Mormonism in fiction

[_Tarski]

How often does Mormonism show up in fiction (or cinema) in an integral way? I can't think of too many instances.
It would seem that with the secrecy of the temple and the connections with masonry, polygamy, politics etc, Mormonism might show up as a plot driver or element of intrigue relatively often in fiction.

But does it?

For example, in Foucult's Pendulum, Eco includes so many groups related to the occult (the Knights Templar, the Gnostics, Rosicrucians, Freemasons, the Bogomils, the Jesuits, the Cathars and many more) that it is at least a little surprising to me that Mormonism is left out completely. Not even a mention as far as I can recall. No mention in Dan Brown's stuff either as far as I know (I don't read his stuff so I could be wrong).

Is it that Mormonism's image as boringly wholesome just overpowers the potentially darker occult stuff like the temple?
Is it too small, too young? What is it?

Or does it show up more than I think? I don't read a tenth as much fiction as some people here so maybe that's it.

[_Quasimodo]

How often does Mormonism show up in fiction (or cinema) in an integral way? I can't think of too many instances.

The recent Broadway hit musical is the only real example I can think of. I've seen some characters in books and movies that were Mormon (the polygamist in "Paint Your Wagon" stands out), but they were never the main characters.

I think that the LDS church is still not on too many people's radar. As religions go, it's kind of a back water.

Maybe if Mitt gets the nomination there will be more interest in the "Saints" and it will spur more Mormon fiction.

[_beefcalf]

Orson Scott Card, a prominent Mormon sci-fi author, has included bits and pieces of Mormonism in his writings.

In Ender's Game (an absolute favorite of mine) the protagonist recalls at one point a hazy memory from his early childhood wherein his Mormon mother lays her hands upon his head (while he was sleeping, she assumed) and murmurs a blessing of some sort.

In his Homecoming Saga series of books, Card has actually taken the early chapters of the Book of Mormon and presented them in a slightly modified, far-future, technological setting. Even the main character's name was Naphai, If I recall correctly.

Also, the plot of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's earliest Sherlock Holmes stories was intertwined with Mormonism. I haven't read it, only about it.

[_Tarski]

Orson Scott Card, a prominent Mormon sci-fi author, has included bits and pieces of Mormonism in his writings.

In Ender's Game (an absolute favorite of mine) the protagonist recalls at one point a hazy memory from his early childhood wherein his Mormon mother lays her hands upon his head (while he was sleeping, she assumed) and murmurs a blessing of some sort.

In his Homecoming Saga series of books, Card has actually taken the early chapters of the Book of Mormon and presented them in a slightly modified, far-future, technological setting. Even the main character's name was Naphai, If I recall correctly.

Also, the plot of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's earliest Sherlock Holmes stories was intertwined with Mormonism. I haven't read it, only about it.

I anticipated that there would be some (and I knew of the Sherlock Holmes story).
But the question is whether it is less than one might expect given the occult angle for example.
If so why?

[_Buffalo]

How often does Mormonism show up in fiction (or cinema) in an integral way? I can't think of too many instances.

The recent Broadway hit musical is the only real example I can think of. I've seen some characters in books and movies that were Mormon (the polygamist in "Paint Your Wagon" stands out), but they were never the main characters.

I think that the LDS church is still not on too many people's radar. As religions go, it's kind of a back water.

Maybe if Mitt gets the nomination there will be more interest in the "Saints" and it will spur more Mormon fiction.

For most of its history, the LDS Church has really just been a Utah sect. The only reason it's been on anyone's radar recently is due to Romney.

[_Darth J]

Some of the well-known fiction in which Mormonism shows up would be:

The Book of Mormon

The Doctrine and Covenants

The Pearl of Great Price

Also, there is a passing reference to Mormonism in the movie, Fletch.

Oh, and the original Battlestar Galactica could just as well have been called "Space Mormons," even though Starbuck smokes cigars.

[_Tarski]

Orson Scott Card, a prominent Mormon sci-fi author, has included bits and pieces of Mormonism in his writings.

In Ender's Game (an absolute favorite of mine) the protagonist recalls at one point a hazy memory from his early childhood wherein his Mormon mother lays her hands upon his head (while he was sleeping, she assumed) and murmurs a blessing of some sort.

In his Homecoming Saga series of books, Card has actually taken the early chapters of the Book of Mormon and presented them in a slightly modified, far-future, technological setting. Even the main character's name was Naphai, If I recall correctly.

Also, the plot of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's earliest Sherlock Holmes stories was intertwined with Mormonism. I haven't read it, only about it.

I anticipated that there would be some (and I knew of the Sherlock Holmes story).
But the question is whether it is less than one might expect given the occult angle for example.
If so why?

I expect Blixa to name quite a few but is that just because of the sheer volume she reads? Is it still surprsingly small percentage -wise?

[_Quasimodo]

Some of the well-known fiction in which Mormonism shows up would be:

The Book of Mormon

The Doctrine and Covenants

The Pearl of Great Price

Also, there is a passing reference to Mormonism in the movie, Fletch.

Oh, and the original Battlestar Galactica could just as well have been called "Space Mormons," even though Starbuck smokes cigars.

I forgot about "Battlestar Galactica". Adama (:)) and the crew. The others you mentioned could well be called fiction. Not too much beyond that.

Maybe there is a great opportunity for some young screen writer here... "Little Joe and the Golden Plates"

[_asbestosman]

Or does it show up more than I think? I don't read a tenth as much fiction as some people here so maybe that's it.

Tarski, I'm surprised. I know you've read some stuff by Douglas Adams. Mormons are very important butt of a joke in his Dirk Gently book.

The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. Dishwashers washed tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the bother of washing them yourself, video recorders watched tedious television for you, thus saving you the bother of looking at it yourself; Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.

Unfortunately this Electric Monk had developed a fault, and had started to believe all kinds of things, more or less at random. It was even beginning to believe things they'd have difficulty believing in Salt Lake City. It had never heard of Salt Lake City, of course. Nor had it ever heard of a quingigillion, which was roughly the number of miles between this valley and the Great Salt Lake of Utah.

The problem with the valley was this. The Monk currently believed that the valley and everything in the valley and around it, including the Monk itself and the Monk's horse, was a uniform shade of pale pink. This made for a certain difficulty in distinguishing any one thing from any other thing, and therefore made doing anything or going anywhere impossible, or at least difficult and dangerous. Hence the immobility of the Monk and the boredom of the horse, which had had to put up with a lot of silly things in its time but was secretly of the opinion that this was one of the silliest.

How long did the Monk believe these things?

Well, as far as the Monk was concerned, forever. The faith which moves mountains, or at least believes them against all the available evidence to be pink, was a solid and abiding faith, a great rock against which the world could hurl whatever it would, yet it would not be shaken. In practice, the horse knew, twenty-four hours was usually about its lot.

Mark Twain also had some zingers in his book Roughing it. His description of polygamy is priceless.

[_Quasimodo]

Mark Twain also had some zingers in his book Roughing it. His description of polygamy is priceless.

One of my favorites (I'm a big Twain fan)! I don't think it counts as fiction, though. Twain was just calling it as he saw it.