"MGA KAPATID! Manalangin tayo!"

SA21 - Q

Final Group Project

Ortega, Pascual, Risos, Santiago, Solidum

Latter Day Saints (Mormons)

Research about the Character

A Deviance Day Report

1. Primary Source: Interview

Interview with one of the members’ Mormon friend, Myka Julia Nunez (translated from Bisaya)

1. Do you go around villages to preach?

Yes, people who do that are called “missionaries”.

2. Do they bring anything?

They bring Scriptures with them. Sometimes, they bring pamphlets and then they use it as a guide to teach people.

3. What do they do?

They teach the gospel of Christ. I just want to clarify that what we really believe in Christ.

Follow up question: What do you mean?

Jesus is the son of God. He is the redeemer.

4. Do you have a dress code?

Yes, we have a dress code. The guys are required to wear polo with necktie and slacks. For women, dress or blouse(with sleeves) with skirt that should be below the knee.

5. So, the missionaries go to houses, right? Do they sing songs?

Yes, we call them hymns. There is a book where we get our songs, it is called the Hymn book. It is a compilation of all the songs we use for Sunday meetings and classes and Christmas songs. They do not necessarily have to sing all the time. If they are having a formal discussion, like when an appointment was actually set, they usually sing and invite the people to sing with them. This is because it helps the Holy Spirit to make the discussion more spiritual, meaningful and heart-felt.

6. Just a clarification, we normally see them with stroller bags, are they required to use stroller bags?

No, it actually depends on the person. They usually just need to carry a lot of pamphlets and flyers that is why they use big bags.

7. Is there a specific age to be allowed to be a missionary? Are all LDS required?

Yes, for guys they should be at least 18 and the girls should be at least 19. It is highly encouraged but not required.

8. Why is it different for the boys and girls?

I, actually, don’t know.

2. Secondary Sources: Articles and Websites

Mormonism 101: FAQS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian church in America, where it originated. As an institution, the Church has the responsibility to publicly and clearly articulate its official teachings. The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, wrote, “The fundamental principles of our religion are … concerning Jesus Christ that He died was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it.”

In addition to the above, Latter-day Saints believe unequivocally that:

1. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of our loving Heavenly Father.

2. Christ’s Atonement allows mankind to be saved from their sins and return to live with God and their families forever.

3. Christ’s original Church as described in the New Testament has been restored in modern times.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian church but is neither Catholic nor Protestant. Rather, it is a restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ as originally established by the Savior in the New Testament of the Bible. The Church does not embrace the creeds that developed in the third and fourth centuries that are now central to many other Christian churches. God is often referred to in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as our Heavenly Father because He is the Father of all human spirits and they are created in His image.

The missionary effort of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is based on the New Testament pattern of missionaries serving in pairs, teaching the gospel and baptizing believers in the name of Jesus Christ. Missionary work is voluntary, with most missionaries funding their own missions. They receive their assignment from Church headquarters and are sent only to countries where governments allow the Church to operate. In some parts of the world, missionaries are sent only to serve humanitarian or other specialized missions.

3. Report

1. Who is the identity you want to imitate? Why did you choose this identity?

The group chose the Latter Day Saints or the Mormons because they are usually seen walking around neighborhoods and malls but no one in the group really knows what they do and how they do it. They are hard to miss in public areas because of their actions, what they wear and what they bring. The group chose the Mormons or what they call the “missionaries” out of curiosity, to understand and to know more about them.

2. What is your identity’s main function in the society?

In our country, Christianity always had a great influence on our culture and even in our government. The missionaries, basically, spread the word of God and convince people to be Christians. In our country, they help continue the customs and traditions of Christians. There are also missionaries who help the people in another way. Recently in August 29, 2014, the Mormon Helping Hands volunteers joined the nation in a measles campaign in preparation for the September Measles Mass Immunization program in places like Ilocos, Pasay City, Las Pinas City, Dagupan, Malaybalay and Cagayan de Oro.

3. How does he/she look like? (clothes, gears like cellphone if any?, skin, hairstyle, nails, physical appearance—observe everything!)

As what the interviewed Mormon had said, they are required to wear their church attire. For girls, they are required to wear long skirts and blouses with sleeves. For the boys, they are required to wear polo with neck tie and slacks. The group observed that the Mormons we usually see bring strollers around. It was clarified by the interviewed Mormon that it is not required and that the reason why they usually use strollers is because they have to walk long distances while carrying a lot of pamphlets, flyers and the bible. So, missionaries usually bring big bags, pamphlets, flyers and bibles.

4. How does he/she speak and behave?

They sing hymns from the Hymn Book. They also pray and read the scriptures. They invite people to be Christians. The group observed that they usually close their eyes and bow down their heads when praying while saying praises while the prayer leader is praying. One of the group members’ grandfather is also a Mormon and she observed that they call each other “kapatid” or brother/sister. They are not Catholics, however, they are Christians who believe in Jesus Christ.

5. How do they talk to people? How do they laugh?

They knock on people’s doors and if they get invited inside they start preaching. Some of them do the preaching on appointments. Preaching the gospel is a serious matter which is basically why they do not usually laugh when they do missionary work. This is what they are supposed to do; to proclaim and to spread the word of the Lord.

6. Any jokes that they know?

Missionaries exist for one purpose, to spread the gospel. They do not usually make odd jokes. They usually do it when they are preaching and interpreting the gospel to keep the people engaged in the session. Moreover, they do not make jokes, especially the offensive ones.

7. What are their beliefs in life? What are their values?

“Jesus is the son of God. He is the redeemer.”  This is what the answer of the Mormon said. Missionaries are usually driven with passion to spread the word because though it is encouraged, it is not required. The missionaries normally feel that it is their calling to spread the word.

8. How does his or her day look like?

They walk around carrying preaching materials. They knock on doors of the houses in a small community and talk to the people if they allow them to entertain them. The mormons try to talk about Jesus and proclaim and spread His words to the people. If the person is already a Christian, they will try to deepen their faith on God.

9. Any sociological+personal reflections ? How did it feel being another person for a day?

At first it was embarrassing to just randomly approach people and try to talk to them about faith and Jesus, especially we are in school where some people know us.  However, it was a fun experience, overall. At the same time, we realized that being a missionary is not an easy job. We walked around for only an hour yet we felt really tired, together with all our backpacks on (as a carrier for the preaching materials). It takes a lot of passion and confidence to be able to approach strangers and tell them about something that they might not be interested in. Christianity has a great impact on our culture and government, and it felt different being an active part of that community as opposed to being in the sidelines. We learned the value of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes before judging them. It is easy to laugh at or outright ignore missionaries when they try to talk to you, but after the deviance day activity, we now have this grudging respect for them in that we may not be interested in what they have to offer, but we know how hard it is for them to go about their business and the least we could do is give our attention.

Resources:
“Mormon Helping Hands in Pictures: Measles Campaign.” The Churc of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (2014) Retrieved from http://www.mormonnewsroom.ph/article/mormon-helping-hands-in-pictures--measles-campaign

“Mormonism 101: FAQS.” The Churc of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (2014) Retrieved from http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormonism-101