Democratic Route To Modernity Essays - Barrington Moore, Jr.

Democratic Route To Modernity Barrington Moore, Jr. in Chapter seven of his Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, explores among other things, the reason for England and other countries (such as the US and France) taking the democratic route to the modern world; a route which he refers to as the bourgeois revolution. This is relatively different for each country at the inception and at various points in time, but is essentially a combination of parlimentary democracy and capitalism. Whereas in China, Russia, and Germany, preindustrial bureacratic rule has proven unfavorable to democracy, in England, on a comparative level, there was more of a balance between the crown and the nobility. Moore maintains that the concept of a relatively independent nobility has proven favorable to the growth of democracy. The bourgeois class was essential to this growth as well. Whereas in France, Russia and a large part of Germany there was a strong growth of absolutism, in England there was resistance to this ideology. The landed aristocracy began getting involved in commerce at an early date in Englan d whereas in large areas of Europe there were still communities of self sufficiency. In England a particular type of commercial agriculture (or an appropriate form as Moore puts it) was conducive to the democratic route. It fostered a relationship of dependency between the landed upper class and the bourgeois class. In order to portray the differences with the English (or even on a smaller scale) route to democracy and the Russian route, for example, Moore examines critically all these aspects and explores the variants on a comparative level, and concludes that the English experience for these specific reasons was conducive to a democratic route to modernity. Bibliography moore, barrington social origins of dictatorship and democracy

Free Essays on Bombing

Atomic bombing When asked, many people can think of an event that changed their lives instantly. For example, a near death experience may lead a person to see that life is fragile and that it should be lived to the fullest. Unfortunately, sometimes these events require the loss of innocent lives. In 1945, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the years following the attack, many writings have been published in order to capture the horrid nature of this event. The two that we will look at are â€Å"Hatsuyo Nakamura† by John Hersey, and â€Å"Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki Told by Flight Member† by William Laurence. Hersey’s Story chronicles life after the bombing for one of the survivors while Laurence tells the story of the attack through the eyes of one of the crew members aboard one of the bomber planes. Both readings focus on the drastic events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through th e utilization of different styles while conveying two completely contrasting points of views; however, Hersey’s comes across more effectively in the end. One of the more apparent differences is that Hersey’s â€Å"Hatsuyo Nakamura† is written in the third person. Telling the story in the third person prevents readers from seeing things through that person’s eyes. However, it gives a clearer overview of the situation as opposed to breaking down the person’s every thought. In this case, we see the effects of the radiation on Nakamura; described as being â€Å"weak and distraught† in the aftermath of the bombing. She ends up living in a wooden shack for the next few years where she would â€Å"begin a courageous struggle† in order to â€Å"keep her children and herself alive.† These quotes capture the very essence of her struggle and at the same time promote a feeling of empathy for Nakamura. She continues to struggle for a long time; she justifies this with t... Free Essays on Bombing Free Essays on Bombing Atomic bombing When asked, many people can think of an event that changed their lives instantly. For example, a near death experience may lead a person to see that life is fragile and that it should be lived to the fullest. Unfortunately, sometimes these events require the loss of innocent lives. In 1945, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the years following the attack, many writings have been published in order to capture the horrid nature of this event. The two that we will look at are â€Å"Hatsuyo Nakamura† by John Hersey, and â€Å"Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki Told by Flight Member† by William Laurence. Hersey’s Story chronicles life after the bombing for one of the survivors while Laurence tells the story of the attack through the eyes of one of the crew members aboard one of the bomber planes. Both readings focus on the drastic events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through th e utilization of different styles while conveying two completely contrasting points of views; however, Hersey’s comes across more effectively in the end. One of the more apparent differences is that Hersey’s â€Å"Hatsuyo Nakamura† is written in the third person. Telling the story in the third person prevents readers from seeing things through that person’s eyes. However, it gives a clearer overview of the situation as opposed to breaking down the person’s every thought. In this case, we see the effects of the radiation on Nakamura; described as being â€Å"weak and distraught† in the aftermath of the bombing. She ends up living in a wooden shack for the next few years where she would â€Å"begin a courageous struggle† in order to â€Å"keep her children and herself alive.† These quotes capture the very essence of her struggle and at the same time promote a feeling of empathy for Nakamura. She continues to struggle for a long time; she justifies this with t...

