Click here to access the updated Reaching the Nations country profile for Niger. Niger is one of the most populous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa where there The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never had a presence. Distance from the nearest Latter-day Saint centers in West Africa, poverty, low living standards, a lack of Nigerien converts worldwide, political instability, and a homogeneously Muslim population have all appeared to deter a Church establishment. See below for the Future Prospects sections of this article:
Establishing the Church in Niger will be challenging, as there has never been a Church presence in Niger, and there are very few, if any, Nigeriens who have joined the Church abroad. A Church presence in Niger appears unlikely for many more years given poverty, illiteracy, political instability, and a homogeneously Muslim population. The Church appears most likely to establish a presence in Niger once there are multiple Latter-day Saints who live in Niamey and request the Africa West Area presidency for an official Church establishment. Area leadership and senior missionaries can help identify isolated members or prospective members to prepare for a future Church establishment. Religious freedom conditions in Niger are nearly unprecedented among countries where Muslims comprise 99% or more of the population. Expansion of Latter-day Saint Charities humanitarian and development projects may be an effective method to alleviate local suffering and establish a positive relationship between the Church and the government.
Hello Matt,
ReplyDeleteI am a lifelong member of the church, and I took a particular interest in one of your studies I found elsewhere online. I found my way to your blog through a search.
Would it be possible to have a discussion with you?
My email is bryan*delete*at*delete*bryanbeus*delete*dot*delete*com
Thanks! I do hope to hear from you.
Question: Are you the same Bryan Beus who is an author and illustrator? If so, then we went to BUY together.
Delete*BYU*
DeleteIn theory, we can teach the gospel to people from any background. But in practice, we're only effective at reaching people from Christian backgrounds. (Which is ironic because their ancestors all had to be converted from non-Christian backgrounds at some point, and I don't know why we're so much less effective than the missionaries who accomplished that hundreds or thousands of years ago.) If the Church followed its pattern of success in other nations with large Muslim populations, it would still be getting the vast majority of its converts in Niger from the 1% that isn't Muslim, and that just isn't feasible.
ReplyDeleteI do not think this claim is true. The Church in Kapan has mainly converted people coming from Buddhist backgrounds. The same is true in Mongolia and may also be true in India.
DeleteElder Peter M. Johnson was a Muslim before he joined the Church and credits learning fasting from them as a key component of his conversion. I strongly suspect some of the converts in Sierra Leone were Muslims.
I have also known multiple converts from Judaism including my own grandmother.
@JPL
DeleteI can back that up.
I've known a Buddhist convert from Thailand. Several Mongolian converts (I assume their former religion was Buddhism, but don't quote me on that).
A converted Jehovah's Witness on my mission. Also, a member friend of mine who served in Alaska, and whose majority of converts were Jehovah's Witnesses.
Several converted Jews (and descendents of converted Jews).
Indian converts from traditional Native American belief systems.
A Japanese convert (from secularism, or one of the traditional Japanese religions: Shinto, Taoism, or Buddhism - I'm pretty sure she wasn't Christian before).
Update to my previous reply:
DeleteOne of my aforementioned Mongolian friends was from a non-practicing Buddhist family. He described himself as having "no religion" before his conversion as a teenager.
I forget to mention one of my current best friends. He has a very mixed heritage. His genetic heritage is Chilean and German, but he was adopted at a young age into a secular Muslim family living in Virginia.
And then he joined the Church as a young adult.
DeleteRegarding conversion from non-Christian backgrounds, a good friend in my old ward came to the US from Pakistan with his wife several years ago. His father had become a Christian many years before, and now many of his descendants have joined the Church. Pakistan is 95 to 98% Muslim, yet the Church, though relatively new there. has grown to approximately 5000 members in 3 districts and 14 branches.
ReplyDeleteAren't we having great success in Sierra Leone, a Muslim-majority country? The Freetown temple will bless those from any background who embrace the gospel.
ReplyDeleteI believe I knew someone at BYU from Turkey who had converted from Islam. Turkey is an over 90% Muslim country with full religious freedom.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is in Pakistan the Church focuses on non-Muslims. The same is true in Lebanon.
When I was at my brother's ward for my nephew's baptism one of the speakers was a member of three months who said he had no religious background before joining the Church.
