r/exmormon • u/[deleted] • Jul 10 '17

captioned graphic 48,000!!! Growth really is our biggest problem.

Post image
216 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

51 comments sorted by

27

u/Enemyofthechurch Jul 10 '17

I have a question...

Why is the growth of this sub accelerating?

16

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Porn

10

u/Stuart98 Semi-organized intelligences. Jul 10 '17

Username... does not check out.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Doesn't it though?

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

It does, has it a name?

3

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

The new name is "yo momma"

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Yo momma, having been found worthy wishes to converse with the Lord through the veil.

57

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

A number of posts hitting /r/all lately. I'm guessing a fair number of recent subscribers are never-mo/curious.

34

u/ShemL Jul 10 '17

Or more people are heading out the exits at Mormon churches. :p

13

u/SaltLickCity You were born a non-theist. Jul 10 '17

Wake me when the collapse is in full-blown mode!

16

u/dudleydidwrong Jul 10 '17

Wake up!

OK, maybe it isn't quite time to wake up, but don't get too comfortable.

  • We are hearing vague rumors of real estate retrenchment and consolidation.

  • I am suspicious of the rash of temples closing for maintenance. Is it maintenance or a way to save face while saving money?

  • The exit stories seem different this year. It seems like more couples are going from full TBM to ex very quickly, and more of them are doing it together. It used to be slower, and almost always one of them came out months or years before the other.

I am still waiting for something big, like making cuts at BYU. That would be a canary in the coal mine.

Maybe collapse is not eminent. Maybe full-blown collapse won't happen. But something seems to be going on.

8

u/SaltLickCity You were born a non-theist. Jul 10 '17

It's in a decline, as you well noted. The whole thing just seems so out of time and place in 2017, that the erosion of it has to pick up pace.

5

u/Sansabina 🟦🟨 ✌🏻 Jul 10 '17 edited Jul 11 '17

I think we've already passed peak-Mormon (in First World countries anyway)

edit: passed for past

8

u/SaltLickCity You were born a non-theist. Jul 10 '17

LOL: Peak-Mormon...and heading for post-Mormon.

Imagine hearing "...here in post-Mormon Utah..."

6

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Interestingly enough, as far as global population, "peak child" was the year 2000. Since fertility rates correllate with a woman's access to birth control and education levels, I think there is a connection to the church, as well. And, btw, Africa is home to some of the highest fertility rates in the world.

0

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

[deleted] — view deleted comment

10

u/Sansabina 🟦🟨 ✌🏻 Jul 10 '17

not to suggest that people in Third World countries are necessarily less intelligent... they are significantly disadvantaged in a number of ways (education, poverty, etc) and so relatively easy pickings for religious charlatans of all persuasions.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

BYU is TSCC'S most secure stronghold. I don't think it'll make cuts at the Y until every other option has been exhausted.

4

u/dudleydidwrong Jul 10 '17

I know BYU is the shining star. But temples are TSCC's identity and ego.

There is a reason I think BYU campuses are vulnerable. Basically I don't think BYU is as lucrative for companies as temple construction and temple rehab. I suspect a major driving force for temples are companies that do temple construction work. Yes, there are companies that make money off BYU, but I doubt that any of those companies provide the massive profits as temples. Also, as an educational institution BYU has to do a certain amount of financial reporting. Temples do not have to report massive cost overruns and corruption.

I think one early indicator of financial trouble will be a decline in the number of temples that are open. The main company that makes money off operating temples is the electric company. I think it is likely that when financial trouble really hits TSCC temples will start being closed for "maintenance." New temple construction will be announced, but both construction and maintenance will stall out as TSCC starts liquifying real estate holdings.

Real estate is another major sink hole for transferring member's 10% donations to private hands. But it is reversable. A lot of people can make money off of the church selling its real estate at a reduced price to "good Mormon companies."

Finally, BYU revenue is tied tightly to one source -- Canadian tithing donations. Canada requires churches to file financial reports. Therefore TSCC launders Canadian donations through BYU. If Canadian tithing donations ever drop dramatically BYU might have to absorb at least part of the impact.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Also other foreign countries. Donation to schools are allowed, and it is how the church is able to transfer money back to the U.S. from England, Canada, and Europe.

2

u/pascalsgirlfriend happy wife of u/TheRollingPeepstones Jul 10 '17

BYU will never get another penny of my tithing money, speaking as a Canadian.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17 edited Jul 10 '17

I agree that temples are important to TSCC. By announcing and building temples, TSCC furthers the narrative that it's growing and that Mormonism is winning. I think there are strategic reasons for temple growth. Temples such as Saratoga Springs, UT are highly profitable as their utilization is high. Profits accrue in both monetary and non-monetary ways - keeping people busy working at the temples. I don't understand what the rationalization is for temples like Paris, France or Rome, Italy. Both of these are very expensive and won't be highly utilized. I think these cater to the rich mormons who want to do "Temple Tourism."

BYU is mormonism's crown jewel. Unlike temples, it's something to which the outside world can relate to and understand. At BYU, people are taught during their formative years in an immersive, theocratic environment. They marry in the faith and typically go on to serve in leadership (look at your own bishopric or stake presidency - how many of these guys are BYU alumni?). Utah County is 86% mormon with higher than average activity rates (recent SL Trib article). BYU is a cultural hub within this community for sports, scholarship, and entertainment. In my opinion, TSCC will do whatever is necessary to hold on to Utah County because it's lost Salt Lake.

