Reader responses regarding "The Mormons" PBS series

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), May 3, 2007

I watched both episodes of the Mormons, and I was impressed with the effort to present the complex history and misunderstood doctrines of our religion in a way that the general population could relate to. However, I found it lacking in journalistic integrity, as unbalanced views of various subjects were presented and even overwrought without the illumination of the perspective of a normal, non-excommunicated, non-intellectually focused Latter-day Saint. Why was such an inordinate amount of time spent on the titillating, undersupported and misrepresented topics of polygamy, Mountain Meadows, gender orientation, and negative opinions of the Prophet Joseph Smith, through the eyes of non-believers? The message and doctrine of the LDS church is of God's love for us and his desire that we have joy, both on Earth and in the eternities - this production essentially ignored this important basis of the Mormon faith! While those at the extremes of the Mormon population draw media attention, I would think that the lifestyle, beliefs and challenges of regular LDS families should have been a more integral part of the production and are of significant interest to the rest of the world who are our friends, neighbors, and associates, and who must wonder how our lives really differ from their own. This production failed to deliver a balanced view of our history, and to provide an honest portrayal of Mormon life in 2007. -- Laryn Hill

Regarding the "Mormons" documentary here is part of what they didn't say:

After telling that this church is the most rapidly growing in America, they didn't say why: In this mixed up world, people who are converted find the answers to their most pressing questions in the restored gospel and they find the peace the Savior promised, they find happiness, they learn the importance of the family, they find joy in the promise of eternal life.

After saying that tithing was spiritual taxation, they didn't say that members pay tithing not because we are forced but because we want to pay it and receive the Lord's promised blessings.

They indicated that young people are coerced to become missionaries and that they are totally controlled during the time they serve. That is largely an exaggeration and what they didn't say was that even though a few don't make it, the majority undergo a marvelous change for the better and they build the church in the process. My mission many years ago was an unforgettable experience, sometimes very challenging, but it shaped my life for good forever.

After spending far too much time enumerating the "pitfalls" of polygamy, they did not say that most of the strong missionaries and leaders of the church have come from polygamous families. It was God's way of building His kingdom through raising up extraordinary leaders in a loving family atmosphere. In the beginning this commandment of God was needed to build up the church, but it is not necessary now.

They scrupulously avoided discussion of the contents of the Book of Mormon and did not say that most members, including myself and my wife and family, have received a sure knowledge of the truthfulness of this marvelous book of scripture through the power of the Holy Ghost. Our testimonies motivate us to live as Latter-day Saints and not as obedient robots as they intimated. The Book of Mormon truly is Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind, but they didn't say that. -- Reid Johnson, Holladay, Utah