In his books Comparative Politics, David J. Samuels defines globalization as, “the spread of political, economic, and cultural dynamics among governments, groups, and individuals beyond the borders of any one particular country” (346).  Over the last few decades the world has become increasingly smaller. Technology has made it so that now we know what is happening all over the world within a matter of seconds. Ideas can spread at an incredible rate and people can communicate in more varied and faster ways than ever before.  As the textbook highlights, the globalization of the world creates a greater need for organizations such as the International Criminal Court and the United Nations, which oversee various activities across many different countries. One very interesting concept addressed in the text is the idea of McWorld. Samuels defines this as, “the idea that globalization homogenizes and Americanizes different cultures” (367). This is a very controversial idea since many non-American nations take great pride in the cultures of their countries. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a uniquely American religion, yet, it has become one of the most far reaching and universal faiths in the world. Although church headquarters are in Salt Lake City, Utah, the church makes massive efforts at spreading its message worldwide. Does the LDS church play a role in globalization? Are they affected by globalization? If the LDS church is a proponent of globalization how does that affect the religion itself? How does it affect the countries and cultures that it sends missionaries to? According to the official Mormon news website the church explicitly outlines their role as a political organization. The church outlines that they encourage all members of the church to be politically active, but the church does not stand behind a specific political candidate or party. In this way, the church seems to remain uninvolved in political globalization (mormon.org). However, the church does play a role in the cultural globalization of the world. So, yes, the church is affected by and affects globalization.

According to the Facts and Statistics page of the Mormon Newsroom, there are currently 340 missions throughout the world. The Book of Mormon is translated into 176 different languages. As missionaries go to other parts of the world, the church becomes a larger more diverse organization, but at the same time there is a cultural unity found within the faith.

The globalization of the world allows the message of the LDS church to go forward. Huge efforts have been made in the last few years to spread the church’s message through the use of the internet. In a news release titled “I’m A Mormon Campaign” the church explains the new goal of this advertisement campaign, “The ads give a glimpse into the lives of Latter-day Saints from all over the world”. By including profiles from many diverse members of the church these ads are responding to cultural globalization. Acceptance and celebration of different cultures is very important in the world today and the church, just like any other large organization, has to adapt to the changes within the world. The message of the gospel remains the same but the leaders of the church are also in tune with the cultural and social waves of the times. Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk on the difference between truth and tolerance on the anniversary of 9/11.  Addressing a college-aged audience he said, “My treatment of Truth and Tolerance will invite you to consider and to teach these twin subjects because they are vital to the rising generation, in which you are the senior members”(Oaks). Clearly, he recognizes that the cultural globalization of the world has left many people in a sate of moral-relativity (Mormon.org). The globalization of the world is positive for the church in that it enables them to reach out and spread their message. However, new considerations have to be made as we live in a world with many different people and cultures.

Works Cited

"Church Statistics." Mormon.org. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

Oaks, Dallin H. "Truth and Tolerance." CES Devotional. Utah, Provo. 29 Nov. 2012. Address.

Samuels, David J. Comparative Politics. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, 2013. Print.