characteristics of culture

1. Beginning
to Understand
INTRUDUCTION
Consider for a moment the word understanding.
It’s a simple word, really—one that most of us use every day. But it
means something that is quite remarkable. With understanding we can
strengthen relationship, revitalize neighborhoods, unfy nations, and
even bring peace to a troubled world. Without it chaos, intolerance,
hate, and war are often result.
In other words, misunderstanding.
If I had to pick one word to describe my objectives in writing this
book, it would be understanding. More than any-thing else, I would like
those who read these pages—espe—cially those who are not members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints—to a better
understand the church and its members. That doesn’t necessarily mean
that my goal is to have every reader become a member of the church, or
even to accept our doctrines and practices although I would be pleased
to see those things happen. But that isn’t really the purpose of this
book.This book is about comprehension and understanding not
conversation. It has more to do with building trust, appreci
Our search for happiness

2. reader, and me. In order for you to understand me and my point of view a little
better, you might want to know that I came into the world at about the same
time when things were even tougher and more challenging economically than
they are today. I watched my parents struggle to make ends meet, and I was
affected by that. I attended public schools, went to college, met and married a
wonderful woman, Barbara, who is the mother of our seven children.
Professionally, my interests followed the real estate, investment, and
automobile industries-including a dealership-until I was called in 1974 to serve a
full-time mission president and ecclesiastical leader of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. Together as a family we’ve experience good times and bad,
success and failure; and we’ve known our share of both happiness and sadness.
What about you? Most likely we’ve never met, and yet I’m confident that
we have a great deal in common. You are probably concerned about world
events. You worry about conflict and between nations and within individual
countries, economic and social stability, and political turmoil. Perhaps you have
dealt with serious illness, a reversal in fortune or un expected disappointment,
unemployment or death of a love one, and the pressure has taken his toll on you
physically, spiritually, emotionally,. Your family is likely the most important thing
in the world to you. Assuming that is the case, there are no doubt times when
you look at the way things are going in the world and fear for the fortune of our
children and grand children-in fact, for all of civilization as we know it.
So do me.
When it comes right down to it, people are quite similar. We may
come from different backgrounds, culture, and economic
circumferences, and our attitudes and perspectives

3. BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND
may vary. But in the heart-where it really counts-we’re a lot alike.
An acquaintance of mine was visiting in the home of a business associate
in another country. They had enjoyed a fine meal together and were sharing
some pleasant conversation when the other man’s teenage son burst into
the room more than an hour after he was supposed to be home.
“ I don’t speak any language other than English,” my friend told me
while describing the experience” by I was able to follow that short, tense
conversation almost word for- word: the boy said he couldn’t remember.
The boy said he’d been’ around.’ the father asked why the boy had been so
late. The boy said he lost track of time.”
Finally the exasperated father dismissed the boy and turned his attention
back to my friend. “I am so sorry,” he said, and started to explained. But my
friend stops him.
“No explanation is necessary,” my friend said.” I understand perfectly.”
The man looked at my friend with a puzzle expression on his face.” I
thought you didn’t speak ‘Parent.’ And I’ve had that very conversation with
my own teenagers at least a dozen times.”
Such commonality should extend across all barriers-cultural, economic, and
religious, to name just three- and that’s not human nature, is it? Our tendency
is to mistrust anything that departs from our own perception of normalcy,
focusing to mush attention on the things that divide us that