So the Philadelphia Inquierer published some quite informative articles on the Miss America pageant. This may be in part because Atlantic City where it is held is within the paper's greater readership area.
What we learn from all of this, and from thinking about it, is that Miss America is in crisis. The removal of the old board and the introduction of a new leadership has caused a break. Many people feel they were basically told the competition had to either drop the swimsuit portion, or be dropped by ABC. It is now clear that was never the case, and they feel lied to.
However a bigger break seems to be a fight over the wording of the contracts. The new leadership, if I am reading what is going on correctly, seems to want to make Miss America an at will employee of the Miss America organization. Weather they would remove her without good cause is hard to say, but I can see people not wanting to make removal easier. There is also talk of giving her bonuses if she does her job well.
Such changes are a lot bigger than ending the swim suit competition and opening the processional to any outfit, not just evening gowns.
Also unclear is how the trickle down from the national organization works. Will all state competitions no longer be allowed swim suit competitions and evening gowns as of next year.
Related to this there has been some argument over the amount of scholarship money given out by Miss America. It used to claim $45 million, but only around $2 million is actually traced. One issue often overlooked is scholarship awards are a funky thing.
Miss America compensated winners in furs and movie contracts in the 1930s. In 1944 it began giving out college scholarships. However contestants must be between age 18 and 26. Maybe it is time to reconsider the top age and move to 30. Either way, not all 26-year-olds will be going to college within the allowed time for the scholarship money. Others will have bills below what they win. This might not be a direct likelihood for those people the top prize, but many of these contestants will have other scholarship sources. So like most scholarships that awarded and that paid out is not the same.
However Miss America has another problem. It is actually the main motivation behind dropping the swim suit competition, although I am not sure that change will fix the other problem. In the 1980s annual competitors within the system could number 85,000. This year, only 4,000 women entered into the competition at its sub-state level feeder competitions.
Why this is I cant say for sure. Marriage rates for women in this age bracket have dropped. Have any competitors with out-of-wedlock children ever participated? Even if they are not formally barred, post-pregnant bodies are a hard fight against those that were never such in many cases.
There are many other issues. There are lots more options for women in sports, other scholarship options have also multiplied. Social stigma against pageants has increased. At the same time all youth organizations have struggled. Boy Scouts a little less since the LDS-Church propped it up, but the break between the LDS Church an Boy Scouts may have been because the system called for a level of social capital not workable any more. It also was mainly just the LDS Church and BSA and Boy Scouts Canada, and only on the boys not the girls side. All this made the attempt of leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints such as Russell M. Nelson to create a unifying worldwide program only workable if scouts was left behind.
There is another possible issue. This is competition inflation. Basically over time people run up the stakes of competitions by trying harder and harder to win. This increases the direct financial costs of winning and more often the opportunity cost, the amount of time diverted to winning as opposed to other things.
Closely related to this is the likelihood that the number of local level competitions has fallen. Whenever such a competition folds, it probably decreases the likelihood people will participate.
Right now Miss America is facing the effects of years of fewer competitors and apparently a loss of sponsors. The new contracts seem to say your scholarship money is unsure, and you will be more at will. I can see why people are reluctant to sign such especially with a lack of transparency at the top. Rewriting the contracts the same year the competition itself was so fully reformatted was a very bad idea.
Showing posts with label Russell M. Nelson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russell M. Nelson. Show all posts
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Sunday, July 15, 2018
The Reform of the Church under Russell M. Nelson
It is a bit hard to yet assess the Nelsonian reforms.
Some of this is a result of the Church being run be commitee, in a deliberate way in which no changes are made without consultation.
One thing that is clear, is that the Nelsonian reforms connect to those under Thomas S. Monson.
It is hard to figure exactly where to start tracking the current changes. Another related issue is that many changes are minor, incremental, and sometime hard for Church members let alone those not in the Church to figure out.
