Narrative Ethnography

Mormon culture in my life constantly inspires me to do well unto others and remain thankful for all I have. I display my gratitude by working hard to make the most out of every opportunity. I know that I have been given much and as such need to make it worthwhile. Mormonism as a religion creates a certain lifestyle that has bonded my family very tightly. Our personal standards and beliefs unite us, standards of love and service. Maturing in this environment has caused

How does one define family? Throughout our readings, we find ourselves learning the ideas of theorist, concepts, and definitions to help us define and describe what family is. The family could possibly be what or who we say they are, or in simpler Bozett’s term, who the patient says it is! (Plumer, 2010). A family could consist possibly of values, roles, communication, environment, and relationships. Families may transition through all of these principles that either unites them or tears them apart. For instance, the movie Mrs. Doubtfire portrays these perceptions of what family is when family processes are shifted within a household. We will now discuss in more detail of the family assessment found throughout the movie starring the Hillards.

As of 2015 the U.S Census Bureau revealed that approximately 116 million families are living in the United States. These families possess their own unique style, culture and set of beliefs. My family, consisting of my married parents and my older sister, are no different in the aspect that we too hold our own set of beliefs. The socially constructed term ‘family’ traditionally is defined as a unit that is related by marriage or blood, share financial responsibilities and care for any children/dependents (Lofquist et al., 2012). Growing up as a Haitian American, my ideas of what it means to be a family have been greatly influenced by my cultures and my religion. The Haitian culture greatly emphasizes family relationships and familial

Mormonism, the largest church to originate on American soil is not without its own burdens to bear. As one of the younger religions, one that strayed from the foundations of the other already established religions in the United States, it is often viewed with negativity and mockery. Modern day social media, television, news articles and movies often exploit Mormon beliefs. They twist and exaggerated certain facets of the Mormon way of life. This framing of their belief system by the media leads the public opinion toward viewing this representation as a true depiction of the Mormons. Some of the more extreme behaviors exhibited by members that have separated from the main group are used against the entire faith by the media, so in turn this extremist view has become a Mormon stereotype.

One of the largest struggles for members in the church is animosity of non-members. On one hand, many express their dislike of the LDS church without even knowing what Sacrament Meeting is or the full the title of the “Mormon church” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). On the other hand, there are a number supposed experts about Mormon doctrine. Some have belonged to the Church themselves at one point, leaving after finding unresolved dissonance between their beliefs and the Gospel. Others are often learned scholars, criticizing the Mormon doctrine to prove their own views. The following paper involves the latter of the two in an analysis of Ezekiel 37:15-17, a Biblical scripture that the LDS Church believes to refer to The Book of Mormon.

People and religion are a part of everyday life. The world is sure to be empty without the existence of God’s creation. When people and religion are viewed as different, the history, beliefs, and practice are formed unrealistically by outsider, more so than an insider. In an interview with a LDS, the author attempts to write and summarize a Mormon‘s journey through life with God and others.

Mormonism has shown itself to be a miserable religion to follow as an independent woman which Hardy has learned through her experience in dating. She states that she was “Too independent for Mormon men, and too much a virgin for the other set, I felt trapped in adolescence.” (Hardy 1). Hardy feels as though she is trapped inside herself since there is no man that would have her. When you follow the Mormon religion as a woman, you shut your legs from anyone who wishes to take your virginity unless you find a man to marry.

Despite the stereotype of Mormon women not having any rights living in a patriarchal lifestyle because of their polygamist beliefs, they ironically had more rights than most American women at the time. In the 1800’s, Mormon women and men were both given rights and they both dealt with child rearing (Kane 580). However, in typical American households, it was common for only women to handle child care in family life. Mormon women were involved in many different aspects of life including actions in politics, the economy and social gatherings (580). In an interview with Brigham Young, he said he loved, cherished and supported his wives. He even looked at some of them as mother figures (Greely). Women mattered in their husbands’ lives and were able to make a difference in the community.

Women make up 56% of the Mormon population and as a group Mormons are younger than most religious groups with 66% being under the age of 50. Approximately three-quarters of all Mormons are married and are known for having large families. Caucasians make up 86% of the membership compared to just 71% Caucasians in the general population of the United States. IN the area of education, 61% of Mormons have some college education which leads to more Mormons being in the middle-income bracket ($50,000 to $100,000) than the general population. Now that the Christian knows a little about the demographics the next step is to study the Mormon worldview.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been the center of much attention throughout modern history, whether it be about the polygamists, the Book of Mormon, or Joseph Smith seeing God, or the restored priesthood. Though the church is known to have these forms of controversies, we see through history that no organization or group is free from mistakes and criticism. Throughout history in general, there has always been some sort of religious contention around the globe. A large point of contention then and even now is the factor of race in religion and the certain rules and restrictions implemented into the religion regarding race.

Mormonism is a religious group part of the main branch of the Latter Day Saints movement, led by Joseph Smith in New York during the 1820s. Mormons believed in the Bible, as well as other scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon was about Jesus’s travels around the Americas. They also believed that it was Christian to have more than one wife, but to non-Mormons this was abhorrent. Many violent outbreaks have occurred with Mormons and their neighboring states. Technically, Mormons didn’t have a choice to move or not. Because of their different religion, they were forced West, all the way from New York to Utah. Utah had a very open government allowing the Mormons to vote and have a say in government decisions. It also provided

With 14 million followers, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a very interesting religion for many different reasons. Mormons, as they are commonly known, have an interesting origin, different traditions, and a fascinating founder. Mormonism is the term used for describing the practice and beliefs of followers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The core belief is that a prophet named Joseph Smith restored doctrines of the church to earth. Smith became the founder of what is now considered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and widely followed. One of the ideas most central to the Mormons is their love for Jesus Christ, the savior. That idea is stated very well when Joseph Smith said, “The fundamental

Like many individuals that are from Utah, my ancestors participated in polygamy after they trekked across the Mormon Trail to present day Salt Lake City, Utah. This is why it is important to me-I want to see what social justice movements are in place for women that are in the toxic confines of the FLDS Church.

The more I study the Book of Mormon the more I understand that it was written for us. Sometimes I feel like the characters of the Book of Mormon are out of touch or hard to relate to, but in reality they represent every facet of modern society. They help us see the good in the world, they help us see the evil in our lives, and ultimately warn us from the swaying philosophies of the world that lead men into sin. When I read about Nephi and his brothers and the fights that they had, I think about the relationship that I have with my brothers; when I read about Sherem and Nehor, I think about the dangerous and volatile philosophies of men that justify sin and denounce the teachings of Chirst; and when I read about Ammon and the Sons of Mosiah, I think about the missionaries that have touched my life and the kind of missionary that I hope to be. Every story and every character relates to an experience of mine or an

It is also assumed that the act of telling a story can provide insight into past, present and future events (Espinoza, 1997). By going through this process, individuals can find the importance of certain events and assign roles to people who are a part of their story. This act can allow a client to find new meaning and understanding to their reality (Espinoza, 1997). Not only is a