When will apologists finally GET IT?

[_KevinSim]

The internet is killing both Jesus and LDS Inc.

Rumors of our (Jesus' and LDS Inc.'s) death have been greatly exaggerated.

[_Bob Loblaw]

Rumors of our (Jesus' and LDS Inc.'s) death have been greatly exaggerated.

The church isn't going anywhere but it is not the vibrant, growing organization it once was.

[_KevinSim]

The church isn't going anywhere but it is not the vibrant, growing organization it once was.

It "once was," say, ten years ago? How long has it been since it was a "vibrant, growing organization"? Ten years is just a drop in the bucket, historically speaking. What you see happening this decade doesn't mean the end to the LDS Church's future vibrancy and growth.

And, by the way, my ward is very vibrant. And this last year it's done some impressive growing, which is pretty good considering it's a fairly established Utah ward.

[_Bob Loblaw]

It "once was," say, ten years ago? How long has it been since it was a "vibrant, growing organization"? Ten years is just a drop in the bucket, historically speaking. What you see happening this decade doesn't mean the end to the LDS Church's future vibrancy and growth.

And, by the way, my ward is very vibrant. And this last year it's done some impressive growing, which is pretty good considering it's a fairly established Utah ward.

I'd say it hasn't been vibrant since correlation and the uniform budgets took hold of the church, and that's at least 25 years. The growth has certainly stopped, though most of the growth of the past was illusory, as retention rates were and still are miserable.

[_sock puppet]

The church isn't going anywhere but it is not the vibrant, growing organization it once was.

It "once was," say, ten years ago? How long has it been since it was a "vibrant, growing organization"? Ten years is just a drop in the bucket, historically speaking. What you see happening this decade doesn't mean the end to the LDS Church's future vibrancy and growth.

And, by the way, my ward is very vibrant. And this last year it's done some impressive growing, which is pretty good considering it's a fairly established Utah ward.

In the information age, it is extremely likely it will get its mojo back.

[_KevinSim]

I'd say it hasn't been vibrant since correlation and the uniform budgets took hold of the church, and that's at least 25 years. The growth has certainly stopped, though most of the growth of the past was illusory, as retention rates were and still are miserable.

What do "correlation and the uniform budgets" have to do with the vibrancy of the church?

[_Bob Loblaw]

What do "correlation and the uniform budgets" have to do with the vibrancy of the church?

You claim to be a member and don't know what these two programs have done to the church?

[_KevinSim]

You claim to be a member and don't know what these two programs have done to the church?

Yes I do claim to be a member; I was baptized at age eight, 45 years ago. A Google search indicates correlation began in 1960, a year after I was born, so I've never known the LDS Church without correlation, so, no, I don't know what that program has done to the church. On the other hand, the only thing I've noticed about uniform budgets is that we have less extravagant socials than we used to have. But we still have some socials in the pretty well-to-do wards I've spent a lot of my time in, presumably with the same degree of social pleasure as is had in poorer wards. How does that affect the vibrancy of the church?

[_cwald]

…

Damnit, cwald. I had you down as one of my un-baptisms, notched in my belt and all. Trying to negate the damage to humanity that I did on a Mormon mission lo those many years ago.

Sorry to disappoint...but I give all the credit to Wade England, Sekek1, and Pahoran.

[_Dr. Shades]

In March and April I received two letters from readers of one of my books . . .

What are the names of your books?