No. They are trying to pass as whatever works to keep the money rolling in.
If the USA suddenly turned Buddhist, then the LDS church would within days always have been aligned with the teachings of the Buddha. The Sacred Grove would within minutes be transformed into Joseph Smith's Enlightenment Tree. Tithing would morph into divesting yourself of earthly attachments. And the money would keep amassing.
There was perhaps a time- early Monson days?- when they actually did sort of care about doctrine and all that. But with the current crop of honchos, all that has vanished like a f@rt in a windstorm. They are not in the religion business. They are in the capitalism business.
That's why it is impossible to pin down Mormon "doctrine". There is no such thing. And that's why the worst thing you can do is challenge the corporate directors. They just can't have people jeopardizing their power.
And it's not doing a very good job at it. Which is funny, because it should be easier now to "pass" as Christian since many white evangelicals and their leaders don't seem to respect some long-held Christian beliefs, either.
They want to become more like the catholics and then eventually take over leadership of the catholics. Thus they are getting rid of the name Mormon and playing down the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith.
Yes, but like many of these efforts it's out of step. People join Mormonism for its uniqueness and history, not because it is like a hundred other churches.
It didn't have to be. I honestly believe we could have been the "Jews" of the American West and built a foundation most of us could be proud of identifying with.