American History 1941 to Present Mormon Fundamentalists Free Essays

The Mormon presence in America has been historically influential to the nation, but is often overlooked or understated in non-Mormon institutions despite the fact their existence dates back to 1823. Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer is a non-fiction historical account of the Mormon religion, from its birth under the prophet Joseph Smith, to present times with the polygamy practicing fundamentalists and the milder mainstream Latter Day Saint church existing with identical core beliefs, but on opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of practices. The section of the book regarding the extreme fundamentalists, their history, and their current practices was an interesting look into a very different way of life. We will write a custom essay sample on American History 1941 to Present Mormon Fundamentalists or any similar topic only for you Order Now The split in the Mormon Church presented itself when the principle of polygamy was retracted by the prophet Wilford Woodruff. Those that accepted this revelation are the mass that is now called The Church of Latter Day Saints. Those that felt the church only banned polygamy to try and gain acceptance by the United States government still felt that it was a divine principle necessary for getting into heaven, and scattered to secluded areas across the North American continent to practice their lifestyle. Several factions of Mormon extremists exist in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The primary reason that so many factions exist is based on one of the basic building blocks of the church. All Mormons followers have a close relationship with God and are able to speak with him. The laws of the church can change as the prophets receive their revelations. Essentially, anyone can declare themselves a prophet, and anyone can receive a revelation. As self proclaimed prophets received divine revelations they would take a group of followers and establish their own settlement to reproduce more members. The most well known of these factions if the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) with approximately 10,000 members located in Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah. The FLDS territory, formerly known as Short Creek, was founded by John Y. Barlow to preserve the sanctity of polygamy. After Barlow’s death Joseph Musser was the next prophet in line of succession. He presided over the sect during the Short Creek Raid of 1953 when Arizona state police officers and the National Guard invaded the compound and arrested every member of the church, regardless of age or gender. Leroy Johnson, or â€Å"Uncle Roy† as he was affectionately called, led the sect from 1954 to 1986. After the death of Johnson in 1986 Rulon Jeffs, also called â€Å"Uncle Rulon† took over as prophet. Uncle Rulon was thought to be â€Å"the one mighty and strong† that would live forever, rule at the end of days, and carry the church to eternal salvation as stated by the book of Mormon. This considered it was a shock to the FLDS community when Uncle Rulon died in 2002 at the age of 92. Warren Jeffs, one of Rulon’s sons out of an estimated 60-65 children fathered by the late prophet, assumed leadership after his father’s death. He ruled by fear and tyranny. Under his term, the number of young boys thrown out of the church for minor infractions increased exponentially. These â€Å"Lost Boys† would be kicked out for violations such as having a crush on a girl, or wearing a shirt with sleeves that were too short, or if the prophet just decided to deem them unworthy. A church member then drives the teenage boys out of town and dumps them off at the side of the road with no food, money, or place to go. Jeffs started kicking out boys in droves so that he could assign more young girls in the community to middle aged men, including him. He decided that all pets and animals in the compound should be killed, banned children from going to public school, and forbade medical treatment to ailing church members. The FLDS is currently under the leadership of an unknown prophet after Jeffs was sentenced on November 20, 2007 to 10 years to life in the Utah State Prison on charges of sexual conduct with minors and rape as an accomplice. To this day in Colorado City it is common for cousins, stepfathers and stepdaughters, non-biological uncles and nieces, or fathers and adopted children to marry. Incestuous relationships have caused an unusually high rate of birth defects. Three wives is the minimum for a man to receive the highest level of salvation in the afterlife. The first marriage is considered legal by law. All marriages after are â€Å"celestial marriages† only recognized by the FLDS. The women bound to men by celestial marriage are able to collect welfare for all of their kids because they are single parents. This practice is called â€Å"bleeding the beast† and is encouraged among members. The rules of dress are strictly adhered to: men wear long sleeved shirts and pants in all seasons and women wear ankle length long sleeved dresses. Both sexes clothing is very plain and they must wear long underwear at all times. Under the Banner of Heaven was unbiased and fact based. Krakauer included personal accounts of stories of the religious fanaticism that has led to practices in the FLDS that range from horrifying to intriguing. It was difficult to imagine the level of strength and conviction that motivates members to live out their everyday lives in this community. Krakauer was able to deliver these stories and the historical statistics behind them in a non-judgmental or opinionated manner, which gives the book a genuine and legitimate base. He does not come off as a religion hater or Mormon racist that is condemning the choices made by the prophets or the people. The historical account of the Mormon religion as a whole was detailed and deliberate, which was helpful in understanding how one religion ended up existing in such a multitude of diverse sects. It was an experience to be introduced to a different view of American history; one that is definitely not discussed in the standard textbooks. References Krakauer, Jon (2004). Under the Banner of Heaven, A Story of Violent Faith. New York: Random House, Inc.. How to cite American History 1941 to Present Mormon Fundamentalists, Papers