80 years ago some said the Church had no hope of growth in primarily Catholic areas. Then from 1960-1990 the Church grew mainly in majority Catholic counties. This stops in 1990 as much because Guatemala and some other Latin American countries stop being majority Catholic as because of anything else.
Catholics were still the majority in Guatemala until at least 2002 and as late as 2006.
DeleteAt least 46% still consider themselves Catholic, with about 34% saying they are protestant.
DeleteSome younger Mexicans I knew on my mission described Catholicism as "the religion of my parents," having moved on to Evangelicalism, agnosticism, atheism, or being Catholic nominally only. A lot of the Mexicans I've known as a rule either practice Catholicism in name only or because of "the traditions of their fathers" - refusing to change out of respect to their parents and ancestors - whether or not they are particularly active in attending the Catholic Church or in understanding more than the basic tenets of their religion.
DeleteAs many of you reading this know, Catholicism is intrinsically intertwined with the traditional Mexican cultural identity, and traditions are intermixed with Aztec and Mayan traditions. (Just look at the Day of the Dead as an example.)
We have plenty of similarly nominal members in our own religion. It is also interesting to note how much traditional western American cultural norms have become intertwined with our identity and thought as members of the Church of Jesus Christ. I have spent years trying to disentangle myself and others from nominally "Mormon" western traditions and practices as opposed to the actual official doctrines and principles of the Church as laid out in the scriptures and by the prophets (as I'm sure others here have, as well).
I have also known plenty of staunch and active catholics who are very versed in the doctrines of their church.
Some younger Mexicans I knew had moved on to secularism, as well.
DeleteFull religious freedom does not describe Turkey. That is like saying Chicago is safe from gang violence.
ReplyDeleteWhile there may be some limited freedoms of worship in Turkey and some inroads to proselityze, the country suffers from a lot of religious problems, to include terrorists, wars, ethnic strife and oppression, democracy challenges, refugees, and language barriers. I do hope converts can continue to move forward, however.😊
Conversion from religion to religion is legal in Turkey. Weather it is socially acceptable or safe are other matters but it is legal as is religious proselytism.
ReplyDeleteJonathan Whiting, I don't disagree, but I am curious what kinds of "nominally 'Mormon' western traditions" you are referring to. Just curious. Thanks.
ReplyDelete@JMR
DeletePerhaps calling them "western Mormon cultural traditions" is a misnomer (particularly since we've been admonished to stay away from that term), and since some of these practices or mindsets aren't isolated only to Utah and Idaho, but I use the term to distinguish cultural beliefs, practices, and traditions that I've seen crop up throughout the Church in western America that seem more based on our history, hearsay and rumors, oral traditions from parents, and isolation for decades in the intermountain west than on actual doctrine and revelation.
Again, some aren't strictly practices, but traditions of Misconceptions, Mindsets, and Philosophies of Men I've come across (and perhaps you have, too). Similar to how the Pharisees added extra practices and beliefs that weren't what the Lord intended, passing them on through oral tradition to children and others, forgetting or changing what the actual Written Recorded Doctrines were, along with the pure Revelation through the Prophets.
Here are a few examples:
"Caffeine is strictly against the Word of Wisdom."
-Comes from a misunderstanding of the scriptures and official doctrine of the Church, based on oral traditions and lack of study. I've even had people say to me, "There's nothing in the Word of Wisdom about meat!" (there is) and "I thought herbal tea was against the Word of Wisdom?" (it's not) and "I'm not even going to eat chocolate, because it has caffeine in it." and "I'm not going to eat sugar, or use tylenol, and neither should you, because they're addictive." (ok, that's your choice)
-Yes, there are certain substances that are strictly against the Word of Wisdom (and clarifications on the WoW we've received from the Brethren), and the WoW has an overall subtext of avoiding addictive substances in general, but some food and drink is not strictly forbidden, and is up to the discretion of the individual consumer.
"Mental Illness, Depression, Disability = Laziness or Unworthiness"
-Implying that a medical or chemical condition is the fault of the person, based on unworthiness or sin of some kind. Compare this to John 9: 2-3:
"2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
cont'
Delete"Rich & Successful (according to the world's standards), Having a Degree, Owning your own Home, Physical & Financial Prosperity, etc. = Righteousness, While Being Poor = Being Slothful, Irresponsible, or Unworthy"
-Ever heard of the Pride Cycle in the Book of Mormon?