Writing assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Writing - Assignment Example However, numerous counter arguments have been presented to prove that these austerity packages actually take the economy many steps behind rather than forward. The purpose of austerity packages is to reduce the budget deficit that is fiscal budget deficit to be specific. However, it can be seen that these packages have actually worsened the situation in Greece and budget deficits have increased. The first major aspect of this argument is that when an austerity package is implemented, the government expenditure decreases. When this happens, the investment in the economy decreases. This investment is a key factor in the calculation of the gross domestic product (GDP) and such a measure will indirectly decrease the GDP of the economy with the aid of a decrease in investments. When the government expenditure goes down along with the investments, people go out of employment. This is what has happened in Greece where the investments have either been drawn out of the economy or the government is not spending enough money to help the employment rate. This rise in unemployment leaves less number of people with the disposable income and the living standards of the people go down. Although this living standard cannot be measured with the assistance of budgets but this surely increases the anxiety and frustration in the society leading to poor law and order and eventually lower injection of funds due to poor confidence in the economy. (Tyson, 2012) One thing that can negatively influence the budget deficit directly is the fact that when unemployment rises, people have less money to spend and the consumption in the economy goes down. This lowers the GDP of the economy and this causes the budget deficits to increase even further. Another factor related to unemployment is that the unemployed people cannot pay taxes and this negatively influences a key source of revenue for the government. This results in even a greater fiscal budget deficit and

Risk Assessment and Return Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk Assessment and Return Memo - Essay Example To create a portfolio, I have selected four stocks of different companies belonging from different companies after analyzing different companies. The investment strategy previously adapted by Casta Bonita Ceramics has been to achieve the highest possible returns. But this strategy of achieving the maximizing returns has a drawback as the management does not consider risk as an important element while investing in different investment opportunities or assets. Therefore the strategy has been changed and Casta Bonita Ceramics would not only analyze the returns of the stock but the risk of the investment as well. I have also followed a similar strategy by identifying the risks as well as the return of the stocks and I have tried to make sure that the portfolio achieves the maximum returns with minimum risk. I have examined different companies and one of the companies that I have considered is the Infoway Computers for investment purpose. By analyzing the company, the return and the fluct uations of the returns are identified and it has been found that the company offers high returns to its shareholders however the risk of the company is also high. Infoway Computers belong to the Information Technology and Telecommunications Industry, however I would still suggest keeping the stocks of Infoway Computers in the portfolio as the company is a large organization and it has been operating for years. Moreover, the company has a wonderful history and has a reputable name in the industry therefore I would recommend to invest in Infoway Computers over other firms in the industry like Transconduit Inc, and One Voice Telecom. Furthermore, I have calculated the beta of the company and after examining the beta of the company and other companies in the industry, my decision has been furthermore justified. Results found from beta also proved and supported by decision to invest in Infoway Computers. Besides this, I also analyzed Grand Capital Insurance, Western Connect Airlines, Des ktop Inc, Leviathan Defense Systems and Goldstein and Delaney Bank for investment opportunities. Western Connect Airlines was offering the lowest return on its stock and the stock had a lower risk when compared with others, therefore I recommended that investing in Western Connect Airlines would be a good idea. Moreover, Leviathan Defense Systems is another company to be invested after analyzing the risk and returns. In my analysis, two companies from the financial and insurance sector were also analyzed; Goldstein and Delaney Bank and Grand Capital Insurance. The reason to include companies from this sector was to make sure that the portfolio is well diversified. However I found out that Goldstein and Delaney Bank should be included in the portfolio as investing in Goldstein and Delaney Bank would reduce the overall risk of the portfolio although the company offers low returns but the risk of the company is also low and therefore it would reduce the overall risk of the portfolio. O ne of the main reasons why I do not want to invest in both the companies of the financial and insurance industry is that I want to diversify by investing in different industry. Moreover, this would allow me to reduce the systematic risk of the industry, although the risk cannot be eliminated completely but it can be reduced and diversifying the industry would be one of the ways to do it. The shares of Desktop Inc offer the highest return to the shareholders at a higher level of risk and this is the reason why I would not recommend