Wonderful Fool Essay Example For Students

Wonderful Fool Essay In order for one to surpass the role of a fool and be unique in the book Wonderful Fool, written by Shusaku Endo, one must be honest, generous and not retaliate with violence whenever they are attacked mentally and physically. Gaston, a traveling Frenchman that is obsessed with Japan is the only character which surpasses the role of a fool. Gastons characteristics compromises more than a regular fool that is evident in other characters in the book, and he surpasses the attitude of a fool. He is portrayed as an innocent, redemptive and even Christ-liked figure. Gaston though, seems never to be bothered by his surroundings, which is completely new to him and can cause him or his companions to be in a tough and stressful situation. Gaston is a person who doesnt believe in violence. When Endo who Gaston accompanied, tried to assault him physically, he did not respond to Endo in a way of violence. Gastons open heart and willingness to help others made people to find understanding and sympathy in him. Gaston, who is a foreigner and had no sense on direction in the journey around Japan, was helped by his attitude of non-violence. He gained food and accommodation for his willingness to help and kindness towards other people. The current situation he is facing seems to go against him, as he is often embarrassed, laughed at and gets treated differently being a foreigner. Gaston can be called a fool in situations like these, for example when he entered a Japanese eatery with Tomoe and Takamori. He acts like an idiot that is not aware of the trouble he can potentially face and the consequences it brings. But, what makes Gaston surpasses the terms of a fool in these situations is that instead of revenge, he takes it as a n experience and does not fight back to people that mock him. Gaston never discriminates a person and treat them differently than others. He treats every person, ranging from the ones who are nice to him such as Takamori, to ones that get annoyed with him, such as Tomoe and Endo the character equally. Gaston treats them with kindness and respect. He never gets mad at Tomoe and Endo, even though they both were bothered by Gastons foolishness. Gaston also has a characteristic of trusting any person he met along the way in Japan, such as trusting the Sensei in Shibuya for a nights accommodation and fortune telling. Even though Endo the character was harsh on him, he was able to trust others even when they have deceived or betrayed him. This shows how Gaston is a man that is open-minded and carefree. He does not regret his actions; all he cares is to assist people in need, which makes him more than an idiotic fool. Gaston is a very honest person that will express his opinions and feelings. Although the trait is of honesty exists in every human, Gaston resembles it differently. He expresses his opinions whenever he can and does not think the consequences of his expression. But, due to the limited knowledge of Japanese that Gaston has, it sometimes creates a sense of misinterpretation, such as when he expressed his love in Tomoe in a non-affectionate way, which was misunderstood by Tomoe. Tomoe thought love that was expressed by Gaston as affection for her. But, as stated by Gaston earlier in the book when he met the gangsters In Shibuya, he considers everybody as his friend and treats everybody equally. While Gaston was foolish enough to express his feelings verbally without considering how would it impact the receiver of the message, he always sacrifices himself for others and do it with honesty. Gaston also wont ask anything in return for his actions; even a simple Japanese dish called Oden wa s enough for him for saving a prostitute from danger. His honesty and sacrifice supports the idea that Gaston is portrayed as Christ-like. .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a , .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .postImageUrl , .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a , .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:hover , .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:visited , .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:active { border:0!important; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:active , .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8920f871fa01b713492fcfe0719ff38a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Anna Karenina EssayIn conclusion, Gaston indeed acts like a fool in the book. He is blinded in society and facing changes as he travels around Japan and meets different people along the way. Gastons opinions are often ignored, but he overcomes peoples attitude towards him by being kind, honest, trust and honesty. Gastons treatment towards people is the factor the made him resembles the Christ and surpassing the position of a fool.

