DiscussMormonism.com

On the thread discussing what is 'revelation' there was a brief discussion about what constituted official doctrine. One of the points made on LDS,org about this subject is that the First Presidency will clarify official doctrine when there are a significant number of members confused about a specific doctrinal matter.

Generally, the First Presidency issues official doctrinal declarations when there is a general misunderstanding of the doctrine on the part of many people. Therefore, the Church teaches many principles which are accepted as doctrines but which the First Presidency has seen no need to declare in an official pronouncement.
(LDS.org)

That got me thinking - in an environment where the members are explicitly instructed not to contact General Authorities directly, how does the First Presidency find out about member confusion? What is the channel for receiving issues?
In my decades of Church membership I have never once been asked what I thought about the doctrines and policies and practices of the Church. The organisation makes an assumption that you agree and when you demonstrate a non-mainstream thought or opinion or express a challenging point of view, it is frowned on and suppressed as quickly as possible.

So how do they know?
What proactive system is there for understanding doctrinal confusion?

jon wrote:That got me thinking - in an environment where the members are explicitly instructed not to contact General Authorities directly, how does the First Presidency find out about member confusion? What is the channel for receiving issues?

Osmosis. According to a prominent LDS apologist, the Brethren are in constant contact via stake presidents, who are in contact via bishops, who are in contact with every single member and know all their concerns via home teachers.

It's kinda like a phone tree. A phone tree where issues and problems are never discussed, therefore they don't exist.

jon wrote:That got me thinking - in an environment where the members are explicitly instructed not to contact General Authorities directly, how does the First Presidency find out about member confusion? What is the channel for receiving issues?

Maybe via surveys sent out to the members... like the ones that precipitated recent changes in the Endowment Ceremony.

Cardinal Biggles wrote:

jon wrote:That got me thinking - in an environment where the members are explicitly instructed not to contact General Authorities directly, how does the First Presidency find out about member confusion? What is the channel for receiving issues?

Maybe via surveys sent out to the members... like the ones that precipitated recent changes in the Endowment Ceremony.

How recent is 'recent'? The last change I know about was done in 1990 or so.

I think the Bloggernacle has become another medium for hearing such concerns. I hear references to topics that are prevalent on these forums referred to in Conference. Often counteracting them, however, rather than changing their own position.

I think in the last year I've heard comments against Cafeteria Mormonism, against letting your personal clock over-rule the priesthood line, and earlier, pleas for the membership to defend the Church online.

All these things point to large themes I see repeated on the Bloggernacle -- which may well be a source of information for our GA's.

I think the Bloggernacle has become another medium for hearing such concerns. I hear references to topics that are prevalent on these forums referred to in Conference. Often counteracting them, however, rather than changing their own position.

I think in the last year I've heard comments against Cafeteria Mormonism, against letting your personal clock over-rule the priesthood line, and earlier, pleas for the membership to defend the Church online.

All these things point to large themes I see repeated on the Bloggernacle -- which may well be a source of information for our GA's.

harmony wrote:
How recent is 'recent'? The last change I know about was done in 1990 or so.

I forget the year, but sometime this last decade they removed the old guy touching your pubes element to the initiatory. Now they just stick to your head.