Should they be talking about any of this "apostate/questioning beliefs/going astray/anti" stuff?

Isn't it logical that an average mormon (not a rabid TBM, but rather a typical member) might skip going, but then when the Ensign shows up and they are sitting on the terlit reading the BS, they keep thinking "man, for them to talk this much about it, there must be a lot of people leaving."

Later at his computer, or there on his SMARTPHONE (that everybody has in their pocket with internet on it) he will google the words "why are people leaving the mormon church" and then he will begin to wake up.

Should they really be doing this? Did the PR department just make a big flubup?

The purpose of testimony bearing is to give those with weak testimonies the impression they are the only who have trouble believing. So it blows that all to hell when the leaders admit there are others have trouble believing.

And one of the basic principles of corporate management is to NEVER (unless forced by a lost lawsuit) publicly admit there are problems with the product. But ChurchCo has not only admitted there are disgruntled customers, but has essentially validated the customers' complaints by publishing weasel-worded excuses for the complaints.

Exactly.

So it begs the question, "why are they doing this?". Somebody has to have run a cost benefit analysis on this and this is the best answer, but I'd like to know what the question is.

I suspect MORG HQ is terrified that more of their members are questioning everything Mormon. First and foremost is the prospect of their cash cow (the active TBM membership) drying up.

Ron Burr

It actually has the opposite effect. Many religious people feel special if they are unique and stay true to their religion despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of others are leaving. A normal Mormon is affected by this as well.

Kind of a 'reverse psychology' kind of thing huh?

Yeah, kind of. If they can feel like they are some of the few divine and chosen people who continue to endure, then they'll probably ignore doubts, facts and reason so that they can keep on feeling special about themselves.

It is a common brainwashing technique and comes straight from the Bible.

I don't know if it's a Mormon tenet, but in my old church of lunacy, we were told that in the latter days, we would be tested something fierce. The worse things got (subjectively and hyped up, of course), the more my old holier-roller-than-thou crutch tried to convince us that we were chosen for these trials and to hang in there, because these are signs of the latter days. Next stop: Paradise!

::retch::

The Internet will bring them down eventually....but they will go on and on for decades on the vast financial holdings they own. They are a really, really, really corrupt and rich corporation.

They do it out of pride thinking others still want wgat they have because they believe they are superior to the non practicing. Come to Utah and you will see their horrible " keeping up with the Jones mentality. Its sickening and thats why Utah has highest anti depression usage in USA.

Pride goeth before the fall...as the old saying goes...but not nearly soon enough for all of us...and sadly, not soon enough to protect newer members and families from financial and spiritual ruin.

Ron Burr

Remember the warning about "even the elite will be tested in the last days and many will fall", or something close to that. Well, I guess we all here on this board must be the ELITE! lol!

There was much talk in the morning session about following the prophet, through prayer, scriptures, all the basics, but that the "most important thing you can do is ATTEND the temple". In other words "PAY YOUR DANG TITHING!"

Well, duh, you can actually trace nearly every talk they give back to the money, and it has been that way for a few years now.

Attending the temple is the indirect way they push tithing now. It's like Golds Gym telling everyone they should go work out at Golds. When you get there they say, "Ummm, oh BTW you need to buy a Golds membership to get in".

They not only gave the game away by talking about doubters and apostates, but they also said more than they intended to say about how effing annoying mormon missionaries are.

The last big speech before Monson's closing statement was all about how the rest of the world should realize that it just comes naturally for mormons to proselytize and proselytize and etc. endlessly. Just like a little kid who uses too much soothing ointment when patching up his injured little brother, etc.

From this speech, one can tell that mormons know damned well that the missionaries are annoying and that they themselves are constantly crossing the line that separates polite conversation from clueless rudeness. The speech was all about: "never mind that we are rude and clueless and persistent, give us a break and love us anyway."

Oh, and by the way, no awkward irritating mormon should stop being awkwardly persistent when told "no" -- keep on keeping' on mormons. /terrible message, /terrible excuses for resembling clueless toddlers.