Ken Jennings – An Exemplary Latter-day Saint
By Orson Scott Card
My wife and our ten-year-old daughter and I watched Ken Jennings faithfully from early summer on. But it wasn’t because he was Mormon – we would have been fascinated with any Jeopardy player with such a winning streak. We’re Jeopardy fans.
But as we watched Ken, we appreciated him more and more as a human being … and as an exemplary Latter-day Saint. Sometimes Mormons who’ve lived in an insulated environment don’t realize that they speak a different language and have different cultural expectations from the rest of America.
Ken, however, was completely culture aware. He didn’t make a big deal about being LDS – though he did point out, when asked, that he had to study up a little on the names and ingredients of mixed drinks.
I also appreciated the fact that the show did not play up his Mormonness – or conceal it. It was slightly more interesting to them than if he had been, say, Catholic, but that’s because we Mormons are still regarded as less “mainstream.” Still, they could have been amused by it, could have condescended to Ken, could have been “fascinated” – and they did none of those things. They treated his church membership as if it were simply a natural part of life.
And so did Ken. He didn’t feel a need to turn his Jeopardy appearance into “missionary work” – and so he was far more effective in spreading the gospel than he ever would have been had he tried to slip in little gospel plugs. People liked and admired Ken, whether they were Mormon or not – because he’s a decent, likeable guy, who isn’t impressed with himself for being so smart, but also isn’t ashamed of it.
As I sat there with our ten-year-old, I couldn’t help thinking: I hope she sees Ken Jennings as an example of the kind of Mormon man she’s looking for. Just smart, humble, and deeply decent.
And then I thought … hmmm, I wonder if my wife thinks she should have held out for that same high standard. But … ha ha! Too late for her, Ken Jennings is much too young!
As for me, my ambition is to get my writing career going well enough that I can get on celebrity Jeopardy, where the questions are easier.
