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For this assignment I chose to put myself into a situation I never thought I would be in, I went to church. Though I was raised around many who followed the Mormon religion, I had never actually been inside of one of their houses of worship. I was not at all sure what to expect when I went to one of their Sunday morning services, though I had attended many other churches of various denominations as a child (from Catholic to Methodist). I was also very nervous that I would be pressured into joining. I had heard several things about the Mormon religion as a child that left me confused as to what they actually did believe. Among the things I thought to be true before this experience was: having several children is compulsory, 30% of your income must be paid to the church, the garden of Eden was in Kentucky, Jesus was killed by Native Americans and that is why their skin is red, etc. There were many things that I learned to actually be true about the LDS faith that had almost no connection to the archetype those outside their faith have constructed of them.
The first thing that I was surprised to learn was that Mormons in this area attend churches based upon their demographics. There is a ward (their name for the buildings they attend worship at) for single adults on campus, a ward for married students behind the Staples, and two other wards for families (usually married couples no longer in school and their many children) as well as a very large main church called the ‘Stake House’. They separate their people in this way to enhance the feeling of solidarity between their people. Community and family are the most important things to people who follow the LDS faith, and they are not shy to tell you so.
When I first entered the ward I was very surprised to see that there were no crosses, pictures, or overt decorations of any kind. There were beautiful wooden benches and rafters, as well as a stage at the front with an adjustable podium. Several members looked at me when I entered, but no one said anything to me other than LeAnna, who was kind enough to explain what was going on during the course of the service. I do not think that they thought me strange, just that they were not wanting to pressure me into anything more than I was comfortable with. In their church they are often encouraged to bring guests (with the ultimate hope of spreading their gospel) and they all seems at ease with my clumsiness and awkwardness . Young mothers (many who were pregnant) lovingly shuffled their children to their seats and made no efforts to quiet the smallest children (cries could be heard through the whole service).
Members of the ‘congregation’ took turns coming to the front and speaking about what the gospel means to them. There were many different stories shared that expressed the full gamut of feeling from joy to sorrow while the others listened attentively. My friend told me that members are encouraged to come up and speak at least once a month, though they are not required. Very small children came forward and spoke to the congregation while older siblings whispered what they were to say into their ears. I felt that this was an interesting because I was used to someone from the church’s employ preaching about their beliefs, and though there was someone who functioned in that capacity he rarely spoke while I was there.
I have to admit that I was a little nervous during the course of the whole thing, and watched the actions of those around me very carefully so that I would not do anything to offend anyone. I was so worried that I would upset someone that I caught myself holding my breath. I learned a lot about their beliefs and was even reminded at points of my own childhood visits to Mass. As a future teacher I think that this knowledge will better prepare me to teach to a population containing many who follow this line of worship themselves (especially if I get to stay in Idaho). This experience made me understand how hard it is to be alone in a situation where you aren’t sure what is going to happen or how to behave, regardless of the welcoming environment.