Chairman Mao-nson? "Hero worship" goes a little too far...

[_Dr. Shades]

To see what I mean, you can review the session at BYU TV (it starts at 1:55:03). Someone in the A/V department should get a stern talking-to.

Your link doesn't work. It merely takes you to the main page of BYU TV.

Will you please provide a direct link to the montage? I can't find it.

I am not sure who in the A/V department one would talk to now. When this montage was produced, Neil Anderson was in charge. Apparently, he has been promoted. Timely.

I would suggest Kim Clark of BYU-Idaho and Cecil Samuelson of BYU announce new buildings to be named after Thomas Monson. Perhaps, their stock would go up as well.

It worked for David Bednar when he named a building on BYU-Idaho after Gordon B. Hinckley.

Of course, I jest. I am not really a conspiracy proponent, but it is fun to connect dots that probably don't exist.

"Probably don't exist?" They're a rock-solid fact!! David Bednar names a building after Gordon B. Hinckley, and bammo, he's the next apostle.

A + B = C. No conspiracy necessary.

[_antishock8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxdt_f0hwUg

It's more complex than that antishock.

What's more complex than what?

[_cinepro]

Will you please provide a direct link to the montage? I can't find it.

You can watch it by clicking "Watch Now", (load the Java player if you don't want to use the Move Networks player), and then go to 10am Sunday on the schedule.

[_Runtu]

I saw that and was just a little shocked. It just seemed so inappropriate, particularly after Elder Holland's heartfelt talk about the Savior.

[_why me]

I think that you guys are over reacting. First we have a song that sings thanks that the LDS church has a prophet and then we see footage of Thomas Monson out among the people. Nothing wrong with that. Mambers had a chance to see Thomas S. Monson meeting members all over the world and making an impact on the members that he visits. I see no cult of personality only an attempt showing the prophet at work among the members.

It seems that the critics do not like church hymns.

[_moksha]

I am certain if this question arose at the MAD forum, they would have some counterarguments as to its appropriateness. Couldn't they argue that it is their conference and they can do anything they want, including being worshipful toward President Monson?

[_The Dude]

Actually, it has been posted on MADB. A lot of the MADites admit to being uncomfortable during the montage, and William "Circle of Life" Schryver likened it to making Monson into a demigod figure. No kidding! Then Smac97 went lawyer on his ass and Will chickened out. Still, it seems that little shakespear doesn't sustain the montage's production aesthetics nor the prophet's speaking style. Wouldn't you know it. Will would make a better montage and be a better conference speaker, I have no doubt.

[_Inconceivable]

We, East-Europeans, know what the cult of personality means. Forty years was enough to learn it.

Great pics, Ludwig,

It's such a new country and church, it may take a little while longer for us to catch on to these here:

[_cinepro]

I think that you guys are over reacting. First we have a song that sings thanks that the LDS church has a prophet and then we see footage of Thomas Monson out among the people. Nothing wrong with that. Mambers had a chance to see Thomas S. Monson meeting members all over the world and making an impact on the members that he visits. I see no cult of personality only an attempt showing the prophet at work among the members.

It seems that the critics do not like church hymns.

I didn't comment on the hymn per se (in fact, it's one of my favorites). In fact, I like it enough to know that it isn't about Prophets in the first place. It's about the blessings God has given us. It is only the unfortunate placement of "a Prophet" as the first thing mentioned that put the word "Prophet" in the title, and the rest is history. The title should just be "We Thank Thee, O God"; then people would understand it is a prayer of thanksgiving to God, not a hymn of praise for the most senior apostle.

My ultimate issue was with the appropriateness of playing a montage of President Monson during any hymn of a session of General Conference. Last I checked, General Conference (and the Church in general) is not about President Monson; if we're going to insist that we don't worship Joseph Smith or the other Prophets, then we probably better start acting like it.

(The montage probably would have been more appropriate at a birthday party, a funeral, or a baptism, where the event is focused on one individual, and the participants understand they are attending to honor that person.)

[_DarkHelmet]

Collection: the Seven Apostles
Warsaw Pact leaders, 1987 (from left): Husák of Czechoslovakia, Zhivkov of Bulgaria, Honecker of East Germany, Gorbachev of the USSR, Ceauşescu of Rumania, Jaruzelski of Poland, and Kádár of Hungary

At first glance I thought this was an old photo of LDS General Authorities, until I spotted Gorbachev.