Within the last day, the Washington Post, Reuters, and religion reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack of the Salt Lake Tribune have all addressed the growing incidence of disaffiliation among LDS Church members for whom the digital age has brought new access to conflicting perspectives on Mormon history and doctrine—scrutiny that is certain to intensify if Romney gets the GOP nomination.
It’s not uncommon for LDS people to grow up in contexts where most information about Mormonism comes from official LDS Church sources and reflects the perspectives of LDS Church leaders. Alternative perspectives have been stigmatized and dissenters and a few scholars have been excommunicated, especially in the 1990s.
Read Full Article »