What are the benefits of online grocery shopping Essay

What are the benefits of online grocery shopping - Essay Example In between the fundamental objectives of enlarging their market visibility is the need to meet the consumer requirements, and so was the very genesis of online shopping. Grocery stores, for instance, have taken the advantage afforded by technology, â€Å"raking in roughly $15 billion a year — about 3 percent of brick and mortar supermarkets’ nearly $600 billion sales† (Williams, 2014). Williams further notes that the industry is expected to grow at approximately 13 percent per annum, ‘making up 11 percent of all grocery sales in the next decade. Indeed there is no doubt that the ever increasing use of the Internet has more than transformed shopping experiences with quite a huge chunk of benefits that has enabled the cutting down of costs on both ends of the consumer and the service providers (Appelhans, et al. 2012; Shannon & Mandhachitara, 2008). More and more businesses are warming up towards greater use of the internet as the ultimate marketing channel t hat is both unique in very many, but certain aspects that includes convenience, real time feedback, as well as the ability of extreme comfort, and so are the opportunities offered by online Grocery stores. Any serious entrepreneur knows for a fact that time in itself is but a precious commodity, and so with regards to shopping in particular, time has that tremendous capability of significantly altering shopping behavior. Indeed it the very levels of time pressure that allow the service provides to group consumers as well as service specific target markets along this dimension. Besides the time pressure, the online Grocery stores have long known that impulse are involved in in the purchase of food products and that the consumers’ effort in searching and processing related information concerning food products should be at the very bare minimum, for time-pressured consumers strive for

