Making Mormonism Mainstream

Making Mormonism Mainstream

The year 2011 has seen many LDS efforts put forth in making Mormonism a “mainstream religion” and known to the nation in all possible ways, regardless of the cost. Early this past summer the Mormon Church sank a million dollars or more in advertising in the “Big Apple” for “the Book of Mormon Musical.” It was described by viewers as vulgar and obscene, sexually suggestive, having references to rape and homosexuality and using the “f”-word as many as 49 times in addition to other expletives. Newsweek even commented, “...the Book of Mormon musical may be the most obscene show ever brought to a Broadway stage.”

Mormons were promoting it and even claimed that writers of the show (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) were under divine inspiration when they wrote it – and they gave credit for their inspiration to their founding prophet, Joseph Smith! A praise for this play was written by an LDS attorney, Adam Ford, and published in the Salt Lake Tribune, 6/15/2011. This was hardly a show demonstrating Mormons’ godly behavior or giving an example of morality that Mormons have touted as their virtues! How could this show credibly proclaim the Book of Mormon as the Mormons’ Holy Book? But advertising worked and brought masses to see it and view Mormons as “common sinners”, not as “stiff” and “righteous” as they have been thought to be... Mormons can now be seen just the same as average vulgar Americans are seen by the world.

(H.I.S. Ministries January 2012 Newsletter, January 1, 2012, Sandy, UT)