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I am pleasantly shocked as I watch clips of the Book of Mormon Musical.

Take this one for example:

Book of Mormon performance at the 2011 Tony Awards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHEqCXY2B-w

He sings about a few key point of deep theology that I believe many members will scratch their heads and may become that first doubting moment:

1978 change to allow black the preisthood.

Each male member getting their own plant.

Jesus having his own planet too.

Garden of Eden being in Jackson Co. Mo.

God living on Kolob.


I am certain that we could find current TBM members who have never held of any or all of these things.

My question is this: Will bishops/stake presidents be hit with more pre-apostasy questions?

PP thanks for posting this. I, too, was pleasantly surprised that these issues were raised. I am not sure I would have even viewed any of the musical if you had not posted it here. This is what gives me pause to think that there are not a lot of views for these clips and I didn't have a lot of interest until now to view it, so just how many TBMs will ever watch it? Thus, how many questions will get raised about these topics because of the musical?


_____________________
Old name: #%$^*^O
*New name: Mosiah
*Newer name: Pokatator
*Newest name: Tator

*All having about the same importance

Tator,

The musical is getting tons of publicity. It is poised to become a classic which will be probably syndicated and repeated across smaller musical theaters.

That said, it is likely to be viewed by millions of people, of which very few will be Mormon.

However, the awareness is spreading due to the musical. Both missionaries and members attempting to sell the soft side of Mormonism will be less likely to find unwitting suckers. This will disrupt the sales pitch across the board.

Perhaps non members will now ask their coworkers, neighbors, family, and friends who wear their Mormonism on their sleeve which will cause the members to begin questioning their faith?

Additionally, wait until you see the onslaught of copycat and similar musicals that follow the original.

At the end of this discussion what is changing is that LDS Inc no longer controls the flow of information to the unwitting non members. Now the so called investigators will be armed to the teeth with knowledge about Mormonism well before some missionaries try to serve them a cup of warm milk.

The Book of Mormon musical is a game changer.

Porter,

There is something about your use of language that makes me laugh. What is it? I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it is your heavy use of the word "unwitting" or something... LOL. It could also be your avatar and blatant use of phrases like "Jesus getting his own planet"...

I've been laughing for a while now... Too much loud laughter around here.

"We sit by and watch the Barbarian, we tolerate him; in the long stretches of peace we are not afraid. We are tickled by his irreverence, his comic inversion of our old certitudes and our fixed creeds refreshes us; we laugh. But as we laugh, we are watched by large and awful faces from beyond: and on those faces there is no smile." (Hilaire Belloc, d. 1953)

Daniel Peterson wrote:"...we are watched by large and awful faces from beyond: and on those faces there is no smile." (Hilaire Belloc, d. 1953)

*snort*

Is that the face of mo'pologetics?

Daniel Peterson wrote:"We sit by and watch the Barbarian, we tolerate him; in the long stretches of peace we are not afraid. We are tickled by his irreverence, his comic inversion of our old certitudes and our fixed creeds refreshes us; we laugh. But as we laugh, we are watched by large and awful faces from beyond: and on those faces there is no smile." (Hilaire Belloc, d. 1953)

More from Belloc:

“Prince! do not let your Nose, your royal Nose,
Your large imperial Nose get out of Joint.”

from Ballade of Modest Confession
Hilaire Belloc (1870 - 1953)

PP, I'm not sure that this musical will get many more mos thinking than the Internet already has. I suppose the question is whether or not the musical will reach significantly more LDS than the 'net has.

It's a nice thought, though.

The musical isn't really that damaging to LDS beliefs. In fact the musical appears to have been very kind to the Church. If it really wanted to belittle it's beliefs with hardcore evidence the members don't know about and can't defend very well, it would have brought up the Book of Abraham, polyandry, temple/Masonry connections, blacks and the priesthood, Book of Mormon historical problems, etc.

Some Schmo wrote:PP, I'm not sure that this musical will get many more mos thinking than the Internet already has. I suppose the question is whether or not the musical will reach significantly more LDS than the 'net has.

It's a nice thought, though.

What I find interesting about the Book of Mormon musical phenomenon is that it sets the Mormon nonsense to music, and pretty good music at that.

Better yet, they decided to give this music away for a time (Really - there were a few days when the cast recording download was free - and now I think a cast recording download costs all of $1.99 or something).

A lot of people who would never read about Mormonism on the internet, and would never see the musical on stage, will be listening to the songs.

Songs like "I Believe" from the cast recording (which is a great overview of some of Mormonism's most nonsensical beliefs) will become classic show tunes (and we all know the result of too much time spent listening to show tunes).

So, overall I guess I would agree with PP. It may take some time, and it may not come down as folks expect, but I think that the prospects for growth of the LDS Church in the US through converts has just taken a hit - possibly a big hit.

And I would not be surprised if the Book of Mormon musical turned out to be the last straw for some (perhaps many) of the the millions of Mormons who actually do know the truth about the LDS Church and are becoming more and more embarrassed by its teachings and actions in the world.

I think that many Church members are becoming less willing to be identified with these beliefs, regardless of family "traditions" and peer pressure.

When one's once seriously held beliefs become the stuff of high quality comedy, perhaps it is time for a serious re-evaluation.