Although I have not attended church for decades, my wife is active and through her I have gotten to know many of her Mormon friends. Most of these people are smart, well educated, and professionally successful. When we socialize I get the sense that we share similar sensibilities on politics, science, education, and human rights. I would never be so rude as to ask anyone of them, "Why do you still have anything to do with the fraudulent mess that is the church?"

I know that these people are not submissive, shrinking violets, and that they have strongly held opinions along with facts and skills to back themselves up. I can only guess that they stay active in return for certain psychological or social benefits. I also sense though, given what I know of their nature, that their activity is not unconditional, but contingent on the church accommodating them too. I can just imagine some possible pointed conversations in Gospel Doctrine classes. (Are they even still held?)

Is this part of the dynamic behind change in the church? Has the church essentially made a bargain that in return for keeping the best and the brightest, it gives a little here and a little there? Maybe even stops pressing for public vows of orthodoxy and adherence to certain questionable beliefs?

If this is indeed the case in certain geographical areas, how long can it last? Will the church eventually be cornered from where it rejects any additional change, or will these members (especially their children) eventually give up on the church fulfilling their hopes for destiny? Or will the church slowly and successfully morph into a generic Christian organization that has no overriding strong corporate culture?

I have often wondered the same things.

In my experience, and in my TBM family members' experience, "pointed conversations in Gospel Doctrine classes" have not occurred in many years, if ever. And, no, essentially Gospel Doctrine classes are not still held. It seems that the Mormon cult has been avoiding any teaching of Mormon scriptures, church history or gospel principles. When I left 10 years ago, the transition in our SLC ward had already been made.

"I don't know that we teach that...." was the motto when I left. The "Gospel Doctrines" class had been changed to "Gospel Essentials", and it was only for dummies, meaning, new converts, "less-actives" and other marginalized people.

The only thing the Mormons taught when I left, was old conference talks, and old writings from old polygamous prophets. Our formerly semi-interesting RS lessons became just the same repetition of "Honoring the Priesthood" and "The Blessings of The Temple." The theme of the Primary was "Follow the Prophet." Christ and Love were never mentioned. This was not a religion I could relate to, at all.

Now, scripture study is passed off onto the members, for them to do at home, as a family, during that extra free hour on Sundays. There isn't even a Home Teacher's lesson anymore.

It will be interesting to see where all this leads.

In our geographical area, Salt Lake City, the best and the brightest Mormons seem to still be held hostage by their fanatic spouses, and their old-school elderly parents who still hold some purse strings, and hysterical parent peers who buy into the Mormon threat that their children will FAIL without the cult bullying them into obedience. Career-wise, it is usually wise in SLC to behave like a good Mormon. My sons do well, because one owns his own business with a non-Mormon partner, and their clients are non-Mormons from all over the US and Canada; and the other works for a National corporation, headquartered in NYC.

I foresee the religious Mormon church disappearing altogether, as it slowly is, now. Soon, no one will remember the various "Joseph Smith stories" or polygamy or Mormon racism. In order to kill the lies and hoaxes, the Mormons will have to kill their entire church, which is built upon those lies and hoaxes.

The Mormons won't care, because their biggest focus has always been on MONEY, not souls. Their business will thrive, and in the end, there will not be such thing as "Mormons", just as Rusty wants, but there will also be no such thing as tcoJColds. It will be just "LDS, Inc." which is the phrase the US media coined for this mess, thirty years ago.

The Corporation will thrive, and those old geezers will have their wealth. Once the Mormons leaders realize that tithing is no longer a major source of income, they won't care what kind of splinter-religions form--just as long as the new religions don't use the Mormon brand-names, or cause the Corporation any liability or bad publicity.

It will be interesting to see how the corporation re-brands itself. "The World Bank and Trust of God Almighty", or something like that.

and I'd been through SO MANY THINGS, I was talking to a friend of mine who is very active mormon, has been a bishop and in the stake high council. I asked him WHY I should still go to church. He said he didn't have any answers for me except that it was the right thing to do. He told me that life is a crap shoot and that the HIGHER UPS wouldn't agree with him, but that is how he sees things.

There are many people I wonder about--why they go. There is something they are getting from it. I haven't a clue why I stayed as long as I did.

Many stay because they want to attend the temple weddings of relatives. The problem is the church has separated marriage from sealing allowing members to have a civil wedding and then get sealed in the temple immediately after.

I believe this was done so that the church would not be pressured to perform gay weddings in the temple. This also creates the problem of people no longer have to have a temple recommend to attend a wedding. Also many of these young couples are getting married for sex. I think many will brush off going to the temple after the civil wedding.

Not sure about keeping the best and brightest, lol

A friend of mine once stated
"I believe in the church BUT I answer to God!