Personal Narrative : The Newest Member

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, 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.

The Mormon service I visited, had a few similarities but also a few distinct differences from the Catholic service that I am used to. Before this particular Sunday, I had never attended a Mormon service, nor had I spoken to anyone who believed in Mormonism or the “Latter Day Saints.” With that being said, I was welcomed much more openly than I had originally thought. Before entering, I was approached by two members of the church; two young women (sisters) between the ages of roughly 19 to 22. I arrived about an hour before service, that way I could ask a few people some questions, but the two girls beat me to the punch. They initially asked me if I had visited before and I responded saying that it was my first time, and I was attending as a student observer, with no intention of converting, but would love to learn about the faith. They nodded and proceeded to explain to me the reasons as to why they believed so strongly, and also a bit of background information on the faith. One of the girls, explained to me that there has been a lot of skepticism about Mormonism due in part to the fact that Joseph Smith Jr, was so young and how his explanation of “Moroni” (An angel no one had ever heard of), and his entire religion and the scripture used, “Book of Mormon,” could have just been a part of his imagination. The other girl told me how she was beginning to lose faith a couple years back, but she then regained it, after she experienced her own tests, and was able to get passed her

The Mormon religion first came to light in the early 1800s, in the northeastern United States. The Second Great Awakening provided the perfect religious atmosphere for new religious dogma. Furthermore, this new religion offered fresh perspective and ideals; which helped to further alienate its followers from mainstream gospel. Faced with extreme prejudice from Protestants, it wasn 't until the Mormons fled west that their religious prerogative flourished. The hyper-emotional state of affairs originating from the Second Great Awakening resulted in religious turbulence which served as the foundation for Mormonism whose continued development and survival directly correlated to westward expansion and the freedoms of the West.

Mormonism is a multilayered religious organization with many faces. The words “multilayered” and “organization” are carefully chosen as they represent the bulk of what we will discuss as we seek to unveil the true essence of the Mormon world as they see it. We will summarize this organization and in so doing we will discover that it was built on human fallacy and deception from its inception. We will then follow with a critical look the claims, doctrines, and documents that frame their beliefs.

One might be fooled by the title of Joana Brooks book The Book of Mormon Girl. While the book may seem like it is aimed at a specific audience, its chapters reveal stories and thoughts that have a broad appeal. The book shares valuable insight about the Mormon culture, but its core is about how you fit into the religion, culture, or tradition that you were raised in or chose to be a part of later in life. The Book of Mormon Girl is divided into two parts; the first part being a recount of her childhood and life in general as a member of an incredibly dedicated Mormon family. Brooks details her “unorthodox Mormon story” in a way that is both affectionate and critical as the daughter of an LDS bishop. As a young child, her imagination was full

Growing up in Utah and not being Mormon intensifies how difficult making friends and going to school can be. There is a heavy idioculture, distinctive customs and values (p. 398), around Mormons that seeps into every aspect of life from young men & women to missionaries to green jello with carrots in it. I am Greek Orthodox, and before you get ahead of yourself let me clarify the first thing that probably popped in your head. No, we do not believe in Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Hades or any other Gods. We are Christians, the first Christian religion to be exact. Marx’s conflict theory, the social inequality or the uneven and often unfair distribution of resources (p.23), plays well in growing up in Utah and not being Mormon. It was very clear from

Interviewer: What was the main reason(s) for you to decide to follow the Mormon faith?

It was the spring of my freshman year in high school. Through the means of various archeological facts, and others personal accounts I had changed from an orthodox Mormon to an agnostic in a matter of hours. I grew up in a family, the youngest of three, of devout Mormon faith. I had always been quite odd as a child, always asking the “why?” and the “how?” of everything Mormon. My intellectual concerns were placed atop of a shelf in my mind and were regarded as “unnecessary,” and “dangerous” by my church leaders and parents. By the end of my freshman year my mental shelf of faith had strained all it could and collapsed. Through my new mindset, I have gained more independence than at any other point in my life. To me, my ability to be independent has been my key to success in learning.

The typical Mormon lifestyle today consists of attending Sunday services of worship and Sunday School at a local ward made up of around 200-400 members. Belonging to the church community, Mormons grow closer together in order to help one another. Explaining why many Mormon families are generally larger in size, Mormons place a large emphasis on family life and believe both the family and society benefit from church communities. Praying together as a family, as well as many other at home practices are performed to create a family bond. Many Mormons educate themselves on genealogical research in order to save deceased non-Mormon relatives through baptism. In following the revelation given to Joseph Smith, Mormons follow a dietary restriction

In the South Park episode entitled “All About Mormons” the community is confronted with a new family living in the town of Fairplay, Colorado. This newly introduced family follows the religion of Mormonism, something that the town has never seen before. The issue at hand in this episode was specifically about the Mormon family; how do the townspeople deal with them? How do the boys deal will them? The biggest issue at hand however is how the Marsh family deals when the new family explains to them the background on how Mormonism started.

The religious group known as the Mormons cannot be investigated very long until the name Joseph Smith rises to the surface and is seen as one held in high regard. In order for one to examine the doctrines, practices, and views of the Mormon faith one must become acquainted with Joseph Smith, and who he is, who he claimed to be, and how the Mormon views him as it relates to his or her faith. However, just who is Joseph Smith? Who is Joseph Smith as it relates to the Mormon? We will examine who Joseph Smith is, his early childhood and religious affiliation, his founding the religion of the Mormons, how the Mormon views him, and how Joseph Smith and the views his followers hold of him contradicts the Bible.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is commonly known as Mormonism and is somewhat a familiar topic to me as I grew up in a very prominent Mormon area in North Atlanta. The Temple was located directly behind the ward that was near my house. I had a good number of Mormon friends and acquaintances. One of the things I admired about the Mormons I had exposure to was the love and devotion of family. Each of my Mormon friends that were married were totally committed to their family and building that bond through a various number of activities. I have come to know the LDS church for their strength in family through their ministry, boy scouts, sports activities, Wednesday night church activities, the youth group, and so much more; They

I have always been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Since the day I was born, I was raised in a Mormon home. However, my parent’s were not as strict as a lot of other Mormon parents that you hear about. Nonetheless, they were very faithful in the church, and did everything they could to teach and raise their children in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I participated in every church program available to me. Primary, Achievement Days, Young Women’s, Girls Camp, Personal Progress, EFY, I did it all. But somehow, I never quite felt the same devoted love for the gospel or the church that my parents felt. To me, the gospel was something we did, not something we lived. I struggled with my testimony all my life, and after a horrible experience with the Young Women’s program, I made the decision to leave the church once I turned eighteen. I knew I had to wait until then because of

I grew up in Idaho. Many people know Idaho for two things: Potatoes and Mormons. There are a lot of jokes about Mormons in the media, but to my surprise, many people have never even met a Mormon. I grew up with a lot of Mormons. Many of my friends in school were Mormon. Caffeine free drinks were the norm, and seeing five different Mormon churches while driving down the road was even more normal. Mormons, oddly enough, contributed to my socialization. According to You May Ask Yourself (2015), socialization is “the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society.” The area I group up in, my family, and my time spent doing activist work have socialized me and caused the formation of my values and personality.