Vol. 7, No. 9, 1990

Articles on Mormonism

Rick Branch

"In an address before 1,100 at BYU Tuesday, Elder Russell M. Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said the Mormon church will step up its use of advertising as well as radio and television productions and community service programs throughout the United States as well as communist countries in the next decade," (Salt Lake Tribune, 6 December 1989, p. 16-A).

Why the increase in media attention?

"Ballard said baptisms by the LDS missionaries has increased by 7 percent in the U.S. and missionary productivity by 16 percent in LDS missions through radio and television," (Ibid).

Included in the Television schedule are programs such as Together Forever, Mr. Kreuger's Christmas and The Other Wise Man.

According to Robert L. Backman of the Missionary Executive Committee, "`This program (Together Forever) is really a wonderful missionary tool for members and full-time missionaries, because the message of the gospel can have a powerful influence on the way people feel.

"`And it's the way people feel that leads them toward accepting the gospel,'" (Ensign, May 1989; p. 105 emphasis mine).

Continuing to boast of the audience reached by their television programs, The Ensign magazine next turns to Mr. Kreuger's Christmas.

"In 1987, LDS-produced Christmas programs and public service announcements were viewed by more than 250 million people in twenty-five countries," (Ibid).

Many programs which are aired on television or radio are accompanied at their conclusion by an 800-number which can be called for further information. Often, those who call the number are offered free of charge, a tape of the program, a Book of Mormon, or some other material.

"When missionaries in the United States deliver the tapes to those who request them, nearly one in four deliveries result in an invitation to teach. In some South American countries, the missionaries who deliver the tapes are able to teach nearly three out of four times.

"In all countries videos introduce many more people to the gospel than traditional tracting and contracting do, and missionary work is reaping great benefits," (Ibid).

Another area of advertising for the LDS Church is the TV Guide.

"Half-page advertisements have been running in alternate issues of the TV Guide in the United States and Canada; the ads offer a copy of the Book of Mormon and are bringing significant increases in missionary work, according to mission leaders," (Ibid, p. 106).

In addition to people being exposed to a very subtle form of Mormonism, for their true doctrines are never discussed in the advertisements, these ads also open doors that are otherwise closed to the LDS missionaries.

According to Dale Gardner, President of the Kentucky Louisville Mission, "`We have a lot of (apartment and condominium) complexes in this area, where missionaries are not allowed unless they are invited. Through the media, those invitations are coming," (Church News, 14 January 1989, p. 6).

One of the most disturbing aspects of the Media/Missionary connection is the fact that the majority of the media air time for the LDS Church is free!

Mormon Apostle Russell M. Ballard "...said that much of the programming... [is] aired as a public service at no cost to the church.

"He estimated that the LDS church received an estimated $65 million worth of free public service air time," (Salt Lake Tribune, 6 December 1989, p. 16-A).

Interestingly, while the LDS Church revels in its own media produced attention, they cry foul when the media casts them in a bad light.

In an article titled, So When Will the Media Get the Mormon Story Straight? some insightful statements are made.

"Mormonism, which was dragged through the mud during the Mark Hofmann scandal, got another bum rap in HBO's new made-for-cable movie, `The Tracker.'

"The Mormon character in the film is a cold-blooded murderer who preaches that if Indians get baptized their skin will turn white.

"Other inaccuracies about the Church abound...," (Latter-Day Sentinel 16 April 1988, p. 3).

Despite the fact that the one "inaccuracy" cited by the Sentinel article was, in fact, a true LDS doctrine (according to the pre-1980 edition of the Book of Mormon - this passage has since been changed), it seems odd that the LDS Church would be unwilling to accept a little truth in the media intermixed with all of their self-proclaimed righteousness.