Actually, Elder Jensen never said that Church members were leaving “in droves.” That specific phrasing came from a member of the audience during the question and answer part of a devotional given by Elder Jensen in November 2011. These are tumultuous times for the faith founded by Joseph Smith in 1830, and the rumbling began even before church member Mitt Romney’s presidential bid put the Latter-Day Saints in the spotlight. The head of the church, President Thomas Monson, who is considered a living prophet, has called the campaign “The Rescue” and made it his signature initiative, according to Jensen. [2] After returning home in 1964, he graduated from BYU with a B.S. Did the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints know that members are “leaving in droves?” a woman asked. Over the years, church literature has largely glossed over some of the more controversial aspects of its history, such as the polygamy practiced by Smith and Brigham Young, who led the Mormons to Utah. “There’s no sense kidding ourselves, we just need to be very upfront with them and tell them what we know and give answers to what we have and call on their faith like we all do for things we don’t understand.”. His March 7, 2006 interview probed a variety of subjects, including some controversial topics. “It’s a different generation,” Elder Jensen told the group in Logan. Starting in 1978, the duties of Church Historians fell to the Executive director of the historical department. Now Utah Democratic Senator Ben McAdams and Republican Representative Derek Brown are proposing a similar statewide bill, and the Church’s position on that will be significant. First Seven Presidents of the Seventy / First Council of the Seventy, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (. [13] In these roles and as a church official, Jensen has spoken at General Conference, BYU Women's Conference (1998), BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference (2006), Northern Utah Family History Conference (2006), Yale's American Society of Church History (2007), and the Mormon History Association Conference (2005 and 2007). In the wake of the Prop 8 battle, Brandie Balken, executive director of gay rights group Equality Utah, was one of five gay advocates who met with three LDS officials to ease tensions. Jensen served in these positions until 2001. “I don’t think God was ever against blacks in the priesthood. Elder Marlin K. Jensen’s response was to him shocking: Maybe since Kirtland, we’ve never had a period of – I’ll call it apostasy, like we’re having now; largely over these issues… I know that many very good people have been deeply hurt, and I know that the Lord expects better of us. Elder Marlin K. Jensen's response: [2] He later served as president of the Huntsville Utah Stake. And many are … Individual Mormons are encouraged to participate in public life, including running for office and supporting candidates, but the church officially stays out of electoral politics. Elder Marlin K. Jensen's response: Tribune file photo In this 2009 photo, LDS Church Historian and Recorder Marlin K. Jensen points out original handwritten documents in a glass case from manuscripts that were collected and published in a full-color volume of 800 pages as … And many are not. 1. LDS Church Historian Elder Marlin K. Jensen was asked if church leaders were aware that Mormons were “leaving in droves” which Jensen confirmed. In 1995, Jensen became a member of the church's Public Affairs Committee. “I think this is an epidemic for the church,” said Dehlin. These former members of the Presiding Bishopric did not serve as a Seventy during their time as a general authority. For example, the book describes Israelites moving in 600 BC to the Americas, where they had horses and other domesticated animals. Marlin Keith Jensen (born May 18, 1942) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1989. They really do know and they really care,” he said. “Has the church seen the effects of Google on membership? The purpose of this post is to provide to new members of this forum, who simply 'may have missed it', the link to the 2012 article where LDS church historian Marlin K. Jensen verifies that the Q15 do know that church members are... 'leaving in droves'. That’s a common story to PhD student John Dehlin, who conducts conferences nationally for “unorthodox Mormons” wrestling with doubts and has a podcast, mormonstories.org. As for gays -- “it will get there, in my judgment.”. See: In 1837 the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were separated, but in 1842 these callings were again merged. Jensen, the church’s official historian, would not provide any figures on the rate of defections, but he told Reuters that attrition has accelerated in the last five or 10 years, reflecting greater secularization of society. Many evangelicals say they do not consider the LDS church to be Christian. LDS support of Prop 8 became a lightning rod both inside and outside the Church. Marlin K Jensen, 78. Not since a famous troublespot in Mormon history, the 1837 failure of a church bank in Kirtland, Ohio, have so many left the church, Jensen said. "[16][17] Terryl Givens said of his legacy, "Marlin Jensen has done more to further the cause of Mormon history than any person of the current generation."