New direction for Sunstone?

At that point, membership in Sunstone dropped between 50 and 75 percent, Dehlin said. For several years afterward, discussions within the forum "became a self-fulfilling prophecy. When the conservatives no longer feel comfortable engaging, the liberal voices become more prominent."

While he understands why the forum gained an unsavory reputation among many church members and leaders, Dehlin credits former executive director Dan Wotherspoon for working hard in in recent years to "moderate the voices, to be responsible and to become a faith-promoting institution again."

In that regard, he thinks the forum continues to get a bad rap. "People perceive it much different than how it's being done."

So he's determined to get the word out.

"We're pro-LDS. We're not trying to compete with or tear down the church or discredit it or tell them it's a bad place to be. There are things the church can do well, but they will never offer a class on early folk magic and Mormonism and why that shouldn't want to make you leave the church."

Going forward, the forum will look to not only retain longtime participants — most of whom are 40 and older — but seek out ways to attract a younger, broader membership base. Dehlin hopes to offer magazine articles, podcast interviews, video interviews and even multimedia projects on Sunstone's Web site that draw people who are struggling in with contemporary issues like addiction, their status in the church and lifestyle questions.

"I wouldn't be getting involved if I felt Sunstone's mission was to take away from the church in any way or to erode or take away from people's faith. We want people to feel good about their faith and convictions, to strengthen the level of their happiness and productivity in the church."

As for troubling historical or doctrinal questions, he sees Sunstone as a forum for some — "certainly not everyone" — to delve into a background examination in a way they can't do at church on Sunday.

As for the "faith-affirming" direction, a discussion of the forum's reputation has been ongoing between Dehlin and board members.

"We're not talking about it like it's all messed up and we need to make big changes to fix it. Rather, there's a new generation of people who have needs and wants. We've served current customer base well, but there are new things we can do to reach out to a new and broader audience."

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com