Question: How much has LDS missionary training changed since the late 1950s, early 1960s?
Mitt Romney's father's cousin, Marion G. Romney, as you know was an apostle and long-time LDS church general authority. In fact, Marion Romney presided over the creation of a New Zealand stake in 1958--the first one created outside of North America/Hawaii.
During the 50s, Marion Romney (who also became known as a Book of Mormon scholar), utilized the first lds missionary systemized training which was implemented by LDS prophet David O. McKay. The reason I mention this is that of the four key doctrines that LDS missionaries were taught starting in the 1950s, the supposed apostasy and restoration was one of the four.
What you don't seem to realize or want to acknowledge is that everytime a Mormon verbally says -- or puts in print -- the language of or similar to "the universal apostasy" -- they are calling us all apostates.
Secondly, there isn't a Christian Church now or in the past that hasn't called some other church apostate. If you don't know that, you don't read much church history. In fact, if you are not Catholic, you are “apostate.” There is no reason to get so out of joint about that.
How many of these Christian churches statements you claim to be commenting upon have called these statements revelations from God? Canonized Scripture? Direct visions from God? Have many of these opinions have been added as a new chapter to the book of Revelation? (Zero. I thought so)
I keep wondering when I'm going to come across a contemporary Mormon who will just look at verses 18-20 of Joseph Smith - History within the Pearl of Great Price and then say to me: "You see, C, our God is transcendent. He has transcendent truth. And he told us that your sect is wrong. He told us that your sect was full of professing believers who were ALL corrupt. He told us that your sect was 100% off-base creedally -- to the point that he thinks they are a putrid abomination to him. There I said it. That's what I believe about you. And this isn't just a low-level church-on-the-corner claim about you. This is what God Almighty thinks about you. And to prove it, this isn't just recorded at a opinionated sermon level down the street or typed on some FREEPER keyboard. Nope. We enshrined in concrete revelatory canonized 'Scripture.'"
Have you met my cousin's boy?
He's gonna be President some day!