The Mormon Church is changing....to into what?
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:00 am
I joined the LDS Church on Dec. 31st, 1979. I went permanently inactive in 1989. I resigned officially in 1996. I can tell you that the Church is changing! When I was active LDS, everthing was about following the Brethren. "Grace" was a four-letter word.
I saw that in the alfluent Wards in Washington, and California, and Arizona, everything was about "success in life". The Gospel of Gain. The Gospel of Prosperity. The Gospel was supposed to make you wealthy and healthy and happy. Jesus was only discussed around Christmas and Easter. Nothing about repentence. Nothing about sin. All about "becoming a success in life." The affluent Wards its all about material success; homes, cars, beautiful wives, etc. They dispise the poor, because the poor remind them of everything they hate. Failure.
The Church itself is "changing". Some are trying to pull it towards Liberalism, to get gay marriage in Mormon Temples, abortion on demand, etc. Others are trying to pull it to the "Gospel of Gain" and they've been VERY successful. Hinckley himself was a preacher of it. A few others, such as Elder Bendar, seem to be trying to go back to the teachings of the Book of Mormon, salvaiton via being "born again". Repentence from sin. The true existence of Hell, etc. It will be interesting to see who "wins" and what the Mormon Church will look like in 30 years. If the Liberal win, then the conservative Mormons will break away and form 100 new "Mormon" churches with "prophets" popping up everywhere with Revelations all over the place. If the "Gospel of Gain" folks win, then there will be two Mormon Churches: one for the wealthy teaching one thing, and another for the have-nots. It's really "there" now. If the "reformers" win (like Bendar), then the Church will move closer to Evangelical Christianity; not giving up Joseph Smith completely, but de-emphazising him and re-emphazing Jesus. I hope the "reformers" win, but anything is possible.
I saw that in the alfluent Wards in Washington, and California, and Arizona, everything was about "success in life". The Gospel of Gain. The Gospel of Prosperity. The Gospel was supposed to make you wealthy and healthy and happy. Jesus was only discussed around Christmas and Easter. Nothing about repentence. Nothing about sin. All about "becoming a success in life." The affluent Wards its all about material success; homes, cars, beautiful wives, etc. They dispise the poor, because the poor remind them of everything they hate. Failure.
The Church itself is "changing". Some are trying to pull it towards Liberalism, to get gay marriage in Mormon Temples, abortion on demand, etc. Others are trying to pull it to the "Gospel of Gain" and they've been VERY successful. Hinckley himself was a preacher of it. A few others, such as Elder Bendar, seem to be trying to go back to the teachings of the Book of Mormon, salvaiton via being "born again". Repentence from sin. The true existence of Hell, etc. It will be interesting to see who "wins" and what the Mormon Church will look like in 30 years. If the Liberal win, then the conservative Mormons will break away and form 100 new "Mormon" churches with "prophets" popping up everywhere with Revelations all over the place. If the "Gospel of Gain" folks win, then there will be two Mormon Churches: one for the wealthy teaching one thing, and another for the have-nots. It's really "there" now. If the "reformers" win (like Bendar), then the Church will move closer to Evangelical Christianity; not giving up Joseph Smith completely, but de-emphazising him and re-emphazing Jesus. I hope the "reformers" win, but anything is possible.
