For the first time ever, a sitting Mormon Bishop joins us to discuss the current situation with the Church's activity rates and its misleading membership statistics. He began watching Mormon Stories despite being an active Bishop and noticed questions and doubts arising among Mexican Saints, especially among English-speaking members as they had more access to information, such as through WhatsApp conversations between leaders discussing the SEC filing in Mexico. Obispo faced pressure to fudge numbers in his Ward Quarterly Report but pushed back, even calling Church Headquarters to find out policies. Obispo also discusses discrepancies between Mexican membership statistics and census data, as well as the pressure to bring people back through programs like "Finding Lost Members." The interview covers topics such as tithing, welfare, and fast offerings. Obispo wants the Church to do better and believes in doing what is right, even if he may face consequences for sharing. Update: Obispo shares his Mormon Story: https://youtube.com/live/pIEY5UQlT3g Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro & intentions 00:09:00 How does an active Bishop start watching Mormon Stories? 00:16:00 What's causing questions or doubts among the Mexican Saints? 00:18:00 English ability equates to more access to information 00:20:00 WhatsApp conversations between leaders about the SEC filing in Mexico 00:25:30 2018 Changes to Home teaching & reporting 00:37:30 Obispo sends his Ward Quarterly Report to the Stake Pres & General Offices 00:39:30 Stake Clerk Conversation asks Obispo to fudge the numbers 00:46:00 Motivation pressuring leaders to justify dishonesty 00:50:30 Obispo pushes back 00:55:30 Obey & sustain leaders, leave accountability to God 00:59:00 Checking with other leaders over similar instructions 01:00:00 Area Authority Request to Stake Presidencies 01:06:00 Obispo called Church Headquarters to find out policy 01:06:45 Audio recording of call to Headquarters 01:13:00 The lies come from the foundation 01:22:30 Mexican Membership statistics 01:24:45 Census in Mexico & Brazil 01:28:15 Membership: Church vs Census 01:30:30 Comparing to other Organized Religions in Mexico 01:45:00 How members identify based on experience 01:48:00 Mormon preference for appearance over substance 01:52:00 Obispo feels the Mexican Saints can be really harsh, like in Utah 01:56:00 The “Finding Lost Members” Program 02:00:00 The pressure to bring people back. 02:04:00 The various ways members are encouraged to “stalk” previous members 02:08:00 Northern Mexico Ward Sacrament Meeting Attendance 02:15:30 Northern Mexico Stake numbers 02:18:15 Tithing declaration and what members say about not paying it 02:23:00 Tithing Clip from General Conference 02:26:00 Church intentionally hiding wealth from membership over worries of tithing 02:28:45 Mexican Temples vs Census data 02:38:00 Contrast with Elder Bednar’s Press Conference 02:49:45 Letter from Area Presidency 02:50:00 Fast Offerings & guilt 02:58:00 Fast offering use in wealthy countries vs poorer nations 03:01:30 The Welfare Form for requesting groceries 03:04:00 Ward spending on Welfare 03:11:00 Doing what is right to let the consequence follow ABOUT US: Mormon Stories Podcast is the longest-running and most successful podcast in Mormonism - hosted by Dr. John Dehlin. At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We also occasionally interview scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1) Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology, 2) Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis, and 3) Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions. Mormon Stories Podcast is a product of the Open Stories Foundation - a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting Mormons in religious transition. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Our Platforms: Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 #MormonStories #Mormon #lds