DiscussMormonism.com

I recently attended a Q and A session at Utah State University that was set up by Phil Barlow. You may ask: who was giving A’s to the Q’s? Well, it was none other than the Elder Marlin K. Jensen. Elder Jensen has been a general authority of the church since 1989. He currently is a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. Since 2005, he also has been the Church Historian and Recorder of the church. He is the 19th person to occupy that position since the foundation of the church.

The questioner then asked, “Has the church seen the effects of Google on membership? It seems like the people who I talk to about church history are people who find out and leave quickly. Is the church aware of that problem? What about the people who are already leaving in droves?”

“The fifteen men really do know, and they really care. And they realize that maybe since Kirtland, we never have had a period of, I’ll call it apostasy, like we’re having right now; largely over these issues. We do have another initiative that we have called, “Answers to Gospel Questions”. We are trying to figure out exactly what channels to deliver it in and exactly what format to put it in. But we want to have a place where people can go. We have hired someone that’s in charge of search engine optimization. We realize that people get their information basically from Google. They don’t come to LDS.org. If they get there, it’s through Google. So, we are trying to create an offering that will address these issues and be available for the public at large and to the church leaders, because many of them don’t have answers either. It can be very disappointing to church members. And, for people who are losing their faith, or who have lost it, we hope to regain to the church.”

Another questioner asked how they know. Is it through anecdotal means or from statistics? Elder Jensen said that he has received much information anecdotally. He also said, “The church has a very progressive research and information division, with tremendous public opinion surveyors. And the church is constantly running surveys, and employing consultants that do focus groups on a variety of topics, but especially on the ones that we are talking about right now, that are so sensitive to the faith of members. Where has the prophet laid his emphasis right now? It’s on something called ‘The Rescue’. And with good reason, because we are suffering a loss; both in terms of our new converts that come in that don’t get really established in the church, as well as very faithful members who because of things we’re talking about, as well as others, are losing their faith in the process. It is one of our biggest concerns right now.”

Runtu wrote:They're just lazy and intransigent.

It's the wheat and the tares coming to pass.

They never had a testimony anyway.

They were offended.

They wanted to sin.

They expected perfection from their leaders.

Take your pick.

So, we are trying to create an offering that will address these issues and be available for the public at large and to the church leaders, because many of them don’t have answers either

Drifting wrote:So...local Church leaders don't have the answers...and you are not allowed to contact the senior leaders directly...

Runtu, I think that Jensen is conceding that people are leaving in droves because they find out the truth about the Church's history, which they don't get from local or senior leaders or from any of the existing Church materials, including LDS.org.

MKJ wrote:So, we are trying to create an offering that will address these issues and be available for the public at large and to the church leaders, because many of them don’t have answers either. It can be very disappointing to church members.

Aristotle Smith wrote:It really doesn't matter if the GAs know about this, there isn't anything they can do about it. I know the NOMs get excited about things like this, because on the surface one would think that knowing about this would be a logical first step to making some changes. But here's the rub, there is nothing they can do that would not also exacerbate the problem.

I've been over this so many times in my head that I got bored thinking about it. Every single change that would actually make a difference would involve some sort of capitulation on the "one true church" idea. And once that happens, the exodus will really begin. In short, any attempt to make a difference will only make it worse.

In fact, I think the apologists have already tried everything. They have jettisoned, changed, re-defined, and re-interpreted every single thing that can be jettisoned, changed, re-defined, and re-interpreted without also giving up on the "one true church" claim. All that the apologists have left in tact is a naked authority claim, it's the one true church because we have authority. The leaders can give false revelations, be racists, and get everything wrong and it doesn't matter, they have the authority. There isn't anything left for the GAs to try.

In that sense, the GAs are being very rational. If the choice is between a slow bleeding out of members vs. a hemorrhage, the slow bleed is the rational choice. In the worst case you lose the same amount of members, in the best case some miracle happens and the slow bleed either gets even slower or stops altogether.

Drifting wrote:It sounded to me more like they were going to try and make sure that people read LDS.org rather than they were going to try and publish more of the factual, truthful stuff with explanations.