IMO we need to be careful with this one. Maybe I'm an extreme outlier but I don't think the church should take the same tack that they've taken in the past, namely placing a lot of emphasis on strictly defining what a family is and what it is not. I'd prefer messages that say, "Whoever you consider to be your family, love them." but often the message is, "This is a family. That is not a family. No... I'm serious, that's really not a family. Stop it."The reason for the success? The "unrelenting focus on the family," writes author Daniel Cox.
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The biggest reason, says Cox, is the Church's continued emphasis on traditional family life and roles.
Being strict and ultra-conservative about nuclear families and gender roles is going to appeal to a lot of people. Is there any appeal or draw for people that are different? Does being more accepting of families or people that are different make the church experience lesser for all the traditional folk?
So long as it's not a session of general conference where DHO gives a talk.Cox attributes this to the willingness of the Church's leaders to alter its approach on tough issues. While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains its conservative theological stance, it has adopted more inclusive language when discussing LGBTQ members and is "offering a kinder and gentler approach on hot-button social issues" like LGBTQ rights.