The start of the current system can largely be traced to the publication of the current Church Handbook of Instructions. The changes in there are at times complex. The main thrust was to try to shift some responsibilities from the bishop and the bishopric to the ward council. At the same time the ward acativities committee was scapped. In part this was because the committee often would create activities for its own purposes and neither consider the overall needs of the ward nor incoprate the ward into these activities. There are probably other changes, but those are the ones I can explain easiest.
The next big change I think is the introduction of the new curriclum for the youth sunday school classes and seminary and young men/young women. Although I only think this pre-dates the major shift in the age for missionaries.
The new curriculums emphasize more collaborative work and less the teacher just imparting information. On the other hand to some it can tend towards being more repetative than the old curriculum.
The missionary age change is very, very big. For elders not so much, though some. It makes it easier for many to go, and it gives more flexability in when to go. For sisters it is a huge plus. It makes it possible to finish a mission much younger, and makes it possible for many more to go. Weather its net effect is to make it so women in the Church are younger or older when they get married is hard to impossible to track. Since the marriage age has in general been rising for various factors, even if the marriage age in the Church has risen since the missionary age change, that would not show causation.
At this point we get a few other changes. First the church began to have women give prayers in general conference. However I am not sure if any of the prayers in the most recent conference were given by women. Although, what this most emphsizes is that while the talks are written and published, the prayers are not. This is part of why I think this issue has been over publizied by many.
The next set of changes largely result from the missionary age change and the connected rise in the number of sister missionaries. First, the role of the companion (wife) of the mission president was given a more formal setting in the way the mission works. At the same time the zone leaders council was replaced by the mission council. This council involved the mission presidents companion having a formal role. Also, the role of coordinating sister was created.
Next came the revision of the institute curriculum. The move from having the scriptures themselves to a new set up as the main curriculum was unpopular with some. However it generally increased understanding of the way the Church is run.
At this point I think we can start with the 2017 changes. Some of these point to why I cannot easily see a major break from Monsonian to Nelsonian reforms.
The first 2017 reform I can think of is the ending of sponsoring of explorer and varsity programs for the 14-17 year old young men. I have to admit that I do not understand exactly how much the programs for 14-17 year olds have changed, but it was the first step to leaving the scouts.
Other changes in 2017 included the announcment of allowing priests to officiate in baptisms for the dead, the change of the priesthood preview program for 11-year-old boys to priesthood and temple preview for 11-year-old boys and girls. Then of course there was the reformating of the melchizedke priesthood/relief society curriculum. This is a major set of cahgnes. Also there was the announcment that priesthood meeting and the general women's meeting would alternate April and October.
2018 has already seen many changes. The new letters on abuse make it clear that no Church leader should ever encourage anyone to stay in anabusive relationship or discourage reporting abuse. They also say those who report abuse should be believed. What is less clear is how much this is really a change from anti-abuse policies dating back at least to 1994 and stringent rules against those with sexual abuse of children on their record ever working with children.
There were some big changes though. The multiple adults working with youth was extended to all females and not just males. Policies for youth and women to interview not alone were put in place, but it is less clear how much this was a change and how much this was publicizing.
General Conference has major changes. The calling of an Asian-American and a Latin American apostle were the most hyped, but not the biggest changes.
The first major change was the end of high priest groups. In my branch the actual affect is less than clear. However it is a big change and move toward unity in most of the Church. Next, the replacement of home and visiting teaching with ministering is very, very big. It will take a while to understand, but it moves from focused reporting to braod goals.
Next in May we have the announcment of the end of the Church's relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. If there is a misunderstood change, it is this. The goal here is two fold. 1-to make a unified international program. 2-to make the programs for boys and girls more unform.
June sees a few changes, although some are more hype than real. Plans for a new hymnbook and children's songbook are announced. However this involved a 2019 deadline for new hymn submissions, and plans for a unified hymnbook in each language. Although this somewhat existed, for example "israel, Israel, God is Calling" and its French equivalent are both hymn 6 at present.
The Church announced new adult and primary curriculm. I have to admit that I have not yet understood that much. As a Sunday School president, I need to soon.
