Throughout my extensive travels, Iāve been fortunate to meet and interact with a vast number of people of the utmost diversity of cultural and ideological backgrounds. As it happens to be one of the most profound and enigmatic human sentiments, religion has always excited my curiosity to a high degree of keenness. And the more obscure, occult, or just unique someoneās beliefs are, the more my curiosity flares wild.
Having already had plenty of opportunities to discuss with people of various well-, less-, or un-known religious castes, I had never chanced to run into an adherent of the so notorious, yet arcane, church of the Mormons. And honestly, I never really deemed it probable to come across one if I wasnāt going to Utah or some other place in the US, at least. However, fate brought it about so that I finally met one where I least expected it. I met a Mormon in Thailand.
I was staying in that hostel in Chiang Mai. Quite a big one it was. People were coming, people were leavingā¦ casual European and American young party-travelers in their majority. There was that one guy who came one day and mobilized my interest.
He was part of a group of four from some southern American state ā South Carolina, I think ā touring around Thailand. The rest of the group closely complied with my mental stereotype of an American Southerner: obese, bearded, good eaters and drinkers, loquacious, loud, jocularā¦
That guy, on the other hand, was a totally different story. He was strikingly distinct from his mates, who all looked identical as if they were cloned, wherefore I got puzzled as to how they ended up forming a traveling party together. In appearance, first of all, he was puny and nerdy. In manners and habits, most notably, he was discreet, taciturn, introvert, slightly shyā¦ He didnāt smoke and never drank a sip, whereas his buddies had two beers each for breakfast.
Throughout the days of our concurrent sojourn in that place, I had several chances to engage with him in conversation. We never talked for too long. Still, our short discourses on a wide range of general topics were always of high quality. I had found him particularly likable for his modesty, composure, and knowledgeability. It was a pity that the best subject we could have touched on was reserved for only a brief chat before their departure.
It was early morning, and I was drinking my coffee on the deck. The American group was preparing to set off. Their motorbikes were parked in front of the hostel, and their luggage lay packed by the entrance. The three were inside having their breakfast-beer. The fourth was outside, sitting opposite me, having a talk with another American dude. My half-asleep brain, absorbed in some other, drowsy process, wasnāt paying much attention to what was said until the overheard word Mormon made its way into it. āWho is a Mormon?ā I broke in. āAre you a Mormon?ā
During the half-hour or so it took until they left, we had an intriguing conversation about his newly-revealed-to-me faith. Following his motherās conversion when he was four, he was raised a Mormon and remained a devout disciple ever since.
One of the first questions I asked him was whether it is his intention to marry more than one woman in the future. He replied in the negative. He explained that polygamy is an outmoded practice among his cult, no longer officially accepted.
In fact, he claimed, their doctrine and rites deviate very little from traditional Christianity, the principal differentiating point being the acceptance of Joseph Smith as a divine figure, a prophet sent to Earth by God to restore humans on the right path. He asserted he bears no doubt about Smithās divinity and the supernatural origin of his texts, which he found by Godās guidance, engraved on some golden plates hidden somewhere in South America.
However, I entertained strong doubts about him having no doubts. On the previous day, he told me that his principal reason for visiting Thailand was to explore and study Buddhism. He rationalized this inconsistency by arguing that the two creeds do not contradict each other, as they are of a totally different nature.
Whereas he saw Mormonism as the true religion; the ultimate answer to all humansā existential questions; the only path to salvation and eternal after-life bliss… he saw Buddhism as an earthly philosophy; merely a method to help him alleviate the burden of physical and mental subsistence while on Earth, thus rendering his soul better prepared for being lifted into heaven to assume his place by the side of Jesus and Joseph Smith.
Thatās pretty much what he talked about until it was time to go, after his companions had finished their second beer. He hopped on the bike and rolled off, resuming his spiritual journey through Thailand.
The story you've just read is a part of my "Real Stories of Real People" collection, wherein I narrate my encounters with various remarkable characters I've run into while traveling around the world. The entire collection is published on my blog and may be read here. But if you'd like to get them with you to the beach in your ebook reader or as a physical book, and very appreciatedly support my creative activity, go ahead and grab your copy from Amazon for the cost of a cup of coffee.
