The church is totally different from 30 years ago.
I think they are tring to hide the Pearl of Great Price.
You hardly ever hear about it any more.
And all activities are gone.
Everyone hears the same lesson in every class.
Only GA talks from the pulpit.

Girls are wearing bikinis for bathing suits. Active girls.
Garments are different.
SLC prom dresses look like Kardashian outfits.
Don't they have the same modesty lessons (booklets) that we did.

Beards everywhere. ha!

It's like a new country.

And just today, the IRS said that churches can now endorse political candidates without losing their tax exempt status. Oh lordy lordy, this is going to be fun!

That is terrifying.

Fine. Endorse a candidate, lose your tax exempt status.

As soon as you endorse, you you have left religion and joined the secular world.



AI Overview

Being secular means being separate from, or not connected to, religion. It implies a focus on worldly matters and a neutral stance towards religion, rather than being actively anti-religious. In essence, a secular person or institution does not practice, endorse, or actively support any religion.

gemini Wrote:
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> And just today, the IRS said that churches can now
> endorse political candidates without losing their
> tax exempt status. Oh lordy lordy, this is going
> to be fun!

They already do. Al sharpton has been doing it for decades.

All the stuff you describe is wallpaper, IMHO. Yeah, the wallpaper has been changed. All the walls are still in the same place. As I see it, the only substantive change in your list is the locking of the PoGP in the attic.

I think the proliferation of temples is a substantial change, though the basic ordinances are the same, but with new wallpaper.

I think claiming that the world "Mormon" now makes Jesus cry could be a substantive change, but I also can see it as wallpaper, and the eventual locking of the BoM in the attic with the PoGP will be the real change.

I think a Mormon from a hundred years ago might be a little surprised, but basically would have no trouble identifying the LDS Church. It's still sexist, still authoritarian, still believes some weird s***.

Even more changes since the 1950's and 60's.

It used to have something to get every family member involved. Now it seems they are trying to drive people away. Taking the sense of belonging out of the picture.

Seems a little bit like that saying in business, "The customer is always right." Of course they aren't but if you want to keep them you better treat them that way.

And, of course the church isn't a business (wink wink) but the slogan still works. Should help keep the casual Mormons in.

I wonder at this point with the extreme unending wealth, that is now self-perpetuating through investments, if the real reason the leaders are trying to hang on by the skin of their teeth is just the Gerontocracy's fragile egos. Can you imagine Bednar curled into a ball sobbing if people started standing up before him?

In Federal (+ others) courts, it is mandatory to stand when speaking; IDK how this started, maybe I’ll get one of those British wigs next time I go to court. Most of my pleadings are now transmitted electronically.

> I wonder at this point with the extreme unending
> wealth, that is now self-perpetuating through
> investments, if the real reason the leaders are
> trying to hang on by the skin of their teeth is
> just the Gerontocracy's fragile egos.

I agree. Given the wealth in the LDS church, the gerontocracy could easily pay itself far more than it does. But they don't.

There are other perquisites of power, including influence over others and a tremendous boost to one's ego.