...Redefining Stereotype in Mormonism Primary sources are the priceless eyes and ears that our future descendants will have when they look to consider our ways, habits, and deeds. When one considers conditions of 19th century or before, one has even fewer primary sources on which to lean. Narrative accounts are often the only source of information for the historian, and so a crucial skill can be the interpretation, and deciphering, of the biases of the original writer. In Female Lives among Mormons, Ward gives the audience a rare insight to the reclusive livelihood and the beginnings of the Mormons Church. The autobiography portrays the culture and values that the Mormons initially practice are against American ideals. From the account of Ward, who lived through the beginnings of Mormonism, the common prejudice and stereotype of Mormonism in modern America is justifiable. One century later, David Brion Davis argued in Some Themes of Counter-Subversion that nativist writing is a common reflection of apparent religious intolerance in nineteenth century America, but he did not take into account that it is an autobiography. He argues that the reason why Mormon is prejudiced because it is “shrouded with secrecy, deemed extraneous forces that are allegedly threatening the heritage of Republican Ideology.” (Davis 209) He also contends that the members themselves are not “individually evil but they were blinded and corrupted by ideology that justified treason and gross immorality.” (Davis...
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...Mormonism Joseph Smith, Jr. in the early 19th century stated the Mormon or Latter-Day Saint movement. It began with the context of Christian Restorationism. The history of the Mormons has been surrounded by controversy and persecution. According to Mormon history When Smith was 14 he wondered which of the Christian sects is the true Christian faith. According to Smith God and Jesus appeared to him in a vision. They told him that none of them where and that they had fallen away from the true faith and advised him not to join any of them. They promised to restore the true faith. Joseph Smith became the first prophet of the Mormons (ReligionFacts, 2010). The Mormon faith differs somewhat to Christianity. They are very much a family oriented religion and children seem to follow their parents into this faith without question. Today there is still controversy surrounding some of the past beliefs of the Mormons and some rogue groups that still follow the old beliefs. The interview for this paper was conducted at The Church of Latter Day Saints in Buckhannon, WV. The inside of the church does not differ much to other new churches built in today’s society. It consists of the Chapel and classrooms. Interviewing one of the members of the church gave me in-site into some of their beliefs. A Mormon church service is three hours long it is divided up into three parts the main worship service, Sunday school and they then breakup into two classes priesthood for men and relief society...
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...Stereotyping Abstract Stereotyping is a general opinion regarding traits of particular groups as a whole. In stereotyping there is no room for individuality, only assumption based on the groups traits. A common stereotype in Utah involves the Mormon religion and the assumption that anyone from Utah is Mormon. Studies indicate there are not nearly as many Mormons in Utah as most people think. When developing stereotypes, one must be able to recognize traits and characteristics of a group. Stereotypes are not permanent and do have the potential to be changed. This process does take time since they are developed through experiences and observation. Individuals are not always aware of their participation in the use of stereotypes. Many people associate individuals with them unconsciously. Stereotypes are not always negative and can often benefit social situations when used in a positive manner. Stereotyping A stereotype is a belief developed regarding people in general. These beliefs result in categorizing people based on assumptions and the beliefs do not allow for individuality. Stereotypes can be positive or negative depending on the situation. These beliefs result from consistent traits that are noticeable in a group and which are easily recognizable. Stereotypes can be changed, but this can take a great amount of time and convincing. Many people have opinions related to stereotypes without the realization...
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...a distinctive way of living that has allowed them to emerge from other religions. Their seclusion from other cultures as well as their extreme devotion to their faith has made Mormonism come out as a job full of requirements rather than just simple spiritual theology. In the following composition, I aim to inform everything about their nuptial believes, ceremonies, and demands. With that said, I will back up my claim of why I believe the Mormon society is exceedingly strict due to their pious way of living, their expectation to raise conservative individuals, and their closure to other communities. Mormon´s earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations is an essential part of the society. Take polygamy as an example. When the doctrine was first explained back in the 1840´s by Joseph Smith, majority of the members felt repulsed by the proposal. People where then motivated by verses from the bible stated for them to follow their patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which were told to have more than one wife. As time went by and a better explanation was given, Latter -day Saints manage to understand it as God´s will. Even though they didn’t quite understand why, they were willing to convict plural marriage because God told them to. Polygamy immediately evolved into an extremely important facet of Mormonism in the 19th century. Despite the fact American citizens and government felt angered for such practice, the Later- day Saints didn’t give up their routine until...
