"Man what's with all these people leaving the Church? Recently had several family members, all who were active and with families, leave the Church. It's like an avalanche. Makes me sad."
Other posters noticed the same thing. Some gave condescending responses about "wheat and chaff", but surprisingly others spoke up about how they were losing faith as well. The consensus seems to be that many are fleeing the church.
Given all the evidences from the church itself: the financial scramblings, the GC talks about "doubting your doubts", the polygamy essays, the desperation to get their movie out there, the FB putsch, the lowering of mission ages, it seems that the church is in freefall.
If TBMs are noticing that the church is falling apart, things must be pretty desperate. It was only recently that they believed it was growing and healthy, and now suddenly they are openly talking about mass apostasy.
New member--just registered... also a recovering Mormon. FYI--former home teaching companion was Dallin Oaks himself.
Yes--the LDS Crutch (not church) is in freefall. And just what is to blame?
Answer: "THE INTERNET"
Missionaries can no longer propell their malarky unchecked unvetted.
The big enemy are those damned smart phone. It is instant access to real information about the LDS cult in real time.
And yes, even long term, generational famlies are leaving and dropping out like flies... and yes the free access to information is giving them answers that go unaswered by the elect Elders.
The only areas where membership is gaining, is in South American and other non-English speaking countries--where internet access is limited, and even when there is no access... real information is not provided other than in English.
not to brag but I taught Sunday school for over a decade and People, including the bishop, SP and even Q12 came to listen to my classes. It was a shock when I left and I made it clear that I did not study my way our, got offended, started to worship stan or did any of the typical cliches associated with leaving.
I made it clear that it was clearly, plainly not the same church that JS founded and that aside from that it was not good for people. My entire family, parents, brothers and sister followed.
Over the past few years members have come over to ask me questions, they have all left too.
The attendance has gone (not because of me, of course) gone from 250 to about 60, a few weeks ago they merged with another ward.
This thing is in a free fall and the profits are so concerned with pr that they cant attend to the doctrinal time bomb they created.
That's awesome to hear but on the other hand, I know TBMs who insist the church is growing and will continue to flourish. You know, the ones who are "proud to be one of the 15 million".
I don't know. I'm in the midwest and haven't seen or heard anything regarding church decline. No one has mentioned the essays, the same people are still here, and people seem to just go on with their business. Now, we haven't had a baptism in 4 years, but I don't see growth or decline.
celloman wrote; "Stagnation is death to buisinesses. TSSC is no different." to which I, for the most part, heartily agree.
However, what LD$, inc. is now experiencing is not stagnation, as such. {Heh-heh, hey, Beavis! Heh! Stag...Nation. Heh! In their dreams...Heh....}
Okay, sorry for that, to the grown-ups reading this. It just popped out of my fingers while typing. Post Traumatic SNARK Disorder? Yeahhh,....okay, no.
I believe what we are witnessing here in the evolution of American history in the making is not stagnation within the Mormon church, but rather an entire draining of the swamp. After a few generations of hard core Mormon dying and taking their outdated belief systems with them, the fact that the vast financial empire, probably formerly known as the COJCOLDS started as a religious adventure by a self-proclaimed "prophet" will be a distant memory known only to history buffs fascinated by irrelevant facts who seem to do quite well on quiz shows like Jeopardy.
To the greater world the collapse of the Kingdom of Morg will barely be of any note but to increasing multiples of millions . .. . . . it will be utterly Epic.
In the morridor the only thing I notice is some consolidation of wards on occasion and people complaining about no one wanting to do their church jobs. It is still pretty strong from appearances.
OTOH I just found out 2 of my siblings have left. Good times.
Meh…I have no clue if the wards out in my area are growing or not. I know before we left they consolidated but I have no clue if the decline is continuing and you know I don't really care.
I converted my exhusband and raised four kids in the church. We were very much a good active contributing family in our ward for over twenty years.
The only one left in the church is the converted ex-mo and a semi-active son.
Plus my temple-worker,organ-playing,Sunday school teaching, ultra TBM sister recently left after her new nomo husband pointed out info on the internet.
This is some of the best news ever. I suspect we will see more and more of this in the years to come.
When I was younger, I never heard of anyone leaving. Members used to brag that people from other faiths would join the Mormon church, but Mormons NEVER left the church to sign on with another religion. From my small place in the world, that seemed to be true.
As an adult, i've known several people who've left and signed up with other churches. There was an entire family that went over to the JW church. However, most have washed their hands of any church. That's been the case with me. I'm not the least bit interested in going to church again. I've had enough church to last several lifetimes.
I grew up in Texas and our town kept growing and growing. We thought the church was growing because they kept adding wards and stakes, but really it was just Mormons moving from Utah and elsewhere into new housing. The old residents were not joining and the places they left lost membership.
Movement gives the impression of growth, but it nets out as zero. In fact, moving is a great time to go inactive, since no one knows you to miss you.
That's how it was in NW Arkansas when we lived there. People thought the church was growing because of the need for new buildings, wards, and stakes...but it was only due to people moving to the area to work for Walmart and its suppliers...not converts. For the 11 years we lived there, I remember only a handful of converts...a small family that went inactive, a single guy (because of a girl but she married someone else while he was on his mission...not sure if he is still active), and a high school aged girl (all of her friends were mormon...she's still drinking the koolaid but none of her family joined the church). I have no idea what is going on with growth or decline in the wards and stakes here in CO since we've never attended here.
In our ward in the Hudson Valley, I know there are a number of people who have moved on.
Some were in ward/stake leadership and some have taken family members with them. The latest was the EQP. The bishopric has not remained intact for more than about 18 months for the last 7 years. Bishops have not served out their 5 year terms.
I left when I was a YMP. People say it's because I was angry and disaffected, and it's true. Angry and disaffected because I knew nobody was talking to God (and/or getting answers), and nobody wanted to do their calling. Where in previous wards, there might have been some good feelings and even some "spiritual" meetings, there was nothing.
Glad I came to this ward so I would start questioning.
DW is in a military ward in Georgia. Seems huge, bigger than most anything even in Utah. But the military has lots of Mormons, and they come and go. This ward has military from all three branches and the Marines, plus all the additional Defense and Army dept. civilians who transfer in and out. The more permanent Spanish-speaking branch collapsed, however, and the remaining members merged with this ward. You can't look at it and determine anything about growth, decline, or stagnation.
Although I am banned for life from the religion posts because I posted too many questions about the church--even though I was a contributing member of the board. Well, not really for life, they said I could appeal after the year 2100!
Before I was banned I had several posters board mail me and say that they were non-believers too, but still in the closet about it.
Of course there are many posters over there that will rationalize everything and they act like nothing will affect their beliefs no matter what, but they are taking heed.