What Is The Biggest Threat To The Church?

[Teancum]

There are many threats, but according to prophecy all these so-called threats will utterly fail and totally backfire on the perpetrators.

But to answer the question (in consideration of the fact that I voted "none of the above") I believe the greatest threat posed against the Church is not following the counsel of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. Failure to heed their counsel -- most especially when that counsel is unpopular in the eyes of the world -- will ensnare and spiritually injure more members of the Church than any other threat. In every generation and Gospel dispensation, this has always been the greatest threat and it always will be...

 

 

Maybe the biggest threat is the LDS leaders themselves.

[Teancum]

Apologists!

 

 

Hah!

 

I can agree with that!  They make the church into their own image.

 

Terryl and Fiona Givens are at the top of this list.

[Boanerges]

Hah!

 

I can agree with that!  They make the church into their own image.

 

Terryl and Fiona Givens are at the top of this list.

Wow. I don't see them as apologists at all, to begin with, and far from being a threat to the church they, and others like Richard Bushman and Dieter F. Uchtdorf are going to be seen at the saviors of the church.

[VideoGameJunkie]

Attackers of the Mormon church always like to bring up church history, so I'd say church history.

[Rivers]

Wow. I don't see them as apologists at all, to begin with, and far from being a threat to the church they, and others like Richard Bushman and Dieter F. Uchtdorf are going to be seen at the saviors of the church.

Agreed.

[carbon dioxide]

If one believes the Church is owned and operated by Christ,and the promise that another great apostasy will not occur, there is no threat to the Church.  The Church will endure all trials and threats and remain to the very end of the earth.  Problems exist in the Church but that is to be expected.  There is no reason to believe that the church today will not experience many of the same problems that the Nephite church had.  It will go through periods of expansion.  Perhaps periods of contraction.  People will join and leave. Overall I think the Church is do very well under the circumstances.  If the earth is more wicked today than it was in Noah time and Noah could not convert anyone but we see 250,000 convert baptisms a year, that is pretty good.  Even if half of them leave that is still pretty good.  Far better than the conditions in Noah time when it was less wicked and nobody converted.  We have problems but no reason to be too discouraged.

[Calm]

"It will go through periods of expansion.  Perhaps periods of contraction.  People will join and leave. Overall I think the Church is do very well under the circumstances.  If the earth is more wicked today than it was in Noah time and Noah could not convert anyone but we see 250,000 convert baptisms a year, that is pretty good. "

 

Wasn't one of the reasons Noah could not convert anyone was because everyone who would be converted at that time joined Enoch and left?  Noah was born 4 years afterwards…by the time of the flood, those left behind who were those who refused to listen to the word of God even with the power of God evident in Enoch's abilities and the years of being able to listen to him teach and see the effect of such love in the City itself (assuming here scriptures are accurate enough in construction), all of them would be quite deep in the habit of sin most likely, in a vicious cycle.

 

Also IIRC, isn't it taught that those who did convert after the City was taken to God were also translated to live among Zion?

 

If so, that would continue to remove the righteous influence and concentrate those who separated themselves from God at that time.

 

Don't know if we will have anything comparable in our time.

[Tacenda]

The LDS organization is so much better than most out there, it's going to keep many in the church, even if they don't believe everything in it. People will go because it's the best thing going. The church has one of the best youth programs, and a built-in scouting program, and a wonderful women's organization called the "Relief Society". Then the support for addictions people may have and the beautiful temples, if you have a recommend.

 

And there's more, the church helps with needs like food for your family, or help with some bills when needed.  And you're looked after as long as everyone is doing their job (calling) because there are monthly home visits from the members of the ward like a built-in family, great for those that come from having zero family.  Then you have the spiritual reaffirming talks and lessons each week.

 

And the LDS teach obedience which helps keep you on the straight and narrow and many need that strictness in order to do what is right. And the opportunities to serve and live Christ like.  And clarity of mind because it's free from mood altering substances which cause many to make really bad choices, which the WoW can help resolve.

 

Granted its not all hunky dory in the church and there are some areas that have problems like some rules that seem to be on the verge of the Pharisee ones before Christ came and put them away.  And sometimes we worship false idols, like the temple, or our leaders, IMO.  But all in all, the church seems to be a great support for families, unless the church comes between the family and the Lord.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Tacenda

[Hamba Tuhan]

Oh you mean the ones who weren't persecuted and thrown to the lions, tortured and executed because they would not forsake their testimonies?

 

Persecutions in Rome do not explain why Paul, for example, 'marvelled' that the Saints in Galatia were 'so soon removed from him [Paul] that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel', forsaking the words of the apostles for the teachings of those who 'would pervert the gospel of Christ'. Nor do they explain why Paul would lament to Timothy 'that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me'.

 

I can think of no example in scripture where churchwide apostasy has occurred as a consequence of outside persecution.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Hamba Tuhan

[blooit]

Western Society's obsession with equality and diversity.  They are both important principles, but they have become our obsession.  These will be the greatest threats to the church and their members in the future.