The new mission presidents seminary was renamed the new mission leaders seminar. This emphasized the key role of the mission presidents compaions (wife). I am not sure if this is more than a symantic change. The seminar was also shortened, and the role of the aposltes and first presidency in running it seems to have increased.
The Church also made much more public the questions asked of youth in limited use temple recomends and other questions, although I have not discerned any actual policy changes there.
Some of this is a result of the Church being run be commitee, in a deliberate way in which no changes are made without consultation.
One thing that is clear, is that the Nelsonian reforms connect to those under Thomas S. Monson.
It is hard to figure exactly where to start tracking the current changes. Another related issue is that many changes are minor, incremental, and sometime hard for Church members let alone those not in the Church to figure out.
The start of the current system can largely be traced to the publication of the current Church Handbook of Instructions. The changes in there are at times complex. The main thrust was to try to shift some responsibilities from the bishop and the bishopric to the ward council. At the same time the ward acativities committee was scapped. In part this was because the committee often would create activities for its own purposes and neither consider the overall needs of the ward nor incoprate the ward into these activities. There are probably other changes, but those are the ones I can explain easiest.
The next big change I think is the introduction of the new curriclum for the youth sunday school classes and seminary and young men/young women. Although I only think this pre-dates the major shift in the age for missionaries.
The new curriculums emphasize more collaborative work and less the teacher just imparting information. On the other hand to some it can tend towards being more repetative than the old curriculum.
The missionary age change is very, very big. For elders not so much, though some. It makes it easier for many to go, and it gives more flexability in when to go. For sisters it is a huge plus. It makes it possible to finish a mission much younger, and makes it possible for many more to go. Weather its net effect is to make it so women in the Church are younger or older when they get married is hard to impossible to track. Since the marriage age has in general been rising for various factors, even if the marriage age in the Church has risen since the missionary age change, that would not show causation.
At this point we get a few other changes. First the church began to have women give prayers in general conference. However I am not sure if any of the prayers in the most recent conference were given by women. Although, what this most emphsizes is that while the talks are written and published, the prayers are not. This is part of why I think this issue has been over publizied by many.
The next set of changes largely result from the missionary age change and the connected rise in the number of sister missionaries. First, the role of the companion (wife) of the mission president was given a more formal setting in the way the mission works. At the same time the zone leaders council was replaced by the mission council. This council involved the mission presidents companion having a formal role. Also, the role of coordinating sister was created.
Next came the revision of the institute curriculum. The move from having the scriptures themselves to a new set up as the main curriculum was unpopular with some. However it generally increased understanding of the way the Church is run.
At this point I think we can start with the 2017 changes. Some of these point to why I cannot easily see a major break from Monsonian to Nelsonian reforms.
The first 2017 reform I can think of is the ending of sponsoring of explorer and varsity programs for the 14-17 year old young men. I have to admit that I do not understand exactly how much the programs for 14-17 year olds have changed, but it was the first step to leaving the scouts.
Other changes in 2017 included the announcment of allowing priests to officiate in baptisms for the dead, the change of the priesthood preview program for 11-year-old boys to priesthood and temple preview for 11-year-old boys and girls. Then of course there was the reformating of the melchizedke priesthood/relief society curriculum. This is a major set of cahgnes. Also there was the announcment that priesthood meeting and the general women's meeting would alternate April and October.
2018 has already seen many changes. The new letters on abuse make it clear that no Church leader should ever encourage anyone to stay in anabusive relationship or discourage reporting abuse. They also say those who report abuse should be believed. What is less clear is how much this is really a change from anti-abuse policies dating back at least to 1994 and stringent rules against those with sexual abuse of children on their record ever working with children.
There were some big changes though. The multiple adults working with youth was extended to all females and not just males. Policies for youth and women to interview not alone were put in place, but it is less clear how much this was a change and how much this was publicizing.
General Conference has major changes. The calling of an Asian-American and a Latin American apostle were the most hyped, but not the biggest changes.
