I talked with a former Stake President and he said the whole nine years that he served as one the big push and motto was Perfect the Saints. Everything the stake did revolved around that. Now he said it seems like all that had disappeared.

Now the focus is Gathering Israel. It seems like the church is just going to focus on temples and missions. Weekly church meetings are about taking the sacrament and focusing on Come Follow Me and General Conference talks.

The main focus is of course on the youth and youth activities. The adults don’t get any activities. It seems like the focus of the church is all providing a temple experience more than anything. I guess they figure if you want activities and service projects there are plenty of churches that provide those. The LDS are the Kolob Club. It’s about the temple fraternity and selling that as worshipping Christ. Basically if you don’t want the temple thing the church has nothing for you.

...in a women's dorm...


Also, gather Israel; gather Israel where ye may!

I remember when the big push was based on the line from Shakespeare “To Thine Own Self Be True.”

They would never say that now. It would sound far too sympathetic to LGBTQ members.

Then there were the Golden Questions and Lengthening Your Stide, both missionary work oriented.

Then came the big BoM push, with families writing notes in books to be given away. Sometimes with photos. Now you hardly hear about the BoM.

Then there was the I’m a Mormon campaign. Now the word Mormon makes Jesus cry.

These are just corporate motivational programs. They generate some enthusiasm for a while, then get unceremoniously dumped when they stop working.

I think the whole temple push Rusty is doing is also a corporate promotion, but this one will be really difficult to dump when it stops working, because of the huge amount of money tied up in temples. I see a train wreck forming.

“I see a train wreck forming.”

I agree. Rusty just seems determined to outdo (in temples) or undo (“I’m a Mormon” and “Meet the Mormons”) his two predecessors (Gordo and Tommy). Maybe he’s just trying to settle old grudges.

Mormons used to take some pride in being a “peculiar” people, but now so many aspects of mormonism have been watered down or removed. Temples are everywhere, and temple sessions have been shortened and much of the unique content has been removed (because it made people uncomfortable). In many ways, TSCC pretends to be just another Christian denomination (like that’s a good thing).

Who knows how things will proceed once old man Nelson kicks the bucket.

>> Now the focus is Gathering Israel. <<

I wonder how Israel feels about that.

And in all cases they reduce it to things they can count. You can count temple visits. You cannot count closeness to God.

Latest 4 pillars, Perfect the Saints, Every Member a Missionary, Work for the Dead and the new pillar: Real Estate Development. The forth is by far the most important pillar and is needed to hold up the other pillars.

What a mess.

Oh no, I wonder if members see this as a commandment to move to UTAH and buy overpriced real estate. STOP! The church has deep Utah connections in real estate and construction and mormon owned construction Co.s are making piles of money. And sky high rent is increasing our homeless population.

Please California saints--- STAY HOME! Real estate is now overly expensive & young families can not even buy a starter home. An older couple from California will swoosh in and pay cash for almost anything with a door and windows.

It is very unfair that Utah families are being pushed out by greedy Californian mormons. Sometimes they will just flip and sell for an extra 50%. or more. The skies along the Wasatch front are seriously polluted and traffic is getting worse. Go back to your dirty beaches. Utah is full and stay out of our wilderness areas and Indian reservations.

Tabby mountain east of Provo area is being drooled over by Utah lawmakers because it is one of the last pristine areas in Utah near the Wasatch front. It should belong to the Native American tribes of the area.

California saints used to be so proud of living on the coast and all the great amenities they had. There was even a Disneyland mormon day where the members would get a serious discount on tickets. Build a Daybreak in California and go home.

Disneyland misses you all........... It is calling for you.

Gathering Israel but not returning to Missouri anymore.

They haven't even bought the city of Independence. It's like they don't believe Joseph Smith.