NYT Article on disaffected Swedish Area Authority

[Anonymous]

GBSmith wrote:

What cwald said. As long as you speak in generalities nobody’s going to leap to there feet and say “silence ye fiend from the infernal pit” or feel the bishop’s tug on your coat tail and see the look on his face that says sit down now dumbass. But it you announce that the spirit as witnessed to you that you didn’t need to do your home teaching last month, or that 10% is arbitrary and your family financial needs are more important than tithing, or that the SP’s, Area Authority, or church’s latest program is ill conceived (insert Prop then see how far you get. The expectation is that if you pray for guidance you’ll get the right answer, not some answer that’s different from what’s expected.

You’re right. We are a minority that need to speak with tact. I used to think “silent minority” was my only option. But I’m finding the ability to say things that leave me feeling I’ve maintained my integrity. And people take a long time shift paradigms, if they do at all. I prefaced my Nibley quote as “Hugh Nibley, a well-trusted and oft-quoted LDS scholar said…”

And there may be around 1 in 5 people in the congregation listening who willingly express some doubts (and this is probably under-claim given the nature of the survey):

[attachment=0]ImageUploadedByTapatalk1375045300.553171.jpg[/attachment]
http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Christian/Mormon/Mormons%20in%20America.pdf

This is among people in USA who ‘self-identify as practising LDS. So non-actives might not say they’re Mormon on a telephone interview.

I’ve been discussing this data on another forum. The TBMs are very excited about the higher belief among better educated.

I’ve said that by reading the report in full it’s not as clear cut as that. People who have higher education are more like to be white Utahns, raised in a TBM family and sent on a mission (and probably packed off to BYU). An expression of being TBM is education. (Which is a good thing).

Also, converts are more likely to have doubts. They are also more likely to have joined after college age, be non-Utahns and some come from a lower education background.

Given Dehlin’s research, it’s also that the reason there are fewer self-identified LDS with doubts with a higher education is that those who don’t believe some/all of church teachings have enough independence to leave so no longer self-identify as Mormon and are eliminated from taking the survey.

Whatever it is. About 20% of BICs and 30% of converts in your congregation have doubts. They will consider it a blessed relief to hear a nuanced view in sacrament mtg. I know I do.

[Author]

Posts