Culture

God’s people have always been persecuted.  The New Testament saints took it as a badge of honor.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

(Matt. 5:11-12)

In ancient times, the prophets were stoned.  In the colosseums of Rome and elsewhere, believers in Christ were fed to the lions.  In Missouri, guns and fire were tools of the mobs. (and an “Extermination Order” from Lilburn Boggs, the Governor of the state.) Lurid descriptions of the “Mormons” were printed in the Nauvoo Expositor and other scandalous newspapers, and in popular novels like A. Conan Doyle’s premier Sherlock Holmes’ adventure, “A Study in Scarlet”. (He later apologized to the Saints after visiting Salt Lake City and learning more about them.)

When the age of motion pictures dawned, silent films like “Trapped By the Mormons” and “A Mormon Maid” painted horrible pictures on the silver screen of a religion and a people who were allegedly obsessed with lechery, greed, power, secrecy, and so on.

(Ironically, “A Mormon Maid” was produced by Cecil B. DeMille, who later became a good friend of Church president David O. MacKay, and who employed several “Mormons” in key positions to help produce his masterwork epic film “The Ten Commandments”.)

In the 1980’s, the assault on the Saints in mass media continued, with films like “The Godmakers” and its sequels.  On television, so-called “news” shows like “60 Minutes” and its broadcast imitators at home and abroad have continued to spread mis-information, dis-information, and outright lies or “fake news”, about what has become (in spite of their efforts) the 4^th largest church in America, with a worldwide membership of over 17 million people. Video streaming, and broadcast programs and social media have likewise stoked the fires of persecution.

But God’s people have used some of the same tools to amplify their own voices.  Leaders in the first century New Testament church wrote down by hand the Gospel narratives and sermons.  These writings were copied and spread abroad to instruct the saints.  The same process preserved and amplified the letters they sent to various congregations, to correct errors of doctrine and practice.

In the Restoration, essays like the Wentworth Letter, containing the Articles of Faith, were sent to newspaper editors to defend the faith and promote a correct understanding of our beliefs.  Religious truths were also spread through our own books, pamphlets, and newspapers such as the Deseret News and the Millennial Star.

When the age of electronic communication began, the Church invested in creating its own media channels.  In 1922, only two years after the launch of the first commercial radio station in Pennsylvania, the church-owned KZN radio (K-Zion? – later called KSL) began broadcasting from the top of the Deseret News building in Salt Lake City.  That led eventually to the creation of a media empire called Bonneville International, that now includes several commercial radio and television and short wave stations. We have also built the world’s largest privately-owned satellite broadcast network, and established a massive internet presence.  (One of the five original universities that established and tested the “world wide web” was the University of Utah.)

The ability to communicate God’s truth has been enhanced by the inspired work of individual members of the Church.  Television was the brainchild of Philo Farnsworth, a “Mormon” boy who grew up in Idaho and Beaver, Utah.  Harvey Fletcher invented stereo sound, and introduced it to the world with a broadcast of the Tabernacle Choir.  The digital technology that made possible CD’s, DVD’s, and streaming video was also a gift to humanity from a Latter-day Saint.  Three Latter-day Saint researchers and marketers developed the first tablets at Intel, years before Apple made iPads popular.

Church members have won a number of television Emmy’s and Academy Awards (Oscars), and other honors and achievements in their fields.  James Conkling headed up several different major music recording companies like Capitol, Columbia, and Warner Brothers records, and was a founder of the NARAS organization that awards the Grammys.  Under President Ronald Reagan, Jim was the head of the “Voice of America”.  Glen Larson at one time was writing and producing several top-rated national network TV series, like “Battlestar Galactica” and “Knight Rider”.  Gordon Smith was the head of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) until he retired to serve in a Church calling.

And yet the persecution continues.  In the last few years alone, mainstream “Hollywood” and other media adversaries have spent over $1.5 billion to produce programs and movies that perpetuate negative portrayals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members.  Those stereotypes have erected barriers to the spreading of the Gospel. The work of our missionaries has been hampered, and many church members have become disaffected and left the Covenant Path.

How much are we willing to spend, as the institutional Church and as individuals, in “time, talents, and treasure”, to not only “put on the armor of God” and “defend the faith”, but to use the “light saber” of the media to share the truths of the Gospel with Heavenly Father’s children and “fight the good fight”?

