Posted by:
azsteve
(
)
Date: September 01, 2018 12:56PM
The church probably grew its fastest in the way of new converts per member and youth participation between 1975 and 1980. By 1985, the growth was obviously declining, although people still touted that saying about fastest growth rate even then, whether it was ever true or not. This growth led to increased narcissism by the church leaders, and their belief by them that ultimately, the church had more authority than even the government, even though they knew they wern't in charge of the country, at least not yet.
During this same time frame, the church leaders did not see what would happen to the internet. Even as they excommunicated church historians and BYU professors who questioned some basic historical issues based on fact, and started asking the right questions, these church leaders could not have foreseen how they would ever lose control of the information. With their own television networks and a satellite dish at every stake center, they figured that no one could ever beat them at the propaganda game they waged on the rest of us.
Then people started writing books to expose the church for what it was doing. The church could have probably won that war with their television and radio networks, and their financial empire standing behind every word they said. But there was no way at any price that the church could take-on and win their war against social media via the internet. Social media is everywhere all of the time, not just when the church writes checks to pay for television commercials. Even with an omnipotent God on their side (supposedly), they never saw that coming.
Now, the mormon church is trying to re-build themselves in a society where the rules have changed and the mormon church, even it's most secret temple blood oaths, have been exposed and ultimately abandoned by them. The church is now like Amway. Everyone knows what it's about and no one wants to attend a meeting, a discussion, or any kind of briefing about it. Even the name shakes people up as their so-called prophet wants to use the full official (and long) name of the church, because possibly many people in the public won't recognize the church that way as the cult they already know about.
So growth prospects for the mormon church are bleak right now. This has happened to them in the past. They know what to do. It is time now to morph in to something else. The old-timers like us will all die off while the church itself is immortal. Eventually, local businessmen everywhere will once again, while looking for a new way to gain social power, will get together and help the church to control the information under the new rules, and the cycle will start over. They will use the existing wealth, power, and membership base of the church to leverage themselves in to positions of influence in their local communities as Bishops and Stake Presidents. Some will make it all the way to become general authorities. The membership will start growing again. This time, the racism, homophobia, temple death threats, and everything else that wasn't working for them this time will be absent from their teachings and their long history (at least as far as they are concerned). Our era will be referred to as a second great apostacy. Once their appeal starts spreading to the youth once again, they will grow again.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2018 01:28PM by azsteve.