BLOG 10

Kaelen Penrod
Hawkins
PoliSci 150

Blog 10

Globalization refers to the spread of political, economic, and cultural dynamics beyond
the borders of any one country. While many people choose to highlight the possible negative
consequences of a global governance, globalization has played a part in the exponential
proliferation of human rights, tolerance, and economic enterprise in the world in the last few
decades.
Globalization has had many positive effects on the growth of the LDS Church as well.
From a political standpoint, the emergence of transnational organizations, both governmental
and non-governmental, has resulted in an increase in a sort of transnational watchdog situation –
not all states may appreciate other states checking up on them or taking it upon themselves to
deliver justice to their citizens, one can argue that democracy as an ideal has been strengthened.
International Government Organizations like the International Crime Court seek to eradicate
human rights violations and social injustices, such as genocide, by assuming the role of mediator
and judge across many sovereign states (Samuels 353).
From an economic view, globalization has played a role in creating opportunities for the
Church to flow into other nations. I am reminded of the story of a young David O. McKay, when
he knocked on the door of a poor woman while on a mission in Scotland. When offered a tract,
the woman asked, “Will this buy me any bread?” The gospel cannot be spread when there are
temporal needs to be met. Studies have concluded that “the more globalized a country, the more
it grows and the more poverty is reduced (Samuels 359). As more states recognize the benefit of
opening their borders and allowing free trade, not only will access increase for missionaries, but
new converts will be able to establish themselves securely in the Church and engage themselves
in the work of bringing the gospel to others. As globalization spreads, so does the Church, which
remained the the fastest growing Christian sect in America in the first decade of the 21 st century
(Deseret).
From a cultural standpoint, globalization has many positive effects on the Church. For
example the Church was reestablished and organized in America, with attention to American
customs and cultural influences. Sunday was already considered a Sabbath day. The institution
of family was already an important part of life; everyone must do their fair share of work on a
farm to keep it running properly. As American culture expands into other countries, it creates
a foundation that paves the way for life as a member of the Church. Obviously we seek to
acknowledge, observe, and preserve the cultures of other countries, but people who join the
Church outside of America often have to change their lifestyles in different or more extensive
ways than American converts could anticipate (Conversion). For example, the consumption of
alcohol in European countries has long been a staple of everyday life; wine is consumed with
dinner as a ‘nourishment,’ and is considered a staple aspect of the culture. With the spread of
globalization, the practice of consuming alcohol among youth and young adults has taken a turn
towards simply getting drunk at parties and social gatherings (Wine). While this practice does

Kaelen Penrod
Hawkins
PoliSci 150

not generally have positive consequences, letting go of a bad habit in the process of conversion
may come more easily than abandoning a cultural norm.

The Encyclopepdia of Mormonism. Conversion. Aug 16. 2010.

The Global Wine Industry. Duke University. http://www.duke.edu/web/soc142/team5/

europeanmarket.html

Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. Pearson. 2013. New York.

Bolding, Joshua. LDS Church reports 18 percent growth in 2000s. Deseret News. May 3. 2012.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865555185/LDS-Church-reports-18-percent-growth-