Like those to whom Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost, we might ask, “Men and Brethren (and women and sisters), what shall we do?”  Many of us may have the same “wish of my heart” expressed by the prophet Alma, who desired that he might use a mighty trumpet like an angel to “shake the earth” with messages of Gospel truth.

Fortunately, we have today an electronic and digital “trumpet”, and a print and electronic media empire larger than perhaps any other Christian religion on earth.  And beyond the institutional Church, many Latter-day Saint media professionals have not been content to be “commanded in all things”.  They have individually built careers and organizations “of their own free will” that place them in positions of great influence, with access to considerable resources.

Like Queen Esther, who was able to save her Israelite people from destruction by evil men because she had personal influence with the Persian king, there many today who have the talent and abilities to step forth and defend and support the Kingdom of God on earth.  Might it be said that our Father in Heaven has carefully placed them in those positions “for such a time as this”?  We might ask ourselves,

Shall the youth (and adults) of Zion falter In defending truth and right? While the enemy assaileth, Shall we shrink or shun the fight?

While we know the pow’rs of darkness Seek to thwart the work of God, Shall the children of the promise cease to grasp the iron rod?  No!

True to the faith that our parents have cherished, True to the truth for which martyrs have perished,

To God’s command, Soul, heart, and hand, Faithful and true we will ever stand. (Hymn 254)

The Adversary has “assailed” the Saints for long enough.  The Lord’s church and his Saints have the tools of a major media empire.  Isn’t it time for the Lord’s empire to “strike back”?   What shall we do, and how?

Defense and Offense

When we are defending the faith, we first need to determine whether the attack comes from:

(a) a “professional” anti-Mormon, or  (b) an “innocent” offender.

Or in other words, was the offense done out of MALICE, or out of IGNORANCE?

In the recent past, the institutional Church has taken the “high road”, and has somewhat ignored the “professional” critics who act out of malice.  Unless they have a large “bully pulpit”, they are as Elder Packer observed, like dogs nipping at the legs of the camels, but “the Gospel caravan goes on”.

However, on some occasions there may be a need to initiate legal action or some other appropriate response.  In times past, books, and pamphlets like Parley P. Pratt’s “A Voice of Warning” have helped to share Gospel truths.  In 1996, President Gordon B. Hinckley appeared on the CBS TV network’s highly-rated “60 Minutes” program in a landmark interview with reporter Mike Wallace.

But more can be done.  Most of these efforts will present facts that are processed in the head, but more is needed to influence feelings and reach into a person’s heart.  That is not done with facts, but with narrative stories.

Individual Church members and some organizations, who are “trusted independent voices” have more freedom than the official Church to make appropriate responses, corrections, etc.  Groups like Scripture Central, FAIR, the Interpreter Foundation, etc. have made excellent inroads into the “defense” side of the equation by providing well-researched answers to “difficult” questions in a creative and informative approach.

At the same time, organizations like the “Associated Latter-day Media Artists” (ALMA) and “Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media and the Arts” (LDSPMA) have brought together Latter-day Saint media professionals and stood at the “intersection of faith and careers” to provide mutual support and encouragement, and to create forums for discussion of these vital issues.

A New Hope?

When a negative portrayal of Latter-day Saints is done out of ignorance rather than malice, there is more hope.

In the 1970’s the Church opened a Public Affairs office in Los Angeles, located on the grounds of the LA Temple.  Part of its mission was to be a liaison between the Church and the Hollywood creative community, building bridges of understanding, and offering to provide accurate information about our beliefs and practices to interested parties.

The office is still there, and hopefully that part of its mission can be re-emphasized.

Certainly an increased outreach effort to production companies, writers, producers, directors, etc. (perhaps through their guilds and/or trade associations?) could be fruitful.

Ads or articles in the entertainment “trade papers” such as Variety or the Hollywood Reporter might be a way to offer this information service to the entertainment industry.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

In this situation, what would be a good “offense”?

Simply put, we need to inspire and support Latter-day Saint creatives working in the “mainline” media to write and produce more narrative movies and TV series that feature Latter-day Saints in a positive light.  Too often creative Saints in “the industry” shy away from writing and pitching stories with overtly positive Latter-day Saint characters or content (vs lots of negative content that non-members produce). Perhaps they’ve felt that such efforts would be injurious to their careers. But recent research reveals that is not so.