[16]. Includes Address(5) Phone(2) See Results. He served as the official Church Historian and Recorder of the church from 2005 to 2012. During a Q&A at Utah State University in 2011, Elder Marlin K. Jensen, who was then the official Church historian, fielded a polite hardball question from a … [27], On April 22, 1998, Jensen was sent by the First Presidency to give an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune in reaction to a 1998 First Presidency statement[30] and to explicitly state that someone could be a devout Mormon and a member of the Democratic Party. I've even herd of them referred to as equity pioneers. [3] This supported his real passion of living a farming lifestyle. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Members from California are leaving in droves. By January 3rd, A recording of Elder Jensen's Q&A was posted on the Internet. He was asked his thoughts regarding the effects of Google on membership and people who are “leaving in droves” over Church history. Many are happy as Mormons. The church denied the higher priesthood to blacks until 1978 and still bars sexually active homosexuals from its temples. Not a trained historian or academic, Jensen brought a passion to his work; reading widely, gathering scholars, and implementing changes. “Most of the people we cater to have been life-long members.”. Several major developments occurred during Jensen's leadership over the Church History Department. He was the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830. But census data from some foreign countries targeted by clean-cut young missionaries show that the retention rate for their converts is as low as 25 percent. Access to the internet is often credited and blamed for this mass exodus, where members learn about problematic doctrines and cover-ups of LDS history… Church historian Elder Marlin K. Jensen attended a Q;A set up by Phil Barlow at Utah State University. He elaborated that “maybe since Kirtland, we never have had a period of, I’ll call it … The LDS church claims 14 million members worldwide -- optimistically including nearly every person baptized. He was president of the Europe Central Area from 2001 to 2003. By: Jim Bennett Dec 03, 2018 CES Reply, Latter-day Saint Survey Project, Religion. We just had to grow up enough to accept it,” he said. Resides in Huntsville, UT. Another concern is that he could take positions that would complicate the church’s missionary efforts in the U.S. or other countries such as in Central and South America.”, But on the positive side, the person said, “having a Mormon president could raise the church’s profile and legitimize it in other countries.”, (Reporting By Peter Henderson and Kristina Cooke, editing by Lee Aitken). [2] At the relatively young age of 28, he served as bishop of his ward in Huntsville, as had both his father and grandfather. All this comes as the public profile of America’s Mormons had been raised by two pop-culture hits: the recent TV series “Big Love” and the current Broadway hit, “The Book of Mormon.” The attention, says church spokesman Michael Purdy, is a “double-edged sword.”. He was the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830. In 2012, Mormon General Authority Marlin K. Jensen acknowledged that members are leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "in droves". Except for the three former members of the Presiding Bishopric noted, all living emeritus general authorities are former members of the First or Second Quorums of the Seventy.2. What was supposed to be a half hour or hour meeting stretched to two hours. Did the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints know that members are “leaving in droves?” a woman asked. And many are not. “And I’m speaking of the 15 men that are above me in the hierarchy of the church. [2], Professionally, Jensen was an attorney in private practice in Ogden, Utah, specializing in business and estate planning. Jensen later clarified that critics were overstating his remarks, saying "To say we are experiencing some Titanic-like wave of apostasy is inaccurate."[40][41][42][43]. “Maybe since Kirtland, we’ve never had a period of - I’ll call it apostasy, like we’re having now,” he told the group in Logan. Among other steps, it has hired an expert in search-engine optimization to raise the profile of the church’s own views in a web search. “It came to a point where the shelf was too heavy,” he said. Utah State University that LDS Church Historian and General Authority, Elder Marlin K. Jensen gave in late 2011. In 2005, he became the first Church Historian and Recorder to serve since 1997. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Several years back, LDS General Authority and outgoing official church historian, Marlin K. Jensen, publicly acknowledged that the membership of the church was leaving “in droves” and that the pace of defections was increasing in startling numbers. Previously he practiced law and was a partner in a family ranching enterprise. [35] On behalf of the First Presidency[36] at Westminster College's Interfaith Dialogue on Immigration, Jensen said lawmakers should "take a step back" since this "deal[s] with God's children" and "a more humane approach is warranted".