The About-face Continues: DCP & Co. on "The Mormons

[_Who Knows]

But what excites me the most is hearing that he is actually in the film!

DCP in HD! I can't wait!

Unfortunately, I'll have to cancel my TIVO of 24 in order to TIVO this show - my wife already has the other one programmed for dancing with the stars (i think that's what it is). Jack Bauer vs. DCP. It's a tough one, but DCP wins out.

[_Mister Scratch]

An addendum: the poster called "Regular Mormon" has posted the text of an email which is apparently from a high-ranking Church PR person named Dennis Holland. (It was reported that this Holland is the Brother of LDS GA Jeffrey Holland):

----- Original Message -----
From: Dennis Holland
To:
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 9:31 AM
Subject: PBS show on "Mormons"

Dear Stake Presidents and Public Affairs Directors,

I just found out recently about the upcoming PBS show on
"Mormons" next week on April 30th and May 1st. I had forwarded a
"trailer" of the show to the DPAs, as I felt I should share what little
I knew with you. Elder Larry Wilson and Jay Pimentel, Bay Area
Director of Public Affairs, had contacted me a week ago concerning the
fact that they had heard there were stakes considering taking out ads
to promote the show. That was the first I'd even heard about it, but
it was evident that the Church was not behind promoting the show,
apparently for good reason.

Bishop Jeff Jones from El Dorado Stake just copied me on an email
with comments by some members in Southern California that had been
interviewed as part of the show and had been given a preview of it.
Apparently the first segment is totally negative about polygamy and The
Mountain Meadows Massacre. Will Bagley, a Salt Lake City author, is
apparently the "historical advisor" for this project and Will is
certainly not particularly friendly to the Church and especially not to
Brigham Young. The comment from the members after watching the first
segment was that...

"a less than firmly grounded Mormon seeing the first two
hours of "The Mormons" might well feel ashamed to be a Mormon, and
non-Mormons would carry away a strong distaste for Mormons. There is
little in the segment being shown on the 30th that gives a positive
Latter-day Saint viewpoint."

"While I had hopes that the program would be a fair-minded treatment of
the Mormons, I learn instead that it is an 'expose' of the 'wrongs' in
Mormon history. It is a smooth but bigoted and
unprincipled assault on the Church."

They said after seeing parts of
the second two-hour segment that at least an LDS viewpoint was allowed
side-by-side criticism of the Church
(e.g., on the issue of ). They also thought that most
people would be so turned off by the first two-hour segment that they
wouldn't want to see the second part.

I really know very little about this, but I just wanted to give
you a "heads-up" so you can be prepared to respond to any negative
reactions triggered by this show.

Dennis Holland
Sacramento Multi-stake DPA

Wow.... It seems that they are going into full-on damage control at this point. Can the doc really be that "explosive"? On a sidenote, I was rather touched by DCP's very sad "parting post" on the MADthread. He just seems very defeated by all of this, and saddened that this film (apparently) isn't going to be the "anti"-stomping LDS propaganda film he had been hoping for.

In any case, more evidence that an "objective" outsider's view is more or less an impossibility.

[_Fortigurn]

Apparently the first segment is totally negative about polygamy and The
Mountain Meadows Massacre.

I ask you, how is it possible to be positive about either of those subjects, especially the MMM?

[_Runtu]

Apparently the first segment is totally negative about polygamy and The
Mountain Meadows Massacre.

I ask you, how is it possible to be positive about either of those subjects, especially the MMM?

Not talk about them, maybe?

[_SatanWasSetUp]

Apparently the first segment is totally negative about polygamy and The
Mountain Meadows Massacre.

I ask you, how is it possible to be positive about either of those subjects, especially the MMM?

You underestimate the creativity of Mormon apologists.

[_moksha]

For any in the Utah area, it is scheduled for 7pm on Monday April 30 and Tueday May 1 on KUED.

It is slated for 8pm on Monday April 30 and Tueday May 1 on KBYU. This program may be preempted by Sesame Street on KBYU, if the Church feels it to be necessary.

[_Runtu]

Apparently the first segment is totally negative about polygamy and The
Mountain Meadows Massacre.

I ask you, how is it possible to be positive about either of those subjects, especially the MMM?

You underestimate the creativity of Mormon apologists.

Actually, I recall someone on FAIR/MAD speaking quite positively about the MMM. Can't remember what the point was, but I thought it was appalling.

[_Blixa]

I've read similar things more than once, runtu. I saved some, I'm just sorry I didn't save them all.

Check out the thread now. What is DCP's biggest complaint? That Will Bagley is even in the documentary.

"I have major problems with Will Bagley. I would have preferred that he not be involved at all."

I also smiled at W. Schryver's comment earlier in the thread:

"I think that Helen Whitney showed her true colors when she chose to give inordinate credence to Will Bagley -- who is one of the most confirmed church-hating apostates out there."

Stuff like this makes me want to go to the FAIR conference.

[_skippy the dead]

Ms. Whitney was on a local radio show in the Bay Area last week to discuss it. The host (Ronn Owens) was asking about the secrecy of the temple rites. After Ms. Whitney said something very general about it (saving the good stuff for the documentary, I hope), Ronn said "sounds like a cross between a fraternity and a cult."

At any rate, I got the impression that she's very fascinated with Mormonism, although she stated unequivocably that she is neither a member nor a convert prospect. She's just terribly interested in the history and culture. She never said anything about not liking the final product or pressure from PBS, for what it's worth.

I'm definitely lining it up on my DVR.

[_Mercury]

They Got, ON CAMERA Oaks telling the off camera interviewee that the leaders of the church WILL NOT be questioned.