We often fear that positive stories about faithful Latter-day Saints might be considered “preaching”, and thus would be offensive or boring to mainstream audiences.  But in reality, if done well, quite the opposite is true.  Research has shown that stories with Latter-day Saint characters and content, portrayed either positively or negatively, actually attract LARGER audiences and box office than other stories.  (See presentations given at 2022 and 2023 FAIR conferences by Derek Westra, Barrett Burgin, and Andrew Young.)

We Must “Lay it Between the Lines”

Back in the 1960’s, a very popular folk singing trio was “Peter, Paul and Mary”.  The lyrics to one of their songs said:

I dig rock n’ roll music, I could really get it on that scene.
I think I could really say somethin’, if you know what I mean.
But if I really say it, the radio won’t play it,
Unless I lay it between the lines”

In 1978, President Spencer W. Kimball, in his landmark address “The Gospel Vision of the Arts” pled with Latter-day Saints blessed with creative talents to use those gifts to build the Kingdom of God.  It is we who should tell our stories, rather than letting those outside our faith do it.  He said:

How could one ever portray in words and music the glories of the coming of the Father and the Son and the restoration of the doctrines and the priesthood and the keys unless he were an inspired Latter-day Saint, schooled in the history and doctrines and revelations and with rich musical ability and background and training?

…. For years I have been waiting for someone to do justice in recording in song and story and painting and sculpture the story of the Restoration, the reestablishment of the kingdom of God on earth, the struggles and frustrations; the apostasies and inner revolutions and counter-revolutions … Our writers, our motion picture specialists, with the inspiration of heaven, should tomorrow be able to produce a masterpiece which would live forever. Our own talent, obsessed with dynamism from a worthy goal, could put into such a story life and heartbeats and emotions and love and pathos, drama, suffering, fear, courage … We need people who can dream of things that never were, and ask, “WHY NOT?”

Church-Produced Films

While the Church itself has been prolific in the production of short instructional and motivational films ever since the BYU Motion Picture studio was built in 1958, and also special-venue longer movies like “Legacy” and “The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd”, it has only in recent years ventured into commercial movie theaters with the “Meet the Mormons” theatrical documentaries 1 and 2.  Church-owned media companies like Deseret Book’s Excel Entertainment and Bonneville Productions have had some successes with commercial movies and with the award-winning series of “Homefront” TV public service announcements.  The “I’m a Mormon” series of online videos have also helped to project a positive view of the Church and its members.  But we can do more.

The Church’s Media Empire

As noted before, the Church has been a leader in broadcast media since 1922 when AM radio station KZN (later KSL) went on the air. Church-owned Bonneville International has become a major broadcast entity, with ownership of several commercial radio, television, and international short-wave stations.

When combined with the print resources of Deseret News and Deseret Book, and Bonneville Satellite, it has created possibly the largest media “empire” of any church in America.

How to Make it Happen?

We must tell narrative stories via film, TV, and online media that appeal to the spirit or the heart of mass audiences.

This will require three things:

1. Great Stories (preferably true stories, but really good fiction or “parables” may also be useful.
2. Talent, on both sides of the screen to bring these stories to fruition. We have lots of talented people in the Church.  Some are already working professionals, but we may be able to better organize them to not only consecrate their efforts to produce the stories that will positively portray the Church and its members, but we should also find a way for them to meet younger, rising talent, and provide internships, introductions, etc. to increase our ranks of successful Saints in positions of influence and authority.
3. Funding to greenlight and finance the kinds of stories that will accomplish our objectives. None of the other things will be possible without financial support to make it happen.

What Kind of Films Should Be Made?

The objective should be to produce films, TV series, and other media that would make audiences feel good about the Church and its leaders and members.  They should tell stories of Latter-day Saints that portray them as good citizens, intelligent and thoughtful individuals, good neighbors, and sometimes perhaps as heroes.  They should not all be “pioneer-era” stories, but should also show Latter-day Saint individuals and families in the modern world.  Brigham Young is said to have remarked that if he landed on a remote island, his first priority would be to build a stage rather than a church.

What Are Our Marching Orders?

Although the agents of Satan in Hollywood are “all arrayed” against the Lord’s church, He has provided us with the means to battle for truth and right.  We just need the fortitude and creativity to use those means.  He has given us our instructions in our sacred scriptures:

Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?    Alma 60:21

And once we’ve done “all things that lie in our power”, then …

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.  D&C 123:17

If we get off our “thrones” and “do all that is within our power”, then with “utmost assurance”, we will see the Lord’s arm revealed, and we will succeed in helping that “great stone roll forth” and fill the whole earth with the Kingdom of God.