Day: February 28, 2008

I’m not usually a customer of Deseret Books. If I buy books at all, I tend to get them from Amazon, because Amazon does not require me to argue with multiple small children about what we will not be getting. But someone gave me a gift certificate for Deseret Books and Patches has a birthday on Saturday, so I found a time when I could go solo on a trek through Deseret Books.

Deseret Books is the publishing and retail bookstore aimed at the Mormon* market. I am a practicing Mormon and so in theory this store should be a very comfortable place for me. It was not. I was barely three steps into the place when my discomfort came to my attention. Discomfort is perhaps too harsh a word. “Unease” might be better. It is a large store, full of things that were all beautifully arranged, and very little of it interested me. While I was in a bookstore, I wanted to peruse adult science fiction and fantasy books. Deseret Books had none that I could find. They had a nice YA section for those genres, but nothing for grown-ups. I wandered through the store, noting what was there, and what was not. There was a large section of non-fiction, hundreds of sets of scriptures and scripture cases in every hue of the rainbow, a craft section with fabric and scrapbooking stuff, and lots of religiously themed home decor. I did find a game that Patches will be thrilled to have for his birthday.

It was only after I left that I was able to identify the source of my unease about Deseret Books. It was as if I the store was trying to tell me “you are Mormon, these are the things which should interest you” and the corollary to that “if you are not interested in these things, you must not be a good Mormon.” I know that these words are internal. They spring from the back of my brain. They are reinforced by the fact that products from this store are in near constant use by Mormon friends and neighbors around me. I see them at church, in homes, even as bumper stickers on cars. Sometimes I find the products beautiful and appropriate. Other times I am repulsed by the kitchy sugary-ness.

I feel conflicted about my negative reactions to these products because the values and lessons promoted by the products are good ones. I also feel conflicted because I know so many wonderful people who love Deseret Books and all of its products. I see the value, the good things that can be gained, but the expression is different from what I would choose. I firmly believe in the powerful and moving message that we are all children of God who loves and cares for us. I just boggle a little when the majesty of that message is made cute with cartoon characters. Yes children need the lessons simplified, but I wonder why we are afraid to teach them about eternity without trying to make it friendly first. I wonder if it is because we believe that they won’t understand, or if we as adults are trying to make ourselves more comfortable.

I am aware that some of my reaction is simply my drive to not follow the herd. I have always been an independent person and the fact that “everyone is doing it” makes me want to go do something else instead. I wonder if I would feel differently about Deseret Book if I did not live in the highest population density of Mormons in the world. Perhaps if the products of Deseret Books were not so omnipresent, I would look on them more favorably.

Fortunately Deseret Books is not the one true path to Mormon culture. The church owned distribution center has a very different feel to it. I love going there. It has no home decor, no craft section, no fiction. The distribution center is devoted to providing the lesson manuals, scriptures, and pictures necessary to teaching ourselves, and each other, about the messages of the Mormon religion. The distribution center has things that are peaceful, beautiful, joyful and not a single thing that is cute. When I need things to assist me in practicing or learning about my religion, I go to the distribution center.

More than once I have heard people who were not raised Mormon, express that they feel disconnected from Mormon culture. I suspect that when they say so, they are seeing the “Deseret Books” version of Mormon culture. But that is a stereotype and it only represents the smallest slice of those who are Mormon. Every congregation I’ve ever belonged to, has had amazing, faithful, people who were culturally outside the stereotype. Religions and Cultures definitely inspire each other, but they are not the same thing. It is possible (although not necessarily easy) to be fully invested in one while not participating in the other.

* “Mormon” is the colloquial name for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.