PBS four-hour documentary seeks to counter Mormon stereotypes

[struggle4progress]

January 20, 2007
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The filmmaker behind a new four-hour documentary about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hopes her work will debunk some myths about the Mormons.

"I hope that most of the stereotypes ideally, all of them will be blown away," Helen Whitney said in a phone interview. "Because so many of them are just based on ignorance. Ignorance about Mormon history, ignorance about Mormon theology. Ignorance."

... The "American Experience" segment is expected to air April 30 and cover the church's history, including its founding, persecutions leading to exodus and polygamy.

The "Frontline" broadcast is planned for May 1. Its focus is the modern church, including missionary work, family life, temples and the elevation of the faith to a mainstream religion ...

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070120/NEWS01/701200309

[Erika]

1. Mormon husbands must still call their wives up to heaven

Mormom women are very subservient. I would never vote for a Mormon.

[Momgonepostal]

14. Not true on your first 2 counts, #3 is fine with me nt

[IntravenousDemilo]

2. I hope it prominently mentions the Mountain Meadows Massacre. n/m

[MistressOverdone]

12. I have an ancestor

who figured heavily in that massacre. I have been fascinated by it every since finding that out. I'm not Mormon, however. But the Mormon faith is very interestsing to me. Especially after watching Big Love, which I realize it not about typical Mormons. But it certainly is a mind stretcher.

[Fridays Child]

3. Here's an informative site which has been around for a long time...

http://www.exmormon.org/

[Kindigger]

4. Billboard near Nauvoo Illinois

Christian Welcome Center
20 Miles NAUVOO ILLINOIS
Protecting Christianity Against
Mormon Doctrine

[nealmhughes]

5. A Southerner's nightmare: no tea, no coffee, no whiskey, no tobacco...

I shan't even mention the magical "temple rituals" that are straight out of the 19th Century Masonic handbooks, the polytheism that underlies their theology but neglected to be mentioned by their annoying clonish missionaries who hounded me for the 6 months I lived in Idaho...First Nations as Hebrew Lost Tribes, magical undergarments and a secret handshake...

Gimme a break. All they need to do is invent an orgone meter and have a spaceship to reach fullblown kook status. All the other self-respecting nutty religions have at least a snake handling or a spaceship!

[CrazyOrangeCat]

6. well said

i had the misfortune of getting involved with a drop-dead gorgeous LDS girl in college days.

high weirdness lemme tell ya.

her mother was the craziest person on the planet. i have no doubt that spaceships have picked her up by now.

:crazy:

[Clevenger]

9. But what about the nookie? There's plenty of that, if reports be true. n/t

[elocs]

7. Mormons put the Book of Mormon on the same level as the Bible,

and Galations 1:8-9 makes it pretty clear to mainline Christians (although I am not one, I am sure that thousands of DUers are Christians as well as millions of Democrats):

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

I am not sure how the Mormons explain that one away. I don't think you can pass it off as being simply ignorance on the part of Christians. I think that there would be very few fundamentalist Christians who would vote for a Mormon.

[Clevenger]

8. The Book of Mormon & the Bible are on the same level -- of weirdness. n/t

[cyborg_jim]

10. Oh, any of the standard number of apologetic methods will work.

I am not sure how the Mormons explain that one away.

[Evoman]

11. They are as kooky as all other religions.....but the ones I have met seemed friendly enough.

One of my colleagues here at the university was painting the inside of her house when they came to her door. They came in and helped her finish painting, suits and all.

Evoman

[MistressOverdone]

13. I teach a lot of Mormon children

and they are without exception (yet) very bright, able and good kids, close to their parents, etc.