{"id":4890,"date":"2012-02-02T09:39:31","date_gmt":"2012-02-02T15:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/?p=4890"},"modified":"2015-03-13T16:52:47","modified_gmt":"2015-03-13T21:52:47","slug":"rough-waters-ahead-for-mormonism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/2012\/02\/02\/rough-waters-ahead-for-mormonism\/","title":{"rendered":"Rough Waters Ahead for Mormonism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The LDS Church's Mormon Temple in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, is seen January 27, 2012. REUTERS\/Jim Urquhart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sects that keep secrets \u2014 think Scientology \u2014 have a tough time in the Internet Age. That seems to be happening in the LDS Church, where some studies show that young people are leaving in droves, upon learning of the\u00a0idiosyncrasies\u00a0of Joseph Smith, along with other oddities:<\/p>\n

A religious studies class late last year at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, was unusual for two reasons. The small group of students, faculty and faithful there to hear Mormon Elder Marlin Jensen were openly troubled about the future of their church, asking hard questions. And Jensen was uncharacteristically frank in acknowledging their concerns.<\/p>\n

Did the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints<\/a> know that members are \u201cleaving in droves?\u201d a woman asked. \u201cWe are aware,\u201d said Jensen, according to a tape recording of his unscripted remarks. \u201cAnd I\u2019m speaking of the 15 men that are above me in the hierarchy of the church. They really do know and they really care,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy own daughter,\u201d he then added, \u201chas come to me and said, \u2018Dad, why didn\u2019t you ever tell me that Joseph Smith was a polygamist?\u2019\u201d For the younger generation, Jensen acknowledged, \u201cEverything\u2019s out there for them to consume if they want to Google it.\u201d The manuals used to teach the young church doctrine, meanwhile, are \u201cseverely outdated.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are tumultuous times for the faith founded by Joseph Smith in 1830, and the rumbling began even before church member Mitt Romney\u2019s presidential bid put the Latter-Day Saints in the spotlight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

READ THE REST:\u00a0Special report \u2013 Mormonism besieged by the modern age | FaithWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Sects that keep secrets \u2014 think Scientology \u2014 have a tough time in the Internet Age. That seems to be happening in the LDS Church, where some studies show that young people are leaving in droves, upon learning of the\u00a0idiosyncrasies\u00a0of Joseph Smith, along with other oddities: A religious studies class late last year at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity-in-america"],"yoast_head":"\nRough Waters Ahead for Mormonism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"  Sects that keep secrets -- think Scientology -- have a tough time in the Internet Age. 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