The Church Quietly Changes Its Position On Doubters

[Everybody Wang Chung]

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/08 ... h-quietly/

I like this also. This gives an opportunity for full disclosure rather than sweeping things under the rug. I think Elder Ballard set the stage for this approach.

What Marcus said.

[MG 2.0]

I like this also. This gives an opportunity for full disclosure rather than sweeping things under the rug. I think Elder Ballard set the stage for this approach.

What Marcus said.

Where she said:

[MG is] violating his church's new policy on what assumptions he shouldn't be making about people.

But that’s not true. You’ve been caught in another lie.

Regards,
MG

[Everybody Wang Chung]

What Marcus said.

Where she said:

[MG is] violating his church's new policy on what assumptions he shouldn't be making about people.

But that’s not true. You’ve been caught in another lie.

Regards,
MG

What Marcus said.

[drumdude]

Members are encouraged to empathize with the doubters: “I’m sorry it makes you feel bad that Joseph Smith married minors behind his wife’s back.”

LOL!

I imagine this will now prompt some very strange conversations, like:

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that the sun gets its light from a planet called Kolob."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that Joseph translated Egyptian papyri written by Abraham."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that God withheld the priesthood for almost 200 years from those with the blood of Cain."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that Brigham Young instituted slavery in the Utah territory."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that that there was a great white Lamanite warrior named Zelph."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that the Book of Mormon has no archaeological/genetic/scientific evidence that supports it."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that Joseph was convicted of fraud.'

And on, and on, and on ..............

Yesterdays’ Mormons were never this strong, they didn’t know all the warts. Today’s Mormons believe in spite of all the evidence.

[MG 2.0]

What Marcus said.

I knew it! We have a tag team.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

LOL!

I imagine this will now prompt some very strange conversations, like:

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that the sun gets its light from a planet called Kolob."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that Joseph translated Egyptian papyri written by Abraham."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that God withheld the priesthood for almost 200 years from those with the blood of Cain."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that Brigham Young instituted slavery in the Utah territory."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that that there was a great white Lamanite warrior named Zelph."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that the Book of Mormon has no archaeological/genetic/scientific evidence that supports it."

- "I'm sorry it makes you feel bad that Joseph was convicted of fraud.'

And on, and on, and on ..............

Yesterdays’ Mormons were never this strong, they didn’t know all the warts. Today’s Mormons believe in spite of all the evidence.

I think many of today’s critics were “yesterday’s Mormons”. I do think that many of today’s Mormons are able to see multiple things at the same time and not become so fixated on one thing or another to the exclusion of something else.

Regards,
MG

[MG 2.0]

It’s good to see this article come out. Thanks for posting it.

Regards,
MG

[Marcus]

You'll note the Fibber skipped right past the parts that pointed out he's violating his church's new policy on what assumptions he shouldn't be making about people.

Exactly

Three times now!!

[MG 2.0]

Exactly

Three times now!!

A bit more specificity?

Regards,
MG

[I Have Questions]

Members are told to ask open-ended questions, like “Can you tell me more?” and “How do you feel about that?”

Members are encouraged to empathize with the doubters: “I’m sorry it makes you feel bad that Joseph Smith married minors behind his wife’s back.”

What is interesting about the advice is that it encourages passive aggressive blaming of the doubter, putting the onus back on them rather than the actual issue. Your example of how it might play out shows that very clearly. I also note that the advice is to not go into trying to answer the doubters questions, to explain why their doubts are unfounded etc. so for instance if a person has left activity over Joseph’s philandering, the advice isn’t to go through the information with the doubter and explain the situation as the Church has explained it, point to the essays etc. which is interesting. The counsel is for members to simply show pity and leave it at that. It’s poor, and I think Riess has missed the under currents of blaming the doubter and diminishing their concerns by just offering pithy questions in return.