Of Converts, Choirs and Misguided Bishops

[Sleeping in EQ]

This is one of the big challenges facing the church (and it faces the Church, not just the leaders. If we screw this up we can't blame them). And while music is one of the important areas of contention (and one very near to my heart), the broader problem is the fundamentalist, "you will be correlated" attitude of too many. This attitude has strong ethnic and nationalistic overtones on some levels.

I've noticed some leaders taking steps to moderate it a bit. Elder Ballard's talks of late seem aimed at this. Elder Oaks has warmly advocated "a gospel culture" that is not about ethnicity or nationalism. Their ideas, though, get little traction when the "unwritten order of things" crowd simply ignores them and keeps handing leadership callings to people of it's mindset. CES is, in large measure, a cult of personality and is Pharasaiac. The Honor Code, rules-obsessed, old testament attitude crowd are part of this in their own way.

A return of the doctrine of Common Consent and people standing up to fundamentalist, blind obedience nonsense needs to happen or we're in for real trouble. Start quoting Ballard and Oaks and others on these points in talks, when you speak up in classes, whenever you get the chance. If their ideas are going to have an impact, it will be because rank and file members carry the water for them.

Some wards and stakes are doing better than others on this. Music is alive and well in my own ward. People sing loudly and with enthusiam, the choir is great, and my bishop is convinced that music (and not just of the hymn book kind) is one of the most powerful of spiritual tools. He's right.

Some months back, Non-Seq listed some problems he saw with the Church:

Consumerism and an ultra-right fundamentalist mindset were on the top of his list.

I am in complete agreement.