2 Nephi 26: 20:
"20 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor."
1 Nephi 8: 26-27:
"26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit."
Alma 32: 2-3:
"2 And it came to pass that after much labor among them, they began to have success among the poor class of people; for behold, they were cast out of the synagogues because of the coarseness of their apparel—
3 Therefore they were not permitted to enter into their synagogues to worship God, being esteemed as filthiness; therefore they were poor; yea, they were esteemed by their brethren as dross; therefore they were poor as to things of the world; and also they were poor in heart."
Mosiah 4: 19:
"19 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?"
There's actually (as I'm sure you've noticed) a ton of scriptures in the BoM that discuss wealth, uncoincidentally for our times in my opinion.
cont'
Delete3 Nephi 13:33:
"33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
Jacob 2: 13, 14, 17-19:
"13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.
14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.
17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.
18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."
D&C 121: 34-36:
"34 Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—
36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness."
President Brigham Young (1801–77) said: “The worst fear that I have about [members of this Church] is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and his people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches” (quoted in Preston Nibley, Brigham Young: The Man and His Work [1936], 128).
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2002/04/questions-and-answers?lang=eng
"Ye Elders of Israel" (Verse 3):
"We’ll go to the poor, like our Captain of old,
And visit the weary, the hungry, and cold;
We’ll cheer up their hearts with the news that he bore
And point them to Zion and life evermore."
Forgive me for bombarding you with scriptures, but you did ask, and I like to back up what I'm saying. ;)
cont'
Delete"Works is more important in practice than Grace. (In opposition to the Born Again philosophy of Grace over works)."
-I've noticed we tend to avoid the topic of the Lord's Grace. I think it stems from an emphasis on works (i.e. "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before God." - Phillipians 2:12, Alma 34:37, Mormon 9:27) as a rebuttal to the Protestant philosophy of Grace handling everything for us without us having to do anything except pray to be saved (similar to how we avoid crosses - possibly as an answer to showing how non-catholic or non-protestant we are).
These are some quotes I've heard in from others in the Church:
"Do or do not, there is no try."
Yep, a young men's leader of mine actually told me I should "do," and not "try" when I told him I would "try my best" on my mission. Now, Empire Strikes Back is one of my top two movies (the other being Return of the Jedi), but I'm sorry, as wise as Yoda sounds, he's wrong. The temple recommend questions ask several times, "Do you strive...(to keep such and such commandment)," and not, "Are you keeping all the commandments perfectly." "Be ye perfect" is an eternal goal, not just a mortal one.
"I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it."
This quote (as some of you may remember) circulated a ton when I was a kid and on my mission. It was included on nice watercolor paintings of Jesus that you could set on your shelf or counter (possibly sold by Deseret or Seagull Book). It's not doctrinal or from the scriptures. Here's an actual quote from the scriptures that refutes it:
Matthew 11: 28-30:
"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Here's a list of other erroneous quotes we like to spread around as a culture:
http://www.ldsliving.com/Phantom-Scriptures-Debunked/s/64898
cont'
Delete"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you." (a quote from Saint Augustine, and not the scriptures).
While I appreciate the intent of this quote, I think it fails to take into account that God can and does work with us at all times, both while we are on our knees praying and when we're going about our day. Christ and His enabling power through His Atonement do not just sit idle when we are up and about and working. Christ works with us. This is another reason why the scriptures exhort us to have a "prayer in our heart" and to "pray always," and not just at dinnertime or bedtime. We pray in the Sacrament "that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us]." That personal relationship with Christ goes throughout the day and night, it just has more effectiveness to cause change in us when we recognize Him more often, or in other words, when "[we] are willing to take upon [us] the name of [His] Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given [us]."
For more on the "Grace and Works" topic, I highly recommend Stephen Robinson's "Believing Christ" book series.
One more:
"Country Western Machismo = Manliness and the Correct Approach to Fellowshipping and any other Problems you might have"
Our culture was largely isolated out in the Great American Desert for decades upon decades. We have a lot of tough rattlesnake cowboys and farmers in our midst and in our history. But just because our circumstances lead to having to be tough in certain circumstances, doesn't mean that is the correct approach in all situations.
