John Larsen wrote:I think the brethren are right on this one. Inoculation would only work if the Church history were not so damning and its truth claims false. As it is, it would just accelerate the rate of apostasy. The way to keep the membership is to stress that the only true knowledge comes from the brethren and it is impossible for the brethren to lead the Church astray.
This will keep them from getting all but the most damaged or incurious people as coverts in the post Google era. But it will allow them to keep the members they've got. Just so long as the keep having kids.
I believe inoculation will work because it will keep most Chapel Mormons from further investigating troubling parts of history.
I was never aware that Joseph Smith had practiced polygamy until I was married with children. It was a huge shock in my life and I felt very betrayed by the leaders and members who had misled me. It was that single issue [loss of trust] that led me to study in great depth 19th century polygamy and the Journal of Discourses. I would have never opened that can of worms had the church taught me some simple history in my childhood.
I think it's definitely a huge risk for most adults to be exposed but if you inoculate the children with apologetics, they won't blink an eye at someone sharing stories of Joseph Smith's wives, teachings on plural marriage required for exaltation, the Book of Abraham problems, kooky doctrines the church once believed, etc..
They will be shielded with answers to satisfy any critical material they could encounter and would feel no desire to look any further.
I had always known since childhood that Brigham Young had practiced polygamy so if someone had shared a story about his wives, it wouldn't have caused me enough distress to pick up VanWagoner's book.