Church membership numbers not good.

[Physics Guy]

Even assuming that evolution did spend millions of years shaping women into baby factories, evolution seems to have lost interest in that project after about age thirty-five, when fertility starts to fall fast. Most of a woman's adult life is no more specialised in reproduction than a man's.

Biologically, in fact, a lot less, since the easier male contribution to reproduction can be made at later ages. Older men are consequently biologically designed through millions of years of evolution to think of "woman" as meaning only "young woman". I think this explains pretty much all of pseudoscientific sexism.

Fortunately it is possible to transcend our biological programming, if we apply the body part that has been designed by evolution for thinking. Humans have been a K-selected species rather than r-selected for millions of years, after all. Evolution hasn't actually made either men or women into reproductive robots. It's given us brains, not because evolution is woke, but because thinking works.

[Rivendale]

Even assuming that evolution did spend millions of years shaping women into baby factories, evolution seems to have lost interest in that project after about age thirty-five, when fertility starts to fall fast. Most of a woman's adult life is no more specialised in reproduction than a man's.

Biologically, in fact, a lot less, since the easier male contribution to reproduction can be made at later ages. Older men are consequently biologically designed through millions of years of evolution to think of "woman" as meaning only "young woman". I think this explains pretty much all of pseudoscientific sexism.

Fortunately it is possible to transcend our biological programming, if we apply the body part that has been designed by evolution for thinking. Humans have been a K-selected species rather than r-selected for millions of years, after all. Evolution hasn't actually made either men or women into reproductive robots. It's given us brains, not because evolution is woke, but because thinking works.

The Selfish Gene ending.

"We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn against our creators. We, alone on Earth can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators."

[Analytics]

Worst Growth Years of the Church

The Church shrank in the following years:
1839
1855
1856
1857

The Church grew, but by less than 1% in the following years:
1844
1851
1852
1858
1937
2020
2021

[MG 2.0]

Unfortunately, if something is not true it cannot be any of those things you list.

[...]

If Mormonism IS true, that’s icing on the cake.

Regards,
MG

Please can an exmormon poster on this board help me here? I would like someone who understands where MG is coming from to explain his attitude to me.

I have put it to him directly that if the truth claims of the CoJCoLDS are not true, then that is not compensated for by any alleged benefits from acting as if they were true. So far as I understand him, his response amounts to saying that the truth of the claims of the CoJCoLDS is purely an optional extra that can be dispensed with if there are other reasons for acting as though they were true.

It’s better that I explain my position than IHAQ. I was referencing Free Ranger to show that even in a case where a person my not believe in the literal truthfulness of the church they can find meaning enough, even if more or less metaphorically, to consider activity in the church as a cultural Mormon.

Personally, that would not be enough for me. Chap, like you, I am a truth seeker and am not interested in ‘making something up’ and putting lipstick on the pig and calling it ‘true’. It either is, or it isn’t. My consistent ‘at the end of the day’ position on this board and the old one is that I move forward in faith/hope in the teachings of the CofJCofLDS and its truth claims.

I’ve never said anything different. IHAQ has it wrong.

I have said, a number of times, that I can understand where OTHERS are coming from in their exmormon positions because I have had to travel a similar road of discovery, deconstruction, and reconstruction.

The difference is that in my reconstruction I’ve found, for me, valid/logical…and spiritual…reasons to choose faith/belief over doubt and/or disbelief. Are there questions? Sure. But I realize that I see through a glass darkly. I walk by faith and not by sight in regards to some things. I know enough to keep on the covenant path.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
MG

[Marcus]

Worst Growth Years of the Church

The Church shrank in the following years:
1839
1855
1856
1857

The Church grew, but by less than 1% in the following years:
1844
1851
1852
1858
1937
2020
2021

Thanks, analytics, interesting information. I’m guessing if deaths were reported correctly, 2020 and 2021 would be in the first column, not the second.

[BeNotDeceived]

I can't believe there aren't more members who question the endowment ceremony and all the cultish, ritualistic nonsense that goes on there, especially dawning the silly clothing and worse, the Pillsbury Doughboy bakers hat for the men. And it blows my mind more that my parents and in-laws never gave it a second thought to pantomime slitting your own throat and disemboweling yourself prior to 1991 as penalties for violating any of the oaths. And special tokens and secret handshakes to pass guardian angels to enter God's presence??? Really??? My wife and I have hardly had a desire to go back and participate in this 'wonderful temple experience' since being married, gee, wonder why?

Maybe because you didn’t get it. And at this point you probably won’t.

Regards,
MG

MG, it's nothing but Masonic rites and rituals, look it up, Smith and his Dad were both Freemasons and Joseph simply borrowed their temple rites and rituals and created the endowment from it.

[Philo Sofee]

Maybe because you didn’t get it. And at this point you probably won’t.

Regards,
MG

MG, it's nothing but Masonic rites and rituals, look it up, Smith and his Dad were both Freemasons and Joseph simply borrowed their temple rites and rituals and created the endowment from it.

And there are many Free Mason Mormons who have demonstrated this conclusively... it is literally no longer deniable, well, assuming one wants to be rational that is.

[doubtingthomas]

I hope this helps.

Regards,
MG

When are you going to stop ignoring my comments?

For the love of god.

[drumdude]

I hope this helps.

Regards,
MG

When are you going to stop ignoring my comments?

For the love of god.

When you stop tearing down his testimony?

They're very fragile, you know.

[BeNotDeceived]

MG... participants from a Masonic temple ceremony in the 1930's and no, they did not copy the LDS endowment, just the opposite as the Freemasons go back centuries...