https://religionnews.com/2021/03/22/what-the-lds-church-wants-to-know-from-young-adult-mormons/

Link is to an article by Jana Reiss about a survey recently sent to young adult Mormons by LDS Inc. I found it pretty interesting.

Here are some of the questions, which seem like the church testing the waters about possible changes to hang onto younger members.
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Do we need YSA wards at all?

If so, could we put both single and married young adults of the same ages together?

Could we allow YSAs to choose for themselves what ward to attend, regardless of geography?

Could we issue callings to YSAs that reflect how they want to serve?

Could the second hour of church include “alternative options” like “community service, socializing over food, small-group discussions, life-skills training, etc.”?

Could we call more leaders who are single themselves and “decrease oversight by married members”?

Other questions deal with far-reaching aspects of Mormon life and worship that could potentially affect all members. Some that jumped out to me were:

“Innovate the format and feel of General Conference to be more relevant and engaging (e.g., shorter sessions, emphasis on specific audiences or topics, variation of speakers, presentation format, engaging the audience)” – and there is a long follow-up question about which specific changes members might like to see happen.

Training bishops to “harmonize repentance standards”

Offering a variety of “new missionary service models (e.g., service, humanitarian, education)”

“Adjust and/or broaden Sunday worship (e.g., tone, format, meditation, praise music, etc.)”

All of those sound like good moves.

Yes, Summer, they do!

I wonder why their prophet doesn't just tell them!

You mean all the stuff other organizations have been doing for years. Mormons following once again.

"Harmonize repentance standards" What? Bishops forming Barbershop Quartets?

How about throwing the word "worthy" out the window and forget this repentance nonsense and reporting to a bishop at all like he's your parole officer.

Clearly Heavenly Father has finally given up and just said, "Do whatever you want, just quit bugging me."

Done & Done Wrote:
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> You mean all the stuff other organizations have
> been doing for years.

That was my reaction, too.

Yeah, how about the church functioning like the real world, where people mix as they like rather than being segmented and regimented.

But the brethren are stuck in this view that the members serve the church rather than the church serving the members.

Sorry, man. I cannot get past the notion that an organization claiming a direct line to ghawd's hotline needs to conduct surveys.

Either they're worshipping a total dick who won't pick up the hotline, leaving them to their own wiles, or it's a Mattel toy phone, not connected to anything.

As I understand it, the 1990 changes to the temple endowment were the result of surveys.

I think D&C 1:38 needs to be revised: "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

Maybe the new version should be "though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but it might need to be revised every now and then. If surveys show that my eternal truths make some people uncomfortable, we'll make some changes."

The survey was done in 1988. Someone completed the survey and then copied it and posted it to Los Interwebz, and aquí esta:

    https://www.scribd.com/doc/76542947/1988-Temple-Survey

elderolddog Wrote:
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> The survey was done in 1988. Someone completed
> the survey and then copied it and posted it to Los
> Interwebz, and aquí esta:
>
>     https://www.scribd.com/doc/76542947/1988-T
> emple-Survey

Loved the recorded answers. Especially, the one about personal scripture study--Never! Callings held none and he/she skipped the question about how often do you attend church.

I am still laughing!

If the person had written in senior GA, then I know it was filled in by EOD.

"Could we call more leaders who are single themselves and “decrease oversight by married members”?

Because the Mo' church is all about levels of who's-watching-who to be obedient. Kinda like East Germany.

Why the surveys? If I had received one of these surveys when I was still a believer, that would have been A CLUE.

cl2 Wrote:
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> Why the surveys? If I had received one of these
> surveys when I was still a believer, that would
> have been A CLUE.

I agree.

I would have walked out of MTC as had they shown the church satellite broadcast about the New Missionary program. The apostles bragged about all the research and surveys that COST THE CHURCH MILLIONS! They didn't even give lip service that they had prayed and fasted. No! It was all about the $$$ the church had researched on why convert members stay or leave the church.

These would be great changes to make. The patronizing and infantilizing nature of singles wards was the main reason I left the cult.

It was so absurd to see successful adults being treated like 13 year olds. I can't think of any other church that humiliates its Young adults in this way. They have to be segregated so they'll marry off but you need to chaperone them in case they dance to closely together.

In real life, a 30 year old man could be the boss of a 50 year old man but once she goes to church, he'd have to be treated like a child, simply because he wasn't married.

Oops, typed that on the tablet. Sorry for the typos.

They just don't get it
They are whipping a dead horse!!!!

Part of the trouble with the LDS church has heretofore been not giving a monkey's about what the membership want. They have always been a leadership to say, "We know what's best. No giving us counsel, okay? We'll never lead you astray, anyway." And now they solicit our counsel. Of course, it may well be too late. The church leadership noticed way too late that a generation of members was leaving, and took forever to address the problem. Moreover, it's not just their problem, but just a generation moving on, slower to accept a religion.

A few generations, really. This is just the latest, and perhaps the last, they are afraid, unless they do something... [drastic] (normal/ natural/ Christlike?/ helpful/ useful, for a change) FAST!

ASK them what they want/ need/ expect/ prefer

Or they'll find it elsewhere