[katherine the great]

Persecutions in Rome do not explain why Paul, for example, 'marvelled' that the Saints in Galatia were 'so soon removed from him [Paul] that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel', forsaking the words of the apostles for the teachings of those who 'would pervert the gospel of Christ'. Nor do they explain why Paul would lament to Timothy 'that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me'.

I can think of no example in scripture where churchwide apostasy has occurred as a consequence of outside persecution.

I didn't say the apostasy occurred because of persecution. I said that many of the early Christians were very brave and faithful people.

[Senator]

Western Society's obsession with equality and diversity.  They are both important principles, but they have become our obsession.  These will be the greatest threats to the church and their members in the future.

 

In other words the first two poll options in the OP.

[Ahab]

The Church is not and can never be threatened, regardless of how many people think it can be. Individuals in the Church may fall into apostasy and even leave the Church but the Church itself will always be the true Church of Jesus Christ.

Something that should be understood when anyone says the Church can or ever has fallen into apostasy.

[Senator]

The Church is not and can never be threatened, regardless of how many people think it can be. Individuals in the Church may fall into apostasy and even leave the Church but the Church itself will always be the true Church of Jesus Christ.

 

 

But not necessarily upon the earth.

[Mystery Meat]

Pride within its membership. Despair within the membership is probably second.

 

Agree.

 

I will go one step further and say that I think the biggest threat is ark steadying. Everyone has a crusade in the Church it seems. Ordain women, SSM, and *gasp* some people think I have to pay tithing on my gross income! The horror. What happens to these members when their ark steadying fails? When the Church does not adapt to what they want it to be?

[blooit]

In other words the first two poll options in the OP.

 

Among others... there will be other "movements" that follow.  There will be a politically correct push for polygamy, and then for "consensual incestuous relationships."  The church will oppose all of these and be ostracized and attacked for it.

[blooit]

The Church is not and can never be threatened, regardless of how many people think it can be. Individuals in the Church may fall into apostasy and even leave the Church but the Church itself will always be the true Church of Jesus Christ.

Something that should be understood when anyone says the Church can or ever has fallen into apostasy.

 

The church can be threatened, just not destroyed.  

[theplains]

One of the greatest threats is false teachings. These are potentially found in the words spoken

by LDS Presidents, General Conference talks, or books coming out of the Church's Education 

System (i.e. the Institute and Seminary teaching manuals).

 

Regards,

Jim

 

[JLHPROF]

One of the greatest threats is false teachings. These are potentially found in the words spoken

by LDS Presidents, General Conference talks, or books coming out of the Church's Education 

System (i.e. the Institute and Seminary teaching manuals).

 

Regards,

Jim

 

Well, given that possibility, the only way to know if anything is true is to pray about it.  And since people frequently receive differing answers it would be almost impossible to determine "true teachings".

[CA Steve]

A hypothetical version of the same poll written a hundred to a hundred and fifty years ago might of looked some thing like this:

 

No longer believing in a literal gathering to Zion in Missouri.

Polygamy rejected by the Church

Blacks receiving the Priesthood

Interracial Marriage

American Indians not all descendants of Lehi.

 

 

[The Nehor]

The Church is not and can never be threatened, regardless of how many people think it can be. Individuals in the Church may fall into apostasy and even leave the Church but the Church itself will always be the true Church of Jesus Christ.

Something that should be understood when anyone says the Church can or ever has fallen into apostasy.

 

Every other dispensation begs to disagree.

 

Our dispensation is special, we have a guarantee that the Church will survive to the end. Whether that is an easy survival or a battered bleeding remnant probably depends on us.

[bcuzbcuz]

Biggest threat?

That the church relies on apologists to re-make, re-mold, re-tell and re-think church history, scriptures and prophesies to fit the crisis of the day.

The church doesn´t take even a stab at a stance on any issue until the question has been put to a committee of "experts" who come up with the most plausible, provisional guestimate that will quiet disturbed souls, for awhile. Then, when the next issue rears its ugly head, the whole process begins again.

It took the church 130 years to clearly define a stance on priesthood rights, but at least that answer came from the top down. It´s time for more guidance from the top and fewer deals from the bottom of the deck.

[MormonFreeThinker]

Biggest threat?

That the church relies on apologists to re-make, re-mold, re-tell and re-think church history, scriptures and prophesies to fit the crisis of the day.

 

Most people do not care what the apologists and critics say. 

[Boanerges]

You need to pray for lost car keys more.  You might learn something.

 First, It has been many years since I misplaced my keys - I can't even remember that last time I did so because I just hang them on the hook by the door.

 

More importantly, my faith is deep and mature enough that I don't need to believe God will help me find them should I misplace them. Faith isn't about that at all, and when you learn that you will have truly learned something.

[Boanerges]

Most people do not care what the apologists and critics say. 

 True - I gave up on apologists years ago. Too much spin, it made me dizzy.