Criticisms of Paul H. Dunn - Revision history

SpencerMarsh at 13:29, 11 January 2026

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			{{Summary1}}: Elder Paul H. Dunn was a very popular speaker during the 1970's and 1980's who told many faith-promoting stories about his days playing baseball and his service in World War II. Many people were inspired by his stories, and he was in much demand as a speaker. It was eventually discovered that Elder Dunn had exaggerated and conflated elements of his stories. He was given emeritus status as a General Authority on October 1, 1989. This page answers questions that have arisen about him.
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	*[[#Why did Elder Dunn exaggerate elements of these stories?\|Why did Elder Dunn exaggerate elements of these stories?]]		{{CollapseHeaders
	*[[#Why would people feel the Spirit when listening to an exaggerated story?\|Why would people feel the Spirit when listening to an exaggerated story?]]		\| title = ===Why did Elder Dunn exaggerate elements of his stories?===
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	~~==Who was Paul H. Dunn and what happened to him?==~~		\| content =
	Elder Paul H. Dunn was a very popular speaker during the 1970's and 1980's who told many faith-promoting stories about his days playing baseball and his service in World War II. Many people were inspired by his stories, and he was in much demand as a speaker. It was eventually discovered that Elder Dunn had exaggerated and conflated elements of his stories. He was given emeritus status as a General Authority on October 1, 1989.		====Elder Dunn responded to this issue himself====
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	==Why did Elder Dunn exaggerate elements of ~~these~~ stories?==
	===Elder Dunn responded to this issue himself===

	Regarding Elder Dunn's stories: he was human, just like the rest of us. He can speak for himself on this issue: [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/190407/ELDER-DUNN-OFFERS-APOLOGY-FOR-ERRORS-ADMITS-CENSURE.html?pg=all "Elder Dunn Offers Apology for Errors, Admits Censure"], Deseret News, Oct. 27 1991.		Regarding Elder Dunn's stories: he was human, just like the rest of us. He can speak for himself on this issue: [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/190407/ELDER-DUNN-OFFERS-APOLOGY-FOR-ERRORS-ADMITS-CENSURE.html?pg=all "Elder Dunn Offers Apology for Errors, Admits Censure"], Deseret News, Oct. 27 1991.
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	Elder Dunn has an unlisted phone number and could not be reached for comment. He concluded his letter by pleading for the understanding of church members and assured them of his "determination so to live as to bring added respect to the cause I deeply love, and honor to the Lord who is my Redeemer."		Elder Dunn has an unlisted phone number and could not be reached for comment. He concluded his letter by pleading for the understanding of church members and assured them of his "determination so to live as to bring added respect to the cause I deeply love, and honor to the Lord who is my Redeemer."
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	==Why would people feel the Spirit when listening to an exaggerated story?==		\| title = ===Why would people feel the Spirit when listening to an exaggerated story?===
	===No documented evidence has appeared that faithful members received some sort of spiritual confirmation that the stories taught were true.===		\| state = closed
	Many critics have argued that the Spirit was confirming a lie during these times. Similar criticism is applied to a [https://www.deseret.com/2017/7/31/20616729/elder-holland-withdraws-church-news-missionary-story situation with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in 2017].<ref>Critic Grant Palmer applied very similar criticism to the World War II stories of Utah Congressman Dogulas R. Stringfellow. Palmer writes: "As one example, many people, including myself, felt this confirming spirit when we heard the World War II stories of Utah Congressman Douglas R. Stringfellow. Stringfellow's experiences were later revealed to be a complete hoax [Frank H. Jonas, "The Story of a Political Hoax," in ''Institute of Government'', vol. 8 (Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1966): 1-97.] I was about fourteen years old when I heard him speak, and it was a truly inspiring experience. After Stringfellow concluded, I remember that the leader conducting the meeting said, "If you have never felt the Spirit before, it was here today in abundance." He was right. I felt it strongly, as did many others." See Grant H. Palmer, ''An Insider's View of Mormon Origins'' (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002), 131-2. Similar responses could be given to that argument in this article. It is possible that Palmer could be deliberately reinterpreting a true experience or fabricating one out of wholecloth from real stories of hoaxes.</ref>The first point that should be made is that no documented evidence has appeared of a faithful member receiving some spiritual confirmation that these stories from Dunn were true. There are several testimonies from former members of such that they say happened while they were faithful members <ref>One former member of the Church gathered several of these claims that can be found online at <nowiki>https://github.com/faenrandir/a_careful_examination/tree/master/documents/spiritual_experiences-testimony-holy_ghost/paul_h_dunn_felt_spirit</nowiki> if one truly wishes to see a few.</ref>, but nothing from members of the Church today or faithful members of the time.		\| content =
			====No documented evidence has appeared that faithful members received some sort of spiritual confirmation that the stories taught were true.====
			Many critics have argued that the Spirit was confirming a lie during these times. Similar criticism is applied to a [https://www.deseret.com/2017/7/31/20616729/elder-holland-withdraws-church-news-missionary-story situation with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in 2017].<ref>Critic Grant Palmer applied very similar criticism to the World War II stories of Utah Congressman Dogulas R. Stringfellow. Palmer writes: "As one example, many people, including myself, felt this confirming spirit when we heard the World War II stories of Utah Congressman Douglas R. Stringfellow. Stringfellow's experiences were later revealed to be a complete hoax [Frank H. Jonas, "The Story of a Political Hoax," in ''Institute of Government'', vol. 8 (Salt Lake City: University of Utah, 1966): 1-97.] I was about fourteen years old when I heard him speak, and it was a truly inspiring experience. After Stringfellow concluded, I remember that the leader conducting the meeting said, "If you have never felt the Spirit before, it was here today in abundance." He was right. I felt it strongly, as did many others." See Grant H. Palmer, ''An Insider's View of Mormon Origins'' (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002), 131-2. Similar responses could be given to that argument in this article. It is possible that Palmer could be deliberately reinterpreting a true experience or fabricating one out of wholecloth from real stories of hoaxes.</ref> The first point that should be made is that no documented evidence has appeared of a faithful member receiving some spiritual confirmation that these stories from Dunn were true. There are several testimonies from former members of such that they say happened while they were faithful members,<ref>One former member of the Church gathered several of these claims that can be found online at <nowiki>https://github.com/faenrandir/a_careful_examination/tree/master/documents/spiritual_experiences-testimony-holy_ghost/paul_h_dunn_felt_spirit</nowiki> if one truly wishes to see a few.</ref> but nothing from members of the Church today or faithful members of the time.

