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Is Mormonism Changing?

"Those who observe us say that we are moving into the mainstream of religion. We are not changing. The world's perception of us is changing. We teach the same doctrine." (Ensign, November 2001, p.5)

• Church stopped the Book Of Mormon Television adds, and replaced them with adds offering the King James Version of the Bible. No more mention of the Book of Mormon is made in these adds. Now they show just a picture of the King James Bible and say that it is a "Free gift when you call this toll free number..." This way, True Christians will be TRICKED into calling their number and the Mormon Missionaries then begin the process of trying to convert.


• Church changed all the quotes in the Brigham Young lesson manual from "wives" to "wife"


• Church-wide Joseph F. Smith lesson manual removes all mention of this prophet's many plural wives and divorces


• Church changing some (but not all yet) references to the "Cumorah Pageant" to "Palmyra Pageant"


• Church quietly removed term "White and Delightsome" from Book of Mormon


• Church removed strange words from temple endowment like "Barak Ale," "Pay Lay Ale," "Beelzebub," etc..


• Church's other extensive April 1990 changes to the temple endowment ceremony to make it more politically correct by removing the blood death oaths, five points of fellowship, and the Protestant preacher in the pay of "Beelzebub" (Satan).


• Church dropped the "Lamanite Generation" name at BYU and renamed it "Living Legends"


• Church morphed the FARMS organization into some broad ancient scripture thing that does not directly involve the Book of Mormon.


• Church changed the name of the "Mormonads" in the New Era to "New Era Posters." These are those photos with "inspirational" sayings appropriate for cutting out and using for a constant reminder of someone else's ideas of appropriate behavior.


• All Church letterhead, news releases and announcements changed to always refer to the church as "The Church of Jesus Christ."


• Church's recent world-wide announcement that insists the media never refer to the church as the "Mormon Church."


• Hinckley's public denials of long-held controversial mormon beliefs that God was once a man and that polygamy was not doctrine (When did Hinckley deny that polygamy was a doctrine? September 8, 1998 on an episode of "Larry King Live.")


• World-wide the church is undertaking the enormous task of removing the original contemporary steeples from all of their churches and replacing them with Christian-looking steeples that cost "between $15,000 to $28,000 each." Even the church admits this is for cosmetic reasons.


• Talks by Church President Hinckley avoid mention of Joseph Smith. As one example, on June 24, 2001, Hinckley spoke to the members in San Antonio, TX and elaborated on a belief in the restoration, but did not refer to Joseph Smith a single time. In the same talk, he did not include a testimony in Joseph Smith among the list of things that make you worthy to go the temple. He listed every other requirement mentioned in the worthiness interview, but skipped over all references to Joseph Smith.


• Church proclamation "The Living Christ:-Testimony of Apostles" avoids references from Mormon scripture. All scriptural quotes are from the Bible or carefully selected copies of Bible verses from phrases in the D&C.; The proclamation fails to use any references from the Book of Mormon, the Church's "Other Testament of Jesus Christ."


• Last year the church spent millions on a new temple guest building next to the Salt Lake Temple. The main purpose of the new building is to serve as a waiting area for wedding guests not allowed in the temple, which includes all non-members and less-active members. While missing the wedding, unworthy guests now wait in the new plush building and view pictures, magazines and videos explaining the importance of temples. The Church hopes the new facility makes unworthy guests feel more a part of the temple experience and less bitter about not being able to participate in the ceremony.


• The Church is completely remodeling the two visitor centers on temple square, removing all the Book of Mormon exhibits and replacing them with theaters to show church films about the family. The South visitor center has already been redone. Gone are the "talking head" Book of Mormon theaters, fake golden plates exhibit, temple baptistry font and mormon persecution exhibits. The North visitor center is currently under re-construction, with everything but the big Chritus statue being changed. In place of the First Vision theater there will be an exhibit on Christ's Jerusalem ministry - a first for the Church.


• Monson started a televised Church devotional in the tabernacle recently by taking the pulpit and saying "Let us Pray" before bowing his head. This mainstream Christian phrase to begin a church service is new to Mormon culture.


• Quote from the LDS Church website regarding the Nauvoo Temple dedication: "Upon arriving at the open house, you first will view an exhibit that provides an overview of temples and helps explain how the activities and worship within them are centered on Jesus Christ."


• "The Holy Ghost" rebranded as Holy Spirit, Free Agency rebranded as Moral Agency


• One big change was the church's enlarging the words Jesus Christ on its logo/letterhead and other signs (I think this change was made in the late 1980s) and also it's hiring of a non-LDS PR firm just after Hinckley made his very first appearance on national U.S. television with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes.


• Having a non-Mormon speak in the Tabernacle (I think they did this just recently) in SLC.


• Getting involved with interfaith groups (I don't recall the name but in the late 1980s, they began attending and participating in the World Council of Churches and selected Interfaith group meetings)


• Baptisim For The Dead...now referred to as Baptisim By Proxy


• Look at the evolution of garments. Ankle length one piecers to the current model that looks like boxer briefs. New women's tops look like normal t-shirts (nearly normal anyway). Military G's.....in a few years, I'm sure they'll announce the thong garment.