I believe there is an unstoppable reformation happening right now– beginning in the LDS community & Christianity in general— that is just as big & radical as the Protestant reformation of the 15th century. Much like Gutenberg’s printing press, the internet has brought about a new era of information availability, historical awareness and cultural questioning in the world’s politics and churches. (this is especially true for Islam & Christianity!) Religious adherents around the world are reading details of the histories, scriptures, doctrines and experiences of both their own religious traditions comparing them to those of other religious adherents all over the world; and its forcing them to reconsider how their own religious traditions can fit into the diversity of the whole (see Jacob 5:48–64). In short people are radically seeking to understand how their religions can be universalized or fit into a single universal truth. And moving toward that endevor millions of religious adherents are pressing for theological reforms as the Spirit sweeps the earth with information and truth.

I’m a proud active Mormon (member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), and I care a lot about my faith. As I’ve combed the internet to look closely at Mormon history over the last decade and compared it to religious traditions across the world; I’ve had to radically reshape the beliefs and world-view I was taught as a child in the pre-internet age. Like many, I’ve found that because of limited information, the views of LDS leaders and past generations were on occasion, false, contrary to our own scriptures, narrow, prideful, exclusive and egotistical. Many of their actions were occasionally far less than holy. And I’ve learned to be OK with that!

But to do my part in this process of fitting my cultural Mormon religious views into the Spirit of Truth sweeping the earth, I offer the following as topics for other Members or Mormon investigators to think about. I don’t say any of these things to be dogmatic or divisive—to the contrary, as I read through LDS blogs and forums, I see way too much division and way too many people leaving the Church over misunderstandings, with very ill feelings.  Its something I’ve given a lot of thought and study to, and as I’ve prayed and searched through the scriptures for answers I’ve felt inspired with the following list of divisive cultural traditions, teachings and practices which seem to go against our own founding revelations. Each reform uses LDS scripture to show possible corrections to our cultural practices. As I’ve implemented these reforms in my own belief system it has transformed, universalized and enriched the way I look at worship and LDS religion. I hope it may equally help the reader who may have been led here.