Church to allow baptisms, blessings for children of LGBT parents, updates handbook regarding 'apostasy'

[jfro18]

They think we are a bunch of suckers.

And they're right.

Look at the response to every time they imply something is revelation whether it's ministering, 2 hour church, the name change, or this.

Look at the way people go to fill up football stadiums to give Nelson a messianic welcome.

We're not *all* suckers, but the overwhelming majority of the church is because the only alternative is to take a step back and say "what the hell is going on here?"

And if this doesn't make people look at how ridiculous it all is, what will?

[Mormorrisey]

I thought this was hilarious when I sat down to breakfast at a local eatery - one of the newspapers here in the Great White North had a four paragraph story about the update. Here was the headline:

"Mormons Change Their Minds."

Not only was that brilliantly succinct, and pretty much what happened here, but a victory for Satan to boot. Nearly spit out my orange juice.

[RubinHighlander]

The deseret news article and comments is fascinating to read. Especially this part where they point out prior screwups to justify this one:

Some church policies have changed quickly. For example, the church dropped Jesus Christ from its name in 1834, then restored it in 1838. Church leaders also changed the length of missions for men from 24 months to 18 months in April 1982. The First Presidency reinstituted 24-month missions in November 1984.

To quote brother Jake: "So you see, it's no big deal!"

Too bad they used that example instead of Elohim's missing penis in the facsimile! If we are going to start pulling policy change examples out of the closet, let's start and thread and list them all out!

[Hagoth]

They think we are a bunch of suckers.

And they're right.

Look at the response to every time they imply something is revelation whether it's ministering, 2 hour church, the name change, or this.

Look at the way people go to fill up football stadiums to give Nelson a messianic welcome.

We're not *all* suckers, but the overwhelming majority of the church is because the only alternative is to take a step back and say "what the hell is going on here?"

And if this doesn't make people look at how ridiculous it all is, what will?

You know how Donald Trump said he could gun someone down on 5th Avenue and they would love him and vote for him anyway? It's like that.

[moksha]

1) Either Russel Nelson lied about the November '15 revelation...

The November 2015 policy decision came about because some of the Brethren were hopping mad about the Supreme Court giving the okay to same-sex marriage. They wanted vengeance and the policy was one of the ways they sought to get it. I imagine a number of those present for the policy decision were surprised when Elder Nelson announced it was a revelation. I suspect Elder Nelson (along with Elder Oaks) was looking toward making the policy decision irrevocable by adding that bit about it being a revelation.

Lie sound harsh. Let's call it a prevarication.

[Fifi de la Vergne]

There's a lot of astute speculation about what prompted this . . . I'd REALLY like to know the actual reasoning and discussions that led to yesterday's announcement. I wonder if we ever will.

[AllieOop]

Article on CNN:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/05/us/mormo ... index.html

Claiming to speak for God is a tricky business -- especially when God changes his mind, often, on hot-button political issues after receiving immense public backlash.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, is facing the challenge of explaining why God seems to have dramatically flip-flopped on his stance regarding the inclusion of LGBT families.
In 2016, Russell Nelson, the current prophet and president of the Mormon church, declared that God had personally revealed to senior church leaders that they should ban children of LGBT parents from baptism, an ordinance essential for salvation, according to Mormon doctrine.
This policy change was met with widespread public backlash, with 1,500 Mormons renouncing their church membership in a publicized protest. Since then, many -- including Ellen DeGeneres -- have argued that there is an apparent correlation between the policy change and rising youth suicide rates in Utah.
Just 3½ years later, Nelson announced Thursday that after "fervent, united prayer to understand the will of the Lord," the church is reversing the policy. The church also announced that married gay Mormons would no longer be treated as "apostates" within the church.

[jfro18]

You know how Donald Trump said he could gun someone down on 5th Avenue and they would love him and vote for him anyway? It's like that.

The similarities between Trump and his supporters and the church and its members is so eerily close it's scary.

[wtfluff]

Wait...

Does this mean I have to stop referring to LD$-Inc. as Even the Westboro ChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints?

[BlackMormon]

The church has to update its policies in order to avoid lawsuits on the basis of discriminatory practices. All this while fundamental doctrines remain the same. Nobody can sue based on doctrine (freedom of religious beliefs) but people can SUE big time on the basis of practice and policies. I don't know why some of my friends are in shock about so many changes in the last few years. It's so simple: "IN ORDER TO AVOID LITIGATION and FINANCIAL LOSSES"
This has nothing to do with revelation. They haven't had a revelation since 1910 if not before. The Heavens have been shut for over 175 years.

[wtfluff]

Saw my favorite comparison of the LD$-Inc. POX dumpster fire this morning:

An arsonist doesn't get credit for putting out fires that they started.

[AdmiralHoldo]

2015 God: sneak this policy into the top secret handbook and hope nobody notices

2019 God: announce this policy on the front page of the church website

Interesting.