Can Mormonism thrive as a global religion?
The church struggles to adapt to local customs and retain its distinct culture
ONE IS A small city of fewer than 120,000 people. The other is home to more residents than New York City and Chicago combined. Yet one thing binds Provo, Utah, and São Paulo, Brazil: both boast white temples with a single spire that reaches towards the heavens. One is surrounded by mountains and the other by palm trees, but the simple architecture of Mormon churches mean they resemble each other. This sameness is a hallmark of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as Mormonism is formally known. Cristiane Fernandes, who worships at the temple in São Paulo, says the church is “like McDonald’s”, in that “the whole world is having the same lesson today”.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Going forth and striving to multiply”
United States January 8th 2022
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- Can Mormonism thrive as a global religion?
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