When President Monson gave a General Conference Talk in 2010, exhorting single men to not shirk marriage, a male writer for the Mormon Times of the Deseret News the next day told us that meant we all needed to "Cowboy Up."
All I have to say to that is, "I don't know what your definition of 'Cowboy Up' is, but I'm not sure it's what President Monson had in mind for all of us."
cont'
DeleteJeffrey R. Holland, in his talk, "Like a Broken Vessel," stated:
"Let me leave the extraordinary illnesses I have mentioned to concentrate on MDD—“major depressive disorder”—or, more commonly, “depression.” When I speak of this, I am not speaking of bad hair days, tax deadlines, or other discouraging moments we all have. Everyone is going to be anxious or downhearted on occasion. The Book of Mormon says Ammon and his brethren were depressed at a very difficult time, and so can the rest of us be. But today I am speaking of something more serious, of an affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a person’s ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so deep that no one can responsibly suggest it would surely go away if those victims would just square their shoulders and think more positively—though I am a vigorous advocate of square shoulders and positive thinking!"
This applies also to the above comment I made on mental disorders. I apply it to the counsel to get married thusly: it is not enough in some of our circumstances to just "cowboy up" and think more positively and suddenly we'll get married. Plenty of us are trying as hard as we can (and could stand to relax a little bit and not be so anxious about it in some people's circumstances), and we have to trust the Lord's timing as to when these blessing will come to pass for us, rather than approach every issue with country western machismo.
I had a conversation with another male member who said, "The best way to make friends with another guy at school is to walk up and punch him as hard as you can in the arm!"
At Zone Conferences on my Mission, in Sunday School, and in Young Men's throughout my life, I've been shown countless clips from Rocky, Remember the Titans, Rudy, Hoosiers, etc. on how to best approach missionary work, my callings, the gospel, fellowship, etc.
There's nothing inherently wrong with being macho, liking football (I much prefer basketball, though), or having your favorite "apostle" be J. Golden Kimball; but that's neither objectively the best, nor the only approach to the gospel. Sometimes, a gentler and more subtle, humbler approach is what's called for.
Matthew 11: 29:
"29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
If the master, the greatest "Man" among us was self-described as "meek and humble and lowly of heart," than I think we can stand to learn from his approach as well as the John Waynes we have in the Church.
So, I hope that satisfies your curiosity JMR. Again, forgive the length of my reply. There are aspects to our culture that I think are closer to the Pharisees and the prideful Nephites than we'd like to admit, along with the good parts.
Please let me know your thoughts. :)
Sounds like jello and carrots to me. Or Jonny Lingo. As a former practicing Catholic, I really don't think we have much of a Church culture.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget funeral potatoes, Pascal. ;)
Delete@Pascal:
DeleteI've actually thought about this before (when I attended a Polynesian wedding of Church members), and you got me thinking again.
What is our culture? (Or particularly odd/unique to our culture?)
-Temples, Temple Building, Meetinghouse Building
-Building Dedications as an Event
-Monthly Fasting
-Tithing
-Pioneer Day
-Stake Dances
-Young (and old) Men's Basketball Tournaments
-Volleyball
-Food Storage
-Farming
-Living and Irrigating in the Desert
-Reading (a very literate culture)
-Scripture Reading in Particular
-Utah is supposedly the "Geek Capitol of the Word" according to Salt Lake Fan X (Comic Con)
-Funeral Potatoes
-Lots of meetings, committees, councils, classes
-Firesides
-Early-Morning Seminary
-Emphasis on Education
-Modern-day Miracles
-Modern-day Prophets, like unto Moses of Old
-Personal Revelation
-Missionary Culture
-Refreshments, Praying over Refreshments (Food Prayers)
-Green Jell-O with carrots, Funeral Potatoes
-Ice-cream Socials
-Potluck Dinners
-the Word of Wisdom
-Overeating
-Johnny Lingo, On the Way Home, The Phone Call, and other badly acted "so bad they're good" church videos from the 60's and 70's (my family used to own the whole collection)
-Low Budget, Overly High-Priced (for the subscription) Living Scriptures Videos
-Activity Nights
-Genealogy
-Quilting (probably less popular than it used to be when I was a kid - related: crocheting, knitting, cross-stitch, sewing)
-Arts and Crafts
-Visiting the Isles of the Sea
-Polynesian Culture integrated with Western White American Culture
-Bilingualism
-BYU(s)
-(We used to have Roadshows and Cultural Celebrations, but not so much, anymore)
-FARMS and FAIR
-Folk Tales about J. Golden Kimball and The 3 Nephites
-Scrapbooking, Journaling
-Family Reunions
-Mission Reunions
-Mutual (Young Men's/Women's programs)
-Youth Award Programs and Award Ceremonies
-Boy Scouts (R.I.P.)
