Why All Utah Mormons Should take a
Religious Gap Year, Starting Now.
Utah
Mormons are a unique bunch. Even ask out-of-state Mormons for their thoughts,
and you’ll find that they are considered more religious, more critical or
ostracizing to non-members, and less flexible on dogma. (Hallstrom, 2012) This
is especially true to the ancestral LDS members, born and raised here, with a
family pedigree to show for it. As an out-of-state transplant who is from a
religiously diverse background, I have found that there are some LDS members
who have a more understanding and flexible mentality surrounding their
treatment of non-LDS Utahans: by taking time to explore other faiths. I have
taken the time to talk to them about their experiences, and have come to the
conclusion: all Utah Mormons should take a religious gap year. It’s for the
good of all of us, I promise.
What
is a gap year?
A
gap year is time taken away from regular activities, usually school, in which
the person explores new experiences in order to gain perspective or knowledge
in ways not typical to their lifestyle. For example, some people take a gap
year after high school but before college, to backpack around Thailand. They
will sometimes work or vacation, using this time away from their scheduled life
choices.
What
is a religious gap year?
A
religious gap year is similar to a normal gap year, only it’s for perspective
gained outside your usual faith choice. It’s not meant for removing or losing
your faith, but for gaining knowledge of other faiths. For this particular
perspective, Utah-born and raised Mormon adults should take a period of time
away from their faith to gain an appreciation of other people, beliefs, and
religions found outside the bubble of Utah.
Mormonism
is considered a “high demand” religion, due to the number of volunteer hours and
faith related activities expected from devout members. This time expectation leaves little room for
perspectives outside your own. Also, considering the insular nature of
Mormonism in Utah, it would benefit members to take time to experience other
faiths and religions from the perspective of an observer, versus the classic
LDS perspective, the missionary.
What
are the benefits of a religious gap year?
A
religious gap year for Utah Mormons would give individuals many unique
experiences that could benefit them. Here are a few, from members who did this
themselves:
-Spiritual rest: taking
time to explore your own faith, without expectations from faith leaders. This
time can be restorative, and you can use the time usually spent in church to
explore other faiths. (Reiss, 2016)
-New Eyes: Experience
your spirituality from a new perspective, by initiating different rituals in
your life. Perspective can give us room to walk a mile in other’s shoes.
Exploring service projects or trying a faith service are two examples of this
possibility. (Harrison, 2019)
-Free Agency: observe
your obligations from the outside, when compared to other faith obligations.
Engaging in interfaith dialog can help others, as well as yourself. Reaching
out to active communities in Utah can open up a world of possibilities.
(Colvin, 2016)
Some
other benefits are:
-Seeing the wide world of
faith rarely seen in Utah, which is routinely seen around the world, by going
to religious services in churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. Luckily,
due to the nature of Utah’s dominant religion, other faiths have been very open
and accommodating for curious people to observe and attend. There are
synagogues, mosques, churches and meetinghouses in all faiths here. (Lelwica,
2008)
-Expanding your knowledge
of people who may live and work around you who don’t share your religious
preferences, as well as learning how to be sensitive to their faith choices.
Trying out a multifaith space for activities can be a great place to start.
Many faiths have monthly meals that are open and friendly for all to
attend. (Kessler, 2011
Some
people may ask why they should bother expanding themselves outside the box at
all. What benefit do they themselves glean from the experience of
self-improvement? Michelle Lelwica
expresses the importance of understanding religious diversity: “By cultivating a deeper understanding of
“difference”, we can live responsibly in a world of multiple differences.” This
interfaith interaction can only help us grow as humans, in all capacities, even
in the area of missionary work. Seeing the world with a broad vista versus a
small window benefits us all.
What
is the difference between a gap year and a sabbatical?
