A qualitative study on Mormons as a new religious movement from the perspective of the social psychology of religion

Since the twentieth century, new religious movements have been the focus of academic inquiry, with individuals joining them for various reasons. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), a prominent example in the West, has also drawn scholarly interest in Türkiye. This research investigates the factors contributing to the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Türkiye and the psycho-social processes influencing individuals to join. It was observed that studies on this church in Türkiye are limited, and no prior fieldwork had been conducted on its members. This thesis aims to fill this gap. In the first part, a conceptual framework was established through literature review and documentation. The second part used qualitative research methods to analyze findings. The study was carried out as a case study, with phenomenological and ethnographic approaches supporting the data analysis. In the interview process, questions (n=10) were prepared beforehand, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The sample consisted of church members in Türkiye (n=15). Data were thematically analyzed, and coding produced main and sub-themes, under which findings were examined. The analysis revealed that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers psychological functions such as providing meaning and fulfilling the need for attachment, as well as sociological roles like promoting socialization and protection from anomie. It is recommended that future studies explore these psycho-social dynamics in other new religious movements and conduct comparative research to examine the multifaceted motivations driving individuals to join them.