In another case, a missionary demonstrates to his new companion how to place a copy of the Book of Mormon in a home — he literally throws the book into the house past the woman who lives there, then runs away. The "greenie" is left to "stammer out" an explanation to the woman — who, of course, is also a church member and in on the joke.

Wilson said that stories about the late J. Golden Kimball, who was a member of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy, are symbolically "knocking general authorities from their pedestals. Anti-clerical lore in other churches has a similar effect. In fact, stories from other cultures will sometimes appear as J. Golden stories."

One story has Heber J. Grant, who was president of the LDS Church for almost three decades, calling J. Golden into his office and telling him that he can't swear in General Conference any more. President Grant says, "I'll write your next talk for you, and I want you to read it word for word."

"So J. Golden agrees," said Wilson, "but when President Grant hands him the talk on his way to the podium in the tabernacle, he looks at it hard and says, 'Good Hell, Hebe — I can't read a damn word of this!"'

According to Wilson, this story is funny not only because J. Golden swears when he shouldn't, but because he addresses the president of the church by an intimate nickname. It serves the purpose of making LDS general authorities accessible to the average person — and also "less fearsome."

Stories about the Three Nephites emanate from the Book of Mormon, where it speaks of three men who "would not taste of death" but who would continue to live and do good deeds. Numerous stories have been told over the years about farm plots being plowed overnight, loaves of bread taken from windows and delivered to hungry missionaries, and many other stories in which people are aided through difficult times.

Wilson plans to write his own history of the Three Nephites (he has 1,500 stories) and analyze what they demonstrate about the culture from which they spring. The pervasiveness of the Internet has changed the way such stories circulate — with great speed all over the world, he said. Still, he feels that "It will not stop people from telling stories around the water cooler."

He added that, "The telling of stories improves the appreciation of any culture. A lot of the Nephite stories come from actual experiences. All the stories are true — it depends on the truth you're looking for."

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E-mail: dennis@desnews.com