There may be something in what you say here, for some missionaries that go out. I have a hard time generalizing to saying "the majority" on any blanket statements like this. For sure there is a difficulty in truly being in or immersed in a culture when you are protected by a bubble of rules and the fact that you are are teaching the gospel 24/7. It's more like being a boat while the river is the culture, vs swimming in it. Missionaries are taught to love the people, not necessarily to love the culture. I know that in many cases loving the culture will come naturally if you actually do love the people. To truly care about someone you need to understand them, and to understand them it stands to reason that you should understand their culture, then understand where they stand in regards to it, and even those two things are only a small part of the equation.
I don't think that a culture needs to convert to "Mormonism". You can be a member of the LDS Church and still be a part of your own culture, even if that part is changed a bit. Are you specifically talking about Utah LDS culture, or LDS church culture in general? I believe it is quite different pretty much everywhere. The LDS culture in Cali is different than that in Utah, than that on the east coast, more different even still in other countries. My experiences seem to be different than yours, so I'm thinking the truth of it in general is varied with data points all over the place as opposed to the data point of what you feel is the case for all missionaries.
Its still an individual thing that is hard to generalize to a whole group like this
Also about culture, it is constantly in flux, and different based on location. Culture moves, migrates, and changes constantly. I also don't think gaining a love for a culture has a huge impact on being or not being racist. I also think pretty much everybody tends to think their own beliefs, culture, country, team, neighborhood, family, friends, socks are better than others out there, but that does not mean they hate the other ones out there. That is something learned. The LDS Church teaches all members to love other people, and the idea that members of the LDS church feel they are right in that it is the one church with the authority of God and has more Truth than other churches does not mean people of other faiths or no faith are less than it's members as individuals. I'm a Jazz fan, I like the team, the players, the coaches, the owners, the organization, the city... much better than other teams, players, organizations, cities. Does that mean I think the Jazz are better than the Rockets or the Warriors this year? No. Does it mean I hate the other teams because I like my team better? No. In the same vein, why would me liking my Church and believing it is true and the best for me automatically mean I am better than everyone else and that I am now a "passive racist" or whatever it was termed? I know it's not a perfect comparison, but it catches the main points.
I see what some of you think about the LDS Church, and members of the church, and pushing the idea that there is some sort of passive racism or whatever you want to call it going on.
I disagree. Are there individuals that are church members that are racist, probably. Is that something taught by the Church, not to my understanding. Are there things taught that could be taken that way, I can see that because I have seen numbers of things taken a different way than my view of what is intended. Are there portions of the Bible and Book of Mormon that talk about dark skin, and curses, and markings to distinguish from the people of God, yes. Does that mean that people with lighter or darker skin are better or worse than someone else, no it does not. Was there a time in church history when people with dark skin were not allowed to hold the Priesthood, yes there was. Do I fully understand why this was the case, I do not. Do I think the church leaders were perfect and made every right decision in their lives, no way.
This next part, I know some of you will scoff and mock, but it is true for me so I will say it.
While I don't have answers to all of these things and some of the difficult things that have happened in the history of the church. I do know for myself that God is real, that Jesus is truly the Christ taught in the Bible and Book of Mormon, that Joseph Smith did see God and Christ and did do necessary things to bring Christs church back with the organization and proper authority. There are other things I know that are a foundation for me which allow me to take the time I need to work out the rest, and some of these more difficult/challenging questions. With what I do know from God, I feel comfortable with taking time figuring out the rest following the pattern I learned in gaining what I have already from God.
I also know that all people no matter the color, culture, age, gender are equally as important and loved by God. I don't see color other than at times as an easy way to narrow down the possibilities in Utah when trying to describe a person to another person when hair color, eye color, clothing doesn't help.
I know some people would like to label me a racist because I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and believe it's teachings, but I refute that. I also understand some of you will claim I am in this bucket that thinks I am not, but "really am", and I think that is weak.
I like DM, Favors, pretty much the whole team and coaching staff. I don't like Hayward, Lyles, Burke, Kanter. My dislike comes from individual experiences toward our team & State from them or their crews. ijazz was annoying.
I personally think most of the LDS Jazz fans are like me in this. There is no blatant, or hidden racism. I think the theories and racism litmus tests, and dogwhistle conversations are flawed, blurry, and steered toward seeing something.
Sorry/notsorry for the book. Please excuse the spelling, grammar, and readability errors, I'm out of time and my editor is not available.
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