Mormons getting hollowed out: The tipping point has occurred.

by Qcmbr 85 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Qcmbr

  Ever since Mitt Romney turned the spotlight on the LDS church a growing tsunami of disaffection has been accelerated and brought to a head.

  The LDS core faithful members are leaving in increasing numbers such that growth has not simply stagnated in the West but it has actively reversed. To their credit the church is responding aggressively but not only is it too late, it is an impossible task. You can only paint sh*t so many ways. These are the red flags:

  1 - Vast advertising campaign highlighting normality of church members and emphasising role of women.

  2 - New outreach to gay community including re-writing key homophobic speeches to lessen their edge. New website showing changing attitudes. Proposition 8 involvment has been a lighting rod for disaffection.

  3 - Growing NOM community (New Order Mormons, cafeteria members who don't believe some or all doctrines but remain for cultural, personal or family reasons).

  4 - UK, there are a series of fireside occuring to address the hard issues, a couple are touring the church doing a QandA style presentation with no restrictions on questions. This also involves a public agreement that mistakes have been made by prophets.

  5 - Almost complete cessation of UK building program (in my area land allocated for chapel expansion has been sold off to developers).

  6 - Facebook has allowed lots of anonymous questions (I've had 6 separate , originally TBM. people contact me privately from an active ward that used to be 150+ and has now fallen to 70+ within 5 years.)

  7 - Within the church their are signs of subtle rebellion (LDS women organised a pantsuit day to challenge enforced skirt and dress wearing attitudes.)

  10 years and the LDS flame will be flickering out. imo.
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  Londo111

  I guess you could say there are NOWs as well, New Order Witnesses, who don't believe some of the Society's teachings. They prove to be the most difficult to reason with.
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  sir82

  a couple are touring the church doing a QandA style presentation with no restrictions on questions.

  It is utterly inconceivable to imagine JWs doing something like this.

  Is it that much of a surprise for Mormons? Was it once "utterly inconceivable" for you too?
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  moshe

  Mormons have a tremendous sunk cost investment from their tithing money and time- remember those foreign missions for the young mormons? They will be very much wanting the leadership to throw them a reform bone of some sort, so they can go back to being a special people chosen by god to rule over their own world.
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  cofty

  This has made my day.

  Its difficult to see the Watchtwer responding to discontent with anything but threats.
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  metatron

  I did wonder, the other day, about a remark I heard from a C.O. He seemed to be saying that there was a majority of congregations in his circuit

  that averaged around 40-50 pubs.

  If this is widely true across the US or elsewhere, then it seems quite unstable. Once you get down that low, it only takes a few defections to make the congregation non-viable and shut it down - or combine it with another.

  metatron
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  LisaRose

  My daughter-in-law was a Morman, she was on a mission when she realized she did not believe the things she was trying to teach. She left and married a non Mormon, my step son. It was great seeing someone break free from a restrictive culture like that, she drinks coffee and wine, and is having a great time trying all these new things. She is not shunned by her family, so that is great for her.
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  straightshooter

  Interesting post. I have noticed that the Mormons are actively trying to recruit the Hispanics in my neighborhood. They see the potential of foreigners to replace their losing membership.
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  TD

  Interesting, especially the ward shrinking to less than half in 5 years!
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  Qcmbr

  The LDS challenge is that they have pushed the mantra of embracing all truth so much that they can't continually ignore the skeletons in their own closet. There have been a wave of resignations in the last two years that have rocked the leadership and forced them to act. There is even some talk of private meetings between some high level leaders and the some vocal dissidents. It's very interesting to watch and has the feel of a building that's had it's foundations hacked away that will fall in a big heap, a delicious but scary anticipation. Just this weekend we had a lovely evening with friends who casually dropped into the conversation that neither of them had been to church for 7 months. These people who are leaving are the core members, the second and third generation families who just a few years ago had been solid members. Of course it's all because I left hehe. Seriously though this is something amazing and many members are buzzing with talk about what's happening.

  If I hear of anything else I'll let you know. The initial reports back from the firesides has been that they aren't enough to tempt waverers back, some faithful members are glad that issues are being confronted and a good wedge of the congregation are hearing things they never knew.