[34]. “We are aware,” said Jensen, according to a tape recording of his unscripted remarks. Many religions have been suffering similarly, he noted, arguing that Mormonism has never been more vibrant. The small group of students, faculty and faithful there to hear Mormon Elder Marlin Jensen were openly troubled about the future of their church, asking hard questions. “My own daughter,” he then added, “has come to me and said, ‘Dad, why didn’t you ever tell me that Joseph Smith was a polygamist?’” For the younger generation, Jensen acknowledged, “Everything’s out there for them to consume if they want to Google it.” The manuals used to teach the young church doctrine, meanwhile, are “severely outdated.”. He was asked the following question. “I think you can find scientific studies coming down on both sides, but the Book of Mormon doesn’t live or die on scientific evidence,” Jensen said. Jensen observed "greater dialogue coming about, less suspicion and a greater openness that is coming to pass". Many are happy as Mormons. “We are aware,” said Jensen, according to a tape recording of his unscripted remarks. Observers reported that his contributions "helped transform the Utah-based faith's approach to its history," and saw the church's history department "truly come of age. While Larsen was still technically Church Historian until 1997, others succeeded him as Executive Director of the Historical Department, and those men were sometimes referred to as the Official Church Historians. There has been a bit of buzz (mostly amongst ex- and anti-Mormons) recently over some remarks of Elder Marlin K. Jensen, an emeritus member of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy and former Church Historian and Recorder, who is alleged to have said that, thanks to Google, the omniscient fount of all knowledge, members of the Church are leaving “in droves”. In 2004, he replaced D. Todd Christofferson as executive director of the Family and Church History Department,[13] a position he held previously when it was just the Historical Department. [11], Coming from a church official on assignment from the First Presidency, the comments surprised many prominent Utah politicians and Latter-day Saints. In 1989, Jensen became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy at the age of 46. [11] From 1996 to 1998 he was executive director of the Church Historical Department. And to some voters, Mormonism remains a complete enigma. But the Church did in 2009 support a job and housing anti-discrimination measure in Salt Lake City, saying that opposing discrimination was a separate issue from same-sex marriage. The person who recorded it summarized the the Q&A session in a blog post where Jensen was asked if church leaders were aware that Mormons were "leaving in droves" which Jensen confirmed. [32], On February 13, 2008, Jensen urged the Utah State Legislature to show compassion in considering laws that would affect undocumented immigrants. He served as the official Church Historian and Recorder of the church from 2005 to 2012. [16] Snow succeeded Jensen on August 1, 2012. In January 2012, it was announced that, after a transition period, Steven E. Snow would replace Jensen as the Church Historian and Recorder later in the year. He often acted as a peacemaker, attempting to bring understanding or empathy to divisive issues. Access to the internet is often credited and blamed for this mass exodus, where members learn about problematic doctrines and cover-ups of LDS history. This crisis of faith in the LDS church remains largely offstage in the race for the presidency. Jensen responded that top church leaders "realize that, maybe, since Kirtland we've never had a period of, I'll call it apostasy, like we're … In addition, many 19th-century polygamous wives were well-educated, politically active professionals. One thing often said by online critics is that Church membership is in decline and that even Elder Marlin K. Jensen admitted that people are “leaving in droves.” During the South Carolina primary, one Mormon woman there said an acquaintance was surprised to see her driving a car, confusing Mormons with the Amish. The curious find a family-focused church with socially conservative values that teaches Christian principles and believes Christ appeared to founder Joseph Smith in America, where Smith established the new religion. As a 19-year-old, he served as a missionary for the LDS Church in West Germany. [5], Jensen married Kathleen Bushnell on June 9, 1967 in the Salt Lake Temple. It has been an opportunity to educate the public about Mormonism and fight misconceptions. But on Broadway, the church’s gospel and missionary zeal are mocked. There were demonstrations in Salt Lake City, which is home to the Mormon tabernacle but was also just named the “the gayest city in America” by the Advocate magazine, crediting its numerous gay-friendly bars, book stores and neighborhoods. [11] He lamented the decline of the Utah Democratic Party, and regretted that the Republican Party might be seen as the "church party". [27][31], Jensen featured prominently in the 2007 PBS documentary The Mormons. There was no immediate