Conformity Essay

The exposure to the multitude of attitudes and behaviours prevalent in the contemporary paradigms of society motivates individuals to transition from their morals and comply with expectations in situations of subordination. Conformity, an act of submission to group cohesion, promoting consistency in norms and practices within a population, demonstrates the pervasive power of social influence and its role as the backbone of worldwide denominations offering a sense of belonging and group identity. Encouraged by their doctrinal teachings and moral commitment, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) is a conservative religious group bound by the compulsion to adhere to the principles of faith. The patterns of compliance to traditional

Therefore, the mechanisms implemented to stifle defiance and ensure compliance within the LDS church exhibit the two types of conformity Solomon Asch identified as the beliefs of family values derived from the shared perspective shed light on their restricted understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, traditional gender ideologies and sexual identity.

Due to their participation in congregational schemas that valorise family formation and encourage compliance with gender traditionalism, Mormon individuals form families bound by the constraints of values. Through the ordainment from Jesus Christ’s teachings, the manifestation of a “united family that lives and progress forever at the core of Latter-day Saint doctrine”, reveals the utmost importance of the spiritual mandate to align within the heterosexual nuclear family model, enslaving individuals by reinforcing the fear of social condemnation and eternal consequences. Reflective of the central dogma regarding the generalised values of “love, trust, loyalty, cooperation and service” 73% of US Mormons stated that “having a

LDS men are “motivated to be servants to others, to be loving spouses and parents”, and women hold the obligation to practise motherhood which is reinforced by the LDS church leaders preaching gender essentialist beliefs as doctrine, creating dissonances in men and women. Sacrificing their autonomy, to do “God’s work” and “be in an eternal partnership with Him”, the hegemonic view of motherhood and the exclusion of anyone living outside those confines, positions women as homemakers due to their competency and capability to nurture children. Mormons have an “average of 3.4 children in their lifetime as opposed to a lower average of 2.1 for the American population” as Mormon women fulfil their duty to bring the spirits to Earth and acquire the necessary experience to earn eternal life and salvation. Indoctrinated by the cohesive opinion heavily based on the informative influence from the Church, individuals convey the message that the expectations of the hegemonic Mormon motherhood have questioned the integrity and self-worth of many women but ironically have determined their divine identity as “they know deep down inside that they are doing God’s work”, an attitude commonly adopted by LDS members. Conforming to a prophet’s claim from 25 years ago