-Camping
-This is just stuff from my own experiences out here in the West. Our greater "Mormon" culture will be different in Latin America, the Eastern United States, Europe, Africa, The Phillipines, etc.
What was unique about the Catholic culture you used to be a part of where you lived?
I forgot:
Delete-White Shirts, Suits, and Ties (Business Attire)
-Modest Skirts and Dresses
-
-Deseret Industries
Delete-Welfare Programs
-Canneries
-Orchards
-Apple Picking
Delete-Service Projects
-Elderly Leaders
Jonathan Whiting, thanks for the lengthy reply. That was an interesting list you put together. I've heard some of that myself over the years. I have heard a lot of talks over the past decade given in General Conference which are course corrections for some of these doctrinal deviations. I think what you listed are opinions or philosophies of men that start to get mingled with scripture over time. That is why it is so important to have living prophets and apostles on the earth. They keep the doctrine pure and make sure that it doesn't deviate from the Lord's words. Having just finished studying the New Testament last year, I was again impressed and amazed at how quickly some of the churches (or units as we would call them today) began to fall into apostasy. Much of the Pauline Epistles were written for the express purpose of correcting the false doctrine that was quickly making its way into the church. A lot of what you listed also just comes from a lack of doctrinal understanding by members of the Church. This can be avoided by sticking with the pure doctrine of Christ. Thanks again for the response.
ReplyDeleteYeah, no problem, JMR. :)
DeleteGlad it was coherent.
Good point about the Pauline Epistles.
For those interested, when it comes to cultural norms as opposed to official doctrine and practice, many of the clarifications, tweaks, and adjustments made under President Nelson thus far have been with the intent to correct those kinds of misconceptions and/or misunderstandings. Most notably, back in 2012 (almost exactly 6 years before President Nelson released his 2018 statement about using the name of the Church correctly), the Newsroom released a document entitled "Mormonism in the News", and among the things it clarified was the CHurch's stance on the usage of caffeine:
ReplyDeletehttps://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/mormonism-news--getting-it-right-august-29
I share these additional thoughts in the hopes that they may be helpful to you all in the consideration of culturally-accepted norms vs. what the Church actually has said, including the efforts made by President Nelson to correct the course of the Church on a variety of fronts.
Thanks for the link about caffeine, James. That is a helpful source.
DeleteNo problem, Johnathan. Glad I could be of assistance in that respect. I know that many people see white shirts and ties as somewhat of a "cultural normal" specific to the men of our faith, but I feel it is important to add that such associations are most often made in connection to missionaries, congregational leaders, and general leaders on a Churchwide level. But I think the association should also be tied more frequently to the men and young men in congregatiosn who administer the Sacrament each week. And the Churchwide stance on that particular issue seems to be supported by several different General Conference addresses as follows:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/search?lang=eng&query=the%20sacrament%20white%20shirts&facet=general-conference
I believe the reasoning behind that repeated counsel/request from the Brethren is due to the fact that white is a symbol of purity and a reminder that those who administer the Sacrament (and, to the fullest extent possible, those who receive it) should strive for purity in administering and partaking of that ordinance. I do not mention this with a desire to cause contention of any kind. I can recall a few different times when, for a variety of reasons, I was unable to wear a white shirt while administering the Sacrament, and I admit that here so as to not be hypocritical in advocating a practice I may not have always been fully diligent in observing.
