Can the LDS Church successfully loosen its grip?

[_sock puppet]

Overcome by a friend's relentless requests, I attended a Universal Unitarian Church service some months back. I liked how loosey-goosey the preaching was. Some wouldn't call it preaching, but it was Sunday, it was church services and someone was talking.

What the friend explained was appealing to her was that the UUC's approach allowed was a great degree of latitude in differing beliefs. I've heard off and on over the past 20 years that the LDS Church has tried to be a bigger tent organization, embrace more, even those who do not fit the cookie-cutter mold of a TBM. But I see evidence of retrenchment, such as the insidious policies of November 5, 2015. The "Apostle class" of 1984 queued up to take the reigns: Nelson, then Oaks. A couple of hardliners.

The hardline is appealing to a shrinking slice of the population with each passing generation that began with the Baby Boomers.

So to stem the tide, can the LDS Church take that hard left turn and soften its teachings and widen its net? or is it too rutted in its old ways?

[_Jesse Pinkman]

I would like to see the LDS Church become more accepting. I think that as long as the Quorum of the 12 consists of elderly white men, it is going to be difficult to see the Church policies pass that will allow this to happen. I think that if the Church broadens its priesthood leadership to include more younger members, and minorities, and that includes women, then the Church has a chance to evolve in a more positive direction.

[_Dr Exiled]

I think it needs to go to the left in order to appeal to the younger generations. However, that would mean loosening the reigns on the money and providing a better disclosure of the finances. Perhaps there is too much nepotism and poor decision making (e.g. too many decisions that look like humans are running this) for the church to disclose where the money goes specifically? In any event, my vote is that the church stays the authoritarian course. I think there is more money per capita in having a church that appeals to right wingers. I think they tend to contribute more to silly organizations as long as someone is pretending to speak for god.

[_Maksutov]

Nope. Its grip on worldly assets and the psyches of the saints is the only evidence of its existence and must be maintained above all. If the Corleones relax, the Gambinos will rush into the power vacuum.

[_Runtu]

A few years ago, I was discussing this with a friend who left the church at roughly the time I did. We thought the church had two choices: open up at least somewhat, or circle the wagons. Since then, we've both concluded that the church is trying to do both at the same time. On the one hand, they are trying to open up a little about the thornier bits of church history and doctrine, though personally I think they have engaged in too much spin that has been, on occasion, quite misleading. On the other hand, there seems to be a determined effort to narrow the field of acceptable behavior and thought in the church. It's harder, for example, to support the rights of same-sex couples without bumping up against the boundaries of acceptable church behavior.

Where will it end? I don't know. I think the main conclusion is that the church has tried to reassert control over a narrative they were losing. And if it takes some loosening and tightening at the same time to regain control, so be it.

[_I have a question]

No chance.

Not only are the Presidents-In-Waiting hardliners, but they have ensured the new additions over the last few years have all been like minded individuals. When you have a system whereby replacements are decided by incumbents, the gene pool will remain incesstuously stagnant.

[_Tator]

No loosening anytime soon. The SLC Mormons don't have the same powers of discernment as the Community of Christ.

[_Tator]

the gene pool will remain incesstuously stagnant.

So true, the Mormon gene pool needs more water and a little bit of chlorine.

[_I have a question]

the gene pool will remain incesstuously stagnant.

So true, the Mormon gene pool needs more water and a little bit of chlorine.

It needs completely draining and a HAZMAT team.

[_DrW]

So true, the Mormon gene pool needs more water and a little bit of chlorine.

It needs complete draining and a HAZMAT team.

Outstanding.

IHAQ does it again.

Best of the board at consistently coming up with just the right metaphor.