The first major change was the end of high priest groups. In my branch the actual affect is less than clear. However it is a big change and move toward unity in most of the Church. Next, the replacement of home and visiting teaching with ministering is very, very big. It will take a while to understand, but it moves from focused reporting to braod goals.
Next in May we have the announcment of the end of the Church's relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. If there is a misunderstood change, it is this. The goal here is two fold. 1-to make a unified international program. 2-to make the programs for boys and girls more unform.
June sees a few changes, although some are more hype than real. Plans for a new hymnbook and children's songbook are announced. However this involved a 2019 deadline for new hymn submissions, and plans for a unified hymnbook in each language. Although this somewhat existed, for example "israel, Israel, God is Calling" and its French equivalent are both hymn 6 at present.
The Church announced new adult and primary curriculm. I have to admit that I have not yet understood that much. As a Sunday School president, I need to soon.
The new mission presidents seminary was renamed the new mission leaders seminar. This emphasized the key role of the mission presidents compaions (wife). I am not sure if this is more than a symantic change. The seminar was also shortened, and the role of the aposltes and first presidency in running it seems to have increased.
The Church also made much more public the questions asked of youth in limited use temple recomends and other questions, although I have not discerned any actual policy changes there.
Our Great Leader: Russell M. Nelson
I feel like we have not had enough coverage of Russell M. Nelson. I also have a sense of not understanding him very well.
I read the biography of President Nelson by Spencer J. Condie back about when it came about in 2003 or so. That means it has been 15 years.
President Nelson was a very important person in the rise of modern heart surgery. I am not sure anyone who can express this issue eloquently has done it enough coverage.
President Nelson was the moving force behind the expansion of the Church into eastern Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He has also made many, many visits to countries such as Kenya, Mozambique, Ghana and on and on.
Unlike most other current members of the quorum of the 12, President Nelson was never resident outside the US as a general authority. He was stationed in Korea and Japan while working in Army medical during the Korean War, although that was a investigative and moving assignment. He is also fluent in Mandarin. I am not sure what other languages he is fluent in.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Rusell M. Nelson: A witness to the world
It is hard to quantify, but President Nelson is possibly the most heavily traveled president of the Church to date. He has clearly spent more time in the nations of Eastern Euriope and Africa than President Hinckley did. although with how much President Hinckley traveled to Asia during his early time as a general authority and everywhere as President of the Church, President Nelson may not have yet traveled as much.
On the other hand, President Nelson did spent significant time in both Japan and Korea in the early 1950s. He visited every MASH location in Korea, and many other locations as well. As a medical doctor he traveled and made presentations all around the world.
Even back in 1974 President Nelson as general president of the Sunday School traveled to what was then Rhodesia on a Church assignment. His visit to Harare, Zimbabwe yesterday as part of his golbal ministry tour was at least his third visit to that city. He also went there in 2004 when he spoke at a stake conference, where the then stake president Edward Dube lamented that only 75% of his stake members showed up. Most stakes wish that 75% of the members entered a Church building even once a year.
In 1992 President Nelson dedicated Zambia for the preaching of the gospel. Weather he also was in Zimbabwe at all during that trip I do not know. It appears that this is the 3rd or 4th trip on the part of President Nelson to Zimbabwe.
Interestingly enough, no president of the Church has ever traveled to Francophone Africa while President.
It is hard to quantify, but President Nelson is possibly the most heavily traveled president of the Church to date. He has clearly spent more time in the nations of Eastern Euriope and Africa than President Hinckley did. although with how much President Hinckley traveled to Asia during his early time as a general authority and everywhere as President of the Church, President Nelson may not have yet traveled as much.
On the other hand, President Nelson did spent significant time in both Japan and Korea in the early 1950s. He visited every MASH location in Korea, and many other locations as well. As a medical doctor he traveled and made presentations all around the world.
Even back in 1974 President Nelson as general president of the Sunday School traveled to what was then Rhodesia on a Church assignment. His visit to Harare, Zimbabwe yesterday as part of his golbal ministry tour was at least his third visit to that city. He also went there in 2004 when he spoke at a stake conference, where the then stake president Edward Dube lamented that only 75% of his stake members showed up. Most stakes wish that 75% of the members entered a Church building even once a year.
