I find more evidence that demographic change in Utah and the Intermountain West is eroding aspects of the Mormon subculture that have heretofore restrained less-committed church members from severing ties with the faith. I find limited evidence for the notion that information technology is a catalyst for defection - an explanation advanced by ex- and anti-Mormon activists (hereafter called “activists”) and journalists in Utah. ![]() I find limited support for the theory that encountering information critical of the church on the internet is a catalyst for defection. Why cozy up to him so much?ĭata suggest that changing demographics in Utah have diluted the state’s religious subculture, making it easier for less-committed Mormons to leave. His stuff is closer to Heartlander style anti-intellectual than FairMormon style. So, my question is why was Callister invited to FairMormon? Why does FairMormon promote his work by sharing on social media, doing podcast interview, etc? Why does Kirk Magleby give glowing endorsement in his FairMormon presentation? I think most LDS Defenders would agree, at least the well-informed people that are in the trenches of the current BOM historicity debates. It's thus ultimately counterproductive (IMO) for apologetics to say things like that. While it might be what listeners want to be true, the evidence just isn't there to make that bold a claim. (Say deer/elk that's semi-domesticated and traded "horses" as spirit animals in battle rather than ridden, etc.) Even with semantic drift for various animals and crops we have to explain how it lines up which is slightly less persuasive. Then there are the ones like horses that can be explained by semantic drift, which makes a lot of sense, but which aren't obvious to people who've not investigated it. I think there are answers although I think we should be forthright that for some (metals in the right time and place) we have no evidence. Yeah that's not very helpful when apologists have discussed for quite a while the problematic (i.e. ![]() ![]() I'm a bit surprised Brother Callister is still making this claim but I guess he doesn't spend much time on the internet. This is comforting for members to hear but it couldn't be farther from the truth. "For decades critics have placed their scholarly stethoscopes firmly against the Book of Mormon, anxiously listening for a 'striking clock'-something out of date, out of context-but with the passage of time, their stethoscopes have encountered a deafening silence."
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