Synthesis Essay

Jordan Davidson 4/5/14 11:21 PM

Comment [1]: Creative title

As Latter-Day Saints, one issue that the church focuses on is the retention rate of the
growing church. Why this is happening is a topic of much debate and focus. Through the recent
article that some of us have read in class, Why Millenials are Leaving the Church by Rachel
Evans, we know that it is not only the LDS faith that struggles with this problem. Other Christian
faiths have struggled with it as well. What will we do about it? We get an insightful view from

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 12:22 AM

Comment [2]: Calling it growing kind of
contradicts the statements you make later. I
would either say the declining retention rate
and leave it at that, or else just delete the
growing comment. (It is growing, but saying
that its simultaneously growing and losing
members is contradictory.)

Rachel Evans in her article about what the modern youth are going through today and the reasons
why they might be falling behind in their faith. In order to increase our understanding on the
issue I will be using articles by a few LDS authors that also talk about the same subject. One,
written by Sarah Shumway, is titled Why Im Staying, and was written in response to Racheal
Evanss article. Another, written by President Hinckley, is called Recent Converts and the
Youth. As a youth and a Millenial I think that many youth are falling away because they arent
feeling the spirit, which inspires and uplifts them. There could be a number of reasons why this
could be happening, but what we should be thinking about is how to best help them.
Rachel Evans is one person who is trying to help the youth and speak for them. While
she may not have many answers to our questions, she does have many insightful things to share
about the modern world and its youth. Racheal belongs to the Evangelical faith and has many
concerns for the youth, whom she refers to as Millenials. She describes the youth as intelligent
people who are surrounded by commercialism, and therefore have become experts at identifying
commercialism as it comes to them. She accuses her own church of falling into a state of
commercialism, just like much of the modern world around us. She believes efforts to try and
reach out and relate to the youth by adding new social environments, such as wearing skinny

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 2:28 PM

Comment [3]: This article is never
mentioned in the rest of the essay; either
mention it in the essay or remove it from the
intro. Either way works.

jeans and adding coffee lounges, have only pushed the youth further away. They do not want a
change in appearance, they want a change in substance, as Evans puts it.
The modern world has begun to put more pressure on religious beliefs through recent
social changes and behaviors, which can make it harder for a young man or woman who is trying
to find their place in the world. Racheal believes that her church can be too hostile when it
comes to joining a certain political party or forcing someone to think like them. I point to
research that shows young evangelicals often feel they have to choose between their intellectual
integrity and their faith, between science and Christianity, between compassion and holiness.
Why would they stay when they have to choose between compassion and faith? It doesnt seem

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 12:36 AM

Comment [4]: Make sure to tie this quote
in properly

right, however, for a church to change their religious beliefs based off of what society believes,
so where do we draw the line? What Racheal Evans is telling us is that we cant put on a mask
and expect them to fall for it. We cannot pretend to be one thing when we are another. If we
expect youth to stay, we have to be honest with them. They have to know that everything we do

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:01 PM

Comment [5]: Specify who them is

is from God, that God loves us, and that we love God. Racheal summed this up when she said,
speaking for the youth, We left because we didnt find Jesus there. A church has to stay
distant from the things of the world, or else why would they come to church to find the same

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:06 PM

Comment [6]: Cite

thing that they are finding normally?

Now that we have looked at Racheal Evanss article about modern social problems, lets
dive into Sarah Shumways article Why Im Staying, which gives us more tools that we can
use to help these young people hang on to their faith. Sarah Shumway puts her ideas into five
simple steps that help retain the youth, or the Millenials. The first argument that she brings to
the table is that members of the church are a part of a family. They need to know that no matter
our differences and backgrounds, we are all brothers and sisters. Just as we don't choose who

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:08 PM

Comment [7]: Word this differently;
professional/scholarly essays shouldnt
directly address the reader

our siblings are, neither do we choose whom we will worship with (it's all contingent on
location). It is vital that we understand that we go to church to be closer to God with our
brothers and sisters instead of selecting whom we choose to be with when we worship. The