But I would hope that, in an era when more opportunities and responsibilities are being given to youth, the young men who follow the counsel that has been given by the Brethren in this respect would, by their compliance therewith, be given more blessings and opportunities to grow into the men the Lord will need them to be. Just some additional thoughts from me, for whatever they may be worth, which any of those who read it can feel free to take, leave, or respond to however they may choose to do so.
I should perhaps have also mentioned another factor that likely plays into the reasoning of the Brethren as far as white shirts and administering the Sacrament is concerned. In many (if not most or all) of those same addresses to which I shared a general web address in my prior comment, those Brethren also mention that, in administering the Sacrament, the men and young men doing so represent the Savior, and as such, their attire, demeanor, and mode whereby they do so, should enable them to represent Him in a manner pleasing unto Him and that remains above and beyond reproach. Just wanted to add that, again, FWIW.
ReplyDeleteJohnathan, I have a few more ideas for your list:
ReplyDeleteTemple trips (I grew up in Maine and went on a couple 16-hour bus trips to Washington, DC)
Pageants
Plays such as My Turn on Earth, It's a Miracle and Saturday's Warrior
Pioneer treks
General conference
Stake conference
Church dances
Youth conferences
YSA conferences
Not dating until age sixteen
No R-rated movies
Your point on the old movies is well taken- many were made in the 60's and 70's with low budgets and all-LDS casts, and have been made fun of for their acting. Personally, I would not have included On the Way Home on that list- which I rather like. It was filmed (or at least released, according to imdb.com) in 1992 and had at least one professional actor in it, Robert Pine, who played the dad, though the only other place I have seen him was as a guest star in several episodes of Murder, She Wrote. I believe the mother was also a professional actress. The daughter's friend is probably LDS, as she was in a couple Book of Mormon seminary videos (though that no longer means non-professional like it was perhaps almost synonymous with), and I don't know anything about the actors who played the kids.
We could also probably add some of the questionable doctrines, or at least, those others find strange such as Heavenly Mother, plural marriage as part of our history, Kolob, and temple building, eternal marriage and baptism for the dead. Also the fact of an anti-Mormon movement and the challenge of dealing with false statements about our doctrines and history is, in a sense, part of our culture- like protesters with signs giving out pamphlets at conferences, pageants and temple open houses. Nowadays we could also add online critics who feel compelled to trash anything that mentions the church, in a favorable light or otherwise.
Also church historic sites, and strange place names like Cumorah, Nauvoo, Zarahemla and Adam-ondi-Ahman. (You can probably add to this list.)
ReplyDeleteAbout the movies, I also wanted to kind of defend them a little and say that movies like The Mailbox, Uncle Ben, The First Vision and The Windows of Heaven, (I would include the original Johnny Lingo film in this also) though definitely dated in their acting by today's standards, conveyed important truths and had an important role as inspirational videos for church members. In some cases they also told parts of our history. While the Church has clearly learned a lot about making movies since then, I rarely feel inclined to mock the earlier attempts apart from maybe a couple scenes in Johnny Lingo. (Also Joseph throwing seeds in the air in the First Vision seems unrealistic.)
@twinnumerouno
Delete"Saturday's Warrior" and "My Turn on Earth!"
How could I have possibly forgotten those?
Seriously, though, I love the old LDS Motion Picture Studios movies, campiness and all (we did own the entire collection as a family - also, they'd let us watch them on every temple trip while were down in the baptistry waiting area of the Idaho Falls temple).
Here's a few other classics I just remembered off the top of my head:
Blind Love
What About Thad
Pioneers in Petticoats
The Prodigal Son
Easter Dream
Man's Search for Happiness (both versions)
Along with the excellent "The Lamb of God" and "Finding Faith in Christ."
And the movies: Mountain of the Lord, Legacy, The Testaments, Meet the Mormons
A couple of other additional random cultural items:
Ricks College
EFY Music
Napoleon Dynamite
The Osmonds
Munch and Mingle
Linger Longer
Meet and Greet
Talk and Stalk (my buddies and I at BYU came up with that one)
Along with Cultural Phrases like:
"Oh my heck!"
"Fetch!"
"With every fiber of my being."
"Bless these Refreshments that they might Nourish & Strengthen our Bodies."
"Please Bless the hands that prepared this meal."
