Group Cultural Immersion Experience
Latter Day Saints (LDS; Mormon) Temple
There is a certain mystic and plenty of rumors that encompasses the Mormon religion as a whole, this is the reason for visiting the LDS Temple in Mesa, AZ. Prior to visiting the LDS Temple, even though I had heard and knew most of the myths about the LDS religion were false, such as polygamy, I did have one. The preconceived idea which I had was that only a select few where allowed to go in, or even seen inside the main Temple, that is, only those who held a high position in the church. However, I went with an open mind to allow myself to get a better understanding of the Mormon beliefs and values. After arriving at the Temple, we went to the visitors’ center, everyone …show more content…
Furthermore, only the males visit homes by themselves (cold calls), while the female stay at the Temple’s visitor’s center, once individuals ask for a second visit then the females will go along, this is for safety reason due to incidents of missionaries being attacked. Another interesting concept is that there were no crosses on the premises, I found out the reason for that is, “On Calvary he was the dying Jesus. From the tomb, he emerged the living Christ. … Because our Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of his death as the symbol of our faith” (Hinckley, 1990). Therefore, in place of a cross, a statue of the Angel Moroni adores the top of the Temples, with the belief that Christ will come from the east, the statue is placed facing east whenever possible. It was also quite fascinating to learn that each Temple has its own electrical power generation facility, in case there is a power outage, the Temple will be able to maintain their normal operations. Evidently, there is a food and supply storage underneath each Temple, so in case of any emergency, the LDS members have a safe place to go. Overall the …show more content…
As a counselor, if this information was unknown, they could be overlooking a great coping and support tool for their client’s recovery. Understanding the stereotyping that surrounds the LDS religion is crucial when working with a client of this faith. Therefore, having cultural competence allows the counselor to be more in touch with the client’s beliefs, values, and needs. The myths of polygamy, magic underwear, and having a segregated hierarchy within the church, those allowed in the Temple, are all falsehoods and stereotypes which are all detrimental to those practicing this
Latter Day Saints (LDS; Mormon) Temple
There is a certain mystic and plenty of rumors that encompasses the Mormon religion as a whole, this is the reason for visiting the LDS Temple in Mesa, AZ. Prior to visiting the LDS Temple, even though I had heard and knew most of the myths about the LDS religion were false, such as polygamy, I did have one. The preconceived idea which I had was that only a select few where allowed to go in, or even seen inside the main Temple, that is, only those who held a high position in the church. However, I went with an open mind to allow myself to get a better understanding of the Mormon beliefs and values. After arriving at the Temple, we went to the visitors’ center, everyone …show more content…
Furthermore, only the males visit homes by themselves (cold calls), while the female stay at the Temple’s visitor’s center, once individuals ask for a second visit then the females will go along, this is for safety reason due to incidents of missionaries being attacked. Another interesting concept is that there were no crosses on the premises, I found out the reason for that is, “On Calvary he was the dying Jesus. From the tomb, he emerged the living Christ. … Because our Savior lives, we do not use the symbol of his death as the symbol of our faith” (Hinckley, 1990). Therefore, in place of a cross, a statue of the Angel Moroni adores the top of the Temples, with the belief that Christ will come from the east, the statue is placed facing east whenever possible. It was also quite fascinating to learn that each Temple has its own electrical power generation facility, in case there is a power outage, the Temple will be able to maintain their normal operations. Evidently, there is a food and supply storage underneath each Temple, so in case of any emergency, the LDS members have a safe place to go. Overall the …show more content…
As a counselor, if this information was unknown, they could be overlooking a great coping and support tool for their client’s recovery. Understanding the stereotyping that surrounds the LDS religion is crucial when working with a client of this faith. Therefore, having cultural competence allows the counselor to be more in touch with the client’s beliefs, values, and needs. The myths of polygamy, magic underwear, and having a segregated hierarchy within the church, those allowed in the Temple, are all falsehoods and stereotypes which are all detrimental to those practicing this