"Meet The Mormons"

[_mackay11]

Watched with my wife and discussed it on Facebook while airing.

Lots of indignant Brit-Mos. I thought the journalist went out of her way to make the Mos look as odd as possible without ever asking any difficult questions. Nothing on polygamy or other history issues. Instead she was more interested in their pants and how they managed to keep their equipment inside them before marriage. Elder Fields reassured her that having never acted on it, he had no sexual urges at all, so it was no problem. my wife laughed and said: "well that's a lie."

I know both of the people who were there as church PRs. One of them told me it was a stitch up job. The production company had agreed before shooting to have a church member present to answer any questions that might come up. Neither are professionally trained. Both were told they would not be filmed and spent most of their time trying to keep out of shot (at the producers request). Smart move by the production team as instead it made them look suspicious and more like they were creepy and snooping.

The Elders came across as Automons - especially with some of the group chanting of mission motto. It could have been a lot worse. Funny undies, being a bit secretive and no pre-marriage sex was the worst of the negativity.

You can watch it on channel4 (google 4OD) if you use "hola.org" VPN to switch to UK server. Bazooka, are you a fellow Brit?

[_Sammy Jankins]

Here it is on YouTube
Meet the Mormons

[Guest]

What a train wreck for the church. I don't know the behind the scenes story but I feel like by sending PR reps to be present at every interview they inadvertently set the tone for the documentary. It became all about the claustrophobic control and the isolation of missionaries.

[_Sanctorian]

WOW!!! What a mess. Poor kid. He starts out with such enthusiasm and by the end, he is beaten down and completely changed countenance wise. There is no way this was good for the church. It screams cult from start to finish. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the end scene with his companion sealed the deal.

[_Mayan Elephant]

who are those pr people? do they report to otterson or are they pr people like we used to have decades ago in every stake? we had someone in each stake that was a pr representative, and they would sign the scouts up for parades and crap like that. is that what these pr people are?

[_Sanctorian]

who are those pr people? do they report to otterson or are they pr people like we used to have decades ago in every stake? we had someone in each stake that was a pr representative, and they would sign the scouts up for parades and s*** like that. is that what these pr people are?

All PR is handled on a local level. Except when it's not.

[_Craig Paxton]

http://www.channel4.com/information/press/programme-information/meet-the-mormons

For the first time, Mormon leaders in America have permitted the Church in the UK to open its doors to cameras. With unprecedented access to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this documentary follows a young British Mormon as he gives up two years of his life to convert the people of Leeds.

Known to most people as the men in suits who knock on our doors, young Mormon missionaries have the job of converting us to their particular brand of Christianity – they are the ‘Ambassadors of God’.

Twenty-year-old Josh Field from Sussex is one of around 200,000 Mormons in the UK. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is run from America. Based in Salt Lake City in Utah, the Mormon empire operates in 185 countries and has 15 million members worldwide. Their leader is Thomas S. Monson, whom Mormons believe is a living prophet receiving revelations directly from God. Every year he sends nearly 70,000 young men and women off to spread the gospel – and recruit to the church.

Based only on this first episode (Please tell me there are more) I can not imagine why the church agreed to do this...this is a PR nightmare...The church is coming off completely cult-like...What is with that creepy shadow guy...why in the world did the church need him there...he alone casts the church as a mind control cult...what a complete PR Disaster...and I love it

[_Bazooka]

Based only on this first episode (I hope there's more right?) I can not imagine why the church agreed to do this...this is a PR nightmare...The church is coming off completely cult-like...What is with that creepy shadow guy...why in the world did the church need him there...he alone casts the church as a mind control cult...what a complete PR Disaster...and I love it

No, it's a one-off.

I believe the Church agreed to do it so that the UK population could finally see how normal and mainstream the Mormon's really are and that they have nothing to hide.....The two chaperones (who were not professional PR people) used were (allegedly) meant to be there to help Josh handle being in front of the camera and to ensure he wasn't made a fool of. They (allegedly) feel like they've been stiffed in the way they have been portrayed. They (allegedly) had the brief to provide feedback to Church PR about what went on so that, if need be, the Church could try to veto the programme before it aired. As I understand it, the Church (allegedly) agreed the condition of not having the right to pre-publication oversight or right to pull. Unfortunately the chaperones presence made the point that the rest of the programme showed in a more subtle fashion. Talk about a back-fire.....

[_Tim the Enchanter]

I thought this paragraph from Lynn Alleway's website nailed it:

"The Mormons themselves are almost entirely responsible for generating the unsympathetic tone of Lynn Alleway's series about their faith. The problem is not that their beliefs might seem a little unusual, but that they tried to control the making of this film through the constant presence of a minder. In PR terms, it is an own goal of epic proportions. Alleway was given permission to follow a thoroughly pleasant 22-year-old as he embarks on missionary work during which time he has to live 24 hours a day with a 'companion' and is not allowed to visit his family. He becomes lonely and desolate, and it is like watching a child being psychologically abused by strangers who insist they have his best interests at heart."

I believe this paragraph comes from this article in The Times. At the link you can only see the first paragraph of the article, the rest is behind a paywall.

Watching the video I felt exactly like The Times described it. It was like watching a thoroughly pleasant child be psychologically abused. Everything about it screamed 'cult.' I know that word turns off many people, but what is a better description of the missionary program? The isolation from family and friends. The constant presence of a companion. The dress. The chanting. The poverty. The exhaustion. Not using your first name. The constant specter of authority. The pressure to only express approved thoughts. Extraordinarily limited access to media. It is so unhealthy.

[_The Mighty Builder]

Here it is on YouTube
Meet the Mormons

I love how the video demonstrates complete Mormoniciousness by showing the Brainwashed followers giving the Heil Supreme Leader sign (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_salute) during the obedience phase of Mormon Conference.