Category: Mormonism

Anthropologists are extremely interested in the study of religious beliefs since in this way, one can gain deep-insights into behavioral norms, values, and attitudes of individuals or even the entire communities. The diversity of religious movements existing in the United States has been examined by many researchers who study the development of American culture and identity.

This paper is aimed at examining the peculiarities of Mormonism from an anthropological viewpoint since it can throw light on the distinct experiences of American people during the nineteenth century. It is critical to focus on such issues as the freedom of individuality, self-reliance, and conformity. In order to examine this question, one should pay attention to the myths about the chosen and Christian nation since they affected Mormonism.

Additionally, it is important to discuss this religious movement from a functionalist approach which is often adopted by anthropologists.

Overall, one can argue that Mormonism is a religious movement that can be viewed as the modification of Christian teaching, and it represents such a trend as the Second Great Awakening which had profound implications for many American communities. Moreover, in its origins, Mormonism incorporated the idea of the chosen nation. These are the main details that should be taken into account.

It should be noted that there are several approaches to the anthropological study of religion. This topic is examined by Rebecca Stein and Phillip Stein. For instance, one can mention such methods as evolutionary, functionalist, and Freudian interpretations (Stein and Stein, The Anthropological Study of Religion 22).

They are helpful for understanding the reasons why various communities attach importance to religious faith (Stein and Stein, The Anthropological Study of Religion 22). Moreover, these authors focus on various definitions of such a notion as religion. When speaking about Mormonism, one can choose the functionalist approach that focuses on the role performed by religion.

Furthermore, according to this perspective, religion can be viewed as an “integrative force” that helps an individual to interact with other members of the community (Stein and Stein, The Anthropological Study of Religion 22). One should keep in mind that many of these communities were composed of people who attached importance to individualism and self-reliance which were vital for the ability of a person to achieve success in American society.

In turn, one can say that Mormonism can be viewed as a set of beliefs that made many of these communities more coherent. In this way, people were able to find a common cultural language. Therefore, its influence of American society should not be overlooked. More importantly, it provided a set of guidelines that regulate the interactions between individuals who could represent cultural or ethnic groups.

To a great extent, this religious movement turned out to be a common denominator for people who formed American communities in the nineteenth century. This is one of the aspects that should be singled out because this information throws light on the role of Mormonism and its influence on social relations.

One should also discuss the origins of this religious movement. It is necessary to examine the period of the Second Great Awakening. This question is discussed by Richard Hughes in the chapter The Myth of the Christian nation.

This author argues that during this period, American communities were able to modify Christianity and simplify ethical and behavioral norms that were included in the teachings of Jesus (Hughes The Myth of the Christian nation 78). In turn, Mormonism incorporates some principles of Christianity; however, there are some important deviations.

For example, one can speak about the acceptance of plural marriage which was not tolerated in Judaism and Christianity. To some degree, the absence of this prohibition reflected the need of many people who strived to achieve the freedom of religion (Hughes The Myth of the Christian nation 78). Additionally, Mormonism incorporates some of the beliefs which were originally included in Judaism.

To some degree, this religious movement can be described as an eclectic because it incorporates a set of diverse beliefs that often seem to be incompatible with one another. Therefore, it is possible to argue that Mormonism is a typical example of the Second Great Awakening.

One should take it to account that this period was marked by the rise of various religious denominations, and Mormonism was not perceived as something exceptional. The major peculiarity of Mormonism is that it was more open to a wide range of religious beliefs and cultural practices. This is one of the distinctions that should not be disregarded.

Apart from that, anthropologists pay close attention to such a concept as a myth. This question is also discussed by Rebecca Stein and Phillip Stein. These authors discuss a variety of myths that exist in various cultures. In particular one can speak about flood myths (Stein and Stein, Mythology 48). In many cases, myths enable people to understand the social environment. To some degree, Mormonism is also premised on one of the myths.

