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This is a rather amazing admission when you think about it

Almost all Christian denominations have stock answers to most questions of faith.

All Christian denominations have enough staff (e.g. Pastors) and volunteers to further explain these answers to anybody who has questions.

All Christian denominations relish the opportunity to minister to their members.

I know that the Saints have loads of their own standard responses ... think FARMS and FAIR.

I also know that the Saints have numerous Bishops who are supposed to be consulted and are supposedly qualified to handle questions of faith.

I also know that the vast financial resources of the LDS Church are more than enough to enable them to hire and train thousands of persons, if necessary, to answer questions.

You don't suppose this letter is a tacit admission that the Saint's standard replies do not stand up well to scrutiny?

And surely, you can't possibly think that the Mormon Church is having trouble keeping employees after they start thinking about some of the questions raised by their fellow members?

Can you?

You don't suppose this letter is a tacit admission that the Saint's standard replies do not stand up well to scrutiny? And surely, you can't possibly think that the Mormon Church is having trouble keeping employees after they start thinking about some of the questions raised by their fellow members?

Bingo on #1 -- not standing up to scrutiny.

But it's actually worse than that.

What you have is some of these replies getting into broader circulation.

IOW, a poorly thought out or even slightly controversial response that simply expands the debate.

Lds Inc. is desperately fearful that if they weigh in on specific controversies, those responses will get circulated and get into the hands of their critics. They want that minimized.

Now does that sound like the Old Testament prophets of old?

The other related facet with this is that they don't have unanimity of agreement even at the top on some of these issues. If they can't themselves agree, how can they export that?

You don't suppose this letter is a tacit admission that the Saint's standard replies do not stand up well to scrutiny?

Well, ya also have to wonder why they chose sacrament meetings to make that announcement.

I mean, didn't they just have a General Conference in Utah beamed world-wide earlier in October? Couldn't they have made the announcement then? And why a Sacrament meeting vs. other meetings held at the local level?

Well...guess what? They weren't counting on Lds journalists like Robert Kirby to blab this information internationally. They didn't want the announcement to go to all Mormons...just the most faithful ones...the ones who would more likely be there for a sacrament meeting.