|
01-04-2008, 03:42 PM | #1 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,365
|
Mormon tribalism has never been weaker
Many forces, both from within and without, have conspired to place Mormonism in its weakest position, from a tribal standpoint, since its founding.
I was pondering the several posters here who said that they would vote for an overtly anti-Mormon candidate. Why? Because the tribal identity is dissolving. Some of this has to do with Mormonism emerging from the mountains, and the world becoming smaller. Much of it has to do with mainstreaming efforts by the General Authorities. "We are a Christian church just like you. Our beliefs are not so different than yours. We wish to be loved and accepted." The primacy of "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ", very similar to traditional Baptist precepts, has supplanted the message of the restoration. 40 years ago, you were very likely to hear primarily of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the restoration in a sacrament meeting. Today, it is much more rare. The push back against "the old prophets" has never been greater. Romney's statement that he can imagine nothing more awful than polygamy hardly raises a single eyebrow among Mormons in 2008. The irony, is that when we are accepted by the world, as we seem to wish, Mormonism will be done and over. Assimilated into Babylon. And we wonder why convert baptisms in America are flat or falling. It takes more than one set of hands to keep the Ark in its place. It has always been steadied by human hands, and any injunction to silence members only hastens the death of the tribe. |
01-04-2008, 03:53 PM | #2 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,016
|
Quote:
|
|
01-04-2008, 03:56 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,016
|
It mirrors the United States struggle in the current world landscape ... Europe is proving to be a superior economic superpower and China is quickly becoming an equal economic and military superpower.
Last edited by tooblue; 01-04-2008 at 03:58 PM. |
01-04-2008, 03:54 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 10,665
|
Don't forget: GA A to GA B, "Hey, I've got an idea, let's but everything to do with JS and the Book of Mormon in the basement of the Visitors' Center. Make it really hard to find. Only Bible and Jesus stuff above ground level. Then let's decorate our new Albert Speer knock off edifice only with pioneer sculptures and paintings. I've already seen to it that Pres. Hinkley's latest book didn't have a single reference to Nephite or Lamanite in its index or table of contents."
__________________
Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster |
01-04-2008, 03:58 PM | #5 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,016
|
Quote:
|
|
01-04-2008, 04:14 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 10,665
|
Yeah, the green jellow version. Certainly not the stuff that excites Harold Bloom and MikeWaters. Really this white-washed two-year study is a way to control the agenda in the way Waters is decrying. They've labotomized Smith.
__________________
Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster |
01-04-2008, 04:19 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,016
|
Don't tell me you are also a 'Religous Marxist'. When was the last time you attended church or watched or read talks from General Conference. You are projecting. We will study the Book of Mormon in the next year also. And you are welcome to come to church with me anytime.
|
01-04-2008, 04:01 PM | #8 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,177
|
Quote:
|
|
01-04-2008, 04:05 PM | #9 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,365
|
|
01-04-2008, 04:09 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Between Iraq and a hard place
Posts: 7,569
|
You argue from so many angles, I'm not even sure whether you are for Mormon tribalism or against it. Is this a John Kerry thing?
|
Bookmarks |
|
|