For example, researchers focus on the idea of the chosen nation. This question is examined by Richard Hughes. This author speaks the belief that a certain community could have been selected by God (Hughes Mythology 19). This idea was popular among many Puritan communities in America (Hughes Mythology 19). This idea was accepted by many Mormon communities. In many cases, Mormons thought that they had been superior to others.

However, it is vital to remember that this myth was very widespread during the Second Great Awakening. This worldview reflects the belief of many American people that they could finally create a community based on justice and liberty. This is another detail that can be distinguished since it is important for understanding the long-term development of Mormonism and its long-term legacies.

Overall, this discussion suggests that Mormonism can be of great interest to anthropologists who try to understand the factors that shaped American culture. By studying the peculiarities of this religious movement, one can better understand the worldviews and values of American communities which were established in the nineteenth century.

Much attention should be paid to the eclecticism of this religious movement which enabled many to find a common cultural language. The examples that have been provided indicate that Mormonism reflects the experiences which were peculiar to the nineteenth-century Americans who strived for self-reliance and liberty.

Finally, it is possible to say that Mormonism represented the typical trends of the Second Great Awakening which was marked by the emergence of new denominations and religious movements. Finally, Mormonism throws light on the peculiarities of religious faith in the United States. These are the main arguments that can be put forward.

Works Cited

Hughes, Richard. “The Myth of the Chosen Nation.” Ed. Richard Hughes. Myth American lives by. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2004.19-45. Print.

—. “The Myth of the Christian Nation.” Ed. Richard Hughes. Myth American lives by. Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 2004. 66-90. Print.

Stein, Rebecca, and Phillip Stein. “Mythology.” Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. Ed. Phillip Stein and Rebecca Stein. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. 30-56. Print.

—. “The Anthropological Study of Religion.” Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. Ed. Phillip Stein and Rebecca Stein. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. 1-29. Print.

Introduction

The book of Mormon is a sacred book believed to be a record of the relationship of God with the ancient Americans. The book, believed to have been written by prophets directed by divine power was based on the words of Mormon, an early prophet. It is supposedly meant to be a record of the second evidence that Jesus Christ was here in the world and that he is the Savior of mankind. The Book of Mormon is faced with a lot of criticism due to the lack of archeological evidence supporting the authenticity of the material in it. Many people believe that it is just a mere fabrication of its alleged translator; Joseph Smith. On the other hand, the believers of the book have formed a church- Latter-day Saints (LDS) and they believe that the church is an establishment of God’s kingdom on earth preparing for the return of Jesus Christ on earth. In this essay, we look closely at the book and its validity (Carr 2004, p. 1).

History of the Book of Mormon

The words of the book of Mormon are claimed to have been found inscribed in golden plates that were bound together by wires to form a book-like structure. It is believed that after the prophet, Mormon, was done writing the book, he gave it to his son who made some minute additions and hid the written plates in a hill- Cumorah. It is believed that Moroni resurrected on September 21, 1823, in transfiguration and instructed Prophet Joseph Smith to retrieve the plates and translate them to English. Smith is said to have, under divine intervention, translated the book into English. After translation, Smith described the book as the most helpful and correct of all religious books. The book has since then been translated into many languages. It is alleged that in addition to Smith, the Lord gave the other eleven people the chance to see the plates with their original writings. The testimonies of these eleven witnesses are included in the book as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” (LDS Church 2008, p. 3) and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses” (LDS Church 2008, p. 3). It is thus evident that evidence of the allegations related to the origin of the Book of Mormon is all intangible (Duncan 2009, p. 3).