A
gap year is taking time off from the normal religious experiences, and trying
new things. A sabbatical is meant more for taking a break with the intent of
avoiding religious activity. In my opinion, this is not conducive to a modern,
open-minded LDS adult. If the end goal is to be a well-rounded individual, who
had compassion and understanding to all beliefs around themselves, than
avoiding exposure is the wrong direction. Instead, looking to being absorbent
and exposed to many ways of life should be the direction that faith leaders are
encouraging their followers.
How
could a gap be challenging to Mormon adults?
While this concept is, on
paper, a stimulating idea, it may present many individuals with challenges that
they may not have anticipated. Many LDS adults, in the last 10 years, have
faced turmoil within their church that possibly challenge their understanding
of religion altogether. Some members may be wanting a gap year to question why
they believe at all. Some may also be looking for a way out. These are all
reasonable musings for a religious person, of any kind. However, the goal is to
be a better person, in faith, with the understanding that faith doesn’t grow in
a vacuum. Utah can be a protected bubble of experience, in which the average
LDS adult is exposed to very few differing views. When these members come in
contact with other faiths, atheists, or non-denominational people, their
ability to connect can be painful for both parties. As Utah grows exponentially
every year, more and more transplants are moving in, making the walled-in
experience of Mormonism less of a reality. It is vital for the continuing
positive connections for LDS members to consider their neighbors and their
beliefs. To be naive is to be ignorant of others. Mormons need to find an
identity outside of missionary work. They need to be friends and neighbors,
too.
How
do non-Mormons benefit from this?
As a Utah transplant from
a diverse religious background, I have found that there is a broad range of
Mormons: from the welcoming and kind to the standoffish and cold. I have
generated some wonderful friendships, with two common denominators: these
people were either
1.
Out-of-state Mormons, or
2.
Had witnessed many other faiths and
beliefs, and had absorbed their experiences positively.
This was rather
eye-opening for, and has encouraged me to share my own faith choices with
others, in the hope they would be received well. It hasn’t always been
positive, but I have found many people willing to learn more, which gives me
hope for a future generation of open-hearted Mormon members, well-versed in the
wide world of beliefs out there. We all benefit from this! Knowledge is power!
Let’s educate and learn together, for the freedom of all of our beliefs.
In
conclusion, I hope that my idea is beneficial, even if it’s just Mormon parents
raising emotionally diverse children, or young adults attempting to see the
whole world, outside of Utah. We life in
a fast paced world tied to old-world ideals. It never hurts to use our ability
to learn more to connect all of us in our common ground. As I have experienced
a multitude of faiths in my life, it has only helped me become more
open-minded, forgiving, loving and kind. The human experience is all about how
colorful we are, especially in faith. To experience all of our potential only
elevates our ability to be better people, a goal we should all strive to
accomplish.
Works
cited:
Hallstrom, L. (2016, June
17). {LDSL Blog} What Is a Utah Mormon? Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
https://www.ldsliving.com/-LDSL-Blog-What-Is-a-Utah-Mormon-/s/68795
Riess, J. (2015, August
19). A year off from Mormonism. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
https://religionnews.com/2015/08/18/a-year-off-from-mormonism/
Harrison, M. (2019,
December 04). My Mormon sabbatical. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
https://religionnews.com/2019/12/02/i-think-its-likely-at-this-point-that-my-sabbatical-will-simply-become-permanent-a-new-way-to-interact-with-mormonism-and-mormons-with-less-attachment-and-less-pain-writes-mette-harris/
Colvin, G. (2017, November
07). How I Failed My Mormon Sabbatical. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/kiwimormon/2016/03/how-i-failed-my-mormon-sabbatical/
Lelwica, M. (2015, March
23). Religious Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in the College
Classroom. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://www.aacu.org/diversitydemocracy/winter/lelwica
Kessler, M. (2011, October
20). 'Fitting in' as a non-Mormon in Utah. Retrieved October 26, 2020, from
https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2011/10/20/%E2%80%98fitting-in%E2%80%99-as-a-non-mormon-in-utah/