Assess The Contribution Of Summitry To Diplomacy Politics Essay

Assess The Contribution Of Summitry To Diplomacy Politics Essay Summit diplomacy is an irreversible phenomenon that is not alien to contemporary diplomacy. It has been an ongoing practice as far back as diplomatic activity has been in practice. Summit diplomacy has its roots in the new diplomacy i.e. diplomacy in the democratic age between open governments (Dunn, 2004, p. 140a). It has evolved and developed over the centuries and as such, much attention is given to it. Recently there has been an upsurge on it which is due to the fact that it is no longer done on low level but now common place and referred to as high level diplomacy. Amongst other advantages, Leguey-Feilluex states that the primary advantage of summits is that it involves the leaders that are directly responsible for making policies (2009, p. 294). In as much as it has been celebrated for its benefits, there is a lot of controversy surrounding this practice; diplomacy at the summit level has been highly disdained by diplomats because of the claim that it relegates their roles. It has also been said that it could be a waste of time, effort, and resources. Even though summitry can be detrimental to diplomacy if not properly organised, I believe that if judiciously prepared, summits will come to be appreciated and accepted as a method of conducting diplomacy. This essay is an attempt to explore or delve into the depths of the concept of summitry diplomacy, and in this process unearth some information about it, also to examine the contribution of summitry to diplomatic practice. What is Summitry In contemporary times, a method of conducting foreign relations is evolving, as times go by, this method is waxing stronger and is known summit diplomacy and this has brought in its wake, a wave of arguments for and against this new global development in international relations. However it is a misunderstanding in history to regard it as a new phenomenon (Plischke, 1974, p. 43) since it has been in practice far longer than it has been popular. The earliest record of the usage of the term summitry came into play when Sir Winston Churchill popularised it in the 1950s by introducing it into international parlance. Summitry as a term was therefore coined by Winston Churchill, Even as a term that was coined then, it is however a point to note that the practice has been in for a longer time. In fact, it dates back to the fifteenth century. This fact begs the question; if it is a practice that is not new, why is it being popular in these times? The best answer to that would be because of the way summitry is being conducted. These days- it is more frequent and at a higher level (Dunn, 1996, p. 4b). Summitry is a process wherein political leaders take diplomacy into their own hands instead of leaving it to the professional diplomats; leaders, heads of state, prime ministers, presidents, monarchs, all come together to discuss issues of foreign relations. According to Plischke, summit diplomacy may be: interpreted as the determination and publicizing of foreign policy and the management of international affairs at the chief of state or head of state level (1967, p. 43). I would like to point out that in order to effectively conceptualise summitry, it will be appropriate to take into consideration different features of summits; the first is the fact that summits are organised between countries of a higher class, i.e. between groups of the same class, secondly, summitry is for reaching agreements. In addition, a summit can be differentiated from other forms of direct personal diplomacy among political leaders such as correspondence, telephone conversations or direct talks e. g. video conferencing (Melissen, 2004, p. 188). Over the years, summitry has evolved greatly and it is due to so many factors of which I will be pointing out some of them. Dunn, states that summitry grew out of crisis, especially political crisis, when governments and states were facing tough times; the need to meet, dialogue and reach agreements on very salient issues with other heads of government arose, governments needed to deal with crisis and decided to take matters into their own hands. Summitry then, had to do with a bit of urgency (1996, p. 5b) Another important factor for the development of summit diplomacy was growing interdependence of the world economy; the world has economically grown closer as financial markets, corporations, and banks have all become multinational, and because resources are unevenly scattered and no country possess all the resources they need to survive, therefore countries must come together to trade in order to sustain their economy. For example, petroleum is shipped from Africa to major energy-importing regions such as the United States, thus the growth of global economic interdependence, and consequently the spread of summit diplomacy (Dunn, 1996, p. 12b). Dunn also states that summitry has also developed as a result of technological inventions, breakthroughs and advancement. Technology has progressed at an accelerated rate and has been profound during the twentieth century which has greatly improved the pace and method of conducting foreign relations. The revolution in technology transformed the very nature of diplomacy itself which meant heads of state, foreign ministers and other important officials could now make intercontinental trips in such a short time as opposed to long trips which sometimes took days or weeks. Also, in the aspect of communication, mobile phones, video conferencing and other electronic means has increased the rate with which diplomatic negotiations take place (1996, p. 6b). Furthermore, summitry developed due to the importance of the media and public opinion in international affairs. This development has sought the need for political leaders to become much more transparent in their dealings. The summit is thus not only the expression of the direct political ties between the leader and his people; the political leader is also perceived as the diplomat-in-chief (Melissen, 2004, p. 194). It may not be easy to measure the success of summitry; however we can assess the contribution of summitry by analysing the functions of types of summitry to diplomacy. These summits can be classified into three; the serial summit, the ad hoc summit and the exchange of views summit. These different types of summitry serve different purposes. The function which the summits may promote include; promoting friendly relations, clarifying intentions, information gathering, consular work, and negotiation (Berridge, 1995, p. 84a). I intend to enumerate the contributions of summitry to diplomacy through the different types of summits. Serial Summit and its Contribution The serial summit is part of a regular series of meetings. There are numerous examples of serial summits, some of which include the Franco-German summits, G7/G8 summits (which are a contributory factor in international discourse,) ASEAN summits, US-AU summits. Another good example of a serial summit is the Western economic summits which have been held annually since 1977 at Rambouillet (Barston, 1988, p. 105) The serial summit is particularly useful for promoting friendly relations and negotiation; whether serial summits are frequent or separated by a year or more, and whether they last for hours or days, they may contribute to a successful negotiation between parties concerned (Berridge, 1995, p.85a). Firstly, they educate heads of governments without international experience; no head of government wants to make a fool out of themselves among other leaders, therefore they are motivated to work hard and develop themselves concerning matters of importance to avoid failure at the summit level; and they cannot afford to be ignorant. Secondly, they make package deals easier (Berridge, 1995, p.85a). Since it involves the interaction of political leaders who have maximum authority as policy makers, deals are therefore easier to seal appropriately and in a forthright manner. Another function of the serial summit is that it speeds up and sustains diplomatic momentum in the sense that it sets deadlines for the completion of an existing negotiation between the parties and it breaks any deadlocks in negotiation due to the fact that all the important policy makers are together. An example of a deadline was in a negotiation was December 1990 at the Brussels ministerial meeting in GATTs Uruguay Round (Berridge, 1995, p.153a). Serial summits are also useful for gathering information about other countries and their leaders, clarifying intentions, creating awareness, generating understanding and enhancing cooperation amongst members of the summits. The best example of the serial summit is the Franco-German summit which started in 1963 and since then, meets at least twice a year (Berridge, 1995, p.86a) Ad hoc Summitry and its Contribution Another type of summit is the ad hoc summit which is usually a one-off meeting convened