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:10 PM

Comment [8]: Tie this quote in

lesson we need to understand here is that we go to church because we want to, and not because
of social standards.
Shumways article goes on to explain the importance of having callings in the church and
sharing responsibilities. I think that is serves a practical use as well as a spiritual one. In some
way, each person invests something of himself or herself in every desire that they have. For
people that have a spiritual desire to come closer to God, it only makes sense to let them be a
part of it. Callings are a way that all can feel like they are building the kingdom of God. Callings
give every person the feeling that they are needed and wanted. These responsibilities help people
understand that their presence in the church strengthens those around them. Though we know
that it is a commandment to go to church, I believe that giving each person a responsibility helps
them feel more obligated to keep that commandment that they have most likely already
committed to keep. It helps the youth to avoid feeling that they can become closer to God
without going to church, which was something I encountered many times during my service as a
full time missionary.
Shumways article contains many examples from the LDS church that have proven to
help and those tools listed before and after are modern examples on how to help those that are
struggling to keep to the faith. One key principle to make sure that the right things are being
taught, that is practiced in our LDS church, is the fact that our church leaders do not receive any
money for their services. They voluntarily do their duty, viewing it as a part of their calling and
responsibilities. Each leader is just like every other person, they have jobs and families and their

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:19 PM

Comment [9]: have

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:19 PM

Comment [10]: Reword; confusing
Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:20 PM
Comment [11]: Reword; awkward

own lives. They just take on their church responsibilities to help fulfill their priesthood
responsibility. This is very important because it ensures that there is no abuse of power to obtain
more money. Since money isnt an issue, the temptation and greed present in paid church
leadership positions is removed. This is relevant in keeping youth in the church because they
know without a doubt that their leaders are there because they want to be there, not just because
they are paid. They know what they teach comes from their testimony of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and not from their wallet.
Something that Rachel Evans mentioned that Sarah Shumway agrees with was the fact
that there needs to be good communication between the youth and the leaders of the church.
Rachel was begging the leaders to sit down and listen to the youth. That was her answer to help
solve the problem of youth attendance.
Shumways fourth argument is to have questions. We are taught to seek for personal
revelation from God, through asking God questions in our prayers, or through searching for
answers in our scriptures. In some ways, I would argue that the heart of Mormonism is asking
questions. I would also say that my faith has helped me answer the deepest yearnings of my
soul (Sarah Shumway). We believe in a church that allows discussion and learning in a group
environment. As the youth face many modern challenges that Racheal Evans mentioned in her
article, the youth need to learn what the right answers are to these growing political debates. We
cant expect them to blindly follow Sunday school lessons without knowing the knowledge
behind them. When you attend Sunday School it is a class discussion rather than a lecture. How
can we as a church expect to share the gospel to everyone when we give the same prepared
lecture? People think differently, people have different desires and questions that one recited
lesson cannot solve without questions. We in the LDS church should know this better than

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:28 PM

Comment [12]: Tie this in

anyone. When our beloved Prophet Joseph Smith knelt down in prayer and asked God which
church is true. Asking lies at the soul of our church, as Shumway explains.

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:31 PM

Comment [13]: Fragment

Sarah Shumway gives her last example as the following; Our doctrine is not a laundry
list of what we can and cannot do. Ultimately, we believe that we are on this earth to return back
to God, who is our Heavenly Father. While our faith, actions, as well as certain ceremonies play
a significant role in our salvation, God ultimately judges us by our hearts. Our church then,
strongly emphasizes a gospel that is based on becoming like Jesus Christ. As a church we must
follow the counsel of our leaders and receive revelation to do certain things, however we

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:33 PM

Comment [14]: Cite

shouldnt look at them as a to do list, or a list of requirements to be a member, but we should see
it as becoming closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. We must make sure that the youth in the church
know that everything that they are doing comes of God and will lead us to our shared goal,
which is to live with our Heavenly Father again. The List of things we should and shouldnt
do isnt to attract people that share similar living standards in the world but instead stands as a
shining example, an invitation if u will to join in on what is good in the world and in the world to
come.

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:45 PM

Comment [15]: Run on

As young men and women who are attending BYUI, many of whom are returned
missionaries, we know that everything that is said or done ultimately falls back on our
testimonies. Would I leave the church if I saw my bishop start wearing skinny jeans? No, I
would be a little concerned about the bishops new fashion statement but I would still continue to
go to church because I know that I have found a way to live with God again, and I would not
leave that behind based on what someone else has done. Yes, there are things that are not perfect
in the church, and all of us know that. People are not driven away; instead, they lose the
motivation. Why? Because they have weakened their testimony.

