In Search of of an American Religion

Late last week, I ventured to Sharon, Vermont in search of the birthplace of Joseph Smith, the founder and original prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In the summer of 2010, I read one of Oxford University Press' "A Very Short Introduction" books on Mormonism and continued reading from there. Recently, I've enjoyed reading and following the writing and actions of Joanna Brooks, Kate Kelly and other Mormon feminist leaders.

Sharon, Vermont

I learned long ago that the LDS church is not a religion for me, but I hold respect, interest and appreciation for the faith, and am particularly interested in how the LDS Church has spread throughout the world through its missionaries, and how the faith is one of few sects of Christianity that was founded in and had monumental religious experiences occur near exclusively in the United States. Further, the intersection and influence of religion and culture is interesting. I see Mormonism as interwoven with American history, especially westward migration and the freedom to worship.

When I arrived for my visit, I was greeted by a mile-long driveway lined with oak trees. A sign informed visitors that the property is owned by the LDS church and that both a worshipping house (a bit different than a temple, as anyone is permitted to enter) along with a visitor's center and walking trails were available. Colorful flowers were planted sporadically and the location was physically beautiful, a bit like a postcard capturing summer in Vermont.

I was greeted by a female missionary who appeared to be in her sixties. She was friendly, kind and outwardly beautiful, with a long skirt and modest clothing, upholding the Church's guidelines of the physical appearance of a missionary perfectly. The tour began with a focus on genealogy, a popular and cherished topic for the LDS Church. A poster board displayed an intricate spider web diagram in which Joseph Smith was shown to be distantly related to Sir Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and both the Bush Presidents. I wondered if these names were carefully chosen, or if Joseph Smith held no distant relation to political leaders who might be less favored by members of the church. The tour wasn't extraordinarily fascinating, but explained a bit about Joseph Smith's early years at the turn of the nineteenth century living in Sharon and later, West Lebanon, N.H., working on farms and overcoming life-threatening illnesses with the assistance of doctors at nearby Dartmouth Hospital.

After watching a 20 minute video about Joseph Smith's life in upstate New York where as a teenager, he discovered the golden plates and founded the church, I emerged into the sunlight, where I was greeted by a large framed picture of the LDS Church's current president and prophet, Thomas S. Monson. The man was wearing a suit and tie and something about the image immediately made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable in the confrontation that a major religion was in the hands and power of an 86-year old man. In the seconds that followed though, the papacy and Catholic Church's hierarchy of powerful men suddenly occurred to me.

I spoke with my missionary guide about these beliefs. We spoke about our own religions (Catholicism for me, Mormonism for her) and of our respect for the commitment's of our respective religions in working for others. She finished our tour by showing me the granite monument representing Joseph Smith's life, planted a hundred feet from the home he was born in. The monument stands 50 feet tall, with the base and inscription, but the 38.5 feet of polished stone is seen as the most important, with each foot of granite representing a year of Joseph Smith's life. 

A few years ago, I pondered religious conflict and a lack of acceptance and peace between people, and after some time, came to my own personal belief that every religion (with the exclusion of religious beliefs endangering or putting individuals at risk of harm of any kind) is true and absolutely valid in our world. I believe too, that a better and more cooperative world can be built upon religious understanding and acceptance. We can accomplish far more with our time and lives through understanding one another. I do not identify as Mormon, but the I see the faith, like many religions, as beautiful and true.