DiscussMormonism.com

From Bill Maher on you tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Qf2eth ... re=related

Since Mitt has thrown his hat in the ring, I've noticed that several documentaries on the church have popped up on television. I would say that the pieces I have viewed were not complimentary overall. Is this just coincidence? Is Mitt's candidacy one exception where press on the church actually illuminates to members, the history that they may be so unaware of?

Maxrep wrote:Is Mitt's candidacy one exception where press on the church actually illuminates to members, the history that they may be so unaware of?

The problem is that Mormons will not view it as "history that they are unaware of," they'll view it as "the documentaries got it wrong."

What's funny is if you were to bring up some problematic piece of Mormon history to a chapel TBM, they might say something like, "the church doesn't teach that" and won't put it together that there precious church has been lying to them all this time.

It won't be bad press for the Mormons. Most TBMs are impervious to the truth. It should be bad press for the thinking world, however.

I'd say, even in this case, no.

Look at the typical mission (I did one) and look at what you bring in. You may knock on thousands of doors, preach to hundreds, but you only end up baptising one or two, emotional needy, unaware prospects. I don't think the church would hope to do any better from bad press. They may get one or two confused souls who heard something "weird" on T.V. and call the 1-800 number to get the "offical" church version of the story and afterwards the missies are sent to their house. Again, no better than you could hope for from the missionary program.

Some Schmo wrote:

It won't be bad press for the Mormons. Most TBMs are impervious to the truth. It should be bad press for the thinking world, however.

I agree on both points, where it does hurt, in my opinion, is with public perception and potential converts. I think the amount of publicity for the church pro and con has vastly increased in the past couple of years. Just do a search on YouTube for Mormon, temple, LDS, etc. and you get a big mix of pro and con videos and the volume has increased. I think the cons out weigh the pros. Some of the other recent publicity has come in the form of:

Romney running for office and I am not sure that has been a good thing for the church.
Gordon Hinckley waffling on TV with Larry King and on 60 minutes.
The excommunication of Lyndon Lamborn and that publicity.
The Warren Jeffs trial and all that.
The publicity of baptizing for the Nazis and Hitler and the Jews.
The Book of Mormon change to the introduction.
DNA has been in the news.
How many movies, DVDs and videos have been out new in the last couple of years?

Those are just few of the latest publicity issues that I can think of off the top of my head. I am sure that there are many more. The internet has become Mormon "kryptonite". They hate the internet and for good reason. Anyone now has more instant access to the truth than ever before. The information on Joseph's treasure digging, polygamy, weird revelations and so on are a few key strokes away, for almost everyone.

I think that the TBMs are safe in their cocoons with their blinders on but for outsiders and potential converts, I think that is becoming a different story.

Pokatator