Mormonism is a religion of fads. It started with the restorationist fad in upstate NY. Succeeding prophets added whatever fad was popular at the time if it suited their fancy. Abolitionism? Yay! Women’s suffrage? Nope.

Mormonism is only as deep as the prophets. There’s no seeking, only a closed eclectic canon based on the warm fuzzies of men whose only qualifications were being born into the right family and drinking the Kool Aid.

I don't see ranking masturbation as being a sin next to murder as very 'fadish'. I can't even see it as making any sense, unless you are able to hold in your mind the notion that ghawd is a petty tyrant.

Not sure about holding in my mind, but I'm not thinking of gawd when I'm holding it in my hand, that's for sure.

Some fads stick around long enough to become full-blown movements.

Circumcision and Anti-masturbation, started by Dr. Tissot, was just as silly as the macarena, but lasted much longer and caused harm to many people. We're only just now starting to shake it.

Add anti- SSM, anti- interracial marriages, etc.

Sir Nelson adds the 'anti - "Mormon" word fad... Sheesh!

Mormons Never Seem to get to the core of Christ-Like living, too many distractions along the way...


just sayin'

This is how all religions are actually.

Scholars of religion call it "synchretism," the practice of incorporating older traditions with contemporary regional norms. It's why Judaism is based on Canaanite paganism, Christianity borrowed so heavily from Judaism, and Islam is based on Judaism and Christianity.

Other faith traditions have similar borrowings such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Bahai.

All religions are snapshots in time of their founding eras. Mormonism is a particularly good example of this since its finding was recent, relatively speaking

Right, and to get a feeling for how Christianity grew out of some fads, watch "The Life of Brian."

There are more recent examples. Remember goal-setting? That happened when businessmen became the top dogs. Suddenly all Mormons were setting goals like good middle-management types. Spencer Kimball (IIRC) kept a journal- and suddenly every Mormon had to follow suit. The mid-seventies saw the rise of John Denver and Oak ridge Boys- and suddenly every Mormon had to get back to their rural roots with gardens and home canning and fruit dryers. The Reagan years brought us Gordon Gekko and also Steven Covey and Pursuit of Excellence (meaning lots and lots of money), and suddenly Mormonism was all about being In Search of Excellence and they had always been the prime social force in search of excellence (meaning not just money, but even so getting lots and lots of money). And so it goes.

Strangely, during the Obama years they chose not to present themselves as the eternal and marginalized champions of racial sensitivity. Probably because the internet made it impossible to lie any longer.

Fad "an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze."

By the time Mormons got to them, any fad would be considered "Retro."

The Masonic ritual that they followed wasn't a fad, so , What fads? America has been in a coffee craze for a long time now. No fad following there. The trendsetters can't get tattoos fast enough. Still looking for inked sleeves on Russ or Dallin. Missionaries haven't figured out to be "influencers", the latest craze, rather than just plain sad and annoying.



The Mormons hang onto the past like a junkyard dog with a robber's leg in its teeth as they eyeball all that is new with suspicion. They wait for the world to catch up with them like a race horse that is so slow it is finally leading the pack again after four laps.

I'm halfway between the two camps. Mormonism definitely absorbed and absorbs social ideas and values. Restorationism, polygamy, Native Americans as Israelites: all of those were in the air where and when JS grew up. And the temperance movement was a thing when he conjured up the WoW for Emma.

But where the church gets into real trouble is refusing to abandon those old "fads" or cultural influences when society moves on. The reason is of course the claim that those ideas came from God rather than from their neighbors and God can't change his mind, doncha know it.

So Mormonism gets stuck holding onto old ideas and rules long after they have become an albatross around the church's neck. The racism, polygamy, the subjugation of women, the abnormal sexual rules, and many other things that the rest of society no longer tolerates remain Mormon traits until they impair the missionary effort and put immense stress on the membership.

It is the concept of revelation that gets the LDS church in trouble, for you can't timely disavow a rule or practice that you claim is God's will.

"It is the concept of revelation that gets the LDS church in trouble, for you can't timely disavow a rule or practice that you claim is God's will."

Actually, I think they use the concept of revelation to their advantage. All you need is a new revelation to get rid of the old one. If god said blacks can't have the priesthood, just have a revelation to change it. If god told a past prophet to make something a commandment, just have a new revelation to change it. Rather like a get out of jail free card for them.

Except that the members have limited tolerance for an unchanging God who is constantly changing his mind. The "revelation" ending polygamy divided the church, as over time did the reversal on race and the priesthood--witness the DezNats and related loons--and the Kate Kelly, Prop 8, and kids-of-gay-parents fiascos.

It's easier for a church that tries to do its human best to reverse course than for one that claims constant divine guidance.

You're right, of course. However, it seems to me they don't care all that much about the division and just dig their heels in a little more. If you don't like the new revelations that just means you're a sinner that needs to repent, and since Jesus is the leader of the church, to disagree with any new revelation from him means the devil has got you. They can't give up the claim of constant divine guidance or they would be like every other "worldly" church out there. It's a pretty good scam they're running.

I think you have them confused with the Quakers. The Quakers have had a tendency to jump on whichever bandwagon was going by and was fashionable at the time. And then have the nerve to put it down to divine inspiration (they share that with Mormonism)

* Seventeenth century - Rejection of monarchy, communialism
* Nineteenth century - Philanthropic businesses, co-operatives.
* Twentieth century - anti-nuclear movement, environmentalism, New Age thinking.
* Twenty First Century - No doubt all the trendy gender identity stuff.

Mormonism is only as deep as their profits. The members make TSCC money (those profits are deep).

TSCC/ the (mis)leaders are shallow.

The old men pick on The young ones.

They aren't trees!

Joseph was a fad leader. He started a fad of having secret and multiple "wives" and secret tithes, temples, & tales.

Even the bomb (book of Mormon blunder) was a fad. His cult needed a 'book'.

The 40s/50s and McCarthyism in the US remind me of temple recommend interviews and the strengthening members committee. Paranoia and control. :-(

kerri Wrote:
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> McCarthyism in the US remind me of
> temple

They remind me of today.

I agree it is a collection of fads doomed from the beginning by pretending to hear from God which also explains why they never have any of the good fads. Like they missed the boat on using internet as a tool until missionaries could now use facebook (after it died) and rusty is on social media looking like an even bigger baffoon. Letting Bednar speak in public on any platform huge mistake. Soon his words will be as widely searched by members but just as embarrassing as Postum.