Russel M. Nelson seems to think it's necessary to rename the same church programs. Home and visiting teaching are now ministering. You still have families assigned to you and you still have to answer about them in private interviews. What they got away from is the corporate type record keeping and reporting. An attempt to make the church seem more of a church than a corporation.

Gathering Israel is just the same missionary work. By saying it's gathering Israel makes it sounds new and important. Something we need to get done because the second coming of the Lord is at hand.

Of course the members will buy into to it like the suckers they are and praise Russel M Nelson as an inspired prophet. The reality is Russ with soon be gone and replaced by another geriatric and the church will show no more growth in numbers than it did before Russ became the prophet. The same ol same ol but more temples will be announced and built. More temples and fewer people who even care that there are temples.

Even when I was in the cult, it always seemed so weird to have a bunch of white-Nordic gentiles always going on about how they were "Israel."

Now it's more than weird, it's absurd :)

Here's my guess how this works:

1) Someone in the PR Department (or maybe Wendy) comes up with these "inspired" name changes.

2) Nelson puts his stamp of approval on the change

3) The members are told how inspired Nelson is

4) The members ooh and aah about a living prophet (and pay their tithing!)

Shinehah Wrote:
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> Here's my guess how this works:
>
> 1) Someone in the PR Department (or maybe Wendy)
> comes up with these "inspired" name changes.


When it first began to occur, my thought was that the renaming had 'Wendy" written all over it.

It's really offensive how TSCC sullies terms and concepts from other churches. "Gathering of Israel" will always belong to the Jews, as far as I'm concerned. "Ministers" will always be ordained ministers who are professional graduates of divinity school.

Oh well. Mormons have been sullying "God" and "Christ" from the beginning, so this is trivial. Transparent, and trivial. Hype can only go so far.

exminion Wrote:
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> "Gathering of Israel" will always belong to the Jews, as far as
> I'm concerned.

They have the Mossad, the IDF... they have no need (or desire) for allies in Salt Lake City.

Re-Branding is a common technique for failing businesses when they are attempting to pull out of a downward trend. The "guys" are too dull to do anything new so I agree this has Wendy written all over it. No way is she going down as just another forgettable First Lady. I'd say there is soon going to be new bronze statue next to the Joseph and Emma one.

On the other hand the Mormons seem to be leading the charge for inclusion. Anyone can be an Israelite! Get baptized and your blood will change to Israelite blood. Then pay your tithing and get a patriarchal blessing telling you which tribe you belong to.

Today's latest trend--fluidity--isn't just for gender anymore.

Done & Done Wrote:
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> Re-Branding is a common technique for failing
> businesses when they are attempting to pull out of
> a downward trend.

Interesting parallel. I'm always suspicious when I see a package outing, "New Look!! Same Great Taste!!!" It usually means, I think, they are reducing the size to disguise the increased cost per ounce or pound.

Meaning, they're diluting it. Can we say that new terms and euphemisms like "ministering" and "gathering Israel" means they're diluting their already toxic product? An analogy worth exploring, I think.

I've heard that cleaning toilets is just another name for temple work.