to address a particular issue e.g. to address a crisis, although it might end up being the first of a series of other meetings and they usually generate more publicity than the serial summits. Special cases of ad hoc summits are working funeral which is a funeral of a major political figure that is attended by high-level delegates from all over the world (Berridge, 2002, p. 180b). Examples of ad hoc summits are the Cocaine summit, the Sino American summit, and the Camp David summit. Ad hoc meetings are very useful for imposing deadlines on a negotiation process. A case in point is the Camp David Summit of 1978, which was between Israeli, Egyptian and American leaders and lasted for the whole of thirteen days. Dunn states: It was deliberately described by President Carter as a last chance effort to breathe new life into the failing Middle East peace process which had started so dramatically with the initial meeting between Sadat and Begin. The singularity of this opportunity undoubtedly contributed to its final success (2004, p.153a). Ad hoc meetings are more suitable for symbolic purposes and they also provide a forum for the promotion friendly relations and fostering and leaders become familiarized with other heads of governments and states. An example of such a meeting is the encounter of President Clinton of the United States and President Hafez al-Assad of Syria in Geneva in January 1994. The two-day Ibero-American summit held in Mexico in July 1991 is also an ad hoc meeting that was aimed at promoting the growth of economic and cultural ties between its participants (Berridge, 2002, p.179b). Furthermore, funeral summits have contributed immensely to diplomatic affairs by carrying out the function of diplomatic signalling. According to Berridge: at the funeral of the Emperor Hirohito of Japan in Feb 1989, it was recorded that representatives from 160 countries including 14 representatives of royal families, 55 heads of states, 11 prime ministers were in attendance (2004, p. 172c). Firstly, it is a discreet opportunity for leaders to come together to meet on pressing issues at stake and also a disguise for low key exchange of views between contenders on how to manage conflict. Funeral summits are of diplomatic significance particularly if it is the funeral of a current president or head of state this is because it serves as an important opportunity for political lobbying. Berridge states that: the funeral is almost certain to be the first occasion for both foreign friends of the deceased to confirm that the new leadership remains wedded to their relationship and for foreign rivals to explore the possibility of a change of heart (2002, p. 180b). .High Level Exchange of Views and its Contributions Finally, there is the exchange of views meeting. This is a situation whereby heads of government visit series of countries on a foreign tour. It is usually relevant when a newly elected leader has come into power to educate and familiarize them on the international scene. (Berridge, 2002, p.181b) This summit also promotes more friendly relations between their countries and others. For example, in September 1994, the British prime minister went on a week-long trip to Abu Dhabi, South Africa and Gulf and other places where he visited the King of Saudi Arabia, and had friendly encounter with him (Berridge, 2002, p.181b) Finally, the exchange of views meeting can be very useful for promotion of trade and in taking up serious cases of maltreatment of nationals (Berridge, 2002, p.181b). Advantages of Summits Summits have symbolic importance for example the Moscow summit of 1972 was a representation of the new relationship of superpower dà ©tente. The Vienna summit of 1979 was also a way of symbolizing that there was a better relationship. For example, the Cold War summits held in Paris, November 1990, was used to advertise the end of disputes between the parties involved and to symbolize peaceful relations (Dunn, 1996, p.248c). In relation, summitry is a useful tool for promoting foreign and domestic propaganda; attracting the attention of domestic, foreign and global audience to some issues. It gives the idea that the government is busy doing something about an issue domestic or global, especially in democracies. An example of summit propaganda is the United Nations Summit on Climate Change in New York on 22 September 2009 and in Copenhagen Denmark, December 2009 to create momentum on greenhouse gas emissions (Dunn, 1996, p.249c). Summits also provide the opportunity for governments to come together and gather information about their counterparts, this helps to break down barriers of mistrust and suspicion, and thus they can build up friendly and trustworthy relationships with them. As a consequence of such high level meetings by top leaders that are responsible for government action, issues deliberated on produce efficient results in comparison (Dunn, 1996, p.248c). Furthermore, summitry serves an agenda setting function; this is an opportunity for global issues of overarching political or strategic importance to be brought up to the forefront and addressed effectively. Dunn states that it is useful for: elevating issues to the top of the international agenda and for dealing with problems of with speed and authority (1996, p. 251c). A case in point is the G20 summit in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada, June 25-27 of 2010 which will set global economic agenda. Disadvantages of Summits In as much as summitry has lots of advantages, and has contributed positively to the practice of diplomacy it has also faced oppositions from different angles. Over the years, the usefulness of summitry has been in question; it is surrounded by so many controversies and most of the major opposition arise from diplomats who claim that it meddles in their affairs and which has a demoralizing effect on them and other elements of the diplomatic service (Plischke, 1967, p.48). Another argument is that politicians are not professionally trained for diplomatic jobs; therefore they lack the know-how, the skills, and the patience to carry out that function effectively which consequently produces unfruitful results. Some of them might be misinformed, or may not know enough about a particular subject and this may actually limit the capacity of which they can discuss specific issues in detail (Dunn, 1996, p.254c). Furthermore, there is the challenge of lack of knowledge of the other partys point of view or miscommunication; this is especially common when leaders from different cultural backgrounds are involved in a summit and interpreters have to be used. As Leguey-Fellifeux states: Clashes of personality may complicate summit interaction, but cultural misconceptions are a more likely occurrence, as chief executives have less experience in cross cultural communication (2009, p. 302). Negotiations in circumstances like this might prove very difficult. In addition there is also the risk that agreements that were reached during such meetings are difficult to disapprove because they were sealed by the heads of governments themselves (Dunn, 1996, p.257c). Furthermore, summitry has been seen as a waste of time, effort and resources. It takes a lot of time to prepare, and attend a summit and it also takes a lot of resources to make sure that a summit is successful. Resources that could be used for other important things will be used to pay for security, meals, and luxury accommodation for these politicians. An associated disadvantage is the risk of travel, accidents could occur, and lives could be lost, also, illness could develop due to causes such as the weather and all sorts (Dunn, 1996, p.261c). CONCLUSION Over the years summitry as a method of conducting foreign relations has come to stay a part of the diplomatic process for better or worse. Even though it is risky, it has indeed contributed immensely to so many foreign issues at stake. Due to its multifaceted agenda, it has provided opportunities for package deals across different policy areas that it is now almost impossible to imagine conducting diplomacy without holding summits (Melissen, 2004, p.195). In as much as it has contributed positively to diplomacy, it can also be fatal if wrongly carried out as I have enumerated earlier. According to Dunn: it may create misunderstanding, cause unintended offence and sow the seeds of mistrust (1996, p.264c). Hence, it should be carefully strategized instead of eliminating it totally as a method of conducting foreign relations. Summit talks have to deal with specific issues rather than general atmospherics. According to Berridge et al: for talks to be meaningful they have to be well prepared; decisions to be taken at the summit have to be formulated in detail already in previous negotiations at subordinate levels (2001, p.201c). If prepared and conducted properly and with caution, summitry promises high satisfaction. Despite all criticisms, summitry has become the preferred means of international dialogue.