To go to a church and believe in God isnt something we inherit and obtain through
family tradition. We go to church because we have a testimony; if you truly have one then you
will stay. If we dont or it has become weak, we leave. Everyone has their own responsibility to
obtain and keep their testimony and will be accountable for it when they die. Does that mean we
sit by and watch those people that have lost their testimony leave? No! That is why Shumway
and President Hinckley stress the importance of home teachers and of being a family that
worships together. We have a responsibility to help those around us, to strengthen them and help
them regain their faith.
We have missionaries in the church; they are there to find people willing and ready to
hear their great message. Why would we do that if they are the only ones responsible for their
own faith? Yes, ultimately their decision is the only one that will get them to do anything. We
cannot force someone to do something that they dont want to do; that goes against everything
the Plan of Salvation gives us. However, we need to provide them with as much support as we
can to help them to make the right decision. So what happens if a friend of ours leaves the
church because they see the bishop wear skinny jeans? We help them with their real problem.
We as young men and women are capable of overcoming any trial if we have the faith, There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to
escape, that ye may be able to bear it (Corinthians 10:13).

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:55 PM

Comment [16]: Tie in

Now that we understand how valuable a personal testimony is, how do we get one? We
hear the same primary answers over and over again as we attend church, read the scriptures,
pray, attend church, and take the sacrament to renew our covenants. All are true and very
important, but my brothers had done those things for years before they went inactive. So why

didnt it work? Reading, praying, and doing everything listed above are the right answers, but
they are useless if they are done with the most important element missing. That element is
having the real intent that Moroni talks about in chapter 10. Without real intent we are wasting
our time because God knows our hearts and thoughts and will not waste our time if we are
wasting his. If we really want a testimony, we need to read the Book or Mormon or other
scriptures with the intent of asking God if everything you just read or heard is true. This is how
you can know if you should continue on that path.
We are given many great tools to help us in this process. God has even given us living
prophets again to guide us further. No matter how much we have and how much we try there are
still going to be people that will leave the church because they want to. The Gospel of Jesus
Christ was never meant to save everyone simply because we know that not everyone will choose
to accept it even given several opportunities too. Its those people that will accept it is where we
want to put our efforts into. Now does that mean we get to judge who will accept it and who
wont? No! That is only Gods responsibility. It is ours to give our hand to everyone and share
our message to the world and see for ourselves who will stay and who will go. The elect are
the people we want and are looking for and those people will show up and stay in the church
when they are given the chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rachel Evans points out that youth are leaving the church, and she is concerned for those
people, but the people she is talking about lack a personal testimony. She blames this on the
leaders of her church. She isnt completely wrong in her argument, but maybe she is mislead a
little. She says that the youth were leaving because they didnt find Jesus there, that they were
not hearing his message which once influenced them. It is our responsibility to teach with the

Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:59 PM

Comment [17]: ???
Jordan Davidson 4/6/14 1:59 PM
Comment [18]: Reword this in a way that
doesnt directly address the reader

spirit according to what revelation has told us through prophets. We do not teach what man
believes, we teach what God teaches.
That is why Shumway stresses the importance of a social safety net, if you will. This
entails a system of friends or an ecclesiastical family where we support everyone, which has
results to prove that it works. The LDS church has a great system and tools in keeping recent
converts and youth because of the revelation we have received. We do not claim to be perfect at
it or claim that we retain everyone, but we do claim it to be Gods way of helping them stay with
the church. We have home teachers and priesthood leaders who look after us. We have Elders
Quorum and Relief Society to provide extra spiritual and physical support in times of need. No
one is forgotten, falls behind, or goes unnoticed. That is what makes the LDS church one of the
best in keeping its youth.
We need to understand that every person has agency to do what they want to do
regardless of whether its better for them or not. We need to know and accept that with
everyone, but we need to teach them correct doctrines and principles of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ so that we may give them the best opportunity to choose what is best for them and what
will help them progress to live with God again. We need to love them, we need to educate those
that are struggling and while constantly strengthening our own testimonies. We need to fulfill
our callings and priesthood responsibilities. The church is a system of strength, and we need to
support it as well as take from it. Above all, we need to have true intent in everything we are
doing in order to have a clear conscience about what is true and what isnt. We need to be able
to stand on our own when adversity challenges our faith. We need to ask questions when we are
uncertain about something, seek those answers out with faith, and pray to let those answers
determine how we will live our lives.