I don't know exactly what makes the Evangelical churches so popular but maybe LDS,Inc. could take at least one cue from them.

My Evangelical friend explained that at her church people come dressed just as they please. In fact, they are encouraged to dress casually. I watched a video of her church meeting in what I believe is a mega church and I saw fancy dressed church ladies with hats along side raunchy t-shirt wearing youth. And everyone was getting along just fine.

I think the habit of forcing men into white shirt and tie and women into dresses just puts one more barrier between the church and increased attendance, especially among youth. But having a leader four generations away from the present like Nelson doesn't bode well for that ever happening soon at LDs,Inc.

A local Evangelical church in town has a picture of Jesus wearing a tuxedo T-shirt.

Yeah, they're pretty mellow.

I have family members who are evangelicals. They attend a large mega church where the typical service has around 5000 participants. Generally there are 3 Sunday services and one mid-week. Here are some things that, I think, make them successful—

1. The come as you are described by the OP. No one care about what clothes you wear.
2. The ministry team at the church is sincere, but not pushy in-your-face.
3. The ministry team speaks openly to those who are unbelievers in the congregation and welcomes them no matter where they are with faith.
4. Sermons focus on positive Christian living, helping others and overcoming fears and addictions.
5. There is no heavy theology. It’s mostly Baptist-light, no arcane doctrines and teachings.
6. Participants can join small groups based on interests if they want.
7. I’m welcomed as a visitor, but not love-bombed.

The Morg has a long way to go...

And if you choose not to attend for 3 weeks, they don't send out a rescue squad!

I like churches with larger congregations. I can hide anonymously in a crowd. No one notices what I'm wearing, or wonders why I'm alone. If we go with friends, we can sit together, and not just with our families. If we're late, or if we have to leave early, no one notices, and no one glares at us. The sermons and music are uplifting, and we come home refreshed, not depressed. The service is worth the donation, and no one keeps track of how much money we put in the basket. No one tries to make us do something we don't want to do. Volunteerism is voluntary, and not mandatory. No one knows if we were there last week, or not. People smile and greet each other, even strangers. No one tries to pry information from me, such as what I do for a living or where I live (to find out how much money we have), or how many children I have, and where are they? The don't ask me if I pray, or believe in God, or if I'm married, or personal stuff like that.

We're free to just--worship, and donate and volunteer anonymously, and be at peace, when we feel like it.

>
> Volunteerism is voluntary, and not mandatory.
>

...does...not...compute...

What?


take the heavy-handed judgmentalism OUT of Mormonism???

what fun would that be??? (especially for the Ultra-Worthy)

It's easy to overgeneralize about Evangelical churches. Some are just as Fundamentalist leaning as the Mormons - even more so.

A couple of examples.

I just attended a funeral of one of the modern, friendly, evangelical churches in the Tri Cities (Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Washington). They have a "Chapel Café," live rock music, cool open concept, friendly and outgoing staff and members. But the funeral messages were like Mormon ones (preaching about salvation and the one true way). What was different from Mormon funerals is you could dress-as-you-want. So everyone in attendance was casual. The dress was casual, but the message was straightforward: Believers in Christ will be accepted in the loving arms of Jesus, and unbelievers will be cast out forever. It was a loving message for believers but with a big bite in the ass threat for all those who did not subscribe to their brand of JESUS JESUS JESUS. From the outside they seemed so modern and tolerant. Not so much from the inside.

Before retiring, I worked for a company who usually hired only Evangelical workers from a church group called Christ Church here in Moscow, ID. (After quitting CES I worked for several universities for more than a decade;and before retiring I wanted to try sales to see what it was like.)

Those Evangelical folks made the Mormons look mainstream and cool compared to their rabid and over-the-top infusion of religion and work. On the outside, the Evangelicals were all friendly and "we love everybody." Work was simply another place to reinforce religious indoctrination emphasized on Sundays. And it got real old. They were pretty vicious underneath all the charm, once they found out that one (me) wasn't interested in converting. Anything they thought was "wrong" was sinful and inspired by Satan; and that included anything other than their particularistic view of politics, music, community events, public education (they loved their privately funded religious school, and literally despised the public schools), and a host of other things.

Having been a member of the Methodist church for 20 years before converting to Mormonism (and leaving) is that the mainline, relatively liberal, denominations like Methodists, Presbyterians, are accepting of differences and do not insist on "conformity or else!"

