It seems to me that if celebrities started flocking to the LDS Church they'd treat it the same way they've treated, for example, Buddhism. They'll take what they like (meditation, yoga, kama sutra), discard what they don't (the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Five Precepts), and add what they feel like (permissiveness). For example, Western Buddhists are overwhelmingly supportive (and encouraging) of homosexuality.* Yet homosexuality is banned in India, the birthplace of Buddhism! And the Dalai Llama, leader of the Tibetan branch of Buddhism has stated:
I don't mind a debate. I just don't want the debate to be tangential. But if someone wants to argue that having dilettante celebrities joining our Church in droves won't be a bad thing, let's hear it.
I'd say it's new-age a mash-up of permissiveness and license. And (as is the case with any faith), I would say if their beliefs are deeply felt, and not just superficial, then, yes, it's a religion. But I daresay most of them are mostly convicted to permissiveness and license and not so much to the spiritual aspects of their "new-age mash-up".
