The 96 Theses: Constructive Suggestions for Improving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 73-84

73.  The Church wastes its missionary force by focusing almost exclusively on proselyting.

74.  The Church should shift focus to humanitarian service missions rather than active proselyting missions.

75.  The Church expects its members to attend 3 hours of Sunday church services. Members in leadership positions often spend another 2-3 hours at church on Sunday. 2 of the 3 hours are spent in class instruction, so many members spend additional time preparing and teaching lessons.

76.  The Church should institute a 2-hour block of meetings on Sunday and eliminate individual Primary and youth Sunday School classes.

77.  The Church expects members to speak in Sacrament meeting, often resulting in dull and uninspiring meetings.

78.  The Church should employ one or two professional speakers in each ward to give sacrament meeting talks or, alternatively, call a few individuals with public speaking skills to the position of Sacrament Meeting Speaker.

79.  The Church requires potential new converts to commit to pay tithing and live a strict interpretation of the Word of Wisdom as well as profess loyalty to the President of the Church before being baptized.

80.  The Church should allow all professing a belief in Christ and a desire to follow his teachings as they understand them to be baptized and confirmed in the church.

81.  The Church holds a monthly Fast & Testimony meeting during Sacrament meeting in which members make repetitive professions of faith.

82.  The Church should abandon the Fast & Testimony meeting as it is simply a psychologically manipulative tool to enforce orthodoxy.

83.  The Church’s General Handbook of Instructions (the “CHI”), is not made public and not available to members.  Indeed, the Church has undertaken legal action to prevent the contents of the CHI from being disseminated on the Internet.

84.  The Church should publish the CHI on its official web site and allow members to know the rules by which they are governed and judged.

Comments

[from the ashes]

76. The Church should institute a 2-hour block of meetings on Sunday and eliminate individual Primary and youth Sunday School classes.

How about 1 hour, like most normal churches? How about adults don't need Sunday school? Or provide classes on various focuses every now and then, during SM, and any adult can attend if they want?

[Equality]

That's a good idea, too. The point is they need to do SOMETHING to relieve the chronic ennui that the 3-hour-block perpetrates. Many churches offer both a traditional Sunday worship service and optional classes for adults and youth, so I think moving to a culture where there is a one-hour Sac. mtg. followed by optional Sunday school type classes would be a major step forward.

[Doug Towers]

You have presented an interesting topic in regard to humanitarian aid and missionary work. I told you I would make a post on it in my site and so I have. So if you are interested in commenting you may (as it is discussed as an entire topic there).
In regard meetings, I personally like various forms of discussion. Sunday School is good for new members - I admit a bit kiddyish for me.
And while I agree about some talks in sacrament, I well remember those boring talks of paid ministers that I was brought up with.

[SillyNut]

I'm 2 years behind but I did not know that converts had to commit to pay tithing before they could be baptised. That is fucked.