“Cultural Tourism and the Construction of Sameness”. A reflection by Cristina Rosetti.

In 1978, the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) published a statement on the state of world religions declaring that the world’ “The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals.” While the Church maintains the belief in the restorative vision of Joseph Smith and the transformative power of the Book of Mormon, leadership and individual members maintain the conviction that God’s revelation is not isolated to one tradition. Rather, members of the Church often describe religions as multiple paths to the same divine source. Throughout the Church Education System and lectures by Elders at General Conferences, an emphasis is placed on the need to understand multiple religious perspectives. This, coupled with the Church’s history of encouraging participation in religious activities and displaying religious materials at cultural events, helps create a Mormon perception of multiculturalism that informs ideas about those outside of the Church.

The Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork, Utah is representative of LDS engagement with multiculturalism. At Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, Holi is celebrated as an annual festival to welcome spring and celebrate the immolation of Holika. At the same time, this event acts as a space where the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) actively proselytizes to nonmembers. Within the context of rural Utah, Holi also becomes a cultural experience that is attended by over 60,000 people; most of these participants are members of the LDS. For many of these individuals, Holi is their first encounter with ISKCON, Hinduism, and Indian culture. This limited experience creates a space where Holi is equated with the entirety of ISKCON and broader definitions of Hinduism. The festival not only creates an environment where Mormons express excitement for learning about another culture and participating in their practices, it is also a place where individuals feel they are engaging in an American multicultural experience.

By focusing on the worship of a single deity, morality, and the oneness of humanity, the temple organizers present ISKCON as a tradition that is compatible with Mormon teaching. Because of the focus on creating commonality, Mormon knowledge of ISKCON and Hinduism remains limited to a view of the festival as simply “a cultural thing” that is “all about loving and respecting each other.” ISKCON and Hinduism become synonymous with love and Holi becomes a representation of fun. As I walked around the grounds of the temple and spoke with young members of LDS, they continually shared how much fun they were having and how much they enjoy participating in Hinduism. One young member of the Church shared how the temple is just like Disney World. For her, Hinduism is defined as loving people and having a good time. When I asked members of the LDS to explain how they view the celebration in terms of their own tradition, I was continually met with the response, “This is just like my religion,” or “All religions teach the same thing.” These are responses that are only strengthened by LDS perspectives of other faiths and the ISKCON temple organization’s focus on similarity.

Within this framework of multiculturalism, difference is largely absent and the larger institutional structures that create and sustain certain forms of religiosity is lost. More broadly, distinct forms of belief are silenced in order to ensure acceptance. Throughout the festival, members of the Church shared a feeling of encouragement that surrounds their participation in other religions. Many expressed participation as a sign of respect for other cultures. However, even at the Festival of Colors, there are points when multiculturalism falters. This moment occurred when Holika was burned and the story of her immolation was shared from the stage. As this happened, many individuals who I spoke with previously conveyed a concern over the ritual. For some, this was the first moment where the religious aspect of the event was made manifest. For others, this moment marked the realization that Hinduism and Mormonism are not the same. This sentiment culminated as the audible sound of the audience chanting, “music, music,” over Caru Das’ discussions of religion became increasingly prevalent.

The Festival of Colors and members of the LDS both express Holi, and similar events, as moments of multiculturalism that foster commonality and understanding. The Festival accomplishes this by marketing Holi as clean fun for families. Members of the LDS who attend the event gravitate toward this message and attend Holi as a place where they can have fun in an environment with similar values. However, multicultural experiences are contingent upon mutual recognition, not constructions of sameness.  Although the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has moved past exhibitions of culture and displays of the exotic other, the desire to engage with other traditions in ways that encourage the belief in commonality remains. As a once persecuted minority themselves, issues of recognition and representation are not distant concerns. However, because of teachings that rest on sameness, the multiculturalism that members of the Church engage in at Holi remains limited to a fun afternoon where people throw color for some reason that goes unexplained.

Holi is the first encounter many individuals in Spanish Fork have with ISKCON and Indian culture. For many members of the Church, it constitutes a way for families to spend an afternoon together. For others, it is a space where they can let loose and experience their own form of rebellion. Holi fulfills the multicultural project because it is different enough from the dominant culture that individuals outside of the community feel as if they have actively participated in a moment of learning. However, it is clean and safe enough that critical engagement and understanding is not necessary.