The manifesto of the LDS church, says “The Lord will never permit any Prophet of this Church to lead you astray”. I guess not allowing children of gay couples to be members of the church slips in behind this prophecy. It is hurtful, and one of many missteps of the church leadership. Spending most of my life in the church, hearing is believing when it comes to the faith, and only approved sources will suffice. I have been out a few years now, but yesterday I ran across this thread on FB, and the sheep are alive and well. These comments are in response to a book recently published about problems with Mormon culture.
“Read the conference talks and follow church leaders first”
“Honestly, I think you’re getting a bit big for your britches. I am looking for messengers from my father. I’ll be passing on this one and sticking to authorized church publications”
“None of you seem to understand anything about the problem with this … these writings are identifying a perceived issue with LDS society / culture and pronouncing a fix … This is exactly squarely in the realm of why we have a prophet and apostles … it is their key job … Do any of you ever wonder why a man not called to the position would choose to do the exact job our church leaders are called to do … To espouse this mans work is a full on admission that our leaders and by extension Jesus Christ failed to give us “ enough “ information or the “ whole “ story … Were I to write a book or dissertation the last place on earth I would seek a subject is in the realm squarely where our church leaders operate … like I would have some “ additional “ information to add … but this is where this man feels he needs to operate”
Heaven forbid if your narrow bubble of belief should be challenged, scrutinized, or improved upon. If and when you decide to take a real and honest look at what your doing, leave me a note so I can help with your new atheist blog.
TheCommonAtheist 
There was a blogger a few years ago who was an atheist, but still ‘pretending’ to be a young Mormon for her family’s sake. She said the church was bleeding out terribly with young people leaving in droves. Does this ring true?
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It does. Very similar to the Catholic situation. Members are counted even if they haven’t been in years, and in heavily guarded Mormon communities it is a huge faux pas to say you don’t believe. The conversion rate is way down, and the only growth is by fertility rates, and very poor countries. Some pockets of Mexico are growing, but Panama is in decline as they move to first world status. The church in las Tablas is down to meeting in a small store front shop, where they used to have their own building. True blues are keeping it rolling, but the next generation of informed kids will be very telling.
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One thing about any organization, behind closed doors is the only place the news is real, while out in the public, all is well. I sold my sears stock 20 years ago because no matter what they said, the ship was sinking. They’ll never admit an exodus because everyone would sell out. They have reluctantly admitted the prophet doesn’t get revelation like they “used” to. Trying to ease the realities and condition the members slowly to the reality so they don’t bail. The church is run by previously secular successful men, they know how to sugar coat the organization
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I am happy to see the young of the last few generation willing to look at their churches with the fresh eye of progressive social views. It gives me a small bit of hope for the country that has been tormented by Fox News and an older generation that not only won’t acknowledge their faults but insist on holding everyone to a time in the past that should be left there. Hugs
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My hope is a flat affect for religion where they can focus their talent And brainpower on something real. It would make such a difference I think. Imagine all that passion focused on something productive. We ain’t seen nothin yet.
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Indeed Jim. Passionately focused on something CRITICALLY important like…
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It is a completely well structured organization. Everyone keeps tabs on one another while making sure that their families try to outdo one another. Who is more pious and holds a great amount of callings, kids that are robotic and can spew that they know their church is true.
So many of these members were terribly unhappy and mentally constipated. Their ability to be free thinkers was due to a blockages that I knew as The Word of Wisdom and the Book of Mormon. They hang onto that misery with the hopes that their priesthood will illuminate the way at some point, when they are worthy. Ugh…
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They claim to espouse truth, no matter the source. Do these comments sound like that? The talk in religion rarely matches what’s observable evidence. Great points LG
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I’ve read traditional moderate religion is on the decline, but then Ive read that evangelicals and fundamentalists are on the rise, as are hate groups . There may be less religion, but what’s left may be extreme. You hear crazy stuff now that you would’ve never heard 20/30 years ago. Hate groups, according to the Soutern Poverty organization, are on the increase all over the country and they have close ties with these far right religions.
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Weird. Hate from the far right? Lol
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I do think there be some fringe groups that hang on. It took 900 years for the last of the Greek gods to die off. All the immortals are gone now except one. Could go fast, could go slow. We’ll see, as all things eventually do die off. Sooner would be better in this case.
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Geeezzz, is that not the epitomy of the frog in the frying pan? Is denial, fear, and pure prideful stubbornness REALLY that destructive? Is that a rhetorical question? LOL 🤪😢
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In Mormonism the faith is actually quite fragile because they consider outside opinions, or speaking out the ” road to apostasy”. It’s a tightly controlled funnel of information, and anything contrary is never truly investigated.
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Where did you live 20/30 years ago? I remember Jerry Falwell defending the apartheid regime in South Africa and the Pat Robertson brigade saying god created Aids to punish “The Gays”.
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I think god created Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson to punish everybody. Unbelievable that people send them money.
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Yes, I remember all that..maybe I needed to go further back in time around when Reagan started. But perhaps my lack of memory, was that I was never around religious people in my younger years, not family or friends and was not a church goer, so I wasn’t exposed to the loonies.
But today I see and hear it constantly. It’s gone mainstream and even though I still am not personally associated with any religious people…it’s everywhere..
Social media, internet, politics, letters to the editors, defunding public education so private religious school can flourish, “have a blessed day” being said ad nauseum etc.
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That’s certainly true. This age of social media has given them .access to non-believers in a way they never had before.
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Those are some incredible comments Jim! Dumbfounding! Utterly remarkable, utterly SCARY that those commenters are eerily close to “faithfully following” another Jim Jones or David Koresh! 😨 Wow.
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It was about 30% of the comments. The others were willing to read it because he was a member, but were skeptical that it would add anything, because they have a prophet, and the creed says he will never lead them astray. People!! Wake up! He’s just a guy
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As I’m always 98% to 99.964835% supportive of think-tanks, round-tables, diversity, etc, etc. In other words, anything that HEDGES against error, fallacy, singularity or dictatorships, Monism, “All eggs in one basket” mentalities, typically fail. Sooner or later they collapse due to the LACK of hedging diversity. This is especially true on the cellular and genetic levels!
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It’s interesting when I’d left the northeast u.s. for Georgia i noted the support for the Catholic church was sliding ever downward. I have two reasons i left the church.. one is studying the KJV biblical texts, but the other is the moral failings of the church. Like WW 2, or better when the coverup of sexual abuse came out. That was the final nail in the proverbial coffin of religion for me. Never looked back.
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