UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
copolt Jul 2014
New Elder Field begins his mission, says his farewells, goes to Preston mission centre etc.
The new elder is Elder Field and is seen saying farewell to family going to the MTC and meeting his companion and getting his digs.
This is definitely not good for TSCC [this so called church]. His interviews in bedroom, at the MTC, in his friends home constantly show he's being watched by a middle-aged church official who is shown hiding round the corner of various rooms at the various destinations.
The female TV interviewer tries to get a private interview with him but is thwarted at every turn.
The programme shows that his companion and he get no positive response at all. I felt sad for him.
The overriding impression is on Big Brother is watching. I would say Mormonism scores 2 out of 10 out of it.
Heidi GWOTR
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
That's always good to hear!
copolt
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Funny thing is that I can see the Mormons thinking it went quite well, but let me assure you, that although many might feel sympathy for Elder Field, it did not have a feel-good factor.
zeezrom
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I found it boring.
Showed how mundane missionary life is. It did make the church look creepy and very controlling but I think Mormons actually like that and love looking obedient and sacrificial.
No doubt going door to door they'll get to hear about the hat and rock, book of Abraham translation and all the other more interesting aspects of Mormonism outside of the basic juvenile whitewashed stuff.
Quoth the Raven Nevermo
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Ah, the morg lurker, listener, and spy. Gawd, why didnt the dumbass just hold up signs in the background that stated "Yes, it IS a cult!"
The pissants know how to spin it just right so the world sees them for the weird controling cult they are.
Go morg!
anointedone
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Thanks copolt. This was my post on a similar thread:-
Thanks sherlock for your excellent synopsis.
Lynn Alleway, the narrator who made the documentary, contacted myself and others about doing a follow up documentary based on the experiences of ex Mormons.
She reacted negatively at the church wanting to control everything, as you would expect of a serious reporter.
So, hopefully in a year or so we will see a documentary from the exmo perspective.
Tom Phillips
summer
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I love that! Hopefully it will happen.
sunshine
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Oh please let that happen. There are plenty of us here in the UK that would take part.
QWE
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I agree. Mormons are completely used to what was shown, so I think they won't mind it. But to the general public it'll look very weird.
There was a lot of emphasis on the fact that they had to have church PR officials supervising at all times.
hello
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
coolness!
copolt
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Thanks anointedone. Can't wait for the documentary.
Yes, Lynn Alleway did a great job. Strange how what mormons perceive as commendable behaviour often comes across as weird and cultish.
Thanks for all you do.
Toy Soldier
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I watched this last night with my LDS wife.
She did lots of squirming, and was not looking forward to what her non-member friends would be asking when they speak with her next!
At the start of the programme, I predicted that it would too anti for the pro-camp, and too pro for the anti-camp. This would be a good sign that it was broadly balanced!
My conclusion at the end was that, apart from a couple of shots of garments, the impression that viewers will come away with will be primarily about Control (both for missionaries and the film-maker). Needing a church minder at all times was a huge own-goal for the PR machine! This was behaviour that you would expect in North Korea or the old USSR.
I think that the individuals came over as normal human beings (except for the YSA who thought that going to the cinema was far more exciting that sex), who were trying to do their best. I used to live in the ward that some of the interviewees came from- ironically the home owner's brother has just published his story of leaving the church on Amazon.
EssexExMo
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Apart from 'creepy-guy-who-lurks-in-background', I thought the documentary was very much toeing the corporation line.
how many times did they mention this was "the fastest growing church in the world"? I lost count
It was very controlled - almost to the extent of being propaganda - but (apart from creepy guy) i dont think that would be visible to most viewers
I guess it was pretty much to be expected - if the corporation are going to allow access to a salesman, they want to show the corporation, and their sales force, in the best possible light.
i look forward to seeing another documentary to balance this.
QWE
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I feel like I was watching a different documentary to you! I don't remember them saying at all that it's the fastest growing church in the world (although I left the room for a few minutes so I might have missed it).
The show shouldn't be 100% anti. It should try and be balanced, and I think it did a fairly good job. The missionaries were perceived as innocent (which they are really), whilst they older men who were enforcing all the rules were portrayed as very controlling and restrictive.
They also showed the temple garments twice, and had a discussion about them. The church definitely would not have wanted that.
They also showed the missionary crying on two occasions, and they even showed him at one point saying he wouldn't be there if he had the choice (probably the most shocking part of the whole documentary to me).
From reading Twitter, Facebook and other forums, the general public's reaction to this was negative. They didn't hate the actual mormons (they felt sorry for them, especially the young kids being forced to do all this), but they were negative towards the church itself. I even saw so some comments along the lines of "I would rather die than be a mormon" last night. There were also "#FreeElderField" trending on Twitter and all that, people seemed to feel very sorry for him (and rightly so).
Lorraine aka síóg
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Interesting analysis. Thanks.
Which home owner? Story?
(cant type--arm in sling.)
Lorraine aka síóg
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Me too. it was desvastating for the cult.
arend
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Lