Cultural Influence Of Mormons

815 Words4 Pages
The word Mormons most often refers to members of The Church of Jesus Christ or Latter-day Saints because of their belief in the Book of Mormon, members often refer to themselves as Latter-day Saints or sometimes just Saints. Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saints movement of Restoring Christianity, which began with Joseph Smith in New York during the 1820s. After Joseph 's death in 1844, the Mormons followed Brigham Young to the Utah Territory. Today, most Mormons are known to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some Mormons are also independent too. The center of Mormon cultural influence is in Utah, and North America has more Mormons than any…show more content…
Buddhists believe that this is accomplished through the direct understanding of dependent origination and the Four Noble Truths. Two major branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars-Theravada and Mahayana. Vajrayana, a body of teachings attributed to Indian teachers, may be viewed as a third branch or merely a part of Mahayana. Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast…show more content…
Mahayana which includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon, and Tiantai is found throughout East Asia. Tibetan Buddhism, which preserves the Vajrayana teachings of 8th century India, is practiced in regions surrounding the Himalayas, Mongolia and Kalmykia. Buddhists number between 488 million and 535 million, making it one of the world 's major religions. In Theravada Buddhism, the ultimate goal is the attainment of the great state of Nirvana, achieved by practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, finally escaping what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth. Mahayana Buddhism instead aspires to Buddhahood via the buddha path, a state when one remains in this cycle to help other beings reach awakening. Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective practices. One consistent belief held by all Buddhist schools is the lack of a creator deity. The foundations of Buddhist tradition and practice are the Three Jewels- the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Taking "refuge in the triple gem" has traditionally been a commitment to being on the Buddhist path, and in general distinguishes a Buddhist from a

More about Cultural Influence Of Mormons

Open Document