Wetlands: The Future of Mormonism

Thanks for posting this.

History is built on small shifts that have created huge change, and the Mormon church is at the edge of one of these shifts. Consider the potential impact if the church were to embrace the edge and abandon its self-serving monoculture. Millions of members willingly give their time, talent, and resources to build up their monoculture; what might we accomplish, together, if that energy were directed elsewhere instead?

If it sounds heretical to faithful Mormons, perhaps they don’t understand the ecological metaphor. A monoculture will thrive only when the environment favors its growth and foreign species can be controlled. That is no longer possible in the world we share. The health of the Mormon church, and its ability to be a force for good in the world around it, depends on its ability to adapt to the turbulence at the edge.

How will they arrive there? Excommunicated apostates can’t move them — that’s the point of expulsion. Angry protests from out-groups and mass resignations from disaffected members only strengthen the resolve to defend the monoculture. No, in religion as in ecology, the potential for change is found only at the edges, where tens of thousands of unorthodox members already live. The Mormon church needs those members to start talking. Not protesting, not arguing, not resigning their memberships in solidarity with the latest apostate. Just talking. Being seen for who they truly are. Connecting.

Each time a non-traditional Mormon lets her neighbor see her unique beliefs, she makes it easier for everyone in the neighborhood to be true to themselves. One respectful voice at a time, the silent minority will begin to understand that they aren’t alone in their doubts and unapproved beliefs. As that understanding grows, power will shift away from the monoculture and toward the productive edges — to the ecotones where opportunity and challenges await, where ideas and opinions and personalities can blend together to create something like an idealogical wetland: hard to define, hard to cling to, and infinitely more valuable to the world than anything Mormonism has been able to offer so far.

I think he took some unnecessary digs, but I like his conclusion about how we’ll change.

So true Roy.

The diverse world is creeping in.

This is what scares the ultra conservatives, and they will continue to preach the dangers in the world and that the end of days is closer at hand, while we continue to progress forward.

You mean like the talk when the church was just organized and many thought the Lord would return in their lifetimes?

Roy “The diverse world is creeping in.”

This is what scares the ultra conservatives, and they will continue to preach the dangers in the world and that the end of days is closer at hand, while we continue to progress forward.

You mean like the talk when the church was just organized and many thought the Lord would return in their lifetimes?

Well, yes…and also in the New Testament when Paul and the early saints believed the Lord would return in their lifetimes.

I don’t think the earth’s egg-timer has gone off yet. I don’t expect it to happen in my lifetime – partially because I feel things are going so well.

for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place; and this is the reason of the badness of this ground”

Swamps…

fear, doubt, apprehension….

Certainly that doesn’t sound good or safe at all. That is clearly why the majority stay safely in the middle. If they view the fringes all that way…no one would really think it is smart to venture out. So they stay safely in the middle with their perception of the fringes from their point of view.

But for those on the fringes (who might be there for various reasons)…it just isn’t all fear and swamp and muck and awfulness. If it was all that bad ground…it would be an easy choice to head to the middle.

I don’t see it that way. For the explorer…traversing some swamps in order to get to the most beautiful waterfalls and views that can’t be found elsewhere is well worth it. It’s not all swamp and fear 24/7. You just gotta learn to navigate differently and you can find you can enjoy the fringe for different benefits than just safety of the middle ground where the majority is, even if those in the safe middle won’t agree with you that it is safe on the fringe.

I see it as fear AND excitement. Doubt AND learning. Apprehension AND discernment … is the reason for the colorful experience of this ground.