Westminster Cathedral
“Is there anywhere else that you would suggest I go before I leave London?”
“Hmm…oh! Try to go to Westminster Cathedral — it was one of my favorite places.”
This was a conversation I recently had with my sister who came on this same Study Abroad five years ago. I was shocked at her answer because I had never heard of the Cathedral before and thought there would be plenty other iconic places she would suggest. Fortunately, I didn’t have to look too hard for this unique cathedral because it happened to be one of the locations included on a required walk for our class!
When we came upon the building I had to double check that we were at the right spot because it didn’t look like your average cathedral with its tower sticking out and its unique horizontally striped bricks. It seemed more like a building from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory than a place of worship. As soon as I walked in, however, I could tell it had a similar feel to the other cathedrals I had been in.
Though it felt similar, I immediately noticed something that was very different from most cathedrals. Whereas most cathedrals have a very bright and intricately designed ceiling, this ceiling was very dark — pitch black even. At first I thought it was just dark and gloomy and didn’t really make me think of Jesus, the Light of the World, but as I kept glancing around I thought of it in a different way. I pictured it like the night sky with it’s endless wonder and impossible depth. There were no stars, but the candles all around sort of helped make up for it, bringing a heavenly glow to the atmosphere. Whether or not they meant for it to look like that, those are the ways I interpreted it.
Looking at all of these physical differences between the Westminster Cathedral and other cathedrals around England led me to ponder on all the cultural differences between the Church of England cathedrals and the LDS churches. The main difference I noticed was the large group of people waiting in the Confessions line. To those of the Catholic and Anglican faiths it is socially accepted that everyone makes mistakes and it is completely normal to confess your sins to a priest so that you can have a fresh start. Unfortunately, in the LDS culture, if someone needs/wants to go talk with the Bishop of their ward about sins they’ve committed or aspects of their life they want to change, everyone seems to make a big deal out of it and judge that person for making the sin/wanting to change in the first place.
Another difference I have noticed is the lack of warmth and welcome as I enter the cathedrals. If I walk into an LDS church, I am welcomed by an onslaught of friends, family, and even strangers who welcome me with open arms and make me feel loved. The churches themselves are also very bright and cheery, making it easy to feel the love that God has for me. I do not feel warm or welcomed when I walk into the cathedrals here in England. Though they may be extravagant and beautiful in their own way, they mainly feel intimidating and touristy. While I enjoyed seeing and comparing the unique Westminster Cathedral to other cathedrals in England, I gained so much more from the spiritual comparisons and hope to take what I have learned back home with me.
