Mormon Religion
Of all the religions that were born in America, I find the Mormon religion to be the most fascinating. From the origin story of Joseph Smith being approached by Moroni who was described as an angel that appeared to him. Moroni revealed that Smith had been selected to translate the Book of Mormon, a sacred text that was written around the 4th century and named after Moroni’s father, Mormon. Unfortunately, Mormonism did not have it’s start as part of the culture which in turn, brought a fair amount of backlash from the surrounding communities. Even though the Mormon religion had a rough start and Mormons were sought after as heretics and tortured and killed for their beliefs, they endure till this day. The church of Latter Day Saints has a large number of followers that live in Salt Lake City Utah which is thought to be the “Holy Land” by its followers. The Mormon religion has such an impact on the people that live there that there are even deadly street gangs that claim LDS membership. Not that this is condoned by the Mormon religion however. On the contrary, Mormons believe in non violent conflict resolution and doing kind things for their neighbors. Mormons follow a strict healthy lifestyle that doesn’t allow them to consume alcohol, tobacco, coffee or tea. Family life, good deeds, respect for authority and missionary work are important values in Mormonism. Mormons also practice clothing rituals that include wearing special undergarments that have religious significance. Known as the “temple garment,” the attire is worn by adult members who make sacred promises to God. Mitt Romney brought renewed attention to the Mormon religion and their ongoing struggles when he ran for office not too long ago. He made public the struggle that the Mormans have in fighting the Mexican Drug Cartels. Many people do not know this, but the Mormons have a HUGE presence in Mexico and they own a very large piece of property in Mexico where they built their own utopia. Mitt Romney being born in Mexico brought light to this situation and became a bit of a spectacle as he ran for office. Although Mormons did not start off as part of the culture and had to work for centuries to be accepted, I think that it is safe to say that they have embedded themselves deep enough into the culture of the areas in which they reside that even though many other religions may not agree with their beliefs, they are no longer shunned or hunted for simply being Mormon in America.
Sincerely,
Bradley
References:
Arrington, L. J. (2014). Mormons. In E. Foner, & J. A. Garraty (Eds.), The Reader’s companion to American history. Houghton Mifflin. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/rcah/mormons/0?institutionId=5865
History.com Editors. (2017, December 20). Mormons. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/religion/mormons
Tim Sullivan Aug. 8, 2. F. (2005, August 08). The Gangs of Zion. Retrieved from https://www.hcn.org/issues/303/15680
A short history of Mormonism. (2012, July 14). Retrieved from https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2012/07/15/A-short-history-of-Mormonism/stories/201207150118
