A world religion from a chosen land
the competing identities of the contemporary mormon Church
pp. 803-817
in: Stanley , Stanley D. Brunn (eds), The changing world religion map, Berlin, Springer, 2015Abstract
Rodney Stark once famously argued that Mormonism was well on the way to becoming the first new "world religion" since Islam. But has that prediction been borne out? Scholars are divided in their assessment. This chapter considers the question of whether the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church or the Mormon Church) is an American religion or a world religion. The roots of the religious movement are in America, but it has expanded globally and now claims more members outside its country of origin than within. While it is clear that the Church is growing around the world and actively pursuing an identity as a global entity, there are ways in which the Church remains firmly committed to its American heritage and character. By looking at recent sociological studies, the words of Church leaders, and ethnographic study of a popular LDS pilgrimage site, this chapter explores how it manages the tensions between its roots and its ambitions and builds a collective identity that incorporates both.