Quote Originally Posted by UTEopia View Post
I appreciate your thoughtful responses. My thoughts are similar to those expressed. However, the change of questions has been suggested by some to be a "raising of the bar." Personally, I think they were designed to help us examine our lives and identify areas in which we can possibly become better. I have a bunch of those, primarily involving not being unnecessarily joyous when BYU or the Dodgers lose.
I think a lot of the recent changes have been a 'raising of the bar' but most of that has come in the form of personal responsibility and living a more Christlike life. Long before HT/VT was replaced by ministering I called it the Law of Moses for the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor. You can't love your neighbor, well we are going to assign you to do so.

One raising of the bar in the TR questions expands on living the law of chastity by asking if you strive for moral cleanliness in your thoughts and behavior. An addition is asking if you are striving to keeping the Sabbath day holy and to taking the sacrament. Others I think are clarifying. The 'support and promote' question clarifies it isn't the 'anyone' but the active thing you are doing.

Others are subtle changes that I think provoke some thought if you catch them. For example, it used to be, "Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and his role as Savior and Redeemer." Now it is, "Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and his role as your Savior and Redeemer." Another is the question used to be, "Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as prophet, seer and revelator and the only person on earth authorized to exercise priesthood keys." It now says "Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as the prophet, seer and revelator..." (emphasis mine). They also added, "Do you understand and obey the Word of Wisdom?"

One other thing - the new language says to wear the garments under the outer layer of clothing. I know many of us were taught to wear it next to the skin - this is more relevant to women than men.