I was released last November after serving 5+ years as 1st counselor to a wise and inspired bishop. Among our greatest joys were the mission calls, making a difference with fractured families and the well planned (i.e. anything without the word Trek) youth activities. Deepest sorrows came from being unable to convince 4 previously active families not to resign their memberships, and not preventing other strong members from drifting into inactivity. I still stay up nights haunted by what we could have done differently.
The departures happened as a result of a group of educated and intelligent members learning more about church history and having problems with what they claimed to be doctrinal inconsistencies. A partial list includes contradictions with BofM historicity, BofA translation, DNA (big problem, including poly and amerindian findings), polygamy, racism, etc. One brother found what he claimed to be "plagiarism" of the plan of salvation from a book entitled Heaven and Hell written by who to me was an obscure author named Swedenborg. This was new to us and quite honestly we did not have a good response ready.
It was as if we were bombarded with a selective abridgment of Brodie, Bushman, Compton, Palmer, Quinn, Southerton, et al. None of the departed left with bitterness, there was no unresolved sin, mistreatment or public announcement. They simply concluded the foundation was unstable and left. We remain friends and neighbors, but the relationships are forever changed.
When the resignations began, the bishop made very effort to offer spiritual guidance and counter arguments. We had ward fasts, special temple sessions and distributed FARM commentaries. The stake president even funded a self styled DNA expert (and protege of Hartman Rector) by the name of Rod Meldrum (
http://www.bookofmormonevidence.org) to come speak at a stake fireside and discuss his scientific and historical evidence that BofM events were centered in the Great Lakes region.
Problem was Brother Meldrum spoke to and audience that included physicians and biologists; he had little in the way of sound empirical science, and apparently his timeline is off by at least 10K years. In the end, Meldrum did more harm than good.
Right or wrong we found that some Church members now demand historical credibility and tangible evidence to support their faith. Blessings of the Internet I surmise.
I suspect there is a growing trend of similar defections concentrated primarily in the U.S., Britain and Europe. I also trust the Church's response will be strong and include improved bishopric training materials.