The Church of the Happy Lifer

Many of us have noted that the LDS Church of today is not the Church that we grew up in. In the olden days, there were roadshows, sports leagues, non-gospel themed ward camp-outs, ward cook-outs, old-timers who knew the original members...

For some of us, the church of 20, 30, or 50+ years ago was something we enjoyed.

However, there has been a more significant change than the current lack of fun.

When I was young (not really so long ago, I'm talking about the 80's) there was still

- an understanding, as per the (alleged) foundational event of the Church (First Vision), that all other churches were apostate and could not offer salvation.

- theologians. People like McConkie still went out of their way to clarify and codify what LDS theology actually is, and to at least try to harmonize the inconsistencies.

- boldness. Right or wrong, Boyd K. Packer, Mark E. Peterson, Ezra Taft Benson, Spencer W. Kimball, and their ilk still said some pretty controversial things, but it didn't matter because they were God's mouthpieces on Earth. In the 80's there were still a heck of a lot of people in my ward who expected to walk back to Missouri--I learned that in Sunday School!

- Meat. It might have been talked about in hushed tones in the hallways, or prefaced with "well, we don't talk about it much anymore, but..." in gospel doctrine class, but it was still talked about. I took an institute class prior to the mission that was entirely about unlocking the "keys" in the BoM so that individuals could have the Sealed Portion of the BoM revealed to them through personal revelation.

- questions. In my experience, I was never discouraged from asking questions. In Sunday School, Seminary, and Institute, there was always a confidence that, because it is all true, there are satisfactory answers. Therefore, asking questions can only be faith-promoting.

Then on the mission, I noticed a trend. There were a lot of people in the Church who were not excited by the bold claims of the Church, were not interested in the doctrinal debates and the theological discussions, and had no desire for understanding or further knowledge. For example, not only were they not pursuing their "Calling and Election Made Sure," they didn't even know or care to find out what it was. There were a good many people who just wanted to go to Church on Sundays and simply go with the flow.

One of the Elders in the Mission called such people "Happy Lifers"

Well it seems to me that Happy Lifers are essentially all that is left.

Doctrinal discussions have been replaced by platitudes.

Deep Doctrines have been replaced with THE PROPHET saying "I DON'T KNOW" on national television.

Boldness has been replaced by anonymous essays throwing previous mouthpieces of God under the proverbial bus.

Questions of Ethics and Morality have been displaced with an adoption of American right-wing Christian morality, or worse, "Obedience is the first law of heaven."

Theology has been enfeebled by apologetics.

And the only true and living Church upon the face of the Earth which the Lord is well pleased has been replaced with a real estate management corporation.

The icing on the cake is recent "prophets, seers, and revelators" who do nothing that is even remotely prophetic. They are as far removed from the early Church as can be imagined. President Monson didn't even bear testimony of Joseph Smith, the restoration, or the Book of Mormon. He did little more than tell stories of widows and orphans, and share triplets of passive verbs (Hearts were warmed, friendships were strengthened, stomachs were filled.). President Nelson tells us that kids of gay parents can't get baptized, that kids of gay parents can get baptized, that we should take our vitamins because the restoration is ongoing, we should think celestial, and that calling the LDS "mormons" is a victory for Satan.

The prophet is the presiding archetype of the Church of the Happy Lifer.

President Monson might have been the first prophet about whom it will never be necessary to say "he was speaking as a man" because he has said nary a thing that is bold, prophetic, doctrinal, controversial, theological, or even insightful. President Nelson might be the second.

The bold and exciting LDS church of yesteryear has devolved into the Church of the Happy Lifer.

(this is not to say that I think that the Church has fallen into apostasy since the 80's. As I'm sure you know, I reject the foundational claims of the Church.