In the last few months I have notice that the Church as a whole is scrambling to recover from the wave of knowledge and realization that threatens its membership. On some levels the tried and true are diligently spreading their testimonies while others are expressing themselves with deep levels of cog dis, not only for their own support but to lift up others who are beginning to question.

What will the Church do?

I don't think that upper management knows what to do. I think they are trying the the old tactics of emotional robbery and redirection, but according to those I talk to, it's just not working any more. And those who are being manipulated are aware.

I have seen a lot of cog dis and mental acrobatics turn into flat out disbelief.

I am curious to see how the next few years go inside the church.

They will continue to use what they always have against their members... guilt and fear!

The church is trying so desperately to clean up its image, but in the process they are alienating their believers.

How can a mormon go to the church's website and read Mormonism 101 and be ok with 'Oh, yeah...we're not gonna be gods anymore'.

I think the church has made a HUGE error in trying to appear normal and mainstream. No matter how much they lie about being gods, the nevermos knows it's true. They're not fooling anyone. All they're doing is taking away from their believers the #1 top prize that they have been working for. The members want the GAs to boldly proclaim, "This we believe. We are not ashamed. We know we are a peculiar people." But instead they get Holland and Purdy outright lying, getting defensive, and coming off to the world as weasels... not witnesses of Jesus Christ!

I also think the Prof. Bott fiasco has had to have upset some believers. Bott was just saying the things that we have all been taught (and his version was much kinder than many I have heard). He was a very popular professor and his present and past students got a curbside seat to watch the church throw him under the bus. The members know that Bott didn't just pull these ideas out of his butt... he studied the teachings of the GAs and came to his conclusions.

I also have to think the Jesus mall is going to cause some cog-dis...although I haven't heard anything about that yet. It blows me away that members are ok with this. And the fact that they are allowing two of the restaurants to serve alcohol... it's mindblowing. My tbm parents refuse to grocery shop at stores that sell alcohol...how can they be ok with the church's actions.

And the church has just become so unfun. No roadshows, potlucks, fun socials. Now it's signing up to clean the chapel, going door to door campaigning against gay marriage, and having ward budgets cut to almost nothing. I think there are getting to be less and less reasons for people to want to participate. I think the scare tactics can only work for so long. The church is in desperate need of reform.

The church's desire to become part of the wider Christian religion is a mark of its failure of confidence.

Christianity went through a similar phase just after the time of Christ, when there was an internal debate about whether Christianity was a new religion or simply a denomination within Judaism. The "new religion" faction won. On the other hand, Mormonism seems desperate to want to return the womb of its parent faith.

oddcouplet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The church's desire to become part of the wider
> Christian religion is a mark of its failure of
> confidence.
>
> Christianity went through a similar phase just
> after the time of Christ, when there was an
> internal debate about whether Christianity was a
> new religion or simply a denomination within
> Judaism. The "new religion" faction won. On the
> other hand, Mormonism seems desperate to want to
> return the womb of its parent faith.

Similar to Russia and China going more cpitalist?
De-Stalinization, de-Maoisation, de-Smith and Youngism.

I think the trickle of exmormons will continue to grow until there is a critical mass of people who have left at which point it will be impossible for leaders to believably blame the exodus on sin and the social pressure to stay in the church will be broken because there will so many people who have left that it will be impossible discriminate against everyone.

Be Sure to wear your garments while doing yard work.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2012 02:51PM by guynoirprivateeye.