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I am rather new to this discussion board. It has been a big help as I continue to work through things. Within this process I have had some discussions with some very close friends who are LDS. I have probed a bit and gotten into some lengthy discussions about where I am at and where they are at. I would say that out my 5 or 6 closest LDS friends where we live, at least 3 of them are in a similar place to me; Not sure, have some real concerns about JS, or mostly reject many of the tenants of the LDS church but continue going for pragmatic reasons. They all serve, have TR’s and continue to attend because they think it is a good place to raise their kids. I live in the South so perhaps being so far away from headquarters has something to do with it. But many of them have come across inconsistencies in church history and church doctrine, and are a bit more non-literal in their views.
Is this a generational thing? I am a part of Generation Y and I think Generation X and the Millenials are probably a bit more non-literal than I am. One of my friends thinks that God is evolving the church. That the next generation of leaders will be more open, pragmatic, and will be at church because they want to be, not because they feel the cultural pressure to do so.
Has anyone else noticed this trend? Or is my sample size just way to small to extrapolate any larger trends? If it is a trend, I think the church will have to embrace a more open/questioning policy if it wants to remain relevant otherwise it will continue to lose educated and talented members.
Quote:Is this a generational thing?
Generally speaking, absolutely – but there are FAR more people at all ages who aren’t stereotypically traditional members than most people realize. It’s not just generational; it’s also personality-based. Anyone who isn’t a literalist or focused on security (is an “explorer” rather than a “settler”) has an enhanced chance of being like you describe. Both types of people are necessary and vital to maintaining and propagating a lasting society, and leadership has to encourage both while prioritizing the security of the settlers.
That isn’t good or bad; it simply is.
The American fascination with generations must be to do with their short history. SamBee wrote:The American fascination with generations must be to do with their short history.
Or their fascination with psychology?
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Ray has said before something about “the retention problem we have with the youth is not unique to the LDS church.” I have not really looked into it, but my understanding is that many traditional churches are having difficulty connecting to the younger generations.
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