Not All Shows Must Go On

This is old news, but there is a hit Broadway musical, “Book of Mormon” that has received a lot of attention and awards.  I have taken little notice of it.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made little public comment other than to invite people to read the actual Book of Mormon and to visit our church meetings to judge for themselves as to whether the real church is anything like the pretend church that is receiving so much mockery in the musical.  After writing this, I will go back to my usual state of ignoring the show, but today I feel the need to write some of my thoughts.

I am sickened with the thought that anyone would produce a show that openly mocks the religious faith of any person or group.  I realize that free speech is a right, and artists may comment as they wish.  Similarly, patrons may freely choose which events to support with ticket purchases.  Some decide to attend.  Others, like me, shrink from the thought.  What I ponder with this writing is why folks would make the choice to purchase the tickets and attend this wildly popular and egregiously offensive production.  I have a few theories.

First, there is the allure of a new and popular show.  Something different, something that has won awards and accolades in the industry has its appeal to theatre goers.  My professional life has been among the arts community, and I enjoy new productions, too.  However, even if my personal faith were not the target, I would stay away from this one.  The language in many of the songs and dialogues is too foul to print.  I have no taste for that.  Of even greater significance is the desire to stay away from any visual or performing art form that has as its main purpose the ridicule of a particular faith or of religion in general.  The idea of eliciting laughter and immense revenue at the expense of another’s beliefs is abhorrent.  So, the artsy crowd flocks to check out the new show.   I get it.  Count me out.

Another reason why theatre goers may patronize this production could be curiosity of a religion that until recently, was lesser known in the mainstream of American churches.  Most people probably knew a member of the LDS church, but suddenly, the faith became in the media spotlight when a church member became a presidential candidate from a major political party.  There are lots of myths floating about concerning the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Maybe some attended to see just what Mormons are about.  There are many more accurate ways to satisfy that curiosity.  There are millions of church members worldwide who are happy to answer questions and to talk about their beliefs.  Over 60,000 missionaries volunteer around the world for two year full time missions.  The church is also very open and accessible to visitors, both in our chapels and numerous visitors’ centers and in free printed materials and websites.   Trusting the entertainment industry to accurately portray a serious subject is pretty unreliable.   Curious theatre goers would receive a much more correct and fair representation of the church and its beliefs by consulting a member, visiting a service, visiting lds.org, or by actually reading The Book of Mormon.

Novelty, curiosity about a religion, and even pity or scorn for the perceived misguidance of LDS members is not really what bothers me.  These are annoyances, but they have not caused me to shed tears.  What has truly troubled me and brought this to a personal level is the worry that I have might not have taken the opportunity to express to those around me that The Book of Mormon is a sacred book of scripture that is central to my faith. It is the keystone of our religion.  It is the word of God and a second witness, along with the Bible, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.  I have read The Book of Mormon more than twenty times from cover to cover.  I have studied it and prayed over it and received a sure witness that allows me to confidently say that I know that it is truly the word of God.  No one has to take my word for its truthfulness.  Anyone who reads it with a sincere heart may pray to know for himself if it is truly scripture.  Millions have done this and testify just like me. 

So, for whatever the reason, do I feel a sting of pain when my friends and colleagues buy their tickets?  You bet I do.  Let’s go to the Kennedy Center together and see something that will uplift both of us.