Contents of the Book of Mormon

Evident in the book of Mormon are two civilizations. The first one is said to have originated from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and later divided to form the Nephites and Lamanites. The other had come much earlier from the tower of Babel but they were destroyed leaving behind the Lamanites. They are said to be the ancestors of the Indians in America. The most significant event written in the Book of Mormon is the appearance and ministry of Jesus Christ to Nephites after he was resurrected. It outlines the gospel, describes salvation, and instructs its believers on what to do in order to live peacefully and obtain eternal life in their afterlife. These believers are of the opinion that the Bible is not as correct as of the Book of Mormon because the Bible had undergone several translations before it was translated to the English language while the Book of Mormon was translated directly to English. It is divided into several books named after their respective authors and has been translated to 108 languages either in totality or partially (LDS Church 2006, p. 3).

Problems with the Book of Mormon

Nowadays, a large number of people have, once or twice, been paid a visit by the believers of the Book of Mormon. These people beseech you to accept a copy of the book and advice you to pray for divine intervention that the book is actually a true testimony of Jesus Christ. They direct that after reading the book and praying for revelation from the Holy Ghost, God will send the Holy Spirit to confirm to you that the book is a true testimony of Jesus Christ. They claim that during the revelation you will feel a burning sensation in your bosom (Carr 2004, p. 1).

With the kind of persuasion that they employ in convincing people to accept a copy of this book, it is hard for one to disregard their ideas. It is human nature to once or twice gets a conviction about something. Even after reading the manifesto of the German Nazi, one can possibly get a conviction about it. Therefore, after leaving the copy of the Book of Mormon with these people, the people become vulnerable to the confusion of conviction with divine intervention and they find themselves believing in the validity of the Book of Mormon and the LDS faith. The believers themselves believe in the divine validity of the book just because Smith said it is and believes that Smith was right to declare that the book is divine because the book says that Smith had such powers. The book copies the language and illustrative style of the King James Bible version. The Book of Mormon says that after Jesus Christ resurrects and ascends to heaven, the church becomes completely corrupt with paganism such that no man is worthy to call God’s name. Comparing the book with the bible, it borrows heavily from the bible. Is it possible that Jesus, who promised that his church would stay strong, was mistaken? I do not think so. The fact that the book contradicts Jesus’ own words and claims to be an authentic gospel of his works proves the invalidity of the Book of Mormon (Duncan 2009, p. 3).

Conclusion

As discussed above, the Book of Mormon shows its invalidity in three main ways. First, there is a lot of evidence that refutes its claims and it itself lacks physical archeological evidence to confirm these claims. Secondly, it contains none of the doctrines it purportedly contains because the LDS saying that it contains the “fullness of the everlasting gospel” (Duncan 2009, p. 34) it should have exactly that. Lastly, it contains a myriad of errors and plagiarism from the King James Bible Version, The Wonders of Nature, and View of the Hebrew etcetera. To cite one of these errors, the Book of Mormon says that Jesus Christ was born in Jerusalem but Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Christians should therefore be very careful not to be lured by Mormon missionaries into believing in the LDS which was a fabrication of one person, Joseph Smith (Lindsay 2009, p. 1). The members of the Mormon faith should also reevaluate their religion and compare it with Christianity in order to make informed decisions and avoid indulging in misguided beliefs.

References

Carr, B. (2004). Problems with the Book of Mormon, Web.

Duncan, R. (2009). The Book of Mormon, Web.

LDS, Church. (2006). The Book of Mormon, Web.

LDS, Church. (2008) The Book of Mormon, Web.

Lindsay, J. (2009). Book of Mormon Evidences, Web.

History of the Mormons

There are about 14 million members of the religion around the world. The church or religion is now found in many nations around the world (and has approximately 30, 000 congregations around the world).The religion has also been given many other names including Latter-Day Saints, LDS Church, LDS, Mormonism, but was formerly officially known as “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (Mormon). Today, members emanate from more than one culture, nation, and race, and have members outside the United States, although it was believed that it was a church for the America. This paper discusses the history and formation of the church/religion, as well as the beliefs and practices.

