892: Mormon Stories Live! Celebrating Greg Prince Pt. 1
Mar 28, 2018
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Guest Greg Prince, author of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, discusses contemporary Mormonism and suggested improvements. Topics covered include Mormon churches' responses to homosexuality, the punishment of change instigators in institutions, treatment of authors, the worthiness of the LDS Church and its leadership, opportunities and challenges for change in the Church, doubt and decline, and faith journeys and finding truth.
Grassroots movements play a vital role in promoting change within the church.
The church faces challenges with retaining youth and addressing the impact of the internet.
Developing engaging curriculum and presenting history critically are crucial to prevent the youth from finding their church experience boring.
Deep dives
Importance of grassroots movements
The speaker emphasizes the importance of grassroots movements in promoting change within the church. They highlight that many significant changes in the past have come from the initiative of individuals at the grassroots level.
Challenges faced by the church
The speaker discusses the challenges faced by the church, particularly in relation to the youth. They mention the high attrition rate of return missionaries and the difficulty of retaining new converts. Additionally, they note that the internet has posed challenges to the church, and there has been a slow response in addressing these challenges.
Need for engaging curriculum and history
The speaker emphasizes the need for the church to develop engaging curriculum and present its history and theology in a way that stands up to critical scrutiny. They highlight the importance of rekindling enthusiasm among church members, particularly among the youth, to prevent them from finding their church experience boring.
The need for leadership introspection
The podcast explores the notion that Mormon leaders often lack introspection due to limited time and unfamiliarity with certain aspects of Mormon history and theology. The lack of time and opportunity to delve deeply into the subject matter can prevent leaders from gaining a comprehensive understanding of certain issues. An example cited in the podcast is a conversation between author Bob Bennett and Harold B. Lee, in which Lee expressed surprise and emphasized that Mormon leaders are fallible mortals who work with the tools they have. The McCabe biography is highlighted as a source of understanding for these complexities.
The call for more visionary and courageous leaders
The podcast discusses the desire for modern Mormon apostles to demonstrate visionary and courageous leadership, akin to historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Jesus, Einstein, and Darwin. The lack of such leaders in contemporary times is pondered upon, and the podcast explores examples of potential visionary figures like Dieter Uchtdorf. It touches on Uchtdorf's brief association with the White House, hinting at the idea that associations with influential spheres could have positive effects on the perception of the Church. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for Mormon leaders to create an impact that resonates beyond the boundaries of Mormonism.
These Mormon Stories episodes include our interactive Q&A with Dr. Greg Prince held at the Salt Lake City Community of Christ on March 17, 2018.
Gregory A. Prince earned his graduate degrees in dentistry (DDS) and pathology (PhD) at UCLA. He then pursued a four-decade career in pediatric infectious disease research. His love of history led him to write three books, including the award-winning David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Most recently, he has published Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History. Greg also has a new book that he is working on called “Intended Actions, Unintended Consequences: The Mormon Church’s responses to Homosexuality.”
We hope you enjoy these episodes as we celebrate Greg’s contributions to Mormon history!
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Part 1: Greg and John discuss contemporary Mormonism, including suggested improvements
Part 2: Greg fields questions from our live audience
Part 3: To end the evening, John asks Greg some final questions about truth claims of the Mormon Church
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