As I sat in Primary opening exercises with my class, the music leader was teaching the hymn, “Come, Follow Me.”  The fourth verse begins with the words, “Not only shall we emulate His course while in this earthly state...”

As the music leader began teaching that verse, she stopped and asked, “Do you know what emulate means?”  Without waiting for answers, she held up both fists and rapidly spread the fingers out several times as she enthusiastically explained, “It means ‘to shine!’”

I thought to myself, “Oh, dear, what shall I do?  Shall I contradict her and embarrass her, or let this pass?”  I let it pass, hoping that the children wouldn’t remember the false definition.  But some of them probably did.  It was probably years later before they came to realize that emulate does not mean to shine, but to imitate.

On another occasion the stake presidency, stake clerk, and stake executive secretary were meeting with the 12 bishops and branch presidents of the stake—the stake’s 17 preeminent leaders.  Each monthly meeting was to begin with a spiritual thought provided by one of the members of this bishops’ council.  At this particular meeting, the bishop who had been assigned to provide the spiritual thought was absent.  He sent his counselor to take his place.  The counselor came prepared.  He had found a verse in the Book of Mormon that had impressed him deeply.  He announced that he was going to read Alma 1:4.

I thought to myself, “That’s one of the chapters about apostates.  I’d better look this up.”  I hurriedly turned to the verse while the bishop’s counselor read it.  He finished reading before I could find the verse.  He smiled broadly and closed his book.  As the stake president was thanking him for his contribution, I read this:

“And he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.”

The bishop’s counselor had quoted the anti-Christ, Nehor.  What should I do?  Should I make the correction and embarrass the man, or let it go?  The man had a slight speech impediment.  He had read the verse so quickly that I realized that probably not one other person had tuned into what he was saying, so I decided to say nothing.

And that is how false doctrine was successfully taught to the foremost leaders of the stake.