in-2000s.html?pg=all

The bright side of Globalization

Andrew Muhlestein
Political Science 150
Professor Hawkins
5 December 2012

Blog 10: Globalization and the Church

            A great debate is raging about the effects of globalization and if they are worth their inherent costs.  While this is certainly a topic worthy of the attention it’s meriting, as a Mormon at BYU we have a slightly different take on it.  What, exactly, are the effects of globalization on the church itself?  Just as in the economic debate, there are both positives and negatives, but by and large globalization has been a force that has moved the work forward.
            In order to understand the impact that globalization has had on the church, we need to define exactly what globalization is and what it does.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “the development of an increasingly integrated global economy marked especially by free trade, free flow of capital, and the tapping of cheaper foreign labor markets,” while the Globalization Website cites the definition in T.L. Friedman’s book The Lexus and the Olive Tree, which defines globalization as "[T]he inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies to a degree never witnessed before-in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before . . . . the spread of free-market capitalism to virtually every country in the world ."
           So that’s what it is, but what does it mean?  In short, where our parents had the chance to travel little, if at all, today it is easier than ever to get to anywhere in the world, to buy products from anywhere in the world, and communicate with anyone in the world.  Of course, it also means a lot of other things.  Because it is so easy to move people and capital, we face more competition than ever before in all facets of the economy.  The most competitive group wins, regardless of whether they have the same standards of safety, wages, health care, or anything else.
            It’s easy to toss this away as something that might matter to economists, and maybe when looking for a job, but certainly not for the church.  On the contrary, it has had a major impact.  On the positive side, it’s easier to send missionaries all over the world.  It’s easier to communicate with people and plan and build temples.  It’s no coincidence that President McKay’s announcement of more and smaller temples (Encyclopedia of Mormonism) and the recent announcement changing the missionary age (and thereby increasing the number of missionaries both short and long term) are coming now, as globalization extends its reach.  Never before have we been able to reach so many people with the message of the gospel, with over 55,000 missionaries already and climbing (Mormon News Room).
            Of course, there is always a cost, or to use scriptural language, there is “opposition in all things.”  Just as the church has more of a voice, so too does the opposition.  Never before have lies, misinformation, and bigotry been more easily encountered, which effect is only multiplied by the anonymous nature of the internet. 
            Yet overall, the benefits far outweigh the costs.  There has always been opposition; it is part of the plan.  But not only can we spread further across the world, we can also come closer together.  Never before has the leadership of the church been able to access so many of the followers.  Where Alma walked from city to city, President Monson can be on the other side of the globe in a single day.  Where in early times it was difficult to prevent regional doctrinal issues, and regional church identities, from cropping up, now the vast majority of the church has direct access to general conference and all of the talks and council.  The manuals of the church can be held, read, and followed in the native language of virtually every member, and the scriptures have been translated into dozens of languages with more to come.  None of this would have been possible without globalization.
            So yes, there are costs.  We are more economically interdependent then before, and more at risk from frightening people and forces in the world.  But this is a great time to be alive and a member of the church, because we have never before had the chance to do as much good as we do now.

Sources

"Facts and Statistics." Www.mormonnewsroom.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec.
            2012.http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/
"Globalization." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.
            http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/globalization
Lechner, Frank. "Globalization Issues." The Globalization Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2012.
            http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Temples

Globalization and the Church

Globalization and the Church

Globalization. A word that, when used by some, means an enlightenment of culture and peoples throughout the world as everyone everywhere begins to become more and more interconnected. When used by others, it stands for a force of destruction that runs down local customs with the spread of a more Western ideal. But what does this mean to the church? Is this driving force called globalization something that helps or hurts the church?

First off, let's get a better understanding of what globalization is. According to D. Samuels, globalization is "the spread of political, economic, and cultural dynamics among governments, groups, and individuals beyond the borders of any one particular country" (Samuels). In terms of the church and globalization, this would mean that the spread of the church across the globe is just one more part of globalization. As borders fall to the effects of globalization, through new technologies, or the actual ability to now enter countries that had previously been closed from the inside, the church can ride the wave and go into those new areas, spreading the gospel as prophecies of old had predicted, “(the) Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing… till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (Smith). This quote lends to the idea that the stance of the church is one in favor of globalization, then, due to the fact that the gospel is then able to enter into diverse lands and be taught to people where the gospel had originally been non-existent. But does globalization have any adverse effects on the church?

Globalization has led to people becoming more homogenized. “Due to the increasing "social and cultural homogeneity" among churches, denominational loyalty is shrinking as ever (Robert Wuthnow 1988). What this means for the church is that people are beginning to see more things as good and less things as black and white. Positive or negative. With more people thinking that more things, like churches, are good, and less along the lines of one church over them all, people are more likely to become less active in church attendance. This is one aspect of globalization that definitely hurts the church.

While the debates of globalization rage about its force in the world, for good or evil, I still think that it is good for the church. With the ability to now reach more people, the gospel will continue to go forward, and more people can learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Works Cited

Smith, Joseph. History of the Church. N.p.: Deseret Book Co., 1991.

Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. N.p.: Pearsonn.d.

Yong, Ed H. "The Rise and Fall of the LDS Church." http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/riseandfalloftheldschurch.htm.

Blog 10

Danielle Orrock

Blog 10

December 4, 2012

Globalization and the Church

            Globalization is a phenomenon that is sweeping the world, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not an untouched by this.  The many effects of globalization on the church have a positive effect on the growth of its membership and services, and the church is happy to accept them.