In 1992 President Nelson dedicated Zambia for the preaching of the gospel. Weather he also was in Zimbabwe at all during that trip I do not know. It appears that this is the 3rd or 4th trip on the part of President Nelson to Zimbabwe.
Interestingly enough, no president of the Church has ever traveled to Francophone Africa while President.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Thomas S. Monson, rest in peace
Thomas S. Monson passed away last night. Although when he died was just after midnight Michigan time.
It is hard at this juncture to say a lot. I am saddened by the passing and glad he has rejoined his belowed Frances.
President Monson was first called as an apostle in 1963. The president of the Quorum of the 12 then was Joseph Fielding Smith, whose parents had lived in exile in Hawaii for some of his formative years, and who was a teenaged before the Salt Lake Temple was completed.
The president of the Church who called President Monson was David O. McKay. When President McKay had become president of the Church all stakes were in the US, Albetrta, Canada or the Mormon colonies in Hawaii. No stake operated in a language other than English. It was only while President Monson was president of the Canadian mission that missionary work to French-speakers in Canada was initiatiated.
In 1971 Elder Monson was one of the apostles involved in setting apart the leadership of the Genesis Group. This group was created to serve the needs of African-American Latter-day Saints. In 1973 in his journal as noted in a Deseret News article published today, Elder Monson expressed the hope that the African-American brethren leading the Genesis Group could soon receive the priesthood. He was the last man alive who had been present in 1978 when President Kimball received the revelation on the priesthood. He was also present at the first sacrament meeting of the Genesis Group, and performed the first temple sealing involving a couple including an African-American. Also as a member of the Priesthood Executive Committee he was involved in issueing the first mission calls to people of African-descent in the 20th century (Elijah Able had been a missionary in the 19th-century). Among those then called was Marcus Martins who would be called as a mission president by President Monson.
President Monson dedicated Haiti for the preaching of the gospel in 1982. His first assignments as an apostle had been to Oceania. He organized the first stake in Tonga for example.
President Monson had a vision of a church where all wards and branches were lead by local brethren, and not by full-time missionaries. Where as many people as possible lived in stakes and could receive patriarchal blessings and where no members lived more than 200 miles from the temple.
From about 1969-1985 President Monson oversaw the Church in Eastern Europe. It was truly a labor of love. He was centrally involved in the negotiations that lead to missionaries in East German before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germans called as missionaries, and the building of the Friberg Germany Temple. While most of the major progress in eastern Europe happened after President Monson was called to the First Presidency, and it was Elder Russell M. Nelson who was the main point man on that, President Monson was key in laying the groundwork.
President Monson was also a key figure in the LDS edition of the scriptures that came out from 1979-1981.
He was a man who had a vision of ministry to the one.
His role while a counselor to Presidents Benson, Hunter and Hinckley is hard for me to directly assess.
As preisdent of the Church, he oversaw many major developments, although many were continuances of policies of those before.
The biggest change under his administration was the lowering of the missionary age, especially for young women. This also lead to a reformating of mission counsels. There were also major advances in missionary use of technology and changes in various other guidelines for misisonaries.
Another big change was seen in major revisions of Church curriculum. This started in 2013 with new youth curriculum. The CES curriculum went through major revisions as well. Then in 2016 came teacher councils. The 2010 revision of the Church Handbook of instructions also emphasized more the importance of the ward council. The Church moved to be more strongly governed by councils at all levels. The new melchizedek preisthood and relief society curriculum move this central role of councils and new approach to curriculum even more broadly. The adult Sunday School curriculum has not seen much revision. The Doctrine and Covenants online materials did include some very useful connections and additional material, but I have to say it was not uniformly utilized. On the other hand the online edition of the Old Testament student manual still uses the Old Bible dictionary name for an article, not even reflecting the alterations in the Bible Dictionary published in I believe 2013.
