Come up with some or preferrably a lot of false supporting evidence for the BOM. Recruit a few more effective Fair-people. Try to get hold of, legally or not, all or at least most of original documents that discredit them - and of course destroy them all. Kill or pay off their main opponents secretly.
You laugh, but I see a revelation down the road where members are no longer to use the internet for non-work, and non-church approved sites. It won't work, but you know sooner or later they will be desperate enough to try it.
they (LDS INC) are screwed because BOM BS and secret handshakes can not compete with the likes of the NFL, (Sure LDS Inc does what they can with their BYU football & basketball, milking that for all its worth) the NBA, and MLB for entertainment. and the "you'll never see your family again in the eternities" threats are wearing very thin. The LDS Scam should have died a 100 years ago, LDS INCs demise is long overdue, so asking what might keep it going is like asking what brand of shoes would help a 90 year old make it in the NBA. the real question is: what will you do to make the up coming collapse of MORmONIMS more personally gratifying?
A little more seriously, and this wouldn't work for me but would work for many probably.
Admit that it was all BS and drop the BoM etc, but have the Ward system with some very loose boundaries and becoming a nondenominational place for people to go get Jesus'd would probably work for many. They would just pass the offering plate or whatever and totally do away with tithing and all the other crap. Turn the Temples into Casinos.
I'm not needing any Jesus or hocus pocus in my life now. But I've known others who stayed way too long because they like the camaraderie of the Ward system and like to be part of a club. Once I knew it was a lie, I was done. But others stay for those benefits even after they have a pretty good idea that it's a big lie.
A shout out to Tommy, "Hey Tommy and the rest of the boyz, the party is over. You better get a quick revelation to raise those so called living allowances and start putting it away in some overseas bank accounts. You know "prepare" for the end, so to speak. Except it's not the end of the world, but the end of the money train."
Per the recent article, sociological estimates are 5mill active (which is probably a conservative over estimate anyway). More like 4 mill active.
I Ponti, prophecy that in 10 years, the temples will be sitting even more idle then they are now, the missionary force will be down by 50%, and they'll be down to 2-3 mill active, and I say this in the name of cheese and rice. Amen.
For starters, choose Jesus' plan instead of Satan's.
If you really believe in Free Agency, you should not punish people for making choices which you believe are bad. Let the Holy Ghost send a message so that a person's conscience can develop.
Yes, let thy people go and let them make mistakes. If the many hundreds of rules and commandments of the LDS church are WRONG, they will discover that over time, won't they?
Continually making choices for people over trivia infantalizes them and you end up with people who can't tell an MLM is a fraud. People who watch porn when they could be enjoying some healthy family activities on Sunday instead of pretending to be "honoring" the day by being control freaks over their children's activities.
Micromanaging has to go.
Anagrammy
PS. Wear garments while gardening. It's a sin to be comfortable. It's a worse sin to let your body be seen. Body is bad, discomfort is good. What a hot mess indeed.
There really is nothing that can be done to save the Mormon church. It's scriptures are bogus, it's founders were delusional and corrupt, it's current leaders are so completely out of touch and geriatric that change is impossible. It's like watching the Titanic line up to hit the ice berg, there's nothing you can do but break out the popcorn, sit back and enjoy the calamity.
I do feel sorry for all the sheeple that will be like lost children at the shopping mall looking for mommmy (tommy).
The practice of 'sacred sex' in the Temples for the sacred purpose of "raising up seed" would probably do wonders for the faith. I suspect they could even keep, if not raise, the 10% cover charge for entry.
Letting people have fun includes no more worthiness interviews, and giving the money either to the poor or back to the membership in some manner that doesn't involve really expensive buildings. I don't think you have to lose any of the crazy doctrine in order to do that.
Cease the following: * The One True Church doctrine * Worthiness interviews * Demanding 10% of gross * Mandatory wearing of magic underpants * F&T meetings
Do the following: * Deemphasize JS and history * Forget about the BoM * Embrace a more generic inclusive version of Christianity * Let non-mos attend temple weddings at least * Make it fun
Make these changes as quietly as possible avoiding the idea that LDS, Inc. was ever off track.
Let collective amnesia take over and then claim it was always this way.
Show video clips of the funniest moments in Bishops interviews and make it a weekly reality show.
Broadcast the weekly release of the video's and serve beer and chips while the chapel is turned into a movie theatre.
A Hooter's marketing theme would be nice touch for the snack bar if they go with the movie theater idea. Maybe servers dressed up in 1800's period western apperal but totally high cut skirts and super tight blouses......kinda of a brothel in the wild west thing.
