"Hold my root beer" - the Russell M. Nelson thread

[old_gregg]

Wonderful article by McKay Coppins on todays place in America for Mormons.



https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...ligion/617263/

really good

[Jeff Lebowski]

really good

Yeah, that was great. I found this part really interesting:

As Romney was trying to become the first Mormon president, The Book of Mormon musical was selling out on Broadway. Co-written by South Park’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the show skewered Mormonism with gleeful profanity and depicted its adherents as simpletons. My initial reaction, after listening to the soundtrack, was exasperation that this was how affluent theatergoers were being introduced to my faith. But I also felt compelled to be a good sport—and I wasn’t alone. When Romney was asked about the show, he said he’d love to see it: “It’s a Tony-award winner, big phenomenon!” And the Church itself took out ads in the playbill that read, “You’ve seen the play. Now read the book.” (The show’s creators had apparently anticipated something like this: Stone would later recount that when friends asked if he was concerned about Mormons protesting, he said, “Trust us, they’re going to be cool.”)

I remember being delighted by the Church’s response. Such savvy PR! Such a good-natured gesture! See, everyone? We can take a joke! But then I met a theater critic in New York who had recently seen the musical. He marveled at how the show got away with being so ruthless toward a minority religion without any meaningful backlash. I tried to cast this as a testament to Mormon niceness. But the critic was unconvinced. “No,” he replied. “It’s because your people have absolutely no cultural cachet.”

Somehow, it wasn’t until that moment that I understood the source of all our inexhaustible niceness. It was a coping mechanism, born of a pulsing, sweaty desperation to be liked that I suddenly found humiliating.

I have never been comfortable with the BOM musical. I think this critic is right.

EDIT: I left off the last paragraph. In the quote now.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I'm curious to see what the outrage in Ex-Mo circles over this one will be.

I was going to read it, but that is a really long article. I'll take your guys word for it that it is all good.

[Sullyute]

I have never been comfortable with the BOM musical. I think this critic is right.

Outside missionary service, what “culture” does modern Mormonism have? Any culture we were developing was stripped away in the 80’s and 90’s.

[jay santos]

Yeah, that was great. I found this part really interesting:



I have never been comfortable with the BOM musical. I think this critic is right.

Totally disagree. The comment that it's a testament to Mormon niceness is exactly spot on. I loved BOM Musical. It made me feel proud to be Mormon.

[Northwestcoug]

I recall most of the jabs in the musical were aimed at cultural aspects of mormonism. And for the most part they were good-natured and meant for a more general audience. The doctrinal jabs were more biting but also clever. I really think those parts were written with ex-mos in mind.

But the musical was a solid 'meh' for me. My daughter loved it but I could have done without a couple of songs and about half an hour of running time. We caught it in Eugene near the end of its run, and the playbill still had the 'you've seen the musical, now read the book' ad. I thought it was a solid ad by the church then and I still do.

[Bo Diddley]

I'm curious to see what the outrage in Ex-Mo circles over this one will be.

I was going to read it, but that is a really long article. I'll take your guys word for it that it is all good.

That's half the reason I come here.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I recall most of the jabs in the musical were aimed at cultural aspects of mormonism. And for the most part they were good-natured and meant for a more general audience. The doctrinal jabs were more biting but also clever. I really think those parts were written with ex-mos in mind.

But the musical was a solid 'meh' for me. My daughter loved it but I could have done without a couple of songs and about half an hour of running time. We caught it in Eugene near the end of its run, and the playbill still had the 'you've seen the musical, now read the book' ad. I thought it was a solid ad by the church then and I still do.

Most musicals suck. I've never listened to any of it nor really have any interest in it.

[SeattleUte]

Wonderful article by McKay Coppins on todays place in America for Mormons.



https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...ligion/617263/

An apologist writing about Mormonism in the Atlantic?

I recently read Jill Lepore's outstanding single volume history of the United States. She proved me right when I always said here that when the human history book is written at the end of days, Mormonism would merit at most a footnote. Her book doesn't mention Mormonism even once, not even in a footnote.

[HBCoug]

Most musicals suck. I've never listened to any of it nor really have any interest in it.

You might want to reconsider, but perhaps not. I still listen to various songs on occasion and find the entire score really well done (a couple throwaways at most). We saw it on Broadway several years back, and I don't remember laughing as hard at many things in my life.

[originalsocal]

Wonderful article by McKay Coppins on todays place in America for Mormons.



https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...ligion/617263/

Thank you for posting. Just got done reading it and was very impressed. It seems to me that the pull to be more mainstream or more conservative is a real issue that I hope we can handle.

[Now who’s the dean?]

An apologist writing about Mormonism in the Atlantic?

I recently read Jill Lepore's outstanding single volume history of the United States. She proved me right when I always said here that when the human history book is written at the end of days, Mormonism would merit at most a footnote. Her book doesn't mention Mormonism even once, not even in a footnote.

How many seals does her book have? If it has fewer than 7 why should we care?


**And I don’t agree with that in the workplace**

[swampfrog]

Wonderful article by McKay Coppins on todays place in America for Mormons.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...ligion/617263/

Pretty far-ranging coverage. Very enjoyable, thanks for posting.

[SeattleUte]

The statement that Mormons are crazy optimistists and unusually friendly has become a cliche. But I think that generalization is generally correct.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Totally disagree. The comment that it's a testament to Mormon niceness is exactly spot on. I loved BOM Musical. It made me feel proud to be Mormon.

Don't get me wrong, I think the church's PR response was the right move. No question. But the fact that they could get away with such a brutal caricature of LDS beliefs and culture in the age of hypersensitivity says a lot about our "cultural cachet", as the critic put it. On the spectrum of respect, it puts us closer to scientology than judaism.