Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Michigan

The Church has renamed Mormon Channel. They have renamed Mormon library. Basically every social media account The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has has been named away from using "Mormon" or "Latter-day Saint". True, the decions to rename the Choir to The Choir at Temple Square, while the 2001 changes had clearly exempted the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and then been walked back with the 2002 launch of Mormon.org and later with the advent of the "I'm a Mormon" campaign was a big issue. It still goes back to President Nelson's emphasis that we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints need to be the onen to lead out in the new langauge. As I mentioned in my last post, I have yet to see much evidence that this is occuring. There are those I have heard speak of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The full name of the Church is clearly being put in place, but the media still in general resist...

If I had to say what was the most widely covered in the general media change done to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under President Russell M. Nelson I would have to say it is the reemphasis of the name of the Church. The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ that is at the heart of the Church has too often by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints been abbreviated into "Mormonism". In fact the whole edifice of Mormon Studies has troubling failures to engage with the faith content of the Restored Gospel, and often failings to seriously engage the teachings of the Book of Mormon. Even Brigham Young Universitiy's Neal A. Maxwell Institute does not focus on the study of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as such. This is partly because of trying to figure out how to dance in both academic and faith circles. I clearly see the validity of disagreements by people such as Dan Peterson with the current course of the Neal A. Maxwell institute. ...

This time I promise to actually provide the promised article instead of talk of Akwa Ibom and Benin City. The Church may seem to the quick observer to be run by bishoprcis and branch presidencies and a level up by stake presidencies. While these groups have a role, they are not the only group and maybe not even the main group. I remember a talk when I was about 10 that explained who ran the church at a functional local level. The talk is outdated, but why is key to Monsonian and Nelsonian reforms. The former of course were in some part incluenced by President Nelson since he was a member of the 12 during all the time President Monson was President of the Church. In fact President Nelson was a member of the 12 the whole time President Monson was in the first presidency and then some time. So in about 1989 I was told the church at the local level was largely moved forward by the weekly meetings of the Priesthood Executive Council. This was in many ways true at the time, although in...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a unique organization. For those of us who believe in its divine origin this is felt to be a result of the fact that it is actually lead by Jesus Christ. The method of succession that involves no campaigning or jockeying for influence may be unliked by religion reports who thrive on conflict, but it works to help the work move forward more effectively. The fact of the matter is that the nature of how the Church is run is sometimes not understood much by members of the Church. This is because it is a highly hierarchical structure, that at the same time puts lots of autonomy and direction at a very local level. Decisions to admit people in the Church are largely under the direction of the mission president and administered by missionaries themselves, usually the district or zone leader approving the actions of individual missionaries, but with mission president or mission president counselor approval needed in some special cases....

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the central decisions of the Church are made, with the guidance and inspiration of Jesus Christ, by the First Presidency. The President of the Church cannot in most cases act unilaterally. Joseph Smith who set the Church up initially by revelation that directed him, later established the councils that would run the Church, counsels that make direction not just from one man. Most decesions on the course of the Church are made by the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 together. While many decisions on such subjects as granting permission to be sealed in the temple again to men who have been divorced are done by the First Presidency, heavily rellying on the fact finding done by the bishops and stake presidents of the people involved, most policy decisions on the course of the Church are done by the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12 together. Some would wisely argue that this staement overemphasizes policy in the course of the...