Mormon Upbringing In The End Of Days By Tara Westover

Seldom is the multifaceted nature of human comprehension ever pondered; developing one’s intellect is most often viewed as solely beneficial and seen as an advancement for an individual. The potential for regression in other areas of cognition due to acquiring an understanding of a particular topic is often overlooked. Tara Westover, an American memoirist, paints a picture of her unconventional Mormon upbringing in rural Idaho, simultaneously outlining the many facets of the human psyche. Tara describes her father, who is extremely adherent to Mormon doctrine; thence he takes the “End of Days" seriously, owning and reading many books written by Mormon prophets such as Joseph Smith, as well as the Bible, and in turn denounces the medical and

As a result, she begins to condemn modern medicine and becomes more agreeable with her husband’s antisocial fundamentalist beliefs. At the age of seventeen, Westover herself embarks on an educational journey by attending Brigham-Young University, only then realizing how ignorant she truly is while attending school; an example being her unawareness of the Holocaust. Tara also comes to realize how her Mormon survivalist upbringing affects her socially, as she still feels detached from her peers even once she earns a Bachelor’s degree. Secondary excerpts from American pastor Jay Bakker and sociologist Mohammad Razaghi reiterate ideas pertaining to the variability of one’s smarts in addition to the text. In her memoir, Educated, Westover conveys that the accumulation of knowledge can constrict one’s world lens, through her father’s impassioned religious insight, her mother’s skillful usage of holistic remedies, as well as Tara’s personal academic

Initially, Faye Westover is characterized as a meek woman, even describing herself as a “pleaser,” and is fairly apologetic (27). A transformation is evident in Faye’s character as she begins to take more of a vigorous interest in midwifery and formulating herbal remedies. Her knowledge of the different uses for certain oils and energy work becomes of value, with everyone wanting her opinion on what oil should be used for “their burns, their heart tremors, their underweight infants,” which catalyzes the formation of a family-owned herbal remedy business (275). However, Faye’s deepening of holistic knowledge, as well as her capitalization of it, makes her increasingly devoted to Mormon doctrine. She believes her own treatments are more functional than pharmaceuticals due to the trust that many place in her medical opinions as opposed to real doctors, including her husband. Thus, Faye progressively starts to refrain from “moderating” her husband’s outrageous religion-based statements and “no longer quietly gave her own opinion” on certain conflicts (232). Ultimately, Faye fears deviating from the norms she has been raised to abide by as a Mormon woman, being that a wife should obey her