INOCULATING THE SAINTS: THE PROS AND CONS OF PROACTIVELY TEACHING CHURCH MEMBERS ABOUT DIFFICULT MORMON ISSUES Would fewer members leave the Church if they were taught about the stickier issues of LDS history and theology in faithful, institutional settings rather than stumbling upon them on the Internet or from other sources? Perhaps fewer members would feel “betrayed” by the Church when they encounter troubling information after being in the Church for years without being taught about discrepencies. But were the Church to more proactively engage in “information inoculation,” would so doing better serve faith and spiritual growth? What should the role of the Church as an institution be in doing this versus that of LDS independent and apologist groups? In the lead-up to the 150th anniversary of the Mountain Meadows Massacre in September, 2007, we are seeing a few Church-directed efforts to teach members about this terrible episode. Are we seeing an institutional shift in the way they will engage challenging issues from now on?

CHARLES RANDALL PAUL, BLAKE OSTLER, KEVIN BARNEY, MIKE ASH