Either allow non-member families to view temple sealings, or, at least consistently support dual ceremonies in the case of marriages where the parents of one of the newlyweds are non-members.
Bring back some of the fun aspects of the "older" Church activities such as Ward auctions, Relief Society bazarres, road shows, dance festivals, etc.
Do away with the pioneer trek replacing youth conference every other year! Let the kids have their dances!!
Bring back the Gold and Green Ball as a formal dance honoring the Seniors in High School.
Shorten Church meetings on Sundays to 1 1/2 hours.
Well, LD$ Inc. is quite good at running various businesses, like Real Estate ventures, cattle ranches, etc. They have piled up a huge amount of money.
Profits from these ventures could be used to pay people to join the church. Have LD$ Inc. pay prospective members 10% of their annual income to become members of the church. Payments will continue on an annual basis until a member decides he/she has better things to do and leaves.
Pay the missionaries. Pay those doing janitorial services. Pay for all services rendered.
If the plan outlined above is followed, LD$ Inc. can finally tell the truth when they claim to be the fastest growing religion.
As an added benefit, I think they should hire some top chefs to improve mormon cuisine.
And coffee. They should set up a nice coffee shop in the lobby of every LDS building. Free wi-fi.
OnceMore Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well, LD$ Inc. is quite good at running various > businesses, like Real Estate ventures, cattle > ranches, etc. They have piled up a huge amount of > money. > > Profits from these ventures could be used to pay > people to join the church. Have LD$ Inc. pay > prospective members 10% of their annual income to > become members of the church. Payments will > continue on an annual basis until a member decides > he/she has better things to do and leaves. > > Pay the missionaries. Pay those doing janitorial > services. Pay for all services rendered. > > If the plan outlined above is followed, LD$ Inc. > can finally tell the truth when they claim to be > the fastest growing religion. > > As an added benefit, I think they should hire some > top chefs to improve mormon cuisine. > > And coffee. They should set up a nice coffee shop > in the lobby of every LDS building. Free wi-fi.
I like the idea of paying people for callings...particularly the music callings. In every other Church around here in the Bible belt, the Choir Director and the accompanist are paid.
(Can you tell I'm a Primary Pianist and Choir Director?) LOL
the specifics of Mormonism combined with the anal nature of some (many?) of the members produces some pretty weird distinctions, For Example:
At the ward Christmas party (plenty of small children in the ward I'm referring to), 'Santa' is relegated to a corner of the building instead of the 'Cultural Hall' where most of the socializing is taking place.
Serve the community instead of fleeing to the 'burbs. Encourage people to Grow instead of stifliling them! Assist-encourage people who want to develop Their Own spirituality!
Be up-front & admit that Lots of people are/were disillusioned. Say: We Tried, but we acted with Limited Vision; Forget what we said about (X). CHANGE the name of BYU to "Juanita Brooks University", let Idaho ppl name the former BYUI, CCH, etc.
PEOPLE VOTE on financial matters, the general direction of the church.
Then THROW A BIG PARTY for all those who suffered under the Old Regime!
Stop being so hard on the youth, let them be who they are, clothes, hair and all. So many rules drive young people nuts and many just count the days to turn 18 and graduate hight school so they can move out of their parents homes.
The church's gradual decline cannot be stopped unless the church repudiates its key doctrines, including the First Vision, the historicity of the Book of Mormon, and the role of church leaders as prophets, seers, and revelators. Any of these things would result in schism and rapid decline. Therefore there is probably no solution to the church's problem.
The best (and probably the only) good argument for staying in the church is that regardless of its truth claims, it is sometimes helpful in leading a stable and happy life. But if someone must, even implicitly, give assent to the church's truth claims as the price of continued participation, and if that person does not believe in the truth claims, then that person is surrendering his or her honesty and integrity.
The bottom line is this: The only good reason for believing something, or acting like you believe something, or teaching others to believe something, is that it seems to you to be true. If you find that your honesty and integrity stand in the way of something, including any supposed benefits of church participation, then either honesty and integrity are bad things, or church participation is a bad thing. Take your pick.
Your like the nerdy guy who thinks the beautiful woman likes him.
Demote everyone who thinks they have a High calling. Stop the fortune telling (pb's) How about lose those torture devices called pews. Set up a (paid for)nursery so young mothers can enjoy a meeting. Make girls camp fun instead of like a concentration camp. Make RS a REAL volunteer organization. Keep the men away from the money. Tithing is a donation, not an entrance fee. Knock off the eternal family thing. To most people that is not anything they would be interested in.