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One member is examining the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective view .1 Mormonism sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism.
So glad you could be with us for this additional viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM we continue looking at a book that came out in the spring of 2019, published by Oxford University press titled button next to Mormons how millennial's are changing the LDS church. It was written by Jana Reese, a very popular Mormon blogger and she put out a survey called the next Mormons survey.
She refers to it throughout the book as to simply and am S, but there are a number of shocking, very surprising statistics when it comes to seeing the various age groups within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and how those individuals think when it comes to what most of us looking from the outside and would think would be very basic beliefs that all Mormons should share. We been going through her chart that she has where she breaks down three different groups boomers Gen X and millennial's millennial's, of course, being the youngest she doesn't deal at all with GNC would be even younger than that. But what I think is interesting Eric about when it comes to millennial's, as many of the Mormon missionaries that we see on the streets are in this age group. Although it the GNC group is starting to take that over but it's still very telling how these millennial's are thinking in regards to what has basically been the fundamental teachings of the LDS church. Now I want to go back very quickly to one of the categories and I think this quotation from the doctrine and covenants becomes very important and that had to do with whether or not the LDS first presidency are prophets today. I was a bit surprised that only 53% of those surveyed within the millennial category believed that the LDS first presidency are prophets today that would tend to tell me that if they don't take their position seriously. They probably are not going to take their statements very seriously. How can a faithful millennial be quote unquote faithful if they don't listen to what the leaders are saying. Let me show you what I mean by that, in section 1 of the doctrine and covenants in verse 14 it says in the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in the day, that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles shall be cut off from among the people shall be cut off from among the people. So it would appear to me that when it comes to the topic of the LDS first presidency, being prophets today when you have 53% of millennial's agreeing to that statement. It sounds like you have quite a few who certainly do not agree with that position. Listen to what 16th Pres. Thomas S. Monson said in the enzyme magazine January 2015, page 5. This is the official magazine of the church. If you want to see the light of heaven. If you want to feel the inspiration of Almighty God. If you want to have that feeling within your bosom that your heavenly father is guiding you then follow the prophets of God when you follow the prophets you will be in safe territory.
But what's fascinating with the statistics in this book is 67% of the boomers that would be your age group.
My age group, only 67% believe that the first presidency are prophets today. It would seem to me like the Mormon church has a loyalty problem within its midst.
Even though I would say that many of these people would not vocalize their distrust or even disbelief in the positions that their leaders hold, but it sounds to me like the Mormon church could be facing a spiritual insurrection if you will. As the years go by, because a lot of these younger ones as they grow up, they're going to start taking over leadership positions in the church. Do you think maybe a lot of the leaders that are currently downtown and church headquarters that they might be fearing what tomorrow may bring out course they're probably going to be dead by the time all this happens but it certainly seems to show me that the Mormon church of today is not going to be the Mormon church down the road.
Let's take a look at some of the other teachings and categories that she takes surveys on number one. Today LDS church is the only true church. That's a no-brainer bill everybody.
I do believe that if your member of the church. This is the one true church.
Joseph Smith restored the gospel truth. And yet when you look at this fascinating only 56% of boomers. These are the older Latter Day Saints. These are people in their 50s and 60s who say that that is a true statement and then only half of the Gen X and millennial's 49% of the Gen X 48% of the millennial's actually believe that to be true. That surprises me because it doesn't seem to reflect the responses that I've personally received from Mormons on the street now. It could be bravado on their part, because they are talking to an individual such as myself who does not believe in the truth claims of their church and maybe they're just showing that their loyalty with their families believe. Perhaps. But to say this in a private survey knowing as I said before, no one is looking over their shoulder. I think they're probably being more honest, I was surprised 49% of Gen X and only 48% of millennial's believe the LDS church is the only true church on earth that tells me that a lot of these individuals not only do they not really believe that the first presidency and their apostles are true apostles and prophets of the church, but they don't even believe their own Scripture because words that come from the LDS church is the only true church it comes right out of section 1 verse 30 in the doctrine and covenants and also those to whom these commandments were given might have power to lay the foundation of this church and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth with which I the Lord am well pleased.
