Class
Article
College
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
The doctrine and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the LDS or Mormon Church) require high levels of commitment and involvement. As a result, like many high-cost religions, not only does the LDS church influence the identities of its members, but it is also extensively integrated into the everyday life of LDS families (Scheitle & Adamczyk, 2010; Loser, Klein, Hill, & Dollahite, 2008; Airhart & Bendroth, 1996). Besides being instructed that it is their divine mandate to teach their children the gospel of the church (Nelson, 2001; Viñas, 2010), LDS parents are also taught that a successful family is one that is based on the principles of the gospel (The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 1995). Because of these principles, parents and children face a unique and perhaps turbulent time in their relationship if a child decides to leave the church. By analyzing the relational path (in this study we refer to this as a trajectory) rather than simply the outcomes, this study will better be able to capture the fluidity of these parent-child relationships. Through this study, we aim to illuminate the experience of a marginalized population that is growing due to both controversial policies instituted by the LDS church and a generation of religiously skeptic youth (Nielson, 2017; Moyer, 2015). To this end we propose the following questions: "What turning points exist within the relationships of ex-LDS children and their active LDS parent?" and "What trajectories occur in relationships of ex-LDS children and their active LDS parent?" 30 participants were interviewed using the retrospective interview technique (RIT). Through turning point analysis (an aspect of RIT), we identified 155 turning points and nine relationship trajectories.
Location
Room 154
Start Date
4-10-2019 12:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2019 1:15 PM
Included in
"I Don't Want to Have a Weird Relationship With You, So I'm Trying": Relational Turning Points and Trajectories of Ex-LDS Children and Their Active LDS Parents
Room 154
The doctrine and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the LDS or Mormon Church) require high levels of commitment and involvement. As a result, like many high-cost religions, not only does the LDS church influence the identities of its members, but it is also extensively integrated into the everyday life of LDS families (Scheitle & Adamczyk, 2010; Loser, Klein, Hill, & Dollahite, 2008; Airhart & Bendroth, 1996). Besides being instructed that it is their divine mandate to teach their children the gospel of the church (Nelson, 2001; Viñas, 2010), LDS parents are also taught that a successful family is one that is based on the principles of the gospel (The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 1995). Because of these principles, parents and children face a unique and perhaps turbulent time in their relationship if a child decides to leave the church. By analyzing the relational path (in this study we refer to this as a trajectory) rather than simply the outcomes, this study will better be able to capture the fluidity of these parent-child relationships. Through this study, we aim to illuminate the experience of a marginalized population that is growing due to both controversial policies instituted by the LDS church and a generation of religiously skeptic youth (Nielson, 2017; Moyer, 2015). To this end we propose the following questions: "What turning points exist within the relationships of ex-LDS children and their active LDS parent?" and "What trajectories occur in relationships of ex-LDS children and their active LDS parent?" 30 participants were interviewed using the retrospective interview technique (RIT). Through turning point analysis (an aspect of RIT), we identified 155 turning points and nine relationship trajectories.