Reposting from another thread:
Re: the essays -- In my public statements (like here:
http://mormonstories.org/mormon-stories ... ar-update/) I am very careful to list MS as only one of many influences on the church over time, and I mention the following by name specifically as examples: B. H. Roberts, Dialogue, Sunstone, Mormon History Association, John Whitmer, the entire Bloggernacle, and courageous church employees.
That said, I know for a fact that the "Why Mormons Question" study (
http://www.whymormonsquestion.org/2012/ ... -analysis/) had an influence on the essays (in some way, shape, or form) because we:
1) Presented the results directly to Marlin Jensen in New York City with Hans Mattsson something like 2 years before the essays came out.
2) Marlin Jensen was so affected by the survey results that he personally asked us to come to CHQ and present our results directly to the managing directors of the church's main departments (PR, Missionary, Curriculum, etc.). When I say us, I don't mean to imply that I attended this meaning, but a member of our team certainly did attend and present our findings.
3) We have been told by people at the church that this study was influential as a PART of helping to get internal approval for the essays, or to shape the topics/content of the essays.
And when I say "We" -- there was a pretty big team of people that worked on the WMQ study, some of which were way more influential than I was.
Anyway, I believe that our work with MS and WMQ was most certainly only part of the overall influence, but that it certainly was part of the influence. I could be wrong of course. And I don't mention this so much to try to take credit, but to encourage others to believe/feel like they can make a difference if they try. I believe that individuals can make a difference (e.g., John Larsen, John Hamer, Kate Kelly, Lindsay Hansen Park, Quinn, Compton, Bushman, Metcalfe, Polygamy Porter, etc.) -- and I hope that our readers and listeners know/believe this, and become motivated to try to be part of the solution.