            Professor Hawkins defined globalization in class as, “the world becom[ing] a single market in terms of both demand and supply.” (December 3, 2012). Using this definition we focused on the two aspects of globalization, the supply and demand. Globalization in demand being what the people of the world want and globalization in supply being the products or ideas being processes at different points or states along the way of its production.

            The first part of this definition of the globalization of demands can be found in examples of the church. More and more people are joining the Church. Authors Goodman and Hooper noted some statistics of the church in their article, “By 1970 the 55,000 convert baptisms made up 59% of all new members. In 1998 the 299,000 converts made up 80% of all new members,” (2012). So the demand for the gospel and for membership is growing at an exponential rate.

            The second half of the definition of globalization is supply. This can be seen in the statistics of the temples. According to the Facts and Statistics page on the Mormon Newsroom, “There are 166 temples throughout the world either in operation, under construction or announced,” and at least that many languages (2012).  Also according to the same source there are over 50.000 missionaries supplying the gospel to the people around the world in approximately 350 missions (2012). These institutions and missionaries help facilitate the spread of the gospel across the globe and provide opportunities for the people to use them and to learn more about the church, as well as internet sites reaching the far corners of the earth.

            The globalization of supply not only effects the cultural side, but also economic as well. According to Boise Idaho Temple Rededicated After Extensive Renovation page on Mormon Newsroom, when the church builds a building whether it be a temple or a meetinghouse, the church uses local resources as well as exported items. The author gives an example of the Boise, Idaho using woods from Africa and the United States (2012). This increases the economy of the multiple economies across the world.

            Globalization of the Church has a positive impact on the spreading of their message. The view this globalization as a way to effectively and quickly spread their information and share the gospel with as many people they can (Christensen, 2008). Overall the globalization of the church is a positive thing and the leaders of the church view it as such.

Works Cited

Christensen, J. J. (2008) “The Globalization of the Church Educational System,” in Global Mormonism in the 21st Century, ed. Reid L. Neilson

Facts and statistics. (2012). Newsroom. Retrieved from http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/

Facts and Boise Idaho Temple Rededicated After Extensive Renovation. (2012).  Newsroom. Retrieved from http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/boise-idaho-temple-rededicated-after-extensive-renovation

Goodman, K. L., & Hooper, D. A. (2012). Globalization. Global Mormonism project. Retrieved from http://globalmormonism.byu.edu/?page_id=899

Professor Hawkins. 2012, December 3. Globalization

Erika Ralph- Blog 10

Erika Ralph

12/04/2012

Blog 10:  Globalization and the Church

Like most things in life (or rather all things) there is opposition:

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.[1]

Therefore, following Lehi’s words, globalization or “the spread of political, economic, and cultural dynamics among governments, groups, and individuals beyond the borders of any one particular country”[2] has both positive and negative impacts on several arenas of the human experience.  More specifically - and to continue with the theme of this introduction - globalization has clearly had positive and negative effects on the LDS church.   However, which impacts the LDS church more, the good or the bad?  Does the LDS church advocate for globalization?  Perhaps good does occasionally prevail.

            First, let us discuss the negative consequences of globalization on the LDS church, in order to end with the prevailing positive.  Yes, according to David Samuels, globalization does breach the boundaries of culture, governments, and economy.  Therefore, obvious negative impacts result, as there are several differences to overcome.  Sometimes, coming to a sense of sameness among all peoples, does not fit well when people believe and think differently.  For example, those of the LDS faith today do not necessarily embrace media culture in its entirety.  Take pornography, which is clearly becoming a globalized nation- and world-wide media trend.   Below is a table of how much revenue worldwide has been spent on pornography in 2012:[3]

Country	Revenue (Billions)
China	$27.40
South Korea	$25.73
Japan	$19.98
US	$13.33
Australia	$2.00
UK	$1.97
Italy	$1.40
Canada	$1.00
Philippines	$1.00
Taiwan	$1.00
Germany	$.64
Finland	$.60
Czech Republic	$.46
Russia	$.25
Netherlands	$.20
Brazil	$.10

This globalization of pornography has a clearly negative impact on the LDS church when considering that the church hosts addictive behavior programs to prevent pornography addiction, and when also considering these statements by Prophets and Apostles:

“The effect of this plague [pornography] can be, and unfortunately often is, spiritually fatal. Lucifer seeks to disrupt ‘the great plan of redemption,’ ‘the great plan of happiness.”[4] – President Boyd K. Packer

“We cannot afford to have those who exercise the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God, waste their strength in pornography or spend their lives in cyberspace…”[5] Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Clearly the globalization of certain media trends, and even lifestyle trends, are not supported by the LDS church.   In a nutshell then, the LDS church does not necessarily condone the idea of globalization into all aspects of life, especially ones that attack the family or one’s own spirituality and connection with God.

