"Meet The Mormons"

[_malkie]

Interesting that young men, who are old enough, mature enough, and knowledgeable enough to go out into the world to try to get others to change their religion, are not to be asked questions about sex (according to the PR escort).

Can these young men not decide for themselves if it is too personal, and say so? They won't have a middle-aged 'keeper' to protect them in the big bad world out there.

I wish I could post the link on my Facebook page, but it would mortally offend the believing members in my world.

Why?

Mostly because it does not show the church organization or the members in a very good light. If, for example, my my wife or DD were in the middle of some of the "Meet the Mormons" scenes they would likely find nothing too strange going on (they have likely been in the midst of stranger goings on).

However, watching "Meet the Mormons" and seeing things happen from an outsider's PoV would show them clearly, I think, that "Meet the Mormons" is not complimentary to either the organization or the members.

As such, I'm sure that my LDS peeps would see my posting as provocation.

Apart from family members I'm gradually withdrawing from contact with members I've known for almost 50 years, lost touch with for 40, and found again through Facebook. I've changed and so have they, but in quite different ways (somewhat generalised): I'm more liberal, they are more conservative; I'm their old Branch President/Counselor in the District Presidency who is now an embarrassing apostate, they are more firm in their beliefs of LDS exceptionalism and superiority.

I'm not quite ready to let it all go, but I feel a profound sense of sorrow at my apparent failure to impress upon them the relative values of love and kindness vs. adherence to a set of rules that do not result in tolerance, empathy and love.

Before becoming aware that I was no longer a good Mormon, several of them talked in glowing terms about the good old days, and what a 'lovely' BP I was. I'm tired of disagreeing with them, but I don't want to give any of them another poke in the eye.

[_Quasimodo]

Why would they do that, the film maker said the church choose the missionary, why couldn't they choose one with a "perfect Mormon family" it doesn't make sense for them to cobble together a situation when they had total control over who was filmed.

That's what's off.

I'm trying to think of some scenario that would work. Maybe those church PR folks that were in charge really wanted that missionary because of some quality they saw in him, but didn't want to portray his home life for opposite reasons. Like Bazooka said, maybe his dad was out of the picture or perhaps a non-Mormon that would voice things they didn't want heard on the film.

I'm still wondering why the Church PR dept. would agree to the documentary in the first place. It didn't come off too well for the LDS Church.

Has anyone heard if the Church has made any public statement about 'Meet the Mormons'?

[_selek]

The opening scenes where the members are repeatedly raising their hands in confirmation, while showing Monson at the helm cannot look good to non members. I'm an ex-mo who understands what was happening in that scene, and it came off kinda creepy to me.

[_selek]

Monson: "young men becoming elders"...Mormons can't see the irony and stupidity of such a statement!

[_Bazooka]

I'm trying to think of some scenario that would work. Maybe those church PR folks that were in charge really wanted that missionary because of some quality they saw in him, but didn't want to portray his home life for opposite reasons. Like Bazooka said, maybe his dad was out of the picture or perhaps a non-Mormon that would voice things they didn't want heard on the film.

I'm still wondering why the Church PR dept. would agree to the documentary in the first place. It didn't come off too well for the LDS Church.

Has anyone heard if the Church has made any public statement about 'Meet the Mormons'?

Here is his Mormon.org profile with a family picture on it. No Dad present.
http://www.Mormon.org.uk/me/brn7

[_Flaming Meaux]

Wow. Looking at it now a lot of it seems so bizarre, even though it seemed fairly natural when I was going through the mission experience myself.

Like that whole bit on one of his first days in the MTC where the instructor is explaining the white handbook. Who created the white handbook? The First Presidency. How did they decide to come up with these rules? The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost means the Lord. So that means that the Lord created the rules in the white handbook.

So one of the things that is of greatest concern to the Lord is whether missionaries play full court basketball? That instructor is really setting these missionaries up for later disappointment when they come to the painful realization that many times when the First Presidency has put their names on something they were, apparently, just expounding theories of limited understanding which now need to be disavowed...