Comparing the Mormon Religion to Catholic and Protestant Faiths Essay

Comparing the Mormon Religion to Catholic and Protestant Faiths The Mormon religion is very unique in many of its doctrine. While technically a Protestant faith, the Mormons generally share more doctrine with the Catholics. Because of its unique nature, I will be analyzing the Mormon faith, its history, organization, and doctrine, in comparison with the beliefs held by both Catholics and Protestants. Establishment On April 6, 1980, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka the Mormon Church) was founded. [It is interesting to note that according to Mormon doctrine (Doctrine and Covenants 20:1), April 6 is the birthday of Jesus Christ.] 10 years prior to this event, in 1820, fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith knelt in a quiet grove in upper New York state and prayed for guidance in choosing a church to join. According to LDS historical records, his prayer was answered by the visitation of two heavenly personages. One, the Heavenly Father, spoke to him and said, pointing to the other, "This is my Beloved Son. Hear Him!" This second personage, Christ, told Smith that he should join no existing church, that the true church he had established upon the Earth had become corrupted and fallen away from the truth over the passing years. Smith was instructed that he was to aid in the restoration of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days. Mormons consider this divine visitation and the restoration of Christ's church to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Apostle Peter when he said, "He shall send Jesus Christ. . .whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:20-21). ... ...rious sins such as murder, adultery, lying, and who do not repent in mortality. There is a fourth place where souls can go after death – Outer Darkness. This place is only those who deny the Holy Ghost, have a perfect testimony of the Gospel and willfully deny it. The Mormon view of afterlife is discussed at great length in Doctrine and Covenants chapter 76. These are just a few of the beliefs of the Mormon faith. Evidenced by the discussion of these is the fact that while Mormonism is technically a Protestant faith, it shares many doctrinal points with both Protestants and Catholics. Beyond its shared theology, Mormonism has several very unique teachings, ones generally not expounded by any other Christian faith. Perhaps it is these novel pieces of doctrine that appeal to people and have made Mormonism the fastest growing faith in the world today.