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The Book Of Mormon Musical


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cinepro, also the part about Jesus visiting 'in the USA' in ancient times or whatnot (considering that is not known). I listened to about a 10 second segment on the radio, and of course, they picked an error.

Without knowing the exact quote, it could be said that there are enough LDS who think Jesus did visit the land now known as the USA that I don't think it's a distortion to present a missionary that believes it as well.

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Without knowing the exact quote, it could be said that there are enough LDS who think Jesus did visit the land now known as the USA that I don't think it's a distortion to present a missionary that believes it as well.

*shrugs* perhaps, perhaps not. In SoCal here, there isn't so much of those thoughts, I think. Or at least I don't hear them voiced. I could be wrong though... but I think most people know differently. I hear 'on the American Continent'... but not so much 'in the USA'. The church tends to be good at leaving it broad like that. You know =).

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If you enjoy getting your beliefs mocked and misrepresented then this is funny as it gets. I quite frankly think this is disgusting and I fail to see how this will bring people to the church or that there will be a curiosity about it.

I have and idea about a play. I am going to call it "Koran". I wonder how well it would do.

Do you think I will win 9 Tony's?

Many years ago there was an anti-Mormon article in a magazine or book that a young Protestant minister-in-training in India read. As he read the article he got the strong impression that the Mormon Church was the true church. It took him many years (interrupted by World War 2 and other problems), but when circumstances finally permitted, he was able to join the church. Spencer W. Kimball took a brief detour while on a tour of Asia and baptized him in a river near New Delhi. The gent's name was Mangal Dan Dipty.

I believe it was Brigham Young's assertion that the more they beat us the faster we would grow. So there you are.

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This may be true, but the issue I have is the misrepresentations that one will have to fight through.

This reminds me of my mission in Lynchburg VA and all of the churches watching "The Mormon Puzzle" and how much "good" that did. I know all about your church. Is it true you really believe you get your own planet?

Ok, I guess in all seriousness that is not to big a deal. It is just one more hurtle to get over.

My response would have been "What are you, an underachiever? Heck no, you get your own Universe!"

:rolleyes:

I am inspired by Heber J. Grant, who, when he was on a business trip to the eastern seaboard was asked by a young women where his horns were? Because she had heard Mormons have horns. Heber responded that he was too young yet for them to show -- they only came out when one was fully grown.

Except in my case, I do believe that's closer to the truth than just a planet.

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I would bet Brigham Young also wasn't one for the passive method of responding to the beathing either. While anecdotally such stories as Mangal Dan Dipty are truly miraculous, it also doesn't even begin to speak to the many who turned away because of the influential words of some. I believe in the long run the church of course will overcome, but I do not believe the bad news/information is necessarily a good thing, but rather another thistle to overcome.

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I agree, i didn't find anything mocking in Sister Act. Some Catholics apparently did, however. Jeffk has taken the stance that if anyone finds something offensive, then everyone has to treat it as such, regardless of their own views on it.

I personally feel that people have to judge for themselves to some degree and that there should be a balance between not mocking others, and not surrendering our sincere judgements to someone else.

Or whether something is actually mocking a religion or somebody or something. With sister act, it would be pretty difficult to find a serious mocking of the catholic faith. But someone somewhere could take offence to it, I suppose. However, there are clear mocking or bashing in certain movies, plays, the media etc about a certain group of people. That would be a different thing.

For example, if 199 catholics took offense to sister act and yet, 60 million catholics didnt, I would assume that the 199 would be wrong or too sensitive. Now of course, producers of plays and movies could leave out or not produce anything that could cause offense to some group. Certainly book of mormon musical is at least borderline material, if not offensive to many mormons.

I would think that if the same parody was about the muslim or jewish faiths, the people would be outraged. But who knows. I suppose it all comes down to good taste or bad taste.

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Payback for Prop. 8.

Bernard

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So, unless someone can present other evidence that the show misstates LDS beliefs, it appears they at least have some company among LDS thinkers for their claims and I would have to argue that they do accurately present LDS beliefs at least as well as (and maybe even better than) Church productions do.

