BILL'S TWITTER PAGE

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

National commentary: Why many Mormons are fleeing their church | Herald Times Reporter | htrnews.com

National commentary: Why many Mormons are fleeing their church | Herald Times Reporter | htrnews.com

htrnews.com
The nation is having something of a “Mormon Moment.” It is evident in unprecedented scrutiny of Mormon beliefs stemming from Mitt Romney’s candidacy, the rise of social media, and a popular Broadway show and television programs. But largely overlooked is the growing reform movement within the Mormon community — one aimed at helping church leaders adapt to the modern world. They need help.
This year, Elder Marlin Jensen, the Mormon Church’s outgoing official historian, acknowledged that members are defecting from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “in droves” and that the pace is increasing.
This poses a particular dilemma for a hierarchical church that was historically isolated like no other. Church leaders can crack down and continue to see members, especially young people, leave. Or they can allow churchwide dialogue and changes relating to the church’s historical and doctrinal claims, financial dealings, proselytizing and treatment of women, skeptics and outsiders.
The unofficial dialogue is already widespread. Groups such as Mormon Stories, Post-Mormon Community and the ExMormon Foundation offer support for questioning and for former Mormons who in the past faced ostracism. These communities are a welcome development that was impossible before the Internet. In March, a group of unorthodox Mormons released a survey of more than 3,000 questioning or former LDS members illustrating reasons for their alienation.
At Brigham Young University, a student movement has forged greater acceptance of gays and lesbians, pushing the LDS school to acknowledge homosexuality in its honor code and sponsoring a YouTube video telling stories of gay students’ struggles to reconcile sexuality with faith. It has garnered nearly half a million views. Also this month, hundreds of Mormons marched in downtown Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., to show support for gays and lesbians. Such things would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, especially as the church fought for California’s Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage.

I formally resigned from the LDS Church in 2010. Leading up to my exit, I experienced alienation from some immediate family and friends. But through my alma mater, BYU, my multigenerational Mormon heritage and friendships created during decades of church participation, I am connected to my roots. I have a loving extended family who accepts me.
Leaving the faith of my fathers has been a lonely road. Many have asked me whether I’d return. I don’t know whether the church would have me, or whether I’d want to return. Perhaps I’m too outspoken, and I have many concerns. Even so, I am grateful that I’ve found community with others who share LDS ties but don’t necessarily agree with the whole package.
It’s difficult to talk about Mormonism without including Romney’s candidacy. Some evangelicals fear that a Romney presidency would lead to many Mormon baptisms — a fact that doesn’t jibe with my analysis of LDS Church data showing that Mormon baptismal rates in Massachusetts slowed substantially during Romney’s governorship. And I’ve yet to hear of multitudes of born-again Christians citing George W. Bush as the source of their conversions.
In this brave new digital world, I hope the official Mormon Church will return to its egalitarian roots. If this doesn’t happen, the exodus of young people could impact generations to come.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.