Many modern evangelical movements can be fundamentalist (anti-science, anti-intellectual, patriarchal, we-are-the-one-true-church, insistence on obedience and conformity, intolerant, rely on certainty, anti-LGBTQ, women's place in the home), though on the outside they advertise acceptance and tolerance, and a love for cool Christian rock music in church.

kenc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's easy to overgeneralize about Evangelical
> churches. Some are just as Fundamentalist leaning
> as the Mormons - even more so.
>
> A couple of examples.
> They have a "Chapel Café," live rock music, cool open
> concept, friendly and outgoing staff and members.

> But the funeral messages were like Mormon ones
> (preaching about salvation and the one true way).
> What was different from Mormon funerals is you
> could dress-as-you-want. So everyone in attendance
> was casual. The dress was casual, but the message
> was straightforward: Believers in Christ will be
> accepted in the loving arms of Jesus, and
> unbelievers will be cast out forever. It was a
> loving message for believers but with a big bite
> in the ass threat for all those who did not
> subscribe to their brand of JESUS JESUS JESUS.
> From the outside they seemed so modern and
> tolerant. Not so much from the inside.
>

>
> Those Evangelical folks made the Mormons look
> mainstream ...
> literally despised the public schools), and a host
> of other things.
>
> Having been a member of the Methodist church for
> 20 years before converting to Mormonism (and
> leaving) is that the mainline, relatively liberal,
> denominations like Methodists, Presbyterians, are
> accepting of differences and do not insist on
> "conformity or else!"
>
> and a love for cool Christian rock music in church.


Yes, I recall images of the Pentecostals using the ultra-rhymatic, heavy-beats music to whip up church-goers emotional status; Do they still do that?

otoh, LDS music is heavily subdued. When our fundy (Carnation, WA) bishop played church-banned guitar from the pulpit 'stand', several of us w/couldn't believe he would go against church policy (guitars still banned?).

as far as the inside/outside disparity, that's alive & well in Morland, although it presents slightly differently.

Mormonism, early on, could have institutionalized a private/ 'charter' school system, that appears to be one BY oversight; He missed the (future) significance of education by a Country Mile!

just sayin'

I second everything the other posters have said, and I will add that the local non-denominational church I attend doesn't pass the collection plate. There are offering boxes by the doors and people are encouraged to contribute, or not,as they see fit.

Services last an hour, they begin and end on time. The pastors are professionally trained and offer teachings that are well researched, well rehearsed and presented with enthusiasm. The children spend that hour playing on the playground for a while, then having a very short story out of the Bible, then an arts-and-crafts project and a snack. For grownups, there's a food court that's open during service and the teachings are broadcast over loudspeakers, so you can sit outside with your friends, nosh on a burrito, and hear what's going on.

Also, during the month of December, there are copies of Excel spreadsheets at the information desk showing income and expenditures throughout the year. Including the pastors' salaries, down to minutia such as expense for postage. Financial transparency from a church, what a radical thought!

And this church is growing by leaps and bounds.

Personally, I'd rather not give LDS, Inc. ideas to make them "more friendly."
That'll just perpetuate the silly cult.

Let them wallow in their unfriendliness and cultiness until they go away, I say.

I agree with ificouldhie. In fact I think they should double down on their anti-gay bigotry, reinstate their no blacks policy, encourage more polygamy, and see where that gets them. If anyone wants to give the morg advice on how to improve, it should involve the shuttering of every ward house and temple on the planet.

I don't think RfM gets much notice in the upper-echelon of LDS decision makers;


Otoh, there are fence-sitters 'doubters' who can recognize why it's a Cult by the comparisons published here...

A powerful testimony. If we live another 30-40 years we might actually see the end of this cult.

A big distinction is being completely overlooked here.

In an evangelical church, the evangelical preacher is the center piece of the show EVERY WEEK. That is what the pageant is centered on.

In a MORmON church the local members are a big part of the show, hence their dressing up to show off is an integral part of the MORmON dog and pony show pageantry, one that can not easily be discarded. The local members present / speak periodically. The local members are involved in trying to climb the leadership ladder. Local members are involved in assimilating status via their churchin' meetings. That avenue is not open at an evangelical mega church.

Only an anti-Mormon would dare suggest such an unfathomable idea such as trying to focus any considerable effort to make the Church more that way. We have been taught through our beloved Correlation program where all of efforts need to be focused. Where the focus is supposed to be is on OBEDIENCE, period. What you have written is so repulsively against the focus of the sacred tenets of our glorious Correlation program that I dare not even write that "f" word you wrote. Oh how amazing it is that we have been well-indoctrinated to think this peculiar way through the careful nurturing of the Correlation program. Many of you anti-Mormons must get to experience the breathtaking wonders of having so many close loved ones and friends who think this exact way :)