After tremendous growth, Mormonism faces a diverse future

Posted on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 : 3 p.m.

After tremendous growth, Mormonism faces a diverse future

By Pam Stout

Design by Flickr user vaXzine

Mormonism, one of the world's fastest growing religions, is the topic of Patheos.com's Future of Religion series this week. This faith tradition, recently profiled on AnnArbor.com, faces the challenge of continuing to grow while maintaining its central authority and emphasis on strong communities.

Michael Otterson, managing director of Public Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, addresses the need to change the public perception of Mormons, who have become "the fourth largest church in the U.S." He notes that "nothing in the future is more important in helping the public break through remaining misconceptions about Mormons ... than the lives and examples of individual Latter-day Saints."

Other essays speak to the rising diversity in the Mormon community at large, including political differences, racial and ethnic diversity and partnerships with other faith traditions.

Tresa Edmunds, blogger at FeministMormonHousewives.org, describes a "Mormon feminist renaissance" despite excommunications of prominent Mormon feminists just 10 years ago. Supported by a vibrant Internet community, she says, "a new generation is refusing to accept things the way they are, while an older generation is educating and speaking out with renewed fervor."

Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray, authors of books about African-American Latter-day Saints, discuss the "colorful LDS future" and the impact of racial diversity on the Mormon church. They emphasize the need to recognize the involvement of African-Americans in the church's history and hope for a future when "the leadership will reflect the global nature of the church."

Find all 20 essays about The Future of Mormonism at Patheos.com.

Comments

Grant

Tue, Aug 17, 2010 : 5:12 p.m.

Totally stolen idea from the Church of Scientology several years ago. Go to YouTube and copy/paste the following title. See for yourself! Meet a Scientologist: Kenton, Race Car Driver: Scientology Video