So after several recommendations, I finally got around to reading Benedict Anderson’s Imagined Communities. The book examines a simple question: how do institutions or nations (the book’s focus is on nationalism) create a sense of identity in their membership or citizenry? It’s one thing to feel a sense of identity with a group whose membership one knows personally: an extended family, a village, a small company. But what about churches or corporations or countries whose members, workers, or citizens number in the millions? The more you ponder that question, the more interesting it becomes. In that light, let’s talk about the strong identity that Mormons seem to feel.
First, this sense of identity does exist. A good recent illustration is Sarah’s recent post here at T&S, “Globetrotting, Mormon-Style.” The sense of Mormon identity easily transcends differences of culture, nationality, and language. There are many LDS congregations in larger cities around the world that are radically diverse compared to the self-sorted congregations of other Christian denominations. No doubt most readers have relocated a few times and had what should be an odd experience but is, in fact, the rule: you and the family visit a new ward full of complete strangers, yet you are fully and comfortably a full and accepted member of that ward (sometimes even with new callings!) within 24 hours. Even people who exit the Church can’t shake the identity thing. However it happens, Mormonism is a well-imagined community.
What makes that happen? I’ll throw out a few ideas. (1) Fitting seamlessly into a new ward doesn’t just happen by accident: Correlation actually has an upside. Same hymnals, same roster of callings, same programs, same sacrament prayers. It’s easy to criticize the sameness that Correlation brings, but fostering a sense of identity is certainly a positive effect. (2) We’ve got a great myth or grand narrative (or several) to work with. I posted on this back in 2007 as a T&S guest blogger: “A Mormon Narrative for the 21st Century.” (3) General Conference. Even though it numbers in the millions, the full membership of the Church joins together twice a year at General Conference. Some do so physically at Mormonism’s Ground Zero (the capacity of the Conference Center is 21,333) but the rest of us do so more than just figuratively. It’s not like those 21,333 are delegates to a semi-annual convention. Even remotely, we do, in some sense, participate, and are aware that hundreds of thousands of fellow Mormons are doing so as well at the same time.
Other ideas for what makes Mormon identity so well imagined? Other examples you have experienced of the depth of Mormon identity?