Thousands of current (and former) Latter-day Saints are becoming increasingly (and painfully) aware that LDS leaders, beginning before the death of Joseph Smith, manipulated historical narratives, changed and abused sacred ordinances and associations, and reinterpreted supposedly “unchanging” and “unchangeable” gospel principles and practices. This “evolution” in LDS theology and practice continues (and accelerates) today. LDS “believers” generally classify these remarkable changes as “evidence we are lead by a living prophet” while the incredulous, wary and (perhaps) better informed are branded as “apostates” — even if they yet believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the prophetic ministry of Joseph Smith and the veracity of the Book of Mormon.
The practice of systemic, on-going, Church-wide correlation and massive internal and external media marketing campaigns have kept most Mormons blissfully unaware of these changes. For good reason the book Mormon Doctrine is no longer offered on Deseret Book's shelves nor is the topic frankly or thoroughly discussed in any Church meeting (open to the public). That’s because yesterday’s Mormon “faithful” are today’s “apostates” and yesterday’s orthodoxy is today’s heresy. That tiny faction of saints who first worshipped the Father and Son while embracing both the Bible and the Book of Mormon has morphed into a multi-billion dollar corporate behemoth, whose expansive holdings and fiduciary interests, coupled with legal liability, require the Church to conform to earthly standards, expectations and constraints. The Mormon Church, for the most part, is no longer controlled and directed by divine revelation at the local level but managed and manipulated from Salt Lake at the direction of the world at large.
Just as the world has forced changes of LDS doctrine and practice (with threats of military occupation and legal disincorporation unless the Church changed its stance regarding polygamy) and just as the Church has changed its stance on race and the priesthood, family planning, "obeying" the word of wisdom, homosexuality and homosexual civil unions, the Church will continue to change with the times; thus, the myriad, accelerating, and dramatic changes to Mormon practice and doctrine currently underway and yet to come.
Just as the world has forced changes of LDS doctrine and practice (with threats of military occupation and legal disincorporation unless the Church changed its stance regarding polygamy) and just as the Church has changed its stance on race and the priesthood, family planning, "obeying" the word of wisdom, homosexuality and homosexual civil unions, the Church will continue to change with the times; thus, the myriad, accelerating, and dramatic changes to Mormon practice and doctrine currently underway and yet to come.
My feelings are a mixed bag of sorrow, resentment, anger and disbelief with the current state of affairs in the church. I am the oldest of 12 children, born and reared in the heyday of 20th century Mormonism (the 70's, 80's and 90's, IMO). My parents (especially my Mother) followed the prophet's counsel to the letter, replenishing the earth, stashing food storage, planting gardens and fruit trees, picking fruit at the Stake welfare farm/orchard, canning all manner of goods, making our own clothes, drinking powdered milk, FHE EVERY MONDAY come hell or high water, church attendance EVERY SUNDAY come hell or high water, even enduring unrighteous dominion at the hands of priesthood leaders when it was discovered that my father was a pedophile, abusing all of his 6 daughters sexually. I am inactive, yet I work for the church, prostituting myself for money. Sad, but true. Maybe someday I will have the courage to get out. The church and doctrine are not the same that I grew up with.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I prostitute myself by working tor the Military-Industrial complex for money. And my wife continually suffers cognitive dissonance over much unrighteous dominion, including one episode involving an ex who was a pedophile, yet while she is totally inactive she frets about the "commandments" involving "attending meetings and partaking the sacrament".
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, I hang onto my testimony of the Book of Mormon, but keep finding more and more discrepancies between what the Book of Mormon teaches and the current culture of the church.
I hardly consider myself to be a perfect example of being a "Latter-Day Saint", but your post is spot-on.
ReplyDeleteThe church today is far less concerned about worshiping the savior as they are making sure everyone "follows the prophet". Naturally, following men can never lead to distruction, right?
I'm certainly one who is keeping his eyes peeled to see where the church is headed next. For example, I'll be interested to see what happens when the Boy Scouts decide to accept homosexual leaders into their ranks.