Radio Free Mormon: 238: General Conference Post Mortem–April 2022–Saturday Morning Session

Oaks, Holland….both are equally pathetic. Both have the same beliefs and thoughts. I’ve met both in person. I was not impressed with either.

The messaging of church officials is most curious and RFM has managed to highlight a number of contradictions.

First and foremost, church officials say the strength of the church is its members and their faith in Christ, which is true. Yet in their talks the church officials never fail to praise each other, and to especially lavish honors on the church president. Not only is this self-praise unseemly for self-identified Christians, but it begs the question of why?

Maybe the answer is this: If the paid ministry of TOJCLDS, all resigned and the entire church was run as a part-time, volunteer effort, would the church suffer? Would the church program stop?

Sure, less buildings might get built and less PR statements might get published. But the church the members know would continue to function. In the famous words of the “Bob’s” from the movie Office Space, the question to be asked of the church officials is “What do you do?”

For decades now, General Conference has devolved into nothing more than a tradition. It is a semiannual ritual where active members get a weekend off from church and this is justified by allocating hours to watch in real-time church officials give mostly bland messages of feel-good sophisms. When a critical message is given it is either a denouncement of a specific matter the church already opposes (ie opposition to pornography, abortion, abuse) or vague mentions of the evils attendant to worldliness. Yes, the world contains much wickedness, shouldn’t inspired leaders be able to identify specific evils that threaten the peace and freedom of church membership? No, by being vague every member is allowed the freedom to affirm their idea of good and evil.

And what never happens anymore? A presentation by church officials on church investments that will support the membership and attract new members. Maybe these things are happening. Wouldn’t it be nice if the members were fully informed? It is our tithing money (well the Lord’s) and it is our church (well the Lord’s).

I understand church officials are involved in a lot of activities. At a general conference of the entire church, shouldn’t we be getting reports on these activities? Is this not happening because the activities are unimportant? Or is it because the church officials don’t want to draw attention to how they actually spend their time and the church’s money?