The Internet must have hit the church’s leadership like a freight train. It wasn’t that long ago that their big concerns were intimidating member opinions at “Sunstone”, or attempting to buy the “Salt Lake Tribune” to control its negativity, or forming the “Strengthening the Members Committee” to identify - by name - problem members so they could effectively deal with them. That’s laughable today.
Back then the church’s “skeletons’ were relatively hard to find and there wasn’t much personal help along the way. If you were really smart, or lucky, you might know about a small house on the south side of Salt Lake with a sign reading “Modern Microfilm”. It was a tiny repository of truth. Like David and Goliath however, that house (which is still small) would become “Utah Lighthouse Ministry.Com” and greatly upset the church’s empire only a few miles away. It was the “Dot Com” miracle that made all the difference!
Only 10 short years have gone bye, yet everything is upside-down for Mormonism. Now there’s a massive dissident rebellion pouring down from every direction while the church is virtually helpless to respond. Now there’s an irritating anonymity of voices, easy networking of the opposition, effective information compiling, interpretation, and far-reaching exchange – all supported with digitized documents and videos.
Anyone, anywhere, can now safely vent their feelings worldwide. They can openly mock the church’s secrets. They can directly contact one another. They can share their independent scholarship and, to the church’s despair, warn potential newcomers using solid information that the church’s missionaries are helpless to refute.
Surely this must be panicking the leadership. They know the numbers. They know what they’ve been hiding for generations. Their old tactics are now useless to them, but as the saying goes, they can’t let the members “see them sweat”. Still, they can’t hide forever. What “signs of the times” are the GA’s showing, despite themselves?
One nice thing is, ze game of love is never called on account of darkness - Pepe Le Pew
The Internet has indeed made it far more difficult for the LDS church to conceal its weaknesses and suppress investigation. I see FAIR, FARMS and 'more good' as the church's Counter Reformation response.
Only 10 short years have gone bye, yet everything is upside-down for Mormonism. Now there’s a massive dissident rebellion pouring down from every direction while the church is virtually helpless to respond. Now there’s an irritating anonymity of voices, easy networking of the opposition, effective information compiling, interpretation, and far-reaching exchange – all supported with digitized documents and videos.
There may be more leaving the Church now then before. Not sure. But where is this massive dissident rebellion?
The Internet does have potential to be harmful for the lds, if only because many lds readers will not be able to deal with the speculative proof that can posted by people who want to harm the church. Their minds may not be able to see the opening beyond the fog.
But the bottom line in the lds church is the Book of Mormon. How it came about can be debated but the lds version still holds up under scruntiny, as the Dale and Dan debate shows on a different thread. And in the end, that is all that should matter to the lds lurker on the internet.
Only 10 short years have gone bye, yet everything is upside-down for Mormonism. Now there’s a massive dissident rebellion pouring down from every direction while the church is virtually helpless to respond. Now there’s an irritating anonymity of voices, easy networking of the opposition, effective information compiling, interpretation, and far-reaching exchange – all supported with digitized documents and videos.
There may be more leaving the Church now then before. Not sure. But where is this massive dissident rebellion?
Look around you Jason. The media is getting hip to the jive and quite frankly you can tell there is a subtext of worry.
And crawling on the planet's face Some insects called the human race Lost in time And lost in space...and meaning
why me wrote:But the bottom line in the lds church is the Book of Mormon. How it came about can be debated but the lds version still holds up under scruntiny, as the Dale and Dan debate shows on a different thread. And in the end, that is all that should matter to the lds lurker on the internet.
The LDS account of how the Book of Mormon came to be is ludicrous and full of so many holes I cannot possibly see how you believe it holds up. The Book of Mormon is a train wreck and there is nothing that points to the authenticity of the church's party line.
How can you possibly say that it holds up to scrutinty? Unless im missing what you are saying you are saying it does hold up? I call BS.
And crawling on the planet's face Some insects called the human race Lost in time And lost in space...and meaning
Look around you Jason. The media is getting hip to the jive and quite frankly you can tell there is a subtext of worry
Where is the worry? Examples please.
The emphasis on keeping the internet as a danger in the minds of the people. We were told to tell investigators to ignore the "uneducated hate sites" if we were presented with factual information from theinternet, make comparrisons to white supremacist websites, etc. Pinnock himself went on a rant for 20 minutes at a zone conference in which he derided those evil people who posted "nasty lies" about the church in addition to the structure of the internet being evil and full of perverts.
The evidence of the panick is around, you just need to know where to look.
And crawling on the planet's face Some insects called the human race Lost in time And lost in space...and meaning
The emphasis on keeping the internet as a danger in the minds of the people.
Other then warning about porn I do not see anything like this. Any concrete examples?
We were told to tell investigators to ignore the "uneducated hate sites" if we were presented with factual information from theinternet, make comparrisons to white supremacist websites, etc.
We are? When and where? Do you have any quotes I could see?
Pinnock himself went on a rant for 20 minutes at a zone conference in which he derided those evil people who posted "nasty lies" about the church in addition to the structure of the internet being evil and full of perverts.
I assume this was when you were a missionary.
The evidence of the panick is around, you just need to know where to look.
Well I have not seen it nor have you provided it but I am open to more proof. Help me out.
Jason Bourne wrote: Well I have not seen it nor have you provided it but I am open to more proof. Help me out.
Off the top of my head the emphasis on the internet held by the SCMC is a good start. These are all secondhand accounts and nothing direct but this supposed emphasis by the SCMC alone shows a willingness to try and counter the internets plethora of damning facts.