The Mormon Quest for Glory The Religious World of the Latter-day Saints [Hardcover]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 6 million members in the United States today (and 13 million worldwide). Yet, while there has been extensive study of Mormon history, comparatively little scholarly attention has been paid to contemporary Mormons. The best sociological study of Mormon life, Thomas O'Dea'sThe Mormons, is now over fifty years old. What is it like to be a Mormon in America today? Melvyn Hammarberg attempts to answer this question by offering an ethnography of contemporary Mormons. InThe Mormon Quest for Glory,Hammarberg examines Mormon history, rituals, social organization, family connections, gender roles, artistic traditions, use of media, and missionary work. He writes as a sympathetic outsider who has studied Mormon life for decades, and strives to explain the religious world of the Latter-day Saints through the lens of their own spiritual understanding. Drawing on a survey, participant observation, interviews, focus groups, attendance at religious gatherings, diaries, church periodicals, lesson manuals, and other church literature, Hammarberg aims to present a comprehensive picture of the religious world of the Latter-day Saints.

Chapter 1: The Religious Culture of the Latter-day Saints
Chapter 2: The Life Plan of the Latter-day Saints
Chapter 3: Becoming a Latter-day Saint
Chapter 4: I Am A Child of God
Chapter 5: Choose the Right
Chapter 6: We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
Chapter 7: For the Strength of Youth
Chapter 8: Endowed from on High
Chapter 9: Preach My Gospel
Chapter 10: Becoming a Convert
Chapter 11: A New and Everlasting Covenant
Chapter 12: Disciplinary Councils
Chapter 13: Lives of Service
Chapter 14: 'Till We Meet Again
References
Scriptural References
Appendix

The Mormon Quest for Gloryis a thoughtful and carefully crafted portrait of a fast-growing faith . Among the many strengths of this volume is Hammarberg's deep undelã}