10 Fun Facts About Northeastern

Northeastern University is located in the heart of Boston, MA - one of the most popular college towns in the U.S. Apart from its popular college location and vibrant student life, what do you know about Northeastern? If the answer is nothing, you’ll love these 10 fun facts! 1. Northeastern was originally called the Evening Institute of Young Men, and was founded in association with YMCA in 1898. 2. Originally a cross-country team tradition, the Underwear Run is now a college tradition that takes place every Parent’s Weekend. Coincidence? We think not. 3.Northeastern’s Co-op (Cooperative Education) Program attracts many applicants to apply. Not only is it one of the most popular programs, Northeastern was actually one of the first schools to instill such a program in 1909.4. Home to the Northeastern Huskies, Matthews Arena is the oldest hockey arena in the world. 5. Biz Stone, one of Twitter’s co-founder, attended Northeastern to study Arts but dropped out. 6. Even though the Northeastern Huskies have never won the NCAA tournament, they have produced NBA players like Reggie Lewis and J.J. Barea. 7. Shawn Fanning founded Napster at Northeastern and dropped out in 1999. 8.Northeastern’s Cabot Center is an indoor athletic avenue that was rebuilt on the Huntington Avenue Grounds, which was where the first World Series was held. There is a plaque that marks the spot on where the left field foul line used to be. 9. Wendy Williams attended Northeastern University and graduated with a B.A. in Communications in 1986. 10.The Northeastern’s Snell Library has over 1 millions visitors each year. Are you looking to apply toNortheastern? Make sure to search through profiles of students accepted to see essays, stats, and advice. See how they got in, and how you can too!

Sonic Slippage Project

Sonic Slippage Project Sonic Slippage project of re-making videos and adding new musical and spatial dimensions introduces new trends and perspectives in perception of image and sound. The main idea of reinvented experimental videos is to rely on unconventional combinations of sound, image, colors, and silence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sonic Slippage Project specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Various synergies of the enumerated components create distorted perceptions and sights of new media demonstration. Thus, the films under analysis reproduce new aesthetic dimensions and forms to engage into a new understanding of the purpose of filming. The short movie called Lossless #2 by Baron and Goodwin reproduces an interesting mixture of compressed digital image of another movie called Meshes of the Afternoon. While looking at the video, attention should be given to the way the distorted objects are accompanied by unusual sounds, which coul d not even called music. Indeed, the synergy of sounds and digital information provoke unusual and abrupt emotions, which differ from those when you watch a traditional video. New media characteristics of the movie provide a new materialistic dimension by means of digital disruption and removal of certain scenes. Though the plot of the movie is not understandable, it still attracts attention and makes the audience concentrate on making sense of the watched. Distortion of images and unusual submerge of two visual dimensions is represented in the video called Lilith. The film illustrates a complex unity of voice, mobile objects and silence. Special effects are also introduced to endow the picture with a new meaning. In particular, the author depicts a close confrontation between nature and technology, as well as what could happen if both collide. Apart from topic considerations, Lilith also demonstrates new approaches to depicting objects whose flexible nature influences the perceptio n of spatial dimension. Once again, the unusual application of media devices creates a new pattern of transformation experienced through synchronic distortion of video and audio channels. Both – Film #3: Interwoven and Looking for Mushrooms – experiment on combinations between colors, image, and sounds. In particular, Interwoven reproduces simplistic duet of music and colorful figure movements. The emerging figures move to the music and vice versa and, therefore, it is often hard which media device dominates in the movie.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In contrast, Looking for Mushrooms prioritizes the importance of music patterns and their influence on visual patterns. The point is that video images are almost identical, but they might acquire different meaning while being accompanied by various sounds. At the end of the movie, five musical frames are co mbined to create a continuous projection of both sound and images. While watching the movie Looking for Mushrooms, the sound patterns were especially intense in the middle of the plot. The sound of music pattern enhanced the depressed atmosphere of the images that quickly replace on another. In addition, Looking for Mushroom also rely on the play of colors in combination with music, which also creates a psychedelic atmosphere while watching. In conclusion, the experimental films under consideration do not adhere to traditional presentation of ideas, meanings, and fact. Their primary function is to emphasize how the connection of sound, silence, and distorted image creates a new perceptual dimension. Assemblage of music patterns engaged into speechless objects, as well as distorted images, contributes to creating new aesthetical meaning of media development. The emerged dissonance calls for the rejection of consistency and conventionalism of image and voice.

