Mormonism: a Thematic perspective

One of the most interesting aspects of this course is that not only does this course look at individual events, but is also thematically links one to another.

With Mormonism as the subject for tomorrow's class I decided to look at this familiar subject through the lenses of some of the themes found in the other events we have looked at. Including the influence of Print, Individualism, New Scientific Method and the Industrial Revolution.

Printing and the print culture dramatically changed the scenery in the Renaissance period, through challenging established institutions through the widespread circulation of others' ideas. Just as books and other printed materials helped to challenge established authority, printing helped to establish the authority of the early Church. Because Joseph Smith Jr. was able to print the Book of Mormon early elders could pass them out and the people could judge for themselves of the truth of the gospel through reading, pondering and praying. Similarly in the every changing world as new mediums for communication have come about, instead of allowing the technologies to erode the base of the Church, the Church has embraced these technologies and allowed them faciliate the spread of our "good news".
Elder M. Russel Ballard noted this in a recent speech to the graduates at BYU - Hawaii.

"There are perhaps few inventions that have had a greater impact on the world than the printing press, invented by the inspired Johannes Gutenberg in 1436. The printing press enabled knowledge, including the Holy Bible, to be shared more widely than ever before.  Ultimately, the common people had access to the truths of scripture, and the clergy no longer held the populace hostage to their interpretations.  The printing press had a major impact on the balance of power and created an outlet for governments, religions and people to be challenged and scrutinized. The printing press played a major role in the Reformation and in the Restoration of the gospel. Without the printing press, the Restoration would have been much more difficult. The Lord over the centuries has had a hand in inspiring people to invent tools that facilitate the spreading of the gospel. The Church has adopted and embraced those tools, including print, broadcast media, and now the Internet."

View the whole speech here.

Both the Renaissance and the Enlightenment emphasized the importance of the individual and individualism. One of the greatest examples from that time period of individualism are the ideas set forth by Martin Luther and John Calvin in the Protestant Reformation. In the doctrine set forth by these men emphasis is placed on the individual and their connection to God. The Catholic Church disliked this because it necessarily eliminated the need for  priests and physical churches, the role they had filled for centuries. However, because the emphasis on a person's relation to God became a part of the American religious culture, Joseph Smith Jr. felt that it was possible for him to pray to God by himself and receive an answer to his prayers. Without the emphasis of the individual who knows where we would be?
In a piece by the Church entitled, "The Mormon Ethic of Civility" the importance of individuals was emphasized in this way,

" individual members think and speak for themselves...[Thus] individual members are free to choose their own political philosophy and affiliation". 

Or as I once heard it expressed, "God gave us commandments to follow, and a brain to figure the rest out".

 The Enlightenment and the New Scientific Method, particularly the work of Francis Bacon, emphasize the need for a personal understanding of the world around us, as well as questioning established authority. To a small extent the Church continues with this doctrine, in that we encourage each person to gain their own testimony of the Church, Christ, and the truth of the Gospel. Also similar to the the New Scientific Method there is a generally established procedure for obtaining this special personal witness, that is Search, Ponder, and Pray.  Joseph Smith Jr, illustrated this principle best in the eleventh Article of Faith,

"We claim the ^aprivilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the ^bdictates of our own ^cconscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them ^dworship how, where, or what they may."

Many would question how the Industrial Revolution could relate to the gospel, but the answer is that both seek the same end, improvement. Indeed in many areas the Industrial Revolution is the very symbol of progression, as many new technologies and processes are brought forth that significantly improve the quality of life for many, especially in America. Like wise individual latter day saints seek improvement through looking carefully at, and analyzing their everyday decisions to ensure that they are in keeping with the ideas and teachings of Jesus the Christ, our eternal example.
In keeping with personal improvment Elder David A. Bednard raised this warning about the new age we are entering,

"Today I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies, and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes."