The disaffected Mormon problem

[_Drifting]

But you miss the obvious: when Mormonism fails all other christian faiths fail too.

Well, I don't think they are the only one missing the obvious...

[_bcspace]

For me I realized that religion was a cancer on mankind. That religious men only served themselves and the money and power they could generate for themselves. I saw them all as inherently wrong. The Mormons spending 5+ BILLION dollars on a shopping mall just reaffirms to me the priorities of the One True Cult.

Yet none of these men seem to be personally benefiting from this. Where are the posh lifestyles of leisure and long vacations spent in remote tropical islands? Instead, nearly every day is Sunday for them and they have to have a talk or a lesson prepared for each one.

I think you know this already, but you're too personally invested in causing others the same sorrow you brought upon yourself through no fault of the Church's or anyone in it to give up now.

[_Drifting]

Yet none of these men seem to be personally benefiting from this. Where are the posh lifestyles of leisure and long vacations spent in remote tropical islands? Instead, nearly every day is Sunday for them and they have to have a talk or a lesson prepared for each one.

You're joking right?
Show me what they do aside from talking at Conference and going on all expenses paid junkets with their wives. Show me what material actions and impacts and results that they deliver on a weekly basis aside from pontificating and ceremonial openings of malls and banks.

[_Hades]

Yet none of these men seem to be personally benefiting from this. Where are the posh lifestyles of leisure and long vacations spent in remote tropical islands? Instead, nearly every day is Sunday for them and they have to have a talk or a lesson prepared for each one.

So who benefits from the great and spacious mall? God? Does Jesus need a place to shop?

[Guest]

Most BIC Mormons, upon learning that Joseph Smith was not a prophet, tend not to "fall back" on mainstream Christianity for the same reasons that most Christians, upon learning that Jesus was not the Christ, tend not to "fall back" on Judaism and await the true Messiah.

Just because one religion is built on another does not mean that an individual's faith has the same foundations. Christians' belief in the New Testament is not built upon a foundational belief in the Old. Rather, they believe in the Old Testament because Jesus did.

Likewise, most BIC Mormons don't have a foundational belief in the Bible that they later augmented with a testimony of the Book of Mormon. They only believe in the Bible because Joseph Smith did.

[_Themis]

Dawkins has made millions off his atheism. But he is just the latest in a long line of successfully rich atheists who have made their mark with such books. No one can disprove god. They can make their case and people can decide for themselves. It has always been this way with people supporting the atheist view. Belief in god is not very popular in europe where secular relativism is ruling the day. Across europe, atheism is gaining ground among the christians. And it has much to do with values these days. Dawkins knows how to take advantage of it.

Ah Richard Dawkins. One of Christianities favorite punching bags these days. He wrote a book and is making some money. No one in religion ever does that.

[_Themis]

Mormonism is all encompassing in its belief system with a complete picture of a preexistence and an afterlife in detail.

Complete? No, but it is different then most other Christian religions.

All other christian faiths can only offer vague explanations of eternity and have no preexistence.

Incorrect as usual. Why are all your posts simple assertions with no substance or thought? Few have ideas about there being a pre-mortal life, but then since Joseph was making it up, why believe something that is not likely to be correct.

[_Runtu]

You're joking right?
Show me what they do aside from talking at Conference and going on all expenses paid junkets with their wives. Show me what material actions and impacts and results that they deliver on a weekly basis aside from pontificating and ceremonial openings of malls and banks.

The church benefits a group of connected families and businesses that profit from association with the church. Who builds the chapels, supplies the material needs, builds the malls, provides paper for books and manuals, and so on?

Take, for example, the Zwick Construction company's list of religious projects. This company is owned by Craig Zwick, the GA who recently got in a little trouble for using his church calling to solicit funds for Mitt Romney.

So, in my view, most of the time the benefit doesn't come from being a GA, though it certainly has its perks, but becoming a GA is sometimes the end result of a lifetime of connection and benefit from the church. Of course, once you're a GA, you can help steer church money towards connected families and businesses.

But, no, the GAs do not generally live a lavish lifestyle. They work long hours, usually 7 days a week, and then they get the month of August off.

[_Drifting]

Hi Runtu, I hope you are well.

What specifically do GA's do that constitutes their 'work'?

Thanks

[_Themis]

I fully admit that most of this is just my experience, there really isn't a lot of public data available about this stuff. I also fully admit that Dehlin's study is not scientific in any way. If someone has good data that contradicts my experience, I'd love to see it.

Like I said before most who recognize the LDS church is not true tend to be more skeptically minded. I would say they are probably similar to those who leave religion in general. The process I see over and over again is not from LDS believer to atheism, but from LDS believer to general Christian, to agnostic and maybe atheist. This can be a fairly quick journey. LDS tend to give general Christianity a run, but tend to avoid religious ideas outside of that.