He fought culture wars for the LDS Church. Here’s what he learned about his faith’s leaders — and losing — in the process.
Latter-day Saint leaders rely too heavily on P.R. and legal counsel, former Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero laments in his new book.
“Defeated: A Latter-day Saint’s Witness and Warning from 40 Years Deep Inside the Modern American Culture War.” Particularly difficult for Mero is the support The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given to “appeasement” efforts like the The Salt Lake Tribune spoke with him about what he learned about church leadership in the process, what he sees as the outsized role of lawyers and public relations professionals on faith higher-ups, and why he believes it’s time for the faithful to bury their broken, bloodied swords.
Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the governing First Presidency, speaks at General Conference in 2023. Oaks, Paul Mero says, is the mastermind behind the church's "switch" from opposing the advancement of LGBTQ rights to "appeasement" and "accommodation."I don’t think the accommodation effort was or has been sincere in terms that the LGBTQ community would like it to be.
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