Religious Dedication Mormon Teens Don’t See Religion’s Strict Rules As A Great Obstacle

Teenage members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often hear insulting comments about their religion.

“Your church is really a stupid cult,” one blunt peer told a Mormon teen. Another argued that the religion “attempts to ruin the open minds of youth by controlling them.”

“One girl even asked me if Mormons really lock their babies in the basement when they cry,” said Mormon teen Shannon Player, a Deer Park junior.

With such obscure criticisms and rumors hopping through the minds of fellow students (and adults, for that matter), it’s incredible Mormon teens feel no animosity toward their church. Even more surprising, the majority have no complaints.

Ferris junior Heather Lynn says the church is more than a jumble of arbitrary rules. “They just want us to be good people. It’s really a great religion,” she said.

But it’s a strict one - and that’s where most of the stereotypes come from. Rules such as no dating until the age of 16, no activities on Sunday, no caffeine, no smoking, no alcohol (no matter if you are over the age of 21) and no pre-marital sex can be quite a long list for today’s rambunctious teen to handle. Other teens see the religion as a leash choking a member’s neck.

“I think the fear of the unknown kind of threatens non-members,” said Ferris senior Chuck Erickson, also a member of the church. “Uneducated with our religion, people will take all the uniqueness, such as the rules, and bend them to (fit) their definition of a cult.”

Of course, the strict rules are not easy for every Mormon to follow. Player once wanted to join in on the Sunday fun of a Reba McEntire concert, but declined rather disappointedly. “I knew where I had to be,” Player said.

Lakeland senior Tawnya Cazier also found some problems with the Sabbath rule. A dog-sled racer during her spare time, Cazier wanted desperately to compete in the Junior Iditarod, a big-time dog racing event. Unfortunately, the date happened to fall right on a Sunday.

“I tried to call to change it, and I begged them to run the race earlier, but it just didn’t work out,” Cazier sighed. “It really hurt, but that’s really been the only time my religion has worked against me.”<

Erickson finds the rules to be an extremely short obstacle for a Mormon to hurdle.

“If you honestly believe in the religion, following the rules is simply taking stock in those beliefs and shouldn’t be a problem,” he said. “If a person chooses to follow some of the rules but not all of them, that person eventually has to abandon every rule to completely get rid of the guilt.”

Lynn has a different view of the rules. She also faces problems on Sundays with her soccer games. Lynn, however, overcame her obstacle by refusing to let the rule get in the way of becoming an excellent soccer player.

“The Sunday rule, as with all of the rules, is not a law. It’s a suggestion,” Lynn explained. “I feel like the Sabbath was made for me, not that I was made for the Sabbath. Even if I choose not to rest, I always choose to keep it holy. I still believe everyone should worship and go to church on Sunday, but I honestly could not get very far in sports if I never played in the games. Luckily, my parents reluctantly left it up to me.”

Of course, there’s always temptation to break the rules. One of the hardest to follow is the ritual of going to Seminary at 6 a.m. every single weekday.

At Seminary, the students learn about a different book each year. One year each is devoted to studying the New Testament, the Old Testament, “The Book of Mormon” and “The Doctrine and Covenants.”

“I admit it,” Player professed, “it’s kind of a pain getting up at 4:50 every morning to get ready. But I know it’s worth it.”

Rex Burch, a Lakeland senior, declares that the greatest purpose of Seminary is making friends. Cazier agrees.

“Our Mormon friends are really great,” Cazier said. “We all believe the same and all have common values.”

Of course, Mormons don’t only hang out with other Mormons. Lynn shudders at the thought.

“My friends who aren’t Mormon completely respect my religion, and I can talk to them about it freely,” she said. “I also have the opportunity to see how their religions are.

“I don’t like it when Mormons just hang out in one little clique. They should spread out more. I know most of them are just trying to stay strong, but I think it contributes to other people’s opinions and classifications towards us.”

Mormon teens all seem to agree that the greatest aspect of their religion is the knowledge gained toward body, family and the afterlife.

When Burch’s father died of cancer two years ago, Burch felt no anger toward his religion. He relied on it.

“When he went,” Burch said, “I had no question of where he went to.”

The Word of Wisdom, a prophecy which defines the strict rules of the faith, is also a comfort, Lynn says. “I know I will never have to come home to a drunken father or mother. Our religion attempts to keep your body clean and to keep you from being dependent on something.”

The rules are also a comfort. “There are so many gray areas in life,” Erickson said. “If you’re doubting, it’s hard to discern between what is good and what is bad without the correct path pointed out for you.”

The most popular aspect of the religion apparently centers around the family. The Mormon religion considers the family the strongest unit ever created.

“Mormons, if you study the majority, all seem so happy because their family values are so great,” said Lynn.

While the religion may seem a little unorthodox to many other religions, it’s simply not a church taken lightly. According to the teens involved, the church contains several little rules, but it concentrates more on being a good person.

“In this day of political correctness and getting along, it seems people would learn more about what our church is about before passing judgments,” said Erickson. “I swear you won’t meet some fanatical lunatic.

“I’m proud to be a Mormon. Religion is the most important part of my life.”