EVERYBODY has biases. The question is whether one can portray others fairly in spite of them. Frankly, that goes for anti-Mormons, as well as Latter-day Saints.

One reason, I think, for the negative bent on our Strengthening the Members Committee is that there is not much about it. Even if they speak with President Monson several times per day, they DON’T normally interact with any of us in the Ward and Branch level–not even with leadership (I had been a Branch Clerk and a Ward Clerk for several years each, and served as a counselor on a Bishopric and two Branch Presidencies since that committee was formed.). Even at the Stake level (I am presently Assistant Stake Clerk), I have never heard that committee mentioned at any Stake Presidency meeting or in any Stake PEC, Welfare, or High Council meeting. Frankly, unless there were something major, like a mass apostasy brewing, I doubt that the committee would directly involved at all.

I think that, since there isn’t much done by the Strengthening the Members Committee that directly concerns any of us, we don’t hear much about it. But its existence, I suppose, makes great fodder for “bogey man” stories told by enemies of the Church.

Any fair-minded, neutral person should try to get as much information as he or she can. The fact that most of it is by anti-Mormons–which cannot be completely refuted–would tend to give a negative bent.

Maybe we at FAIR and FARMS should get on the ball!

Do I make sense?

But I also have to agree that the author is a bit too credulous of the idea that the Strengthening the Members committee is some kind of Gestapo. He appears not to know that it is a fundamental principle of secret police organizations that the existence of the organization must be widely know for it to be effective. The article itself acknowledges that few members have even heard of the Strengthen the Membership committee.

Some small details are wrong. I find it disquieting that they are usually wrong in a direction unflattering to the Church.

I see it as a good scholarly article, written in good faith, by someone attempting to set aside his prejudices (but he does have them.)

NOYDMB, I find your answer a bit defensive. Why such seeming hostility in answering my simple question?

P.S. David, I don’t need you to leave a comment pointing out when NOYDMB responds to me.

It appears that None Of Your Dmn Business answered your question as to what about the committee is hearsay.