Abstract

While recent efforts in religious studies have focused on why many Americans seem to be leaving religion entirely, much less is understood about why many others choose to remain committed to their faith--especially when they hold many of the same social values, doubts, or divergent opinions that others cite for leaving. Within a Latter-day Saint context especially, very little research has been done to explore the experiences of those navigating the complexities of competing ethical affordances while remaining committed to their faith. Through ethnographic research in both Salt Lake County and New York City, I document the patterns and processes by which Latter-day Saints choose to stay committed to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints despite holding conflicting ideals. Using the "Three Ethics" framework (Autonomy, Community, and Divinity) to understand the patterns of ethical reasoning these Latter-day Saints employ, this research explores the ways in which the ethics of Community and Divinity become paramount, even as Divinity becomes less tied to the institutional Church and its truth claims, and more tied to a Divinity-informed ethic of Community.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Anthropology

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2024-04-29

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13184

Keywords

religion, deconstruction, Mormon Studies, crisis of faith, Three Ethics, community

Language

english

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