Scholar decries myth of ‘gospel culture,’ calls on Mormon church to widen its worldview

For many Mormons — too many, says Gina Colvin — there is a "gospel culture" that defines everything from their shared faith to proper politics, church gender roles, gun control, even sexual orientation.

To that idea, the self-described multigenerational, lifelong Mormon and professor of educational studies and leadership at New Zealand's University of Canterbury, declared Thursday: "There's no such thing as a 'gospel culture.' "

Speaking at Utah Valley University's Mormon Studies Conference on "multicultural Mormonism," in Orem, Colvin argued that the dream of spiritual unity cannot survive embracing a patriarchal, conservative Republican, anti-gay and devotedly capitalist mindset too often passed off as near-revelation.

Colvin argued that such a "gospel culture" amounts to "existential violence" for the "forgotten majority" of Mormon converts who live outside the U.S. (of more than 15.6 million Latter-day Saints, about 6.5 million are Americans), particularly in places like Latin America, Africa and the South Pacific.

Mormon missionaries, for instance, have enjoyed a history of success with South Pacific peoples, among them Tongans, Samoans and New Zealand's Maori people — the latter a heritage Colvin shares.

Colvin pointed to longtime apostle Dallin H. Oaks as a prime advocate of the "gospel culture" as a prescribed way of LDS life.

In a 2010 address to Mormons in Africa, Oaks said members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must "give up any personal or family traditions or practices that are contrary to [church] teachings ... and to this gospel culture."

Same goes for some cultural practices, he said, if they run contrary to Mormon counsel.

Gospel culture, Oaks explained, amounts to a "distinctive way of life, a set of values and expectations and practices common to all members. This gospel culture comes from the plan of salvation, the commandments of God and the teachings of the living prophets."

Trouble is, Colvin said, "that's not where culture comes from."

"Culture is a complete way of life. Culture arises over time and includes a whole suite of human behaviors — from what we consider important to know, to what we choose to believe, to how we respond through artistic expression, [and] to what we consider to be right and wrong."

Culture, she added, also is reflected by "our community agreements; our daily habits; how we socialize our young; the customs we preserve; the languages we speak; and the practices that grow out of being in relationship with our physical environment."

Such broader cultural values include what a given community views as important — existing community leadership models, how children are socialized, artistic expressions, language and its nuances, along with treasured customs.

Those things often look little like the politically and culturally homogenized stereotype revered by generations of Utah Mormons, Colvin indicated.

She called on her faith to seek "deep and meaningful participation" by all parts of its increasingly diverse global membership to "resurrect and free the body of Christ."

That includes reforming the missionary program to be more flexible, Colvin said, while seeking to incorporate "intercultural wisdom" in the societies they seek to serve.

During a question-and-answer session, she suggested the church adopt a more "compound worldview." That could mean loosening the "mimicking" of the current male-dominated ecclesiastical hierarchy to also consider more traditional, local leadership traditions.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims