I have been cognizant of "issues" within my official church for some time now. I stumbled a bit over the years, coming to grips with some points, either in history, doctrine, or something else. I see friends and acquaintances stumble and sometimes leave. At this point I want to publicly say I cannot blame them (even though internally, sometimes I find it hard to not blame them). These issues are real and often I find them valid for excuses a person gives for giving up on the church they love or loved. I try and stay on top of the issues and I am always reading to further my knowledge of my own church and the topics that make it unique.
What I wanted to mention today is how unimpressed I am with "objective" websites that try and provide expositions or truth about my church. They provide in-depth background and details about what they think are valid issues. They make many of these things look as if my church is lying outright. All of the issues they bring up are made to look like dealbreakers in their mind and anyone's mind who is a normal, thinking person. To them I want to say I am completely unimpressed. For awhile I thought maybe I should eat humble pie and concede the fact that I don't know everything, least of all everything about my church. After reading a couple prominent websites and reading a couple popular books that are "exposing" truths about my church, I walked away wondering if I missed a hotlink or an entire chapter. "That's it?" "Am I reading about MY church?" These truther-bearers, so-to-speak, are nearly as unprogressive (seemingly) as the church they are railing against.
In reality, I must confess something. I have sort of been pushed into liberalism because of the things I have read and the truths I have come across. I am unimpressed with these expositions being put forth because in my liberal worldview, very little of these things give me conflict. I view my church as a church run by mortals, trying to balance beauracracy and corporatism with revelation, priesthood and restorationism. It isn't exactly easy also when you are in a new age of history and some of the older generation of Apostles are around, running things the old way. These websites also talk of a sort of crisis with membership who won't stand for these truths that are so easily accessible on the internet. They speak of a 3-part plan the church has to combat a sort of exodus of members leaving the church. They then speak of it in an attitude of teaching people to not be swayed by the conman who is pushing this 3-part plan of missionary work, so-to-speak.
Unimpressed. These people are no better, maybe worse than those within my church who claim the "true history" is damaging. These people are touting objectivism when in reality their purpose is as anti as those who don't try to hide it. You need to step up your game if you want to be viewed as intellectual and neutral. You (mormonthink) should probably completely start over, as a matter of fact.
websites I am unimpressed with: www.mormonthink.com, www.exmormon.org, www.exmormonfoundation.org, www.lifeaftermormonism.net and www.exmormonscholarstestify.org
