{"id":25153,"date":"2015-08-02T10:36:13","date_gmt":"2015-08-02T16:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=25153"},"modified":"2015-08-02T10:36:13","modified_gmt":"2015-08-02T16:36:13","slug":"anti-mormon-mockery-can-actually-lead-to-teaching-moments-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2015\/08\/anti-mormon-mockery-can-actually-lead-to-teaching-moments-2.html","title":{"rendered":"“Anti-Mormon mockery can actually lead to teaching moments”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Book<\/a>
The Eugene O\u2019Neill Theater, on Broadway in New York City, seen toward the end of 2011
(Click to enlarge.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Book of Mormon<\/em> musical is in Salt Lake City at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not sold out, I think, but it\u2019s doing very well \u2014 as it\u2019s done nationally and even internationally. \u00a0And, of course, the usual suspects (among others) are extravagantly praising it, and ridiculing those who might be less enthused about it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a few cases, by the way, I\u2019m confident that they\u2019re the same people who, misunderstanding the\u00a0values of prudence and thrift that influence LDS leaders<\/a>\u00a0and perhaps knowing very little about finance, have harshly criticized the Church\u2019s building of the City Creek mall \u2014 and, for that matter, the building of temples \u2014 as a waste of money that could have gone to the poor instead. \u00a0I can\u2019t help but note that, although those voices are unlikely to complain about it, tickets to the Book of Mormon<\/em> musical in Salt Lake City are currently available at the box office\u00a0for between roughly $150 and $500 each. \u00a0Such sums could have done a lot of good for, say, Ugandans living in poverty.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

A lot has also been said about the official and unofficial Mormon reaction to the musical. \u00a0It\u2019s been measured and temperate, even good humored. \u00a0We haven\u2019t blown anything up or killed anybody, nor even called for a boycott or waved placards in angry demonstrations. \u00a0Instead, the Church has taken out ads in the playbills and on buses, seeking to use the notoriety of the Book of Mormon<\/em> musical to further our obligation of taking the Gospel to the world.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Very wise. \u00a0And, in that light, perhaps I can be pardoned for dusting off a column that I published in the Deseret News<\/em> way back in late January 2011. \u00a0Two plays were in the works at that time that would\u00a0focus on\u00a0Mormonism. \u00a0Of these two, the first appears to have vanished without a trace. \u00a0(I could have predicted that, from the description that I had read of it.) \u00a0The second has gone on to become a smash international hit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In all modesty, I think my 2011 counsel was pretty sound:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/705364781\/Anti-Mormon-mockery-can-actually-lead-to-teaching-moments.html<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Posted from Victoria, British Columbia<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 The Book of Mormon musical is in Salt Lake City at the moment. \u00a0 It\u2019s not sold out, I think, but it\u2019s doing very well \u2014 as it\u2019s done nationally and even internationally. \u00a0And, of course, the usual suspects (among others) are extravagantly praising it, and ridiculing those who might be less enthused […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n"Anti-Mormon mockery can actually lead to teaching moments"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    The Book of Mormon musical is in Salt Lake City at the moment.   It's not sold out, I think, but it's doing very well -- as it's done\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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