Fascinating how some want to cozy up with those in the big building on the other side of the path.

Bernard

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Well of course you would; you are always impressed by the argument from popularity, especially when it suits you.

Great, more bile spewing from Pahoran.

But to your point, in the correct context, consensus opinion has merit.

Here the question is whether the Book of Mormon play is a quality production. The Tony awards are a more important barometer of quality than one critical review from a Mormon elder with an axe to grind. Here though its "suit you" to try to find a outlier opinion to justify your distaste for the play, and to insult me when I point out relevance of the Tony awards to the question.

However, a moment's actual thought would reveal that it really takes no intelligence, imagination or empathy to fail to notice when someone else's ox is being gored.

Actually, its would be hard not to notice with all the gnashing and wailing around here.

But, the "ox" you are referring to is a concept, belief, an idea, a perception of reality and truth. So its not an ox at all, but a sacred cow.

So yes, I have noticed that your sacred cow has been subjected to a humerus ribbing on Broadway.

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I would say that the Tony awards and the box office receipts more than make up for this one critical review.

The argument that popularity equals quality would make Walmart the equivalent of Nordstrums and a lynch mob the most just of institutions.

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Just to be clear, do you believe that Jesus will rule over planets just as his Father rules over ours? I suspect most LDS do, so that would be an accurate claim.

As for Kolob being a star or planet...

When it comes to broadway musicals, I don't expect the doctrine to be any more accurate than that presented by LDS prophets and apostles. :pardon: And it is certainly believable to me that an LDS missionary might sincerely believe Kolob was a planet.

So, unless someone can present other evidence that the show misstates LDS beliefs, it appears they at least have some company among LDS thinkers for their claims and I would have to argue that they do accurately present LDS beliefs at least as well as (and maybe even better than) Church productions do.

Yawn.

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Payback for Prop. 8.

Bernard

As I watched the clip I thought the same thing. I was not really offended but I was also not impressed with the music either. If this piece was indicative of the rest of the musical it did not impress me much. I have to agree I somehow think the nine Tony's are more agenda driven. Just my opinion at this time.

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As I watched the clip I thought the same thing. I was not really offended but I was also not impressed with the music either. If this piece was indicative of the rest of the musical it did not impress me much. I have to agree I somehow think the nine Tony's are more agenda driven. Just my opinion at this time.

To be clear, I was not offended, I just recognized what the play is. It is a mockery of the LDS beliefs. I am sure some good will come form it. Apparently, that is the general consensus here?

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To be clear, I was not offended, I just recognized what the play is. It is a mockery of the LDS beliefs. I am sure some good will come form it. Apparently, that is the general consensus here?

I agree with you. It is a mockery and the musical, hmmm. Really was it Tony worthy? I think it isn't half as good as the Sound of Music (five academy awards, I don't know if it even won a Tony) or Fiddler on the Roof (also won nine Tony awards) it seems those had religious undertones without the mocking and they were much better as far as music and script and plot etc.

I think it is agenda driven because I do not see the musical genius here in the Book of Mormon musical (granted I have only seen this one clip).

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I agree with you. It is a mockery and the musical, hmmm. Really was it Tony worthy? I think it isn't half as good as the Sound of Music (five academy awards, I don't know if it even won a Tony) or Fiddler on the Roof (also won nine Tony awards) it seems those had religious undertones without the mocking and they were much better as far as music and script and plot etc.

I think it is agenda driven because I do not see the musical genius here in the Book of Mormon musical (granted I have only seen this one clip).

If you want something that has good music I suggest Wicked. I really was not that impressed with the music of the BoM musical, it seemed so cliche, of course I might be a bit biased because of the content.

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Payback for Prop. 8.

Bernard

Nailed it.

VERY clear to me.

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If you want something that has good music I suggest Wicked. I really was not that impressed with the music, it seemed so cliche, of course I might be a bit biased because of the content.