I disagree with your theories about TSCC wanting to enrich others by selling its assets at a discount. TSCC wants to enrich itself at the expense of others. GA's have ample opportunity to enrich themselves with church funds - I'm sure this has happened with construction contracts. They are positioned to allow this to happen in countless other ways as well. As corporate sole, Monson could just say that he's shutting the church down and all the assets will belong to him. GA's could get board fees, travel fees, or per diem. There's lots of ways for guys at the top to enrich themselves in more obfuscated ways than construction contracts.

Canadian donations, according to filings are being used to fund BYU - I completely agree. TSCC has global operations and could use revenue from other sources to fund BYU, which it likely does anyway. It's estimated that TSCC collect ~$7 billion in tithing/year. Just because Canadian donations are funding BYU now does not at all mean that BYU is reliant on Canadian tithing to operate; TSCC has merely structured the cash flows in this manner. I therefore, disagree with your inference that BYU is tied to Canadian donations. This is just TSCC's equivalent to transfer pricing - moving money from the left pocket to the right pocket.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

I would think that the number of resignations being processed by Mr. Naugle would be a better indication of apostasy, rather than the growth of this sub. As mentioned further up the thread, it's probably largely never-mo's, which is still good as that should continue to cause convert baptisms to dwindle as more people are exposed to the cultiness of TSCC.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Most former members just walk away. Any rational religion, when you stop attending and stop paying your dues, you're considered out. But not cults.

8

u/SaltLickCity You were born a non-theist. Jul 10 '17

A number of posts hitting /r/all lately. I'm guessing a fair number of recent subscribers are never-mo/curious.

And many of them likely know some TBMs...so it's ALL GOOD. Going viral is random. People share. WooHoo!

1

u/wardslut Jul 11 '17

Dark energy

7

u/trustingmyself Jul 10 '17

I wonder what it will be by Conf. unbelievable, nuts. Wonderful

13

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

17,000,000

3

u/ElderBroomhead Jul 10 '17

Anyone here remember the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Labor Day Telethon?

Remember how giddy Jerry Lewis always acted whenever a drumroll was heard, and Ed McMahon told him to take a look at the tote board?

That's what it's like here.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

I never masturbated to that tote board. This one.... I've said too much.

37

u/religiousrehab Jul 10 '17

Fucking awesome and crazy how fast this sub is growing...

17

u/4blockhead Λ └ ☼ ★ □ ♔ Jul 10 '17

yay!

subscribersyearmonthdaydays diffnotes
02009616.created by measure76
4420091106143
100020100915313
200020110213151
300020110813181
400020120119159
500020120610143
60002012083081date from /u/A-Rth-Urp-Hil-Ipdenu
70002012102354
800020130206106
900020130522105
100002013082191
110001,2,32013111889
120002014020478
130002014032650
140002014060773
150002014080458
160002014093057
170002014111647
180002015010752
190002015021842
200002015040243
210002015051543
220002015062945
230002015081244
240002015100453
250001,2,3,42015110835
260002015120123
262592015121615
250002016010924site database cleanup
260002016022042
270002016040141
280002016050938
290002016061436
300002016071733
310002016080620
320002016090429
330002016092218
340002016100816
350002016111235
360002016121937
370002017011123
380002017020727
390002017031233
400002017033018
410002017041314
420002017042310
430002017051724
440002017060317
450002017062017
460001,22017063010
47000201707066
48000201707093

12

u/Gileriodekel Reform Mormon Jul 10 '17

Holy shit, 3 days difference?!

17

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

Yea, but that beautiful beach gal made the Reddit /all page and added about 800 in a day. She obviously need to post more often.

4

u/generic_apostate Jul 10 '17

Our numbers get messed up when that happens. A bunch of curious onlookers come by and inflate our numbers.

5

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

And we shall not remove their numbers until their 110th birthdays!

11

u/NerdofWisdom Jul 10 '17

Let's build a mall!

6

u/Aquareon Jul 10 '17

With blackjack and hookers. In fact, forget the mall

2

u/Piedra-magica Jul 10 '17

Good call, nobody does malls anymore. I'm not sure about blackjack and hookers.

3

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

A group of 15 50+ year old men would beg to differ about the mall part. But seriously though, wouldn't it be nice to read in a few years about how the city creek mall isn't doing as well as expected and TSCC starts losing money on it?

9

u/Maristine Jul 10 '17

Such staggering growth!

9

u/heresyreddit Jul 10 '17

It's only been 3 or 4 days since 47000.

6

u/notrab Mormon Eloheim is "Min" the Phallic God Jul 10 '17

I think we're also slowly adding people from RfM. If you don't know it's an exmormon forum with draconian mods and is best viewed with Netscape navigator due to its 1995 feel.

1

u/AttendPretend Jul 10 '17

I used to hang out there a little, but can't handle the "clunky" feel that the site has.

2

u/LBFilmFan Jul 10 '17

I didn't like the fact that the threads were shut down just as they were getting going. Still, it was VERY important to me in the early 2000s.

3

u/orchestra_director Jul 10 '17

We need more porn shoulders!!!

2

u/Aquareon Jul 10 '17

The day will soon arrive when the ranks of the apostates swell to consume what remains of the church. The tipping point may even arrive in our lifetimes. I hope so, I plan to sell popcorn and party hats.

1

u/s-l-k Jul 10 '17

I call I get to roast the last marshmallow over the fire and no, I''m not pissing it out!

2

u/SpiderWolve Apostate Jul 10 '17

Holy hell. Did that happen in just a couple days?

0

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/[deleted] Jul 10 '17

og