Yup, from the abstract: "Successful MLMs require a social capital structure where members can access and mobilize both strong and weak social ties. ... The LDS Church's institutions foster a social capital structure where (almost all) members have access to and can leverage social capital in all its forms. LDS institutions encourage members to make meaningful social connections characterized by trust and reciprocity with other church members in local neighborhoods and across the world." This is the point of this article; not so much MLM itself, but how even something "weird" like MLM can be a relevant indicator wrt. the strength of social ties.
Social capital is a very good thing indeed; it is the foundation of a truly inclusive society where people are not going to be marginalized and neglected in their most pressing needs, regardless of outside factors like income, class or socio-economic status. And we know of very few ways of sustainably fostering this kind of grassroots social capital, other than community-based groups, often based on some sort of established tradition or religion.