Posts Tagged ‘ Culture ’

The Sun Never Sets on the Mormon Empire: Cultural Colonialism

April 24, 2008
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The Sun Never Sets on the Mormon Empire: Cultural Colonialism

I was talking with a French colleague at dinner about the differences between European politics and American politics, and he made a statement that left an impression. European politics are colored by their colonialist histories and how to balance a preservation of their culture while dealing with the other cultures they have essentially subordinated over time. For example, he mentioned the Muslims in France who demanded equal consideration of their separate cultural preferences in the very strict and isolationist French culture. The French people are very concerned with preserving their culture, values, and language (even governing the number of...

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My Top Ten Non-Mormon Lives

April 1, 2008
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Not long ago I was watching a Tyler Perry movie and found myself applauding an action of one of the characters. This was an action which would draw condemnation from Mormons. From the viewer’s omniscient position, it was the right thing to do. This was a world in which Mormonism for all intents and purposes didn’t exist. It got me thinking about other worlds where Mormonism didn’t enter into the equation, and about what kind of lives I would gladly imagine myself living in them… 10. Glasgow, Scotland: A Catholic of Irish descent, I work for the Celtic Football...

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My Top Ten Cultural Sins, or Why I Don’t Mark My Scriptures

March 4, 2008
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10. I don’t mark my scriptures. The last time I did was 12 years ago and it was to make it easier to find the key scripture passages I used to teach the missionary discussions. I still have my marked-up seminary scriptures. They are sadly disfigured from the brutal SoCal scripture chases I put them through on a daily basis in high school.

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“Please bless the food that it may change on a molecular level to provide us with additional strength that we would not get otherwise…”

March 1, 2008
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I’m out of the YSA circuit now, but when I was there I often heard the prayer, “Please bless the refreshments, that they may nourish and strengthen our bodies.” It was funny because the “refreshments” were usually cookies and punch. I am glad I was never called on to bless the refreshments, because I probably would have refused. Putting the questionable nourishing power of donuts aside, why do we ask for a blessing on the food? Do we expect it to change the food in some way? What kind of change? 

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What Do Joseph Smith and Gladys Knight Have in Common?

February 29, 2008
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When I was a kid in Southern California, it was obvious to me that there were two kinds of people in the world: Mormons and the rest. As I got older, the rest became more differentiated; there were Catholics and Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Baptists, Syrian Orthodox, Church of Christers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists and even some people who claimed to have no religion at all. I was puzzled at one family’s celebration of Christmas when they apparently didn’t really even belong to any particular religion that I could discern. As I attended high school and early-morning seminary, I began...

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BYU and the Honor Code

February 22, 2008
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As a current BYU student, I am bound by the “honor code,” a document that all students are required to sign in order to enroll. (Link here) While BYU has stressed the importance of a wholesome environment since the Karl Mäser days, it wasn’t until the 1940′s that an official document was drafted, primarily with the goal of promoting academic honesty and curbing cheating on campus. At the time, it was sponsored by more or less a student club, but apparently it was successful enough that President Wilkinson saw fit to officially adopt it, and eventually it became applied...

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“It’s More Than a Religion”: Mormonism as Family

February 13, 2008
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Story 1 From p. 102 of An Abundant Life: The Memoirs of Hugh B. Brown: (Brown addressing a group of 75 LDS servicemen during World War II): Upon assembling, I asked the men present how many of them had been on missions. Fully 50 percent of them raised their hands. I then designated six of them to come up and prepare and administer the sacrament. I appointed another six to sit on the opposite side of the stand and be prepared to speak. I looked at my minister friend, who was sitting on my right hand, and found he...

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Culture Shock in Orem

January 26, 2008
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A couple Sundays ago in our singles ward, we were reminded on no uncertain terms that if we were not currently enrolled in a BYU religion class, then we should attend an institute class. I have finished all my BYU required religion credits, and as such, fell into the speaker’s target audience. I figured he was probably right and I could benefit from an institute class, so I looked around for what was available. Apparently there was a Stake institute held at the stake center, and also the Orem Institute, located on UVSC campus. I was able to get...

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