The Mysteries of Freemasonry: Essays on Masonic History, Symbolism, the Esoteric, and the Future of Freemasonry, Koltko-Rivera Mark E.

Includes references, index. 5 illustrations, 29 figures, 22 tables, 2 charts.

Chapters

1. Intro.: Who the Mormons Are.
2. Mormon Growth & Why It Happened, 1830-2011:
• Why the dramatic rise in LDS converts after 1973?
• Why the slowing of growth after 1990?
3. The Matrix of Future Mormon Growth: The Mormon World in 2012.
4. Future Mormon Growth Worldwide through 2120.
5. Future Mormon Growth in the U.S. through 2120.
6. Objections & Responses:
• "How valid can projections be, so far into the future?"
• "All sorts of things could upset your projections "
• "The pitfalls of straight-line projections" and the effects of organized opposition to Mormonism.
• "How could the LDS grow so large so quickly?"
• Modernization & Secularization.
• "An American church like the LDS will be less appealing in a post-American world."
• "The Mormons will run out of money first."
• "The Pentecostals will outgrow the Mormons."
• "There won't be enough people on the Earth to accommodate these projections."
• "There won't be enough people in America."
• "So many Mormons--in Protestant America?"
• "But more Mormons than Catholics?
• "The Mormons are falling away in droves."
• "But the LDS scriptures say the future Church will be 'few' and its dominions 'small' "
7. Why Religions Grow: A Model.
8. Exterior Forces "Pulling" for Mormon Growth:
• Central & South America and sub-Saharan Africa
• The United States
• Europe
• Mainland China
• India
• The lands of Islam
9. Interior Forces "Pushing" for Mormon Growth:
• The power of science and technology.
• The struggle to survive the end of civilization.
• The ambition to transform beyond the human.
• The discovery of extraterrestrial (intelligent) life.
10. Knowledge Forces and Mormon Growth.
11. The Potential Impact of High Mormon Growth: A 'More Mormon' World:
• more physically and mentally healthy
• better educated
• foundation for a new Renaissance
• and much more
12. Afterword: The Meaning of Mormon Growth.
13. Appendix A: Sources of Statistical Data & Methods of Projections.
14. Appendix B: The Slowing of Mormon Growth Post-1990: A Statistical Analysis.
15. Appendix C: Why Do People Convert to Mormonism?
16. Appendix D: Tracking Charts: Projected vs. Actual Mormon Growth, 2012-2040.

From the Preface:

In this book, I claim that there is no scriptural reason not to extend priesthood ordination to all worthy Latter-day Saint women. Statements by well-intended Church members to the effect that the Lord has restricted priesthood ordination to men are expressions of personal opinion, being supported neither by scripture nor explicit modern revelation. Arguments based on the idea that Jesus only ordained men are na ve regarding the way that the Lord seems to work with human cultures and social change. In modern times, it seems that Joseph Smith himself, during the last year and a half of his life, bestowed keys of the kingdom upon Latter-day Saint (LDS) women. Of course, I support all of this from the LDS Standard Works, modern revelation, and the valid historical record. I hope that this information will inform the private discussions that are going on around the Church at this time, regarding this issue.

I do not spend much space here considering the many impassioned arguments that people have made for and against the ordination of LDS women. I am interested in the views of One Personage only: The Lord, as expressed in His scriptures and through His prophets, when the latter are speaking as such. When I have looked very closely at these sources, I have found some interesting historical and doctrinal facts of which many of the Saints seem to be unaware today.

After a brief introductory chapter about the LDS priesthood, I consider teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith that are only becoming widely known in this generation, on the subject of women and the priesthood (Chapter 1). I consider separately the justifications that have been advanced for restricting LDS ordination to men (Chapter 2), and the objections that have been advanced against conferring the LDS priesthood upon women (Chapter 3). I then explain the real reasons why LDS women do not exercise the priesthood as of the early 2010s (Chapter 4). I describe what it is that might be best for the Saints to do-and not do-to address the issue of LDS women receiving the priesthood (Chapter 5). In Chapter 6, I consider more general objections-for example, objections to my even presuming to address this subject. Finally, I summarize my thoughts and relate some reflections on this issue (Chapter 7).

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction

1. What Joseph Smith Said About Women and the Priesthood
2. Justifications for Restricting LDS Priesthood to Men
3. Objections to Conferring Priesthood on LDS Women
4. The Real Reasons Why LDS Women Do Not Exercise the Priesthood in the Early 2010s
5. The Future
6. Further Objections
7. Summary and Conclusion