New Mormon Media Blitz

[_consiglieri]

It appears our stake is going to be a test area for the new Mormon media campaign, the one featuring a lot of suspiciously non-Mormon looking people pronouncing, "I'm Mormon."

I have reservations about these commercials.

It seems to be a continuation of the "normalizing" of the LDS Church.

For the past several decades, we have been putting out the message that the Mormon Church is the same as any other Christian church.

Now phase two will focus on the members, saying that Mormons are the same as anybody else (only way cooler).

I think the idea must be to make Mormons and Mormonism more approachable to non-members.

But at the same time we seem to be eliminating any reason for non-Mormons to be interested.

Thoughts?

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_MsJack]

People perceive Mormons as abnormal and "weird." This is a turn-off to investigators and potential converts. The commercials are spot-on in as much as they're countering that public perception. It's rather bleak that the church is in a position of merely trying to convince outsiders of its normality instead of its truth claims, but I can understand how the one is (at present) a barrier to the other.

My only reservation about the commercials is when they showcase members engaging in activities that the church plainly discourages: women with careers outside the home, men with funky facial hair, etc. Yes, it is true that there are Mormons who do those things, so technically, the commercials aren't dishonest. But showcasing members who do those things creates the impression to outsiders that those activities are welcome and encouraged by the church, when they aren't.

Personally, I would much rather Mormons embrace and be proud of their "weirdness" and abnormality. It's what attracted me to studying Mormonism in the first place.

Your religion is different. Be proud of it!

[_jon]

For decades I was brought up being told that, as a Mormon, I was different.

I was 'in the world, but not of the world'
I was part of 'a peculiar people'
I was to wear special underwear that non-members weren't allowed to know about.
I did 'sacred' things in temples and was told that non-Mormons must never hear about it from my lips.

Why has all that been thrown out in favour of the 'we are just like you' approach coupled with a tampon esque style of commercial (you know the type, you can roller skate, swim, dance etc even though you got your period)?

Cynically one might suggest it coincides with the following:
Declining growth and attendance
Increase in Mormons involved in politics

[_just me]

Our area is doing this too. We had a special 2 hour class in church a couple Sunday's ago to launch it. I skipped. It was combined for SS and PH/Relief Society time. The youth were also brought in for it.

I do not like the focus.

[_harmony]

Wouldn't it be nice if, after airing these commercials starring people who are obviously on the fringe of the church, that the church actually started teaching that these people are valuable and have a place at God's table?

Okay, so that's pretty farfetched...

[_Gadianton]

I think it could go either way. People can be "stupid" but not always in ways PR managers can predict, in fact, knowing how to make something "cool" can be a hell of a challenge, and lets face it, "money" the brethren get, but "cool", not so much. So there is a huge potential for the campaign to backfire. Just think of the lone Mormon kid going to school after this commercial has been airing, and then being made fun of by other kids for it -- you can just see some clown jumping in front of the Mormon kid in the hall making himself out to be an idiot, and then pointing to himself and saying, "I'm Mormon!" while bystanders laugh.

I have a suggestion for an experiment the church can perform to see how well their plan will work. Make a fake commercial where instead of the people saying "I'm Mormon!", they say "I'm gay!", slip the commercial somehow into a posh east-side High School in Salt Lake, and see if this leads to known or suspected gay kids being treated better or worse by their Mormon peers.

[_just me]

John Dehlin has a Mormon.org page now: http://Mormon.org/me/1GVQ/

[_brade]

John Dehlin has a Mormon.org page now: http://Mormon.org/me/1GVQ/

I submitted a profile recently. I tried to be honest but respectful. I'm interested to see what of what I wrote will be accepted.

[_Yoda]

My only reservation about the commercials is when they showcase members engaging in activities that the church plainly discourages: women with careers outside the home, men with funky facial hair, etc. Yes, it is true that there are Mormons who do those things, so technically, the commercials aren't dishonest. But showcasing members who do those things creates the impression to outsiders that those activities are welcome and encouraged by the church, when they aren't.

You bring up a good point. I think that the only way for this campaign to really be effective for not only attracting, but maintaining new membership is by actually going to the next step. The Church needs to make a change in policy and encourage these activities from the pulpit.

This can still be done, and can keep in line with the core fundamentals of the gospel. That is what these members that the commercials are highlighting, after all, have been doing!

A blatant fact in my ward here in NC is that there are more women who work than don't work.

Why do you think the Relief Society meeting schedule has changed so dramatically over the past 5 years, in particular? Women don't have time to meet every week! We're busy! Most of us work full-time, AND are raising a family! Once a quarter is about all we can spare!

These commercials are probably the most blatant public acknowledgement of these "back door" changes that I have seen. The next step is to address the membership from the pulpit.

[_LDSToronto]

John Dehlin has a Mormon.org page now: http://Mormon.org/me/1GVQ/

One word describes that profile: limp.


H.