Mormon religion was established in the 1844 at Nauvoo by Smith Joseph. People have sought to understand the church in various contexts. The announcements revealed that he had revelations to restore the primitive apostolic church and to open the “Kingdom of God on earth” (Brooke, 3). The 24 year old was said to have come up with a new church as well as a new dispensation. It would finally become the universal true religion by sweeping other religions, according to the young man’s vision. The restoration comprised of its own prophet, testament and sacred tabernacles. The prophet of the religion claimed to take a position to open “a channel of divine power between the visible and invisible worlds” and he would act as a “vehicle of the continuing revelation of the Word” (Brooke, 3). The prophet claimed authority of the prophets in the bible who went to heaven with their bodies through divine power (namely Enoch and Elijah). The “miraculous writing of the Book of Mormon” was used to inaugurate the restoration, and the translation for this book was done by “divine power from golden plates buried by the last survivor of an ancient people” (Brooke, 3). Sacred temples would be built in various places, namely Utah, Illinois and Ohio, to realize such dispensation. It was argued that divine privileges would be given to Mormons in the divine presence of the Lord who would “come into his tabernacle” (Brooke, 3). The leader prophesied of the “granting of keys and unfolding mysteries to come” and promised the Marmon faithful that they would be gods if they remained true to the church ordinances and church commandments. He is said to have not only defied the ideals of the “evangelical church of the Second Great Awakening” and also the “most ardent contemporary advocates of the imminence of the millennium” by declarations regarding promising godhood, “assuming the revelatory” prophetic powers, “announcing a new dispensation” as well as “blurring the lines between spirit and matter” (Brooke, 4). His followers were placed beyond the “radical fridge of the Christian tradition” through his claim for dispensational authority (Brooke, 4). Brooke has argued that Mormon cosmology was founded in hermeticism which is a broad term for human perfection philosophy and metallic transmutation philosophy. Hermeticism has been awarded by the author as the root for Freemasonry and treasure-divining by the author, who argues that the Smith was a “money-digger” and “treasure-diviner” (Brooke, 4). He has argued that “alchemy”, “counterfeiting”, “conjuring” and “witchcraft”, formed the magical practice culture that guided his discovery of the “Golden Plates of the Book of Mormon” (Brooke, 4). The time he announced the promise for divinity is when he had a “renewed interest in freemasonry” (Brooke, 4). During the same time, there was interest in the Freemasonry, which came as a result of stigma “imposed by the Antimasonic furor over the murder of William Morgan” (Brooke, 4).

Beliefs and Practices of Mormons

It is argued that the religion begun as a quest for truth by Joseph Smith, when some have regarded it as a “search for knowledge, values, and structures” (Magocsi, 983). Mormons refer to it as the “gaining a testimony” and they regard testimonies as crucial to commitment to their beliefs and willingness for community involvement. They hold the idea of being a “covenant people” as established in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The converts have a focus for their faith through the commemoration of ordinances and ceremonies to keep commandments of God. They have made commitment to obey God’s commandments and live righteously, and these covenants are made and renewed. They reflect the practices found in the bible because they believe in the restoration of the primitive Christian church.

For a child, a ritual is performed in which it is offered an impromptu blessing by its father or a priest. The child is also recorded as a church member in this ritual, and named during this ritual. The blessing is offered with a proclamation that the one passing the blessing is doing it in the name of Jesus.

Mormons offer baptism to recruit their members (into full membership now) from people who have attained eighteen years of age. This baptism is through immersion. In addition, members will thereafter receive a laying of hands ritual and “conferral of the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Magocsi, 983). It is allowed for members to request the assistance of the priesthood at any time including a time for illness as well as asking for “direction for one’s life course from a patriarch” (Magocsi, 983). They belong to a “modern Israel within a Christian framework” through their belief and ritual (Magocsi, 983). The culture of the Mormons, their priesthood organization, temple characteristics depicts the blend for the modern Israel and Christianity (Judeo-Christian blend). Mormons are to connect pasts, present and future of the generations in the temples (as the purpose of the temples) and there are temple ordinances specifically dedicated to their ancestors. Identification of the ancestors is a practice carried by the Mormons. Mormons’ present and future generations get directions at the temples, as well as are instilled in them hope that they can enjoy greatest happiness as individuals and families by progressing “towards a closer union with divinity” (Magocsi, 983). Temple ceremonies that “scale” parents and children also exist to confirm the “external nature of marriage and the family” (Magocsi, 983). Family is the greatest channel of blessing, although both the family and the person are units of salvation.