On the political and social issues front President Monson has largely reflected a continuation of policies from before. The 2008 support of Proposition 8 and similar measures in other states was in line with previous support. The move of the Church voicing its support for legal protection of man/woman marriage outside of the US may have been new under President Monson, but was a result more of the issue being voiced in areas where there was a chance for public comment combined with situations like an all Mexican area presidency in Mexico being about the only group that could have lead out on the issue in the political climate of Mexico. The Church seems to have possibly been more vocal in its support for finding solutions to immigration issues that would allow families to remain together, but I have not studied the issue in depth enough to be able to time Church statements on this issue very clearly.
While the Church has clearly endorsed a level of housing and employment protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation that I do not think was announced before, it has signaled that man/woman marriage will remain the only accepted place for sexual interaction in Church policy. The policy to excommunicate those who enter same-sex marriage has caused outrage to some, and others to misrepresent it.
The Church has also lead out in interfaith work, and a push for religious freedom.
At the same time the Church has majorly increased its openess and scholarly publications. The Chuirch Historians Press was launched under President Monson, although much of the initial legwork for this initiatiate was started under President Hinckley. Starting in 2013 the Church published several gospel topic essays, that dealt frankly with difficult subjects like race and the priesthood. The fact that a few weeks ago I was able to show such to an active Church member who had never read them shows that they have not been read as much as they need to be.
The role of women in the Church has also beeen changed in significant if not fully comprehended ways. Women giving prayers in regular sessions of general conference, and the women's conference being made for all women 8 and up and being clearly indicated as part of general conference are significant changes. The most recent, with the alternating general priesthood meeting and general women's meeting on Saturday evenings of general conference is also a big one. Also the role of the mission president's companion (wife) has been given a more formal place in mission structure, and the mission council now includes female missionaries, and there is the new leadership title for sister missionaries (the exact name escapes me at the moment).
The BYU pathway program has been another major initiative during President Monson's presidency.
Lastly, we have seen a push forward in the number of temples. Not on the level of what we saw under President Hinckley, but still a major push forward. We have seen temples announced for several places very far from existing temples.
I know there are lots more things to cover, but I think this is a good start.
Latly, President Monson was a man of compasion who was able to lead to Church to better reach out in service and caring to meet the needs of the individual.
It is hard at this juncture to say a lot. I am saddened by the passing and glad he has rejoined his belowed Frances.
President Monson was first called as an apostle in 1963. The president of the Quorum of the 12 then was Joseph Fielding Smith, whose parents had lived in exile in Hawaii for some of his formative years, and who was a teenaged before the Salt Lake Temple was completed.
The president of the Church who called President Monson was David O. McKay. When President McKay had become president of the Church all stakes were in the US, Albetrta, Canada or the Mormon colonies in Hawaii. No stake operated in a language other than English. It was only while President Monson was president of the Canadian mission that missionary work to French-speakers in Canada was initiatiated.
In 1971 Elder Monson was one of the apostles involved in setting apart the leadership of the Genesis Group. This group was created to serve the needs of African-American Latter-day Saints. In 1973 in his journal as noted in a Deseret News article published today, Elder Monson expressed the hope that the African-American brethren leading the Genesis Group could soon receive the priesthood. He was the last man alive who had been present in 1978 when President Kimball received the revelation on the priesthood. He was also present at the first sacrament meeting of the Genesis Group, and performed the first temple sealing involving a couple including an African-American. Also as a member of the Priesthood Executive Committee he was involved in issueing the first mission calls to people of African-descent in the 20th century (Elijah Able had been a missionary in the 19th-century). Among those then called was Marcus Martins who would be called as a mission president by President Monson.
President Monson dedicated Haiti for the preaching of the gospel in 1982. His first assignments as an apostle had been to Oceania. He organized the first stake in Tonga for example.
President Monson had a vision of a church where all wards and branches were lead by local brethren, and not by full-time missionaries. Where as many people as possible lived in stakes and could receive patriarchal blessings and where no members lived more than 200 miles from the temple.