Mrs. Fields' Cookies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mrs. Fields' Cookies - Case Study Example Although in the early years, the concentration was rigid on the product lining of the company to market only the cookies, in the later years, with the improvement in the performance, the company started marketing ice-creams and other baked products along with cookies in 14 unparallel flavors and varieties. Incidentally, the company emerged as one of the major players in the sweet snack industry. The company in this virtue expanded its operations in different parts of Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. It was during 1987 when the company initiated the acquisition of a France based bakery and/or sandwich store named as La Petite Boulangerie (LPB). LPB during the period was operating through almost 119 stores scattered in every nook and corner of the country under the corporate head of PepsiCo (Harvard Business School, â€Å"Mrs. Fields' Cookies†). Fields’ Initial Actions upon Acquiring LPB The dimensions of LPB in terms of both product lining and organizational structure wer e largely different from that of Mrs. Fields’, Inc during the period. Therefore, it was quite likely that in the realistic practices both the companies will have unparallel values and objectives as well. In this regard, to transform the objectives and the vision of LPB in order to be similar as that of Mrs. Fields’, certain major changes were enforced which brought about drastic changes in the managerial outlook of the company. For instance, LPB associated more than 53 administrative staffs to control its outlets through various departments from marketing and sales to Research & Development (R&D). But as a result of the acquisition, the number of administrative staffs was reduced to only three as Mrs. Fields’ took control of the overhead functions of LPB, such as the finance department, the human resources department and others. Only the operations and the R&D department were left unchanged (Harvard Business School, â€Å"Mrs. Fields' Cookies†). Reasons t o Initiate These Actions According to Randy Fields, the acquisition was enforced as an expansion tactic due to the fact that LPB dealt with both cookies and various other bakery products to the upscale customers through sit-down cafes. However, as stated by the founders the strategy represented something extra than just expansion, which was treated to be new concept for Mrs. Fields’. It was due to this reason that the stores of Mrs. Fields’ after the acquisition went through a change process in order to obtain a new outlook of a combination store. This combination store thereby would serve both cookies and other bakery products along with ice-creams and deserts. Another reason to attempt the strategic decision of acquiring LPB was the belief of Randy. According to Randy’s perception, Mrs. Fields’ stores were running so vividly that any thing which adapted the brand name would perform well in the targeted market. Consequently, the then market analysis also depicted that the popularity of the quality baked products are somewhat resistant to the economic fluctuations. This in turn encouraged the founders to undertake the risk of acquisition and reformation. The in-depth cause of acquiring LPB was to incur a larger profit than Mrs. Fields’ could gain separately (Harvard Business