The religion is not resemblance or deviates from the traditional Christian definitions as well as, and sought to produce “coparticipants in divinity” and “play a direct role in the supernatural cosmos of the invisible world” (Brooke, XIV). The author identifies two problems relating to the study of mormon religion; namely the specification of the role of “hermeticism in relation to” the Christian elements in this religion; and secondly, the conveyance of this hermeticism “from late-sixteen-century Europe to the New York countryside in the early nineteen century” (Brooke, XIV)

This religion has been argued that it arose as a need to handle the “social stress experienced by poor families in the north-estern countryside” as well as being “frontier in the wake of the American Revolution” (Brooke, XIV). This view has been propagated by the functionalists. The author has argued that a serious examination of content regarding this religion was discouraged following the unification of the historical examination of their origins (as held by both the Mormon historians and the functionalists (non-Mormon historians)-who sought to study American religions in relation to the social-scientific interactions happening in America in 1960s.

Mormon was earlier on discussed by theological explorations in terms of “millennial beliefs current in evangelical Protestantism” (Brooke, XIV).The exploration by the functionalists since 1960s has helped in the further understanding of the Mormon origins, although it has a deletion effect on the religion, because it influences the diversion from the understanding of religion in divine and other terms by injecting the social-scientific approaches. The Mormon message has been interpreted in revelation to the restoration concept. The Mormon prophet had his religious authority on the “announcement that his visions and revelations were the divine interventions” that were needed for restoration of a true church, but it was not rested on the prediction of the end time. This restoration would be a “third dispensation that inaugurated the Kingdom of God on earth and superseded all previous dispensations as corrupted” (Brooke, XIV). The author is of the opinion that it is not possible for the functionalist theory to explain the “theological distinct message of the Mormon church” or provide a sufficient explanation of the social origins of the converts, although it is possible for this theory to “explain the potential for the emergence of a radical restorationist movement, and the potential for a response to such a message” (Brooke, XIV). Brooke is of the opinion that it is important to look at cosmology in the understanding of Mormon. The “diffuse and divergent trails of cultural continuity” that prepared Joseph and certain people to build religious tradition with “most radical doctrines of early modern Europe’s religious crucible” need to be explored, and not to just rely upon the “milieu to memory” or the explanation of the functionalist (XIV).

In addition to believing in the Biblical verses, the Mormons also believe in the Book of Mormon, also as the word of God. In fact, the believers use the King James Version for their study. The book is claimed to contain the “fullness of the everlasting gospel” and that it records how God deals “with the inhabitants of the Americas” (Mormon). It has been argued that the finding of the book was inspirational, that an angel appeared to Smith-the founder, and directed him where it would be found (on the gold plates). The angel also told him that “he was to bring forth the record known as the Book of Mormon” (Mormon). He was allowed to retrieve and translate the book in 1827 and translated it arguably with the power of God, first into English. The first 5000 copies of the book were published in 1830 and it has seen the selling of approximately 130 million copies. Again, it has been distributed in many languages around the world. There are some controversies that have been noted regarding the religion, when compared to the Christian doctrine they seem to copy from. These include the belief and teaching that there is more than one god, although they believe in the biblical teachings and in Jesus Christ as central. The teaching that human beings are capable of becoming god has been faulted. Those achieving godhood are taught that they would have “spirit children” to worship them as Christians do the God (IRG). Other controversies include the argument that Jesus’ atonement sought to bring “resurrection and immortality to all people regardless whether they receive Christ by faith” (IRG). The Mormon also contends that there has been corruption of the bible with a claim that it misses many parts that are precious.

