` The effect of globalization has long been debated. One sort
of globalization in debate is in the cultural realm. This would involve the
globalization of religion. When studying its effects on the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, it seems that globalization is a good thing.
Although
globalization is very difficult to define, one definition is that it is the
process of the world becoming a single market in terms of supply and demand,¹ which
constitutes a spread of culture and ideas across countries. Although this can
have some negative effects for the church, including the disintegration of the
family and of morals, overall, it helps the church to spread the gospel across
the world.
The LDS
church has seen amazing growth in their membership numbers, even in a time of
declining participation in religion in the world. In 1840 there were only
30,000 members. In 1900 this number had grown to 268,331. By 1950 it had reached
the million mark, with 1,111,314 members.² And since then, this number has
grown dramatically, as there are currently more than 14,441,346 members.³ And
globalization is part of what has helped church membership to grow this much. Through
this spread of culture throughout the world, the church has been able to preach
the gospel to many parts of the world.
One way
that the LDS church has benefitted from globalization is through the
globalization of technology. Cell phones, the internet, and many other sources
of technology and media have become widespread in the world. Although this can
have some bad consequences, the church has responded to it in a way that helps
move along the work of the church. The church has created many websites,
including lds.org, mormon.org, and familysearch.org. The church has apps and
movies and music and many other forms of media sources. It broadcasts firesides, music programs, and
general conferences all over the world. The LDS church has taken advantage of
this technological globalization and used it as a missionary tool to give
millions access to the message of the gospel.
The
church has also benefitted from the globalization of politics. Through the
globalization of politics and of culture, many different people and religions
and governments have become more connected. This allows missionaries to be sent
to many different areas of the world. This has also helped in the area of
temple building and of the general authorities of the church and their ability
to visit with many religious and political leaders in other countries. And it
has allowed the church to provide a great deal of service throughout the globe.
According
to David J. Samuels, although globalization makes cultures more uniform, through
a counterattack, it also allows them to flourish.⁴ This shows how the church
can, indeed, use globalization effectively despite its many drawbacks. This
spread of culture spreads the gospel. From the LDS church we can learn how to
deal with the negative aspects of globalization and take advantage of the
positive ones. They have taken advantage of technological, political, and
cultural globalization to make the church global.
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