Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. With over six million Mormons in the United States today, a study by the Pew Research Center found that Mormons are among the most “devout and conservative religious people in the country.” What are the core beliefs of Mormonism? How does the largest branch of the Mormon church—Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) differ from Church of Jesus Christ of Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)?

Teaching Suggestion: Students will likely have some familiarity with Mormonism from pop culture, including recent programs like Netflix’s “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” or Hulu’s “Under the Banner of Heaven.” This prompt will help students understand the difference between mainstream Mormonism and fundamentalist Mormonism. This prompt will also get students thinking about the nature of The Consequences of Belief and Doubt, as well as how religious faith affects Finding One’s Place in the World.

• Pew Research Center’s “A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S.” is a snapshot of life for Mormons in America today.
• This 2023 article by CNN explores overall Mormon beliefs, primarily focusing on the LDS.