"Harm or Accident"
"Debts and Obligations"
"Lengthen your stride"
Delete"Faith precedes the miracle"
"Oh fiddle-dee-dee!"
"Oh, fiddlesticks and poppycock!" (that one was from my mom - she, and a lot of other older members I've known, have come up with some pretty interesting fake swear words)
"I love each and every one of you."
"Brothers and Sisters"
"The Brethren"
"This is the place."
"Menace to Society"
"We hope you will obey all traffic laws..."
The Mormon Rap
"Cypher in the Snow"
DeleteJohnny Lingo is a touchstone point of contention to many. Some people want to see it as deaming women, but I think its complicated origins (it is based on a story not by a Latter-day Saint) and some other factors mean people should avoid taking it too much at face value.
ReplyDeleteOthers want to see it as somehow a pro-colonialist document. The problem with that is it is confusing setting with message. If you pay close attentio the only person who really understands what he is doing in the film is Johnny Lingo. The white trader may be our narrator, but he is being outmanouvered and outwhitted by Johnny Lingo, and for most of the time just as confused by Johnny Lingo as everyone else.
Anyway, bear in Johnny Lingo was made in 1969. The fact that 3 of the top four roles in a film were given to non-whites at that time (even if the actor who played Lingo and the actress who played Mahana are both partly white) is pretty impressive.
On another note, Heavenly Mother is clearly a real figure. Some of the rhetoric about why we speak less often of her especially some of the rhetoric about "protecting her from abuse" is maybe misguided.
The book "Canadian Mormons" has some discussion about Latter-day Saint culture. In the canada context the Church was starte by American expatriates so some things are very easy to spot.
Among other things they talk about is a preference for playing basketball over hockey and the emphasis on canning food even though in the modern economy is is not clear that canning food yourself actually saves you any money.
My branch partakes of some of the cultural trappings of traditionally African-American protestantism. Every speaker says "good morning" and we reply back, even if any true Pentecostal or Baptist would make us do it again because we are not enthusiastic enough. You also occasionally get an amen during a talk, and in explaining Doctrine and Covenants 121 saying "amen to the priesthood of that man" about those who misuse it for power I had to point out that in this case amen meant "bring an end to" and was not a statement of afirmation. Doctrinne and Covenents 121 is not speaking to men of Detroit in their own language.
One thing to bear in mind is some traditions are false and we need to destory them, like the views (not ever limited to the Church) that mental illness is a sign of a sinful past. Others like funeral potatoes or choosing basketball as the Church sport are neither good or bad. In Detroit the choice of basketball is one of our potential ins with the population, although if my stake has a men's baksetball competition my branch seems not to participate at least I have heard nothing of it this year. I had a friend who when he was a ward mission leader in Atlanta used basketball to move many people on the path to baptism. I know others who have seen so much uncontrolled anger they feel when we end basketball we preserve the stability of the Church.
Some other things are traditions but are traditions of righteousness, like encouraging people to serve missions. We just have to make sure we are actually preparing people spiritually to serve missions and having them go because of a conviction of the truthfulness of the gospel and not just pushing them to serve when they are not desirous or ready.
This last Sunday one of the two boys passing the sacrament did so while wearing a t-shirt with writing or images on it. While he has a single mother and they live in government subsidized housing I am sure he has nicer clothes. However I think whoever decided he was dressed well enough to pass made the right call.
Yes my branch only uses two people to pass the sacrament. Well, sometimes three, but never more. When I was first a decone we passed with 6, and when I was a priest it was 8 with 3 priests at the sacrament table. That was in the norther suburbs of Detroit.
In regards to movies produced by the Church that may have been well-done for the time period in hwich they were originally released, but which by today's standards aren't that great, in some cases, they are being redone. I am thinking, of course, of the new scripture-based videos the Church has revamped in recent years. And I know as well that some people nowadays find fault with movies released during the same period of time as Johnny Lingo, including that movie itself. But I was pleased with the remake of that movie that was released in 2003, which was feature-length, expanded the story in surprising ways, and allowed any prolbems from the original to be not only fixed, but obliterated:
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Johnny_Lingo
I am grateful that that movie was remade, and also for the modern technology which has emerged, particularly in the last two decades or so, that has enabled the Church to fix those kinds of issues.
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