From about 1969-1985 President Monson oversaw the Church in Eastern Europe. It was truly a labor of love. He was centrally involved in the negotiations that lead to missionaries in East German before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germans called as missionaries, and the building of the Friberg Germany Temple. While most of the major progress in eastern Europe happened after President Monson was called to the First Presidency, and it was Elder Russell M. Nelson who was the main point man on that, President Monson was key in laying the groundwork.
President Monson was also a key figure in the LDS edition of the scriptures that came out from 1979-1981.
He was a man who had a vision of ministry to the one.
His role while a counselor to Presidents Benson, Hunter and Hinckley is hard for me to directly assess.
As preisdent of the Church, he oversaw many major developments, although many were continuances of policies of those before.
The biggest change under his administration was the lowering of the missionary age, especially for young women. This also lead to a reformating of mission counsels. There were also major advances in missionary use of technology and changes in various other guidelines for misisonaries.
Another big change was seen in major revisions of Church curriculum. This started in 2013 with new youth curriculum. The CES curriculum went through major revisions as well. Then in 2016 came teacher councils. The 2010 revision of the Church Handbook of instructions also emphasized more the importance of the ward council. The Church moved to be more strongly governed by councils at all levels. The new melchizedek preisthood and relief society curriculum move this central role of councils and new approach to curriculum even more broadly. The adult Sunday School curriculum has not seen much revision. The Doctrine and Covenants online materials did include some very useful connections and additional material, but I have to say it was not uniformly utilized. On the other hand the online edition of the Old Testament student manual still uses the Old Bible dictionary name for an article, not even reflecting the alterations in the Bible Dictionary published in I believe 2013.
On the political and social issues front President Monson has largely reflected a continuation of policies from before. The 2008 support of Proposition 8 and similar measures in other states was in line with previous support. The move of the Church voicing its support for legal protection of man/woman marriage outside of the US may have been new under President Monson, but was a result more of the issue being voiced in areas where there was a chance for public comment combined with situations like an all Mexican area presidency in Mexico being about the only group that could have lead out on the issue in the political climate of Mexico. The Church seems to have possibly been more vocal in its support for finding solutions to immigration issues that would allow families to remain together, but I have not studied the issue in depth enough to be able to time Church statements on this issue very clearly.
While the Church has clearly endorsed a level of housing and employment protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation that I do not think was announced before, it has signaled that man/woman marriage will remain the only accepted place for sexual interaction in Church policy. The policy to excommunicate those who enter same-sex marriage has caused outrage to some, and others to misrepresent it.
The Church has also lead out in interfaith work, and a push for religious freedom.
At the same time the Church has majorly increased its openess and scholarly publications. The Chuirch Historians Press was launched under President Monson, although much of the initial legwork for this initiatiate was started under President Hinckley. Starting in 2013 the Church published several gospel topic essays, that dealt frankly with difficult subjects like race and the priesthood. The fact that a few weeks ago I was able to show such to an active Church member who had never read them shows that they have not been read as much as they need to be.
The role of women in the Church has also beeen changed in significant if not fully comprehended ways. Women giving prayers in regular sessions of general conference, and the women's conference being made for all women 8 and up and being clearly indicated as part of general conference are significant changes. The most recent, with the alternating general priesthood meeting and general women's meeting on Saturday evenings of general conference is also a big one. Also the role of the mission president's companion (wife) has been given a more formal place in mission structure, and the mission council now includes female missionaries, and there is the new leadership title for sister missionaries (the exact name escapes me at the moment).
The BYU pathway program has been another major initiative during President Monson's presidency.
Lastly, we have seen a push forward in the number of temples. Not on the level of what we saw under President Hinckley, but still a major push forward. We have seen temples announced for several places very far from existing temples.
I know there are lots more things to cover, but I think this is a good start.
Latly, President Monson was a man of compasion who was able to lead to Church to better reach out in service and caring to meet the needs of the individual.
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