Pyschology Cast study assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pyschology Cast study assignment - Essay Example (Plante, 2005: 63). They believe in themselves, but their perception of their own self image is also affected by the feedback from others. In Steven’s case, his father’s constant criticism and ridicule in childhood, coupled with a lack of the father’s love, time, care and support may have threatened Steven’s image of himself as a strong person and a real â€Å"male†, thereby affecting his self esteem. In effect, his father’s behavior was tantamount to rejection of Steve, especially when he failed to sympathize with Steve when he was bullied, further eroding Steve’s self image as a male through a failure to identify with the only male he knew as a child. This has only been compounded by his mother’s attitude to him. Abnormal behavior may arise when the spectrum of basic needs that an individual has, such as air, water, food, love, belonging and self actualization, are not satisfied. (Simson and Strauss, 2003: 178). Steven’s mother was too affectionate to her son, so when she abruptly refused to let Steve into her bed, it appears likely that the boy would have perceived this also as a rejection. The causal act leading to the rejection was his masturbation, but he is unable to control this, thus placing him in a position where masturbation in the presence of a real woman appears wrong – leading to feelings of anxiety and guilt, with an impairment in his sexual function, as evidenced in his failure to perform with his girlfriend. Steven’s anger at his mother for ‘rejecting’ him is expressed in his anger against women, and the only time he is able to allow his sexuality to thrive without associat ed feelings of guilt, is when he sees celluloid women being hurt and violated because this makes him feel powerful. The feelings of depression Steven has been suffering from can thus be attributed to the conflict between his self worth and the reality of his parents’ ‘rejection’, which has produced feelings of anxiety and

Documenting the Media Revolution Research Paper - 1

Documenting the Media Revolution - Research Paper Example However, the advent of the computer era and the development of various electronic based gadgets have allowed man to finally come up with an alternative to print media. I speak of the eBook readers that come bundled with most of our smartphones and tablet PC's. This paper will take a look into the history of the eBook, what gadgets existed prior to the advent of the modern day eBook reader, and how the technology has made reading a more interactive activity these days. eBooks first appeared on the market back in 1998. The precursor of today's readers were the Softbook and Gemstar Rocket eBook Reader. These particular readers did not easily catch on at the time since most people were still adapting to the internet and paperless era so very little attention if any were actually paid to the launch of these readers. However, the year 2000 launch of Stephen King's horror novel Ride the bullet in pure eBook format called attention to the up and coming technology. By 2003, eBooks and readers were still trying to break into the market as paper books still remain the traditional favorite. by July, Gemstar is merely a footnote in the history of the readers while Barnes and Noble pulls out eBooks from their stores. Critics then begin to predict the beginning of the end for the digital reader format. But the technology gains a new life with the advent of the Sony Librie which is a marked improvement upon its predecessors since it now uses electronic ink and has managed to reduce the backlight glare thus allowing the reader to show the same type of actual ink quality for the reader. By 2007, the Kindle is released and everyone now knows that the eBook reader is here to stay. From that point on other ebook reader devices such as the Nook come into market play. (Kozlowski, Michael â€Å"A Brief History of eBooks†). Even print book manufacturers cannot help but acknowledge that the eBook is fast edging out its physical format competitor in terms of book sales. According to research done by the Pew Research Center: The population of e-book readers is growing. In the past year, the number of those who read e-books increased from 16% of all Americans ages 16 and older to 23%. At the same time, the number of those who read printed books in the previous 12 months fell from 72% of the population ages 16 and older to 67%. (Rainie, Lee & Duggan Maeve â€Å"E-Book Reading Jumps; Print Book Reading Declines†) If one were to think about it, the rise of the eBook reader was actually something that was going to happen eventually. Our society is fast becoming a very tech savvy, gadget obsessed group that is constantly on the look out for the next big gadget that can make their lives easier. In this case, the eBook reader came across at just the right time. People were already conditioned to reading newspapers and other material via the internet and through their computer screens that using the eBook reader was not something that people feared anymore. The technology also found itself vastly improved thanks to the constantly evolving structure of the laptops as well. Newspapers and book publishers acknowledged the fact that there was more money for them to make through the electronic publication of their newspapers and books, so it is easy to surmise that the publishing sector also had a direct hand in the decision of their subscribers to switch to the eBook version of their reading material. (Fowler, Geoffrey & Baca, Marie â€Å"The ABC's of E-Reading). One reason that people are