A Peculiar People
Did anyone watch the first two-hour episode of “The Mormons” on PBS last night? Your thoughts?
In brief…The production values and interviews were excellent and well-edited. I did find myself dozing a bit on the couch during some scenes, including the early history of the LDS Church (Smith’s first vision, his death and martyrdom, etc.). This may have more to do with the fact that we first watched the Utah-Houston playoff game (hey, priorities!) and then “The Mormons” on a Tevo recording.
But growing up in Mormondom as I did, most of the background was familiar.
One small question: Why, in the visuals for the Saints’ trek into the Salt Lake Valley, did we see countless scenes of Monument Valley, Goblin Valley and other spectacular red rock formations of Southern Utah? A shot of the mouth of dry and scrubby Emigration Canyon would have done nicely.
Perhaps the “Life Elevated” team from Utah’s tourism office got hold of the early cut? Ha.
Tonight’s installment will feature more of the call of culture on Mormons, the political influence and business holdings of the church and the push-pull its doctrine and demand for strict obedience has on its members. Look for our friend, Jim Clayton, an emeritus professor of history at the University of Utah. He’s interviewed about the church’s mix of theology, politics and revisionist history that leads many faithful but questioning members to drop out of the fold.
I’m looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, any thoughts?
May 1st, 2007 at 7:28 am
Very easy to be cynical about Mormondom and Utah. As an ex-pat with a Brahmin name I`ve done my share of castigating Zion and my wife thinks the Mormons are just primitives.
Wallace Stegner wrote extensively about the early LDS experience and his conclusions are mostly sympathetic. Viewed as American history the 19th century Mormon feats are really extraordinary.
Live in Utah today? No thanks. At one point I thought of Teasdale for a 2nd home but the social isolation would be too much. Beautiful place though.
May 1st, 2007 at 8:24 am
All in all a balanced, ‘we report. you decide’ kind of approach. I thought the Mountain Meadows and polygamy aspects were overemphasized, but well presented.
I was surprised how many of the interviewees I’d never heard of. Author. Poet. Niece’s Chiropractor. Tom Clancy’s an author, but I wouldn’t expect him to have much to say about Mormons. I wish they’d given more explanation why these people would have something valid to say.
An example where they showed balance was having Bagley say his opinion was that Brigham Young directed that the Mountain Meadows massacre take place, then had another historian (Leonard) say why he didn’t think that. The only way-out comments were how the redrock environment drove the settlers to blood lust. Otherwise, they did a good job of giving everyone their turn and keeping the tone calm.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Sorry, I didn’t watch it. I stay away from cults of all kind as much as I can. I also stay away from people who tell me what supernatural beings are telling them about how I should live and believe.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I don’t have to watch it. I’m living it. Seriously, I did want to watch it and didn’t get to. As a non-LDS who grew up in Southern Idaho and now lives as an adult in Utah, I’m probably familiar with a lot of what is covered. It is nice to have it presented - both sides - in a fair and balanced way instead of the Fox News fair and balanced way to either side. Maybe everyone can learn something here. I plan on watching tonight and trying to catch the first episode somehow.
May 2nd, 2007 at 9:01 am
Actually, I’ve read several books on Mormon history and am absolutely saturated with Mormon culture here in Logan. Although exactly 50% of both my mother’s and father’s 19th century ancestors converted to that religion when it was still in the cult stage, I’m capable of being bored with it. I’m not certain why the locals here seem to be so infatuated with their own very recent history.
(To make a long story short, my father, my brothers, and I have no formal connection to Mormonism - weren’t ever baptized into any religion. Mom became completely inactive when she met Dad in the mid 50s).
The other half of my 19th century ancestors (the half that I identify with most closely) were Oregon Trail pioneers. It’s telling that I figured that out for myself as an adult. None of my grandparents from that part of my family said anything about it (they may not have known themselves). Quietly dignified those people were.
So, enough already! Stop it! Get over yourselves! I’m not certain why people don’t run out of their homes screaming when they discover that great-great-great-greatgranddad had three wives, to tell you the truth (as I did when I discovered that sordid bit of family history when I was about 22. Was reading a diary of one of my Mom’s ancestors and I couldn’t figure out why he kept getting married again without any of his other wives dying or divorcing him. The man may have been fair, but he was very far from balanced. I suspect that describes the a good portion of the rest of them. My parents have a picture of one his wives hanging in their living room, by the way. My grandmother had it hanging in hers and it used to scare the hell out of her grandkids. Now it scares the hell out of Mom’s. Someday, it’ll scare the hell out of mine. You can’t beat that sort of heirloom:-).
May 2nd, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I watched both programs and waited until tonight to comment. I’s sure that I have heard it all before and as a Scientific Humanitarian I could only smile and silently laugh at most of it. My wife and I hav been members since 1958. I am now a “jack mormon” but do fully support my wife who is a devout member as are our two children. I have agreed to contribute 5o% of the cost of grandsons on their missions. One now in Canada, three completed and one a sophmore in High School to go. Why, I consider it excellent training to transition into adulthood. Cheets.
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:53 am
I watched and recorded both nights for future viewing. It answered a few questions and secured a few thoughts I’ve always believed about the LDS.
It’s a WHITE male dominated cult that pays little to no attention to the women and minority members. Except perhaps to inflate the recorded membership numbers.
I don’t think enough attention was paid to polygamy and/or the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Both are part of the early history and both are quickly swept under the rug.
Mountain meadows is always explained as “We really don’t know who did the killing.” And who exactly is “we?”
I’m still not getting WHY having multiple wives will seal your place in whatever level of heaven the LDS are attempting to enter.Ridiculous notion then and now. Smith and his ilk were nothing more than snake oil salesmen who sold their sexual predatory ways as “religion” and “pleasing” in the eyes of their “God.” Taking another man’s wife? That’s just plain CRAZY.
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:17 am
I can’t believe that this is me saying this, but I think that people have been a bit hard on the 19th century of this church (Maybe even that “gabespop” ass). Regarding the treatment of women and minorities, very few of our ancestors would fair well by the standards of the 21st century (Go ahead an blast the 21st century version of the church on this, though). Yes, the religion does strike an atheist such as myself as a bit odd, but then again, most of them do. And it is not unlikely that most if not all major Western religions started out as “cults.”
Yes, the Mormons have The Mountain Meadows Massacre to explain. They’ve never adequately owned up to their responsibility for that, in my opinion (I think I let loose on that topic a while ago). However, the Mormons and the NonMormons of the West are equally culpable for the Bear River Massacre that occurred in Southeast Idaho (The United States Cavalry did the deed while the Mormons and probably NonMormons of Cache Valley cheered them on). And the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado is something of which all Americans should be ashamed.
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:13 am
gabespop-
I`ve always admired Ann Druyan and the late Carl Sagan. Their take on metaphysics is higher math….special relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory etc. There is a wonderful symmetry to the scientific method, certainly more edifying than the dreams/lust of Joseph Smith.
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:28 am
Chardonnay,
As a devout atheist and a scientist (of sorts:-), I couldn’t agree with you more:-).
February 5th, 2008 at 11:57 am
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