tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15264500.post112898023747897195..comments2023-07-11T05:13:06.461-06:00Comments on Morehead's Musings: Utah Mormon Population Decline and Secularization: Disenchantment or Re-Enchantment?John W. Moreheadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262542253787543738noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15264500.post-1129392156018444852005-10-15T10:02:00.000-06:002005-10-15T10:02:00.000-06:00Ineresting to read how the influence of history an...Ineresting to read how the influence of history and theology has affected the LDS cultural dynamic, perhaps leading to a new tipping point. How does this data, i.e. the shrinking of LDS population in Utah, fit in with the decade-long population trends in emigration to more affordable western states? I would be curious to see how the numbers fit with another LDS enclave, such as Idaho, where the influx of, say Californians, has been marked.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15264500.post-1129013948171479142005-10-11T00:59:00.000-06:002005-10-11T00:59:00.000-06:00There are probably some other elements that should...There are probably some other elements that should be identified in the equation that accounts for the decline of the LDS in Utah. <BR/><BR/>The internal dynamics of the LDS culture plays a great part in sustaining its constituency within Utah. In Utah you have the interesting factor of the LDS carving out the original settler/pioneer culture, and placing its definitive stamp on the territory during the 19th century. <BR/><BR/>The millennial impulse of its early missions was a key factor in shaping expectations about the fledgling culture too. <BR/><BR/>The mission was anchored on the in-gathering of the Saints to Zion, hence the emigration of converts from different parts of Europe and the eastern states of America. So the intensity of the in-gathering was linked to expectations of the Prophet's guidance, and the imminence of the Christ's return to America.<BR/><BR/>However by 1910 that urgent need for the Saints to inhabit Zion had slowed down, as millennial thinking also underwent modification in the LDS church. The need to increase the Saints in Utah eventually tapered off, and we have yet to see a presidential call for the "revival" of the earlier millennial impulses. You could also link this to the polygamy controversies from the 1870s-1890s, and Utah's final acceptance as a state in the Union.<BR/><BR/>A long standing factor must surely be the patriarchal gerontocracy -- older males who hold the offices of Prophet, 12 Apostles, the 70 etc, with a very predictable line of succession to the presidency. The difficulty for the ruling patriarchy is keeping pace with the wider cultural change of society.<BR/><BR/>Social mobility contributes to social changes even in a patriarchal context. The fact that the young LDS participate in overseas missions -- they see first hand how others live -- is something that each missionary has to process internally upon returning home. The mobility of the work force, with LDS entrpreneurs, those who find employment in the travel industry, language translators, information technology and so forth -- all these are contributing elements. Personal expectations may be at variance with official goals for the Church and its culture.<BR/><BR/>The LDS community also experiences some diversity of opinion, so it is evident that not all LDS folk adhere to the official "line". <BR/><BR/>The fact that dissenting publications exist, is a small and interesting sign that heterogeneity is part of the real culture rather than the image of complete homogeneity, unity and conformity of thought.<BR/><BR/>There is the theological concomitant that striving for perfection must contain within it the seeds of its own cultural fracturing. That one does not find the "cargo" of perfection delivered in this life, stands in tension with the ideal of being a perfect priest. Surely, for those who struggle to hold these tensions in balance, disenchantment must set in.<BR/><BR/>I suspect that even the ideals of self-sufficiency must be difficult for some LDS folk. If the crushing realities of debt vs low income emerge, it would be a constant struggle to attain self-sufficiency. And given that Utah has been very susceptible to fnancial scams, those who have been stung deeply by financial loss would find it challenging to sustain a happy commitment to the Church.<BR/><BR/>All these things cumulatively remind us that no culture is ever static, and unless totalitarianism prevails to censor outside thought, exposure to other ideas and practices, and the impingement of other cultures on Utah, all play a part in the streams of cultural maintenance and cultural change.philjohnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06351025982828679289noreply@blogger.com