Traditional and Non-Traditional Culture Paper

Traditional and Non-Traditional Culture Paper

One of the largest and greatest beliefs that we all have in common as human beings is our belief in a higher power. Where did we come from? How was the universe that we live in created? Is there a God or isn’t there? These are all questions that connect us as a culture whatever your race, age, or breed; we all have crossed the path of many of these questions (and more). Who made up these ‘rules’? All over the world, there are many cultures and beliefs. However, some of our belief systems may not be what some would consider traditional. Some will be called anti-religion, philosophies, or movements. Whatever area an individual falls under, there is some semblance of a higher power (“Religious Facts, Just the facts on religion”, 2004-2013). In this paper, we will compare and contrast the traditional (Mormon Fundamentalist) and non-traditional (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) cultures; it will also discuss the differences among values, beliefs, and behaviors among the culture.

It would take a book to review the history of the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as LDS and referred to in this paper as the Mormon Church). Mormons believe in the holy trinity of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They believe the Bible is the word of God, but they also believe in modern prophets and continuing revelation. This includes the Book of Mormon, a revelation by the prophet Joseph Smith, and any future revelations that may come (“The Mormons,” 2007). Mormons believe that every person has a spirit that is in existence before, during, and after time spent on earth. If a person is not baptized before they die, they can be baptized in a Mormon temple, through a proxy, after death (“The Mormons”, 2007).

One of the most discussed beliefs is the Mormon position on marriage. A marriage must be sealed in order to be valid in the church. This has to occur in the temple, and after children are born the family is often re-sealed to include the children. The modern Mormon Church allows for a marriage to be unsealed in the event of a divorce. The traditional Mormon Church allowed men to be sealed to more than one woman, but a woman (even a widow) must have any previous marriage unsealed before she can marry again (“The Mormons”, 2007). When Joseph Smith received his revelation, it required that a man have at least three wives to attain an afterlife in heaven, a practice known as polygamy (“Apologetics Index,” 2012). Joseph started marrying in secret in 1832. The church kept his secret and denied the practice for some time before they went public with Joseph’s prophecy. Joseph married 34 women prior to his death and some of the women were already married to other men, which caused criticism regarding the reasons behind the practice of polygamy (“Mormon Think”, n.d).

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