These past couple of weeks I have been in training for my new job as a Foreign Service Officer. While for now I live in Virginia, it seems that for the next few decades I will continue my trend of living in relatively obscure countries throughout the world. While I have plenty of concerns about such a life, concerns of being able to practice my religion is not one of them. As a Mormon, there has never been a more convenient time to live the life I do. We live in a time when Mormons are spread throughout the entire world, when English is no longer the most common first language for church members, and when there are more Mormons outside of the United States than in it.
For many Mormons, these and other indicators would seem to suggest that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now a truly global church. And they are correct to think so. In every sense of the word, Mormonism has truly penetrated the globe. While there are still a few countries in which there are no functioning congregations, these countries are indeed very few. As a citizen of the world and a proud member of our fantastic global community we call planet Earth, it makes me happy to see that my religion appreciates internationalism as much as I do.
However, despite the new and globalized Church, there is still limited knowledge of who the Mormons are among those who haven't had direct exposure. I believe that one of the great misconceptions that often creeps into the Mormon consciousness is this: A global church means that the rest of the world has global understanding of what the Church represents and believes.
The fact of the matter is, most people in the world have still not heard about the Mormons at all. Beyond those, the next biggest chunk of the world's population may have heard about the Mormons, and some may even recognize that it is a church. Nevertheless, it is a fact that relatively few people in the world know anything substantive about the Mormons. Even in the United States, where it is fairly safe to assume that most people have heard about the Mormons, it is a mistake to assume any more than that.
So, why don't more people know about us? There are likely a number of reasons, differing from person to person. However, in most cases I believe the reason for knowing next to nothing about the Mormons is because it has simply never become an issue to most individuals. They likely have no family or close friends who are Mormons, and have had no reason to otherwise study the makeup of various religions.
I have observed, in some cases, that this lack of knowledge can be irksome to some Mormons. At times, they seem to confuse an absence of understanding for mis-understanding or even malice. When somebody shows ignorance in their knowledge about Mormons, they take offense, and automatically assume prejudice against their religious beliefs. Such members may feel the urge to defend what they perceive as an attack on their own mental capabilities. At times we give the wrong impression by the manner in which we “defend the faith.”
While it is true that there may be times when one needs to stand up and truly defend their beliefs, such as in cases where they are really facing outright discrimination, most times do not call for the full defense forces to be united. If we are too sharp, our defense becomes a reproof which tends to only solidify the mis-conception. These then become spoiled opportunities to inform and to teach.
Think of cases when somebody said something to you about Mormonism with which you disagreed. First, did you feel these people meant harm or insult? Second, how did you react? Did you feel the need to correct them immediately? Did they come away with a more positive view of Mormonism?
For Mormons, I believe that understanding that most people know very little about them is a healthy dose of reality. Understanding this may help them be less likely to take offense when others demonstrate a lack of understanding. But even more importantly, we must realize that the ways in which we react will either leave them with greater understanding and respect, or send them away with misconceptions reinforced.
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
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5 comments:
Amen.
I served in Wisconsin, hardly an isolated, third-world, or uneducated community, and still we were often mistaken for the Amish. If anyone had heard of Mormons it was that we could have a number of wives.
No point in getting huffy; just an opportunity to offer some genuine education.
I do wish the public school system would give the rise of Mormonism at least a day or two in history class. It's more relevant than much of the Civil War, which gets like two full months of class time.
It's always interesting being the first Mormon a person meets - whether here in California or abroad in Beijing or Rio de Janeiro! We're always being watched!
I can picture your FSO training:
Day 1: 20 ways to say, "I'm sorry sir/madam, we can't help you."
Day 2: 20 best clubs where you are going.
Done!
Back to the public perception of the church. I think with the church going to the mainstream like it is, it's not so critical what the public thinks, unless of course there is someone who is interested in learning more in depth.
I think a short summary is adequate. And I don't understand people who get huffy if the person has some misconceptions, since most people have misconceptions about everything.
Like my misconception of FSO's.
I would say that to most folks in the world, Mormonism is irrelevant, but remember, religious practice is (as I understand it) becoming less prevelent in many areas of the world. Religious beliefs aren't relevent to most until somebody flies planes in buildings. It may leave us wondering about any faith in which beliefs appear extreme.
All of this makes me think about how I feel when approaching people of other faiths/practices to learn more about them. There's a lot that can be read on the Internet to get the general idea of a particular religion or practice... but when it comes to asking someone directly, who's practicing it; actually living it, I'm scared to ask.
In our ever growing 'politically correct' world, I'm often too afraid to ask questions about someone's beliefs and religious ideals because I may say something offensive. Or (heaven forbid) I am embarrassed to show my ignorance. Besides... what was it Mother used to say? Never discuss religion and politics? At some point we have to get passed that if we're ever going to learn about each other. Like, we're glad Nils has been bold enough to address these issues... but really! It often takes a lot of work to have constructive, respectful discussions about religion without people getting all huffy and closed-off. Why is it so sensitive??
Even in my group of acquaintances (various religions beliefs), sometimes it gets sticky when we come to learn we don't agree on some "policy of life". This is especially sticky when there's the assumption that just because we share the same "religion" that we also share everything else about how to live life. "All mothers should be at-home moms!" "Anyone who doesn't accept Christ as their Savior is doomed!" Uh, no.
It's a huge turn off when you're trying to learn about something, not be offensive, and keep an open mind - then to have someone come at you in that preachy tone (in some cases even just that look on their face like... "Are you retarded? Of course everyone knows that blah blah blah." Whatever. I think along with being aware that not everyone knows about Mormonism... we should also take care to avoid generalizing statements about how people should live and what they should believe as we're sharing bits about our religion. This applies even when we're the ones asking the questions and learning about others. As they share, you don't have to jump in and say, "Well, we believe that... " It sounds like you're not listening when you do that.
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