agreement. He said a new church initiative would give answers to troubling questions, and such issues should be discussed more openly with the new internet-savvy generation. He asked for LDS historians to "not be in an apologetic mode, but to be as open, candid and fair about our own history as we can". And it has now reached out, quietly, to the gay community. The effort includes a new package of materials for pastors and for teaching Mormon youth that address some of the more sensitive aspects of church doctrine. Jensen was asked if church leaders were aware that members were discovering problems with LDS Church history through the internet, and what is to be done for those who may be affected or "who are already leaving in droves". “The church has a very progressive research and information division, with tremendous public opinion surveyors,” he said. He was asked his thoughts regarding the effects of Google on membership and people who are "leaving in droves" over Church history. Marlin Francis Jenson, 77. In 2005 the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder was restored. Lived In Ogden UT, Rochester NY, Salt Lake City UT. They are the parents of eight children. On May 5, 2008, Jensen officially responded to Timothy Egan's New York Times op-ed piece which claimed that FLDS polygamy "is a look back at some of the behavior of Mormonism's founding fathers". Excerpts of the Q&A session specifically having to do with the difficulties Mormons face when learning about church history are included below. [2] His family operates a ranching enterprise called Jensens' Middle Fork Ranch, in which he is a partner. In 2012, Mormon General Authority Marlin K. Jensen acknowledged that members are leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "in droves." [10] From 1993 to 1995, while a general authority, Jensen served as president of the church's New York Rochester Mission. For example, the “I am a Mormon” ad campaign, which features stereotype-busting Mormons who are black or single parents, helped boost chat sessions on the church’s website to more than a million in the last 12 months. He later served first as a counselor, then as president, of the North America Northeast Area. However, they remain general authorities of the church until their death. Moreover, church leaders have taught that the Book of Mormon is a historical document -- not a parable -- so the faithful are startled to find articles on the internet using science to contradict it. Access to the internet is often credited and blamed for this mass exodus, where members learn about problematic doctrines and cover-ups of LDS history. “And I’m speaking of the 15 men that are above me in the hierarchy of the church. [8] In 1993, he was made assistant executive director of the church's Priesthood Department,[9] later becoming executive director until 2001. In the article was information about a Q&A meeting at Utah State University that LDS Church Historian and General Authority, Elder Marlin K. Jensen, gave in late 2011. Sociologists estimate there are as few as 5 million active members worldwide. Jensen was born in Huntsville, Utah. Of course, some of the comfort offered outside the community of believers is false comfort, and we should be clear about that. He was asked his thoughts regarding the effects of Google on membership and people who are “leaving in droves” over Church history… This truly shocked me. Also known as Marlen K Jensen. I have never ever been associated with an organization that changes as fast as the Mormon church,” said former church researcher Ray Briscoe, 79, whose investigations helped spur movement on issues such as the treatment of blacks. With defections rising, the church has launched a program to stanch its losses. [37] Jensen strongly disagreed and pointed out that by 19th-century norms a 15-year-old bride was not unusual nor considered abused and the "common-law marriage age for women was 12". He was asked his thoughts regarding the effects of Google on membership and people who are "leaving in droves" over Church history. Balken talked about her love of gardening -- and the pain infusing the family of her wife, who was the only gay child in a big LDS family. Leaving in Droves?, Really? LDS Church practice is to release Seventies from service following their 70th birthdays, which Jensen had observed in May of that year. [1] He served in this capacity until 2012 and was designated an emeritus general authority in October 2012. He was asked his thoughts regarding the effects of Google on membership and people who are "leaving in droves" over Church history. In the U.S., only about half of Mormons are active members of the church, said Washington State University emeritus sociologist Armand Mauss, a leading researcher on Mormons. This is a serialization of “A Faithful Reply to the CES Letter from a … As Droves Out Our Windows Reuters published a fascinating and timely article yesterday, and the opening four paragraphs reminded me of a favorite Richard Bushman quote: "To be credible we must be candid". They are moving to Utah. Some controversial topics noted, arguing that Mormonism has never been more vibrant think... 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