I have heard nothing but great reviews on Wicked. It was playing in Omaha but because of all the flooding here in Sioux City I have been too busy to go.
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I have heard nothing but great reviews on Wicked. It was playing in Omaha but because of all the flooding here in Sioux City I have been too busy to go.

Hopefully you can catch it the next time around. I really, really enjoyed it and I hate plays. I really really hate plays. They are not my thing, but my wife really likes a lot of plays and musicals. This one was good it had great music and interesting story line and it was very cleaver.

Bummer about the flooding.

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So yes, I have noticed that your sacred cow has been subjected to a humerus ribbing on Broadway.

A cow getting poked in the ribs by an arm bone?

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Come on everyone…it’s a freaking Broadway Musical for heck’s sake…chill out. Try to keep it all in perspective. Broadway Musicals are designed for entertainment…nothing more nothing less, period!

This one just happens to use Mormon Missionaries and Mormonism in general as inspiration for its story line. Does it accurately depict Mormon doctrine or the missionary experience? No…it’s not supposed to…heck this forum can’t even give a consistent depiction of Mormon doctrine…so how are a couple of guys from Colorado supposed to do that? But what it does is deliver what it is supposed to deliver…entertainment.

Although I have not been able to see the show…I would go to it in a New York minute and will be the first in line WHEN it comes to SLC. I have downloaded the music and find it very entertaining.

There are parts of the show that I would believe would be very offensive to members of this forum…but the exaggerated parts of the Mormon experience should not be one of them.

The opening song “Hello” depicts Mormon missionaries ringing door bells and trying unsuccessfully to place Book of Mormons to prospects brought back many fond memories of tracting while on my mission. Hearing the just rejected missionaries tell their prospects to “have fun in hell” with a smile on their face, was exactly how I often felt and survived the hours and hours of rejection while tracting. Another line also caught my attention…what a great door approach to tell a prospect that “eternal life is super fun and I can tell you how it's done. Then there's Elder Cunningham’s door approach which cuts right to the chase....”Hello would you like to change religions ….I have a free book written by Jesus” Oh if I could have only been that creative with my approach.

And the MTC song “Two by Two” completely captures the essence of getting ones call….even if it doesn’t accurately depict exactly how one gets their call. It represents just how much a mission means to a 19 year old Elder.

Here are some of the lyrics to the song Two by Two:

“The most important time of a Mormon kids life is his mission….a chance to go out and help heal the world…that’s my mission…soon I’ll be out in a different place…helping the whole human race…I know my mission will be something incredible… two by two we’re marching door to door…God loves Mormon’s and He wants some more…a two year mission is our sacrifice…we are the army of the Church of Jesus Christ ….[pause]……of Latter Day Saints.”

Anyway…like I said...it’s very entertaining…

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Agreed with Mola and Anijen. Not offended, but don't spit on me and call it rain. The play is an "entertaining" mockery.

Meh.

You seem to use that line alot....but seriously...whats so mocking about a singing and dancing Joseph Smith? I bet he'd get a real kick out of seeing himself being depicted on broadway. I think he had a sense of humor.

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Dishonesty is one of the key factors anti-Mormons often use.

They playfully state there is no mockery, and yet if they were honest about it, would they truly question the mockery?

It is disappointing but not surprising when they do so.

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~sigh~

From my prodigious use of Google. Search strings: "define mockery," "define lampoon," and "define satire":

mock·er·y/ˈmäk(ə)rē/Noun

1. Derision; ridicule.

2. An absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something.

lam·poon/lamˈpo͞on/

Noun: A speech or text criticizing someone or something in this way: "does this sound like a lampoon of student life?".

Verb: Publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule or sarcasm.

sat·ire/ˈsaˌtī(ə)r/Noun

1. The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

2. A play, novel, film, or other work that uses satire. More »

All the bolds are mine.

If the play isn't some combination of the above 3, but instead is a loving caricature of my religion whose intent is to inspire respect and engender understanding, then I have a serious problem with my understanding of life.

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