Mormon leaders are making it easier to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by reducing the restrictions for membership. This is a bid to bring in fresh members from the Millennial and Generation Z cadres. It’s no secret that many religious leaders are having trouble appealing to the younger generations. After all, the U.S. and other countries are growing more secular or agnostic every year as more people seek the answers to life’s questions in other places.
However, that is not going to stop religions from attempting to bring in new members and retain the ones they have now. One of the major efforts that Mormons have put forth is to reduce the challenging nature of belonging to the church and working through it.
One of the changes that have been implemented is a reduction in the amount of time that is required of members on Sunday, from three hours to two hours. That gives the members more of an opportunity to use their day wisely and puts the onus on the church to deliver short and effective sermons.
Other changes have come to Mormonism as well, especially with regards to missionary work. Missionaries can call home more frequently to connect with the family, even though this came as a result of a backhanded determination that the newer generation has more anxiety and were less capable adults than older generations.
Yet, other interesting things are happening with missionary work, such as the dress code for women. In the past, it was always the case that women would wear skirts. Now, they can wear pants most of the time. This is just one of the ways that the church is being more friendly towards the female members.
There is no longer a waiting period between the civil marriage and the church marriage, women with children under 18 can work as temple volunteers, and there have been changes to the rituals of the temple that make women appear in a more positive light.
All in all, the Mormons are making a lot of positive changes that will increase the chances that they can retain and bring in new members. However, if the research has shown anything, the church is going to have a hard time trying to convert atheist people into believers.
Source: www.worldreligionnews.com
