"The Book of Mormon" is a Tony-award winning Broadway show that mercilessly ridicules Mormonism.

[Nye Bevan]

How did the Mormon Church respond to this production?

The church released an official response to inquiries regarding the musical, stating, "The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ." Michael Otterson, the head of Public Affairs for the church, followed in April 2011 with measured criticism. "Of course, parody isn't reality, and it's the very distortion that makes it appealing and often funny. The danger is not when people laugh but when they take it seriously—if they leave a theater believing that Mormons really do live in some kind of a surreal world of self-deception and illusion", Otterson wrote, outlining various humanitarian efforts achieved by Mormon missionaries in Africa in recent years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Mormon_%28musical%29

I'm not a particular fan of Mormonism but I certainly give the Mormons credit for not rioting, murdering people and blowing stuff up when their religion and prophet are ridiculed.

[Gato Moteado]

1. great post

i think mormonism (like all dogma) is nonsense, but i agree that at least it is civilized nonsense.

[Arugula Latte]

2. I wouldn't call it civilized -- that church's attitudes about women are up there with the RCC's.

A pox on all religions.

[Gato Moteado]

5. yes, maybe civilized was the wrong word

but nonsense describes it perfectly, i think

[LAGC]

3. You mean like their civilized treatment of LGBT folk?

Does `Prop. H8' not ring a bell?

[Gato Moteado]

6. i retracted "civilized"

but retain the nonsense part

[jsr]

4. Well, there was Mountain Meadows

and all that blood atonement stuff.

[Curtland1015]

7. There are millions of Muslims that would never hurt anyone either.

It's the fringe wackos that do that.

Just like there are fringe Mormons too. They may marry children instead of kill people, but they're still crazy.

[Gato Moteado]

9. absolutely!

i think any criticism directed at islam in this forum (other than the fact that many, including myself, find all dogma ridiculous) is meant to be focused on the radicals, not the mainstream muslims who are good, peace loving people.

[joeybee12]

8. You have got to be kidding with this comparison...have we installed dictators

in Utah who murder their people, have we murdered those people, have we phucked up their lives for hundreds of years? The movie is just the match that lit the fire anti-US and anti-Western hate and anger for hwo we've phucked over the Middle East.

[msanthrope]

10. "Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith"

I highly suggest you read that tome before discussing how Mormons react to things. It's required reading if you want to talk about Mormon culture.

[cali]

11. this is, well, dumb.

it demonstrates a real lack of understanding about cultures.

1) The U.S. has a tradition of freedom of religion and freedom of speech that does not exist in countries in the middle east.

2) Many countries in the middle east have been used, manipulated and attacked by the U.S.. They live under threat of attack. (drones anyone?)

3) In the U.S. we have outlets for our frustrations that aren't available to the majority in the middle east.

4) Islam isn't only a religion, it's the law in those countries.

It's just a silly comparison.

[Nye Bevan]

12. What "outlets for our frustrations" do we have for this kind of thing that are "not available"

in the Middle East? Senior Islamic clergy can certainly issue statements deploring movies that denigrate their faith, in the same way that the Mormon spokesman commented on the Broadway show. And it is possible for demonstrations to be non-violent. How about just waving placards to protest the movie instead of rioting and murdering people?

Or did you mean that we are allowed to go to a bar and relax over a few beers, while they are not?