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...Mormonism Many people have capricious ideas about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The history of Mormonism reads much like a fairytale. It began in the early nineteenth century, in upstate New York. In the heart of a period plagued by religious tension and conflicting claims, a young man by the name of Joseph Smith Jr. sought to determine his position with God, and which church he should join. Shortly thereafter, Smith’s prayers were answered. Over the next several years, Smith experienced several substantial manifestations, including one from an angel by the name of Moroni, who told Smith as to where he could find the gold plates that would later become the Book of Mormon. Shadowing these events, Smith played a pivotal role in organizing a church that would later become known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly thereafter, devotees moved to an area just shy of Cleveland, Ohio, to a town called Kirtland, and through strong missionary work, the church saw an influx of new members. As the Kirtland community began to grow and prosper a new branch was formed in Missouri. Following the economic collapse of Kirtland in 1837, church adherents moved to join with the splinter group in Missouri, in a place known as Far West in Caldwell County. However, rising religious tensions eventually erupted into conflict, forcing those members of the Mormon Church to move once again. In 1839, the Saints found their selves on the banks of the Mississippi...
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...The Mormon Religion As I previously stated, I visited the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Temple located at 9900 Stoneybrook Drive Kensington, Maryland 20895. The website for the church is http://lds.org/church/temples/washington-dc?lang=eng. I was unable get in contact with a specific point of contact before I visited the church for the first time, so I attempted to attend on a Sunday, not realizing they’re not open on Sundays. I later learned that the church was not a church at all. It was a temple. On my next visit I was denied entrance because I was not Mormon. After realizing there were rules to being permitted entrance to a temple, I contacted my friend who is a Mormon and was also my inspiration for the religion I chose for this assignment and she went to the temple with me in order for me to get an up close and personal experience at the church. The people at the temple were very friendly. When I first drove up to the temple I noticed that the building did not look the way I was used to church’s looking. I grew up in the south and I am used to somewhat small churches, often constructed by the members themselves. The size of this temple was very intimidating from the outside. It was the largest church I had ever visited or even seen in person. There was beautiful landscaping leading up to and surrounding the temple. The structure of the building was exquisite! The temple was all white and several stories tall. The outside looked to be made of stone...
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...Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and Black (African) Decent Abstract This paper will identify how Mormons differ from other religious groups. Enlightening of the subject matters that pertain to their beliefs, practices, and how this religion group contributes to the American culture is the bases of the first part of the paper. This paper will also describe the discrimination and prejudice that the Mormons have to deal with because of their religion choice. This paper will also describe the African decent experience with discrimination and prejudice as well. Discrimination and prejudice takes place in all cultures and religions. People who are unwilling to understand and accept the difference that people share are going to allow this behavior to continue and pass it down from generation to generation. America is the melting pot for all ethnic backgrounds, including religions. Being more open minded and having understanding will allow us to break the stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination that we all have towards one another. Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and Black (African) Decent The United States, throughout history, has been a country of immigrants and a country of religion diversity. Discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping in the Mormon and Black decent groups have been displayed throughout the changing times. The Mormons, who emerged after the discovery of The Book of Mormon in 1830, were run out of several states before settling in Utah. Blacks who were brought...
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...Axia College Material Appendix B 7 Question Final Project Plan |What religion would you like to consider for your final project? | | |Describe the place of worship you will visit. |Mormonism and I would look around t find the closest Mormon | | |church to visit. | | | | |What do you already know about this topic? | | | |I have a friend who is Mormon and his family practices the faith.| | | | |What resource will you use to find a place of worship for this | | |religion? | | | |I will use the internet since it the best updated resource | | |available to me...
