Is the LDS Church Different Today from 35-Years Ago?

[_consiglieri]

When I joined the Church in 1978, it seemed to me that there was a lot of emphasis placed upon searching things out; that we had nothing to fear from the truth; that learning about other religions would make us appreciate more our own.

I always thought this made the LDS Church superior to the Jehovah's Witnesses, of which my brother was one.

But over the years, it seems the LDS Church has become more and more like the JW's when it comes to spoon feeding their members information approved by SLC or Brooklyn, NY.

The point of this post is to ask others who go back that far whether this is their perception, as well.

Is the LDS Church different today from 35-years ago?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_Bob Loblaw]

I think it took a while for Correlation to take root, and much of the clamping down on information and doctrinal speculation comes from the Correlation program. I remember meeting JWs on my mission and thinking how odd it was that they were almost afraid of anything not published by the Watchtower Society. I wasn't afraid to take on criticism of the church. In fact, an investigator brought an Ed Decker pamphlet to a discussion, and we had a productive discussion about how overwrought and dishonest it was.

The "don't stray from the manual" mindset came in slowly. One of my college roommates was a Packer devotee who was passionate about never bringing in outside materials or ideas when teaching the gospel. I found that attitude foreign, but in the last 25 years or so it's become much more prevalent. I've met people who genuinely fear seeing the "other side" of the church.

[Guest]

35 years ago Mormon Doctrine was Mormon doctrine.
35 years ago the Church published figures like this:

Temples
Number of endowments performed during 1977:
For the living 47,037
For the dead 3,555,118

Mind you...some things don't change...

To achieve a successful marriage it is important to reach an understanding on what is expected of each of the marriage partners. Ordinarily the husband is the breadwinner, and he should be willing to work hard and to do all in his power to properly take care of the financial needs of his family. Such needs should be discussed and priorities set for the welfare of the entire family.

The wife is the homemaker. It is her responsibility to see that a clean, orderly home is maintained. Some divorces have occurred where the wife becomes indifferent about her personal appearance, or becomes a careless housekeeper, or both. I cannot stress too strongly to the sisters the importance of personal cleanliness, good appearance, and maintaining a clean, orderly home.

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/05/makin ... l?lang=eng

[_Blixa]

I had a pre-correlation childhood, so I say YES!

consig, when I started reconnecting with Mormonism and Mormon history, oh around 2002 or so, I was gobsmacked by how different things seemed. The 3-hour block? Are you kidding me? Carrying a "quad" around? what? No more Relief Society bazaars? Road shows? Local ward activities? Shoulders are immodest? Coke is a perfectly fine beverage?

I still can't get over the three hour block. I just can't believe that.

Correlation started filtering through my Church experiences when I was in MIA, although I didn't know at the time that was what was happening. It coincided pretty neatly with my final disaffection. While I'd always had questions and problems before, the move away from the MIA bandlo/sash to the Personal Progress Report really pissed me off.

I liked earning badges for that sash: I earned ones for cooking, fashion design/sewing, photography, ethics, scripture reading, literature and art. No more of that. Now I had to fill in the blank in a pre-scripted "journal" which determined my interests for me: temple marriage, basically.

[_Bob Loblaw]

I had a pre-correlation childhood, so I say YES!

I liked earning badges for that sash: I earned ones for cooking, fashion design/sewing, photography, ethics, scripture reading, literature and art. No more of that. Now I had to fill in the blank in a pre-scripted "journal" which determined my interests for me: temple marriage, basically.

Now you're making me mourn the loss of the interesting, vibrant, and yes, fun, church of the past. Just about everything has been turned into one long, uninterrupted sacrament meeting. In the end, that's what will kill the church, not the availability of damaging information. People are being bored out of the church in increasing numbers.

[_bcspace]

Is the LDS Church different today from 35-years ago?

Not really. But I think the membership is different and since it is the membership which is called to serve, the Church can seem different than it was.

[_Bazooka]

Is the LDS Church different today from 35-years ago?

Not really. But I think the membership is different...

True, black people now get to go into the big house...

[_DarkHelmet]

On this day in 1978, black men could not hold the priesthood and the curse of cain doctrine was in full force. A few weeks later, Black men could hold the priesthood and everything said previously about the curse of cain doctrine was to be ignored. In that regard, the church back then was just as it is today. You will believe what we tell you to believe. If we change our minds, you will fall in line.

[_consiglieri]

Thanks for all your comments. I find Bob Loblaw's view interesting, and Blixa's especially confirming of my experience because she was out in pre-correlation days and then came back in 2002 only to be "gobsmacked" by the difference.

I frankly wondered if other things were making me think things were different when they really were not; things like the fact I was a teenager and hanging out with Mormon teens (which is frankly more fun than high priest group); or the fact that I had the whole gamut of Mormon Doctrine open before me to learn and so things just seemed more interesting.

It appears, however, that others see the same difference as I.

Dark Helmet and Bazooka are right that a lot of seeds were already sewn, what with the priesthood ban still in place, as well as McConkie's Mormon Doctrine which was quoted so frequently in sacrament meeting I came to see it as a fifth standard work.

I think it was a time of transition when the cogs of correlation were in place but the water hadn't yet made it "to the end of the row."

I'm not sure the CCC recognizes that the proverbial water can drown as well as nourish.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_Bazooka]

Thanks for all your comments. I find Bob Loblaw's view interesting, and Blixa's especially confirming of my experience because she was out in pre-correlation days and then came back in 2002 only to be "gobsmacked" by the difference.

I frankly wondered if other things were making me think things were different when they really were not; things like the fact I was a teenager and hanging out with Mormon teens (which is frankly more fun than high priest group); or the fact that I had the whole gamut of Mormon Doctrine open before me to learn and so things just seemed more interesting.

It appears, however, that others see the same difference as I.

Dark Helmet and Bazooka are right that a lot of seeds were already sewn, what with the priesthood ban still in place, as well as McConkie's Mormon Doctrine which was quoted so frequently in sacrament meeting I came to see it as a fifth standard work.

I think it was a time of transition when the cogs of correlation were in place but the water hadn't yet made it "to the end of the row."

I'm not sure the CCC recognizes that the proverbial water can drown as well as nourish.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

I think the Church will be different in another 35 years.
Judging by the type of new materials the Church is producing, someone, somewhere, has decided correlation has gone too far and a bit more freedom of open discussion is what the punters want. I hope so, because that will be a good and healthy thing for future generations (all chosen, obviously!) of Mormons.
Who knows, Roadshows might be back, Gays might be allowed to be openly so, Women...well...yeah, not gonna happen...
Let the good times roll!