However, on the other side of the coin, globalization has had a positive impact on the LDS church.  When considering church history, globalization has helped make it possibly for expansion of the LDS church.   The Enlightenment period was an exchange of dynamic religious ideals that would slowly become globalized across the United States and eventually, the world.  This made it perfectly possible to place Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the LDS church, in a perfect environment to begin the spread of truth at great paces over time and space.  New technologies of the industrial revolution, new transportation and the exchanging of dynamic economic and cultural ideas (or globalization) has been the avenue for the LDS religion.  Clearly, globalization for the LDS church has been a historical benefit and has had a positive impact.  This does not mean that negative implications do not matter rather; the positive implications of globalization and the “spread of truth” are greatly valued since the purpose of the LDS is to bring the truth to all.   If one document was to stand as an LDS perspective on globalization, let us consider the Wentworth letter that was written by Joseph Smith:

Our missionaries are going forth to different nations, and in Germany, Palestine, New Holland, Australia, the East Indies, and other places, the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.[6]

On that note, clearly missionary work for the LDS church would not be possible if globalization on economic, political and cultural levels could not be achieved.  Consider China, which politically has shut itself out, halting the progress or globalization from other countries. Therefore, in China the exposure of certain technologies, cultural ideals, political standards, and religious beliefs has been halted somewhat.  While the halt to some of these advances might be beneficial, other advances (from the perspective of the LDS church) such as missionary work being blocked might be detrimental.

            As a final and more modern testament to the stance of the LDS church on globalization, the LDS church has grown in the past few decades by unprecedented amounts.  Which, could’ve been seriously slowed if there had been a halt on globalization.  Consider the following statement from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

From its inception, the Church has viewed missionary work as divinely mandated and thus has been committed to increasing its membership. Beginning with the six people who officially organized the Church in 1830, the membership exhibits a classic pattern of exponential growth.  Since 1860, the membership has grown at a relatively steady rate, doubling approximately every nineteen years. Growth was slower in the first half of the twentieth century, but picked up again after 1950. Membership stood at 7.76 million at the end of 1990.[7]

Globalization has helped the LDS church grow and bring other peoples “into the fold” as it is said.   And again, not to deny the negative impacts of globalization, the LDS church holds strong traditional and moral mandates to live by that sometimes suffer from the exposure to globalized ideas.  However, as a final testimony to the great consideration of the negative consequences of globalization while also understanding globalization’s benefits for the LDS church, President Gordon B. Hinckley stated, “I feel these differences are of minor importance in comparison with the great burden of our responsibility to teach the gospel of the Master and that alone.”[8]       

So with that said, the LDS church clearly holds globalization as having a positive impact for the spreading of truth, while also recognizing its “opposition.”

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[1] Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 2:11, retrieved from http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/2.11?lang=eng#10

[2] Samuels, D. J. (2013). Comparative politics. (2 ed., Vol. 1). New Jersey: Pearson Education.

[3] Topten reviews. (2012, January 15). Retrieved from http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html

[4] Packer, B. (2010, Oct). Cleansing the inner vessel. Retrieved from http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/cleansing-the-inner-vessel?lang=eng

[5] Christofferson, D. T. (2012, October). Brethren, we have work to do. Retrieved from http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/brethren-we-have-work-to-do?

[6] History of the Church, 4:535–41. The Wentworth Letter was originally published in Nauvoo in the Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, and it also appears in A Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:55.

[7] Heaton, T. (2008). Retrieved from http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Vital_Statistics

[8] Hinckley, G. B. (1976, December). Selected remarks: Excerpts from “the expanding church” symposium. Retrieved from http://www.lds.org/ensign/1976/12/selected- remarks-excerpts-from-the-expanding-church-symposium?lang=eng