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...That’s Not What I Believe October 2, 2011 Years ago when the winter Olympics were in Salt Lake City a news reporter went around to public places in Utah and interviewed as many Mormons as he could to try and get an idea of what Mormons “really believe.” I distinctly recall how surprised I was when everyone he interviewed, despite all being Mormon, described beliefs that were very different from my own and even different from each other. My mom, sister and I stood around the TV frustrated. How could these people get it so wrong? Didn’t any of them pay attention in church? This was a lesson I wouldn’t internalize until years later. Like many ex-Mormons, I’m guilty as charged when it comes to digging up amusing, factually wrong or plain absurd things that Mormon leaders have said or comment on absurd or destructive teachings. Even so, just because the church teaches something doesn’t mean all Mormons believe a certain way. A really poignant example is the godmakers cartoon, which I should point out is not and never was “banned.” The cartoon suffers from two problems. First, it’s old, and reflects teachings of the church from the 1960s and 70s. It was released in 1982, and of course the exact date that any given teaching was abandoned is rather fuzzy since the leaders don’t exactly go to the pulpit and say “we no longer believe this.” They just stop talking about it. The second problem with that cartoon is that while the church did legitimately teach everything they mention,...
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...Associate Program Material Religious and Ethnic Groups Paper Instructions Part I Select at least 1 religious and 1 ethnic/racial group not your own from the list below. Religious groups (based on http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/affiliations-all-traditions.pdf) Christianity Evangelical Protestant Mainline Protestant Historically Black Churches Roman Catholic Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) Jehovah’s Witnesses Orthodox (Greek, Eastern) Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform) Buddhism (Theravada or Mahayana) Islam (Sunni, Shia, Sufism) Hinduism Racial/ethnic groups (based on divisions in U.S. Census Bureau documents) Asian (Asian descent) Black (African descent) Hispanic and Latino (South or Central American descent) Pacific Islander (Polynesian descent) White (European descent) Part II Write a 750- to 1,400-word paper in which you consider the following regarding the religious group and racial/ethnic group you selected: Religious group: How does your selected religious group differ from other religious groups (such as in their beliefs, worship practices, or values)? According to social and political views, the Mormon religion is different and therefore, is most noticeable than that of the population in general, and other religions. Their conservation towards political and culture issues are different. A vast amount of Mormons say that definite rulings of right and wrong are strongly held. The Mormons feel that the values they have are felt threatened often by...
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...The Mormon Culture ETH-123 The Mormon Culture I decided to do my final report on the Mormon religion “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I myself and not Mormon and don’t really have a religious preference, I find myself fascinated with the religion. One of the things that I find fascination is The Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Not only is the one of the oldest choirs it is also one of the more famous as well. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs in more than 28 countries and in multiple cities around the US. One of the biggest things the Mormon religion tried to instill on every member is leading by example. This is a practice that most members of the church try to follow. Some of the things include cursing, drinking, smoking and pretty much anything that is bad for their bodies. Mormons believe that by leading by example they are spreading good to others so that they make the right choices. I feel that the reason that the Mormon religion is criticized so much is due to the face that people that practice other religions take this as a threat to try to change what they believe in. Food supply is another very big part of the Mormon culture. For years the Church has counseled their members to build a year supply of food and other necessary supplies in case of emergencies or if tragedy were to strike. To prepare for this there are certain guideline that need to be followed. These include mostly of nonperishable items like grains and other dried foods such...