Conclusion

The paper analyzes the Mormon religion, with an examination of the origin, criticism and their beliefs. The religion has no doubt been existence for many years. In addition, they coincide with the Christian beliefs in some aspects but differ in others. The coincidence includes the belief in Jesus Christ, some practices such as baptism; believe in the bible and its teachings. The differences include the existence of Critics doubt the inspirations on the religion foundation, with an arguments that they were inspired by the existing conditions existing in the Nauvoo, and that they are based on occultism; “counterfeiting”, “conjuring” and “witchcraft” (Brooke, 4). The religion has been understood through exploration on different perspectives including social-cultural/economic perspective, religious and historical perspective.

Works Cited

Brooke, John. The refiner’s fire: The making of Mormon cosmology, 1644-1844. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

IRG. Mormons in transition. IRG. 2010.

Magocsi, Paul., Ed. Encyclopedia of Canada’s peoples. London: University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 1999.

Mormon Religion. Facts. Mormon Religion. n.d.a. 2010.

Mormon Religion. Book of Mormon. Mormon Religion. n.d.b. 2010.

I have seen numerous plays during the last several months; however, The Book of Mormon certainly left the strongest impression on me. As many people know by now, this play is the exact anti-thesis of political correctness and takes a strong stance on numerous controversial issues. In terms of aesthetic appeal, the play is definitely not on a par with some other plays that I saw recently, but the boldness of its message will definitely make everybody question their assumptions and spark endless hours of discussion among friends. As the political message is brought to the foreground, it is necessary to analyze that aspect of the play in great detail in addition to its aesthetic appeal.

The Book of Mormon is a musical comedy created by the famous creative duo that gave us the South Park series. In this sense, the play is an attempt on the part of the duo to test their skills in more traditional art forms while preserving the biting wit and merciless sarcasm that made them famous around the world. The central theme of the play is an attempt of two men to convert citizens of the African country of Uganda to Mormonism. These two individuals have very special characters which reflect in an exaggerated manner dominant political ideologies. The interactions of these two characters with the people of Uganda yield a large number of comical situations.

When it comes to music, one needs to say that it is evident that the music was primarily created with the intent of augmenting the comedy, and sometimes the music is the focus of a particular joke. Those who have watched South Park will easily recognize the musical style in the play as well. Ruthless sarcasm of the lyrics delivered over soft melodies represents a masterful contrast that highlights the comic character of the play.

The performance of the actors was astonishing and that is certainly the best aspect of the play. After getting used to South Park characters as channels through which their makers deliver their humor, it is natural to wonder how successfully the message will be conveyed when actors on stage are involved. From this perspective, it is necessary to say that the actors only contributed to the creative and humorous expression of the writers.

Now, turning to the political aspect of the play, the first impression that needs to be singled out is that the play is bound to incite uneasiness in everyone who has any respect for the notion of political correctness. The satirical attack on the Mormon religion is ruthless and brutal. The play touches on numerous hot issues that are currently debated like gay rights, racism, political ideologies, etc. Even though the play makes many powerful arguments through the use of humor, it has to be said that on several occasions the creators evidently abuse the audience’s trust.

Over the course of the play, the writers build a strong ethos of rationality and ability to debunk superstition and dogma in simple one-liners; however, in some side remarks these one-liners become overly simplistic and misrepresent complicated issues as though they were on a par with the debate over certain rather simple matters. In the process, a strong libertarian political message is conveyed that is rooted in the critique of religion and oppressive social practices of certain kinds while paying absolutely no attention to the complex matters of race, class and gender in the society.

In sum, the play is a must-see for those who want to enjoy an enormous amount of biting humor and sarcasm through a critical eye. If humor is to be progressive, it needs to take into account the complexity of certain issues.