Mormon Myths

Before LDSWorld.com ceased existence, they had a really interesting section on urban legends and myths in the church. A lot of these can now be found on the Shields website. One I always enjoyed (mostly because I'm not a massive fan of the painting) is that the Del Parson painting of the Saviour is the "most accurate" portrait of Jesus: "A message tells of LDS artist Del Parson who was commissioned by the Church to do a painting of the Savior. He submitted several drafts of the portrait to the General Authorities who returned it with suggestions on how to make it more "accurate." Finally, the picture was accepted as the closest possible approximation to the Savior's actual appearance. (The final picture is the familiar "red robe" portrait that has been used in many Church magazines, manuals, etc.) Some dramatic additions to the story tell of a girl who recognized in the portrait the man who had held her and protected her after her parents were killed in a car accident, or who comforted her when she was locked in a closet by abusive parents. "According to Bro. Parson, the painting was indeed commissioned by the Church, but he worked with the curriculum department to create a painting suitable for their needs. There were several revisions in the process to develop a picture suitable for their needs; there was never an indication that the revisions were to make the portrait "more accurate." And there is no record of such a dramatic "recognition" by a little girl." Why is it that members of the church seem to need to believe in these 'feel good' stories and spread them like wildfire? I'm all for feeling good, but doing so through a lie isn't a great idea. Or is it?