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...Sydney Coslett Article Reflection 5 I read the article, “The Polygamists” by Scott Anderson. I thought this article was very interesting. This article focused on the Mormon religion, specifically Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints. This religion is a branch off of Christianity and has some similar beliefs as other Christians but the most interesting thing about Mormons is that the men have multiple wives. They believe in polygamy and the wives call themselves “sister-wives.” At first I thought this religion was very odd. I thought that it almost sounded cult-like instead of it being a religion. The interesting thing about the followers of this religion is that they know people think it is odd. A friendly Mormon woman, Joyce Broadbent, said, “I know it seems weird to outsiders, but from my experience, sister wives usually get along very well. Oh sure, you may be closer to one than another or someone may get on your nerves occasionally, but that’s true in any family. I’ve never felt any rivalry or jealousy at all.” I found this statement very interesting. I first thought it was interesting that she notices that polygamy seems odd to outsiders. Much of the time, I believe that people may be ignorant to their beliefs and think that it is the norm and everyone else is odd or out of the loop. I thought this statement was interesting also because to think that someone has to compete for their husband’s attention with other wives is just a foreign thought...
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...April Baum Professor Noble-Ward HIST170D-4840 24 February 2015 Apache women and Polygamous settlers "Apachie women and their white husband, Arizonia 1879," notes the handwritten caption for this hand-colored portrait. That same year the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling against polygamy. "Everything there has changed," wrote T. S. Hitchcock, a retired dentist, who submitted this photo. This photo was captioned by Margaret G. Zackowitz in the National Geographic stock, titled, “Family Portrait”. In 1870, with Brigham Young, the leader of the Mormon indoctrinate in Utah, the Mormons gain power politically, ushering the idea of polygamy in the West, claims New Perspectives on the West article, on PBS.org. Though the Native Americans became citizens in 1871, not sovereign nations, (PBS), many were destitute and hungry with little resources after their land had been seized, now struggling on reservations. Because the Apaches were known to be polygamists, many sold women into arranged marriages where the father in the tribe would obtain a dowry from male settlers in the Southwest. (Francis,Valentine). This can be interpreted as a life of slavery or otherwise today known as “human trafficking”, hard labor, and a lifetime of despair. Though the Apache women were formally treated with elite status, the late 1800’s brought change in the value system as the tribes began to starve and dwindle. (Francis,Valentine). The Apache women were even looked down upon by their own tribe...
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...Christian and the Mormon view of afterlife differ drastically. The Mormon believes that salvation is received through a person’s and God’s works whereas a Christian believes that only God’s works earn salvation because a person only gets salvation because of Jesus’ sacrifice for them. The Christian and Mormon view of what happens right when you die has some basic similarities. Both Christians and Mormons believe that there are two places a soul can go when a person dies, yet Mormonism has its differences. When a Mormon’s soul goes to the lower place when they die, they have to chance to go to heaven but a soul in Hell does not have the chance to go to heaven. The Christian and Mormon view of the Day of Judgment differ. Mormons go to a new kingdom, but Christians either stay in heaven or stay in Hell. A Christian has a set path in life with obvious guidelines. A Christian goes to heaven if they believe in God. A Christian has no question of whether they are good enough for a higher heaven like in Mormonism, because the Christian heaven simply one huge kingdom of Jesus’ belivers. ...
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...7 December 2010 Mormonism: Cult or Religious Movement? Mormonism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world today. When it first was founded in 1830 there were only six members. A month later this number had grown to forty members. Currently there are estimated to be over 13,824,854 members in the entire world ("Newsroom "). After observing the belief systems of Mormonism one could argue that it contains more similarities to that of a cult compared to that of a new religious movement. Before comparing Mormonism to a cult, a definition must be laid down. A cult, according to Dr. Walter R. Martin as quoted in Edmond Gruss’s book entitled Cults and the Occult, is “the Adherence to major doctrines which are pointedly contradictory to orthodox Christianity, yet which claim the distinction of either tracing their origin to orthodox sources or of being in essential harmony with those sources. Cultism, in short, is any major deviation from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith” (Gruss 3). Anthony Hoekema calls cults the “unpaid bills of the church” (Hoekema 1). Hoekema also goes on to say that cults sometimes arise because they believe “established churches have failed to emphasize certain important aspects of religious life, or have neglected certain techniques or values.” ( 1) Many times cults either contain all or some of the following ten characteristics. The first characteristic they usually contain is the importance...
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