Sounds pretty clear from section 1 verse 30 in the doctrine and covenants that if you're a faithful latter-day St. you should be believing that the LDS church is the only true church but less than 50% of Gen X members and 48% of millennial's believe that to be true. That certainly Make the leaders happy at all. Along with the other statistics we've been talking about these past few days. Listen to what second counselor of the first presidency, Henry B. Eyring said at a Gen. conference. This is found in the enzyme magazine May 2008, page 20 in a talk that he gave called the true and living church, she said this is the true church, the only true church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and the seal in heaven as he did in the time of the apostle Peter and Bill. He capitalizes church.
All three times that he uses that word while he's right. The Latter Day Saints is a member of any other church he can get baptized.
He can't go through the temple. He can't do any of that.
You have to be a member of the one true church. Otherwise, why did we need the restoration. Not only do you have to be a member of the Eric you have to be a faithful member because they ask you questions in the interview of your ecclesiastical leaders, whether you even get a temple recommend to go into the temple, you have to answer these questions in a certain manner, and if you don't, it's a pretty good bet that you're not going to get that recommend here's another statement that was asked ceiling ordinances are the only way for families to be eternal and that of course is talking about what goes on in the temple temple marriage and also ceilings that take place 56% of the boomers would believe that to be true. 49% of both the Gen X and millennial's almost identical to the previous question. We just looked at so again just about half feel that they have to go through those ordinances in the temple for the families to be eternal. Bill could that possibly be the reason why.
Maybe 1/4 of all Latter Day Saints even have temple recommends to be able to even go into the temple could very well be a reason for those numbers being so low, but I would say that seems to also show a lack of faith in Joseph Smith word of these ordinances come from.
He was the one that came out and propounded on their importance that you better be sealed to your family for time and eternity in the temple.
Now I know celestial marriage had a different definition while Joseph Smith was alive because it pertain more to plural marriage, but certainly section 132 in the doctrine and covenants when it speaks of celestial marriage to modern Mormons refers to being sealed to your spouse for eternity and that can only be done in a Mormon Temple and you have less than half of your Gen X members and your millennial members, believing that it makes you wonder how many are even going to find it worthy enough of their time to go to the temple to begin with. To be married for time and it turned out they may go through it. Just because they want to satisfy their spouse or perhaps their family, but it would appear to me that there would be a lot of faith involved in them going through those motions.
Finally, we have this priesthood Temple ban on African dissent was inspired by God. This one is very low, less than half of all Mormons think that the priesthood band that was made in the 19th century should have ever been made 44% of the boomers only 30% of Gen X and this is interesting is the only time we see that the millennial's have a higher faith ratio. 37%. So 30% for the Gen X and 37% for the millennial sets only one out of three Mormons who would think that that was originally intended by God. Now I'm not totally surprised that the younger ones would have a problem with this because you take the millennial's, for instance, another there born after the 1978 decree came out allowing all those were the male members regardless of their ancestry to hold the priesthood so all they've ever known are those lame excuses that a lot of the Mormon church spokesmen have given them since that time will we don't know why. Blacks were not allowed to hold the priesthood. But the boomers were born before 1978 and they were adults before 1978 so they no doubt heard some of those reasons why the band was put on those of African descent and yet only 44% who answered the survey said that they believe that that was inspired by God while what the gospel topics essay did on this issue is, they through Brigham Young under the bus and blamed him for the doctrine without even talking about all the following leaders all the way through the 1960s who also defended the idea that black should not be allowed to hold the priesthood. So how many of these people, less than half are just say what was just Brigham Young's opinion and put it on their shelf that I don't think that's possible to do because this was a doctrine of the church. Otherwise, why would you need a revelation, overturn it in boomers lived at least in the earlier years they lived during the reigns of guys like Joseph Fielding Smith the 10th president of the church was very outspoken on the subject and in fact when David O. McKay was president of the church, a first presidency statement came out with the reasons why Blacks were banned from holding the priesthood.
That's why I'm kind of shocked at only 44% of the boomers tend to agree that this was something that was inspired by God but it doesn't surprise me at all that the Gen Xers in the millennial's within the LDS church would be a much lower level.
But I agree with you. It is surprising that you have only 30% of the Gen Xers believing that this was inspired of God, but seven points higher would be the millennial's, who believed that it was not inspired of God more of the millennial's believe that it was inspired by God, thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you'll join us again as we look at another viewpoint is