	We do have one case that has been claimed as an example of faithful members receiving a spiritual witness of one of Elder Dunn's claimed false/exaggerated stories. Elder Dunn gave a talk at the October 1976 General Conference of the Church entitled "[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/10/follow-it?lang=eng Follow It!]". In the talk, Elder Dunn, as a means of illustrating a point of being an upstanding Latter-day Saint and for standing what's right, shared a story of a young man named Jimmy Daniels who, before a baseball playoff game for the state championship at Dunn's high school, was caught with a nicotine stain on his finger and Elder Dunn was made his replacement. At the conclusion of the Conference, Elder Kimball [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/10/a-program-for-man?lang=eng stated] that:		We do have one case that has been claimed as an example of faithful members receiving a spiritual witness of one of Elder Dunn's claimed false/exaggerated stories. Elder Dunn gave a talk at the October 1976 General Conference of the Church entitled "[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/10/follow-it?lang=eng Follow It!]". In the talk, Elder Dunn, as a means of illustrating a point of being an upstanding Latter-day Saint and for standing what's right, shared a story of a young man named Jimmy Daniels who, before a baseball playoff game for the state championship at Dunn's high school, was caught with a nicotine stain on his finger and Elder Dunn was made his replacement. At the conclusion of the Conference, Elder Kimball [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1976/10/a-program-for-man?lang=eng stated] that:
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	Thus this example doesn't work for establishing the validity of the criticism. There's nothing substantial to move forward the discussion with.		Thus this example doesn't work for establishing the validity of the criticism. There's nothing substantial to move forward the discussion with.

	===Simply receiving a warm feeling about a speech or article is not enough to call it revelation or a confirmation of the spirit===		====Simply receiving a warm feeling about a speech or article is not enough to call it revelation or a confirmation of the spirit====
	Latter-day Saints understand that a testimony of the Gospel is not based, as one reviewer humorously put it, on "grandpa stories".<ref>Conflict of Justice, "Why Did Mormons ‘Feel The Spirit’ From Paul H. Dunn’s Made-Up Stories?" <http://www.conflictofjustice.com/mormons-feel-spirit-paul-h-dunns-stories/> (Accessed 5 October 2019).</ref> Latter-day Saints base their testimony on a dynamic influence of the Holy Ghost as sought for by revelation. This revelatory experience that is sought out comes from study and prayer (D&C 9:7-9) through the use of all our faculties (D&C 88:15; Alma 32:27).		Latter-day Saints understand that a testimony of the Gospel is not based, as one reviewer humorously put it, on "grandpa stories".<ref>Conflict of Justice, "Why Did Mormons ‘Feel The Spirit’ From Paul H. Dunn’s Made-Up Stories?" <http://www.conflictofjustice.com/mormons-feel-spirit-paul-h-dunns-stories/> (Accessed 5 October 2019).</ref> Latter-day Saints base their testimony on a dynamic influence of the Holy Ghost as sought for by revelation. This revelatory experience that is sought out comes from study and prayer (D&C 9:7-9) through the use of all our faculties (D&C 88:15; Alma 32:27).

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	{{Seealso\|Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition?}}		{{Seealso\|Question: Why might someone not be able to see their spiritual impressions come to successful, obvious, and/or beautiful fruition?}}
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	==Who was Paul H. Dunn and what happened to him?==		==Who was Paul H. Dunn and what happened to him?==
	Elder Paul H. Dunn was a very popular speaker during the 1970's and 1980's who told many faith-promoting stories about his days playing baseball and his service in World War II. Many people were inspired by his stories, and he was in much demand as a speaker. It was eventually discovered that Elder Dunn had exaggerated and conflated elements of his stories. He was given emeritus status as a General Authority on October 1, 1989.		Elder Paul H. Dunn was a very popular speaker during the 1970's and 1980's who told many faith-promoting stories about his days playing baseball and his service in World War II. Many people were inspired by his stories, and he was in much demand as a speaker. It was eventually discovered that Elder Dunn had exaggerated and conflated elements of his stories. He was given emeritus status as a General Authority on October 1, 1989.

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	==Who was Paul H. Dunn and what happened to him?==		==Who was Paul H. Dunn and what happened to him?==
	Elder Paul H. Dunn was a very popular speaker during the 1970's and 1980's who told many faith-promoting stories about his days playing baseball and his service in World War II. Many people were inspired by his stories, and he was in much demand as a speaker. It was eventually discovered that Elder Dunn had exaggerated and conflated elements of his stories. He was given emeritus status as a General Authority on October 1, 1989.		Elder Paul H. Dunn was a very popular speaker during the 1970's and 1980's who told many faith-promoting stories about his days playing baseball and his service in World War II. Many people were inspired by his stories, and he was in much demand as a speaker. It was eventually discovered that Elder Dunn had exaggerated and conflated elements of his stories. He was given emeritus status as a General Authority on October 1, 1989.

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