, Area Authority Seventies, or other general Church officers speak at
regional and stake conferences or other meetings should not be distributed
without the consent of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual use
only.
True spiritual
growth is based on studying the scriptures, the teachings of the Brethren, and
Church publications.
The letter was signed by the
First Presidency. As such, this should be sufficient instruction for
faithful members of the Church to not pass around material that does not have
official Church sanction.
Update: 11 Nov. 2008
We have been asked by Pres. Packer's office to add the following line to the above statement:
Pres. Packer has not authorized the distribution of any of his talks.
Any item passed around and purporting to be an authorized version of any talk he has given (other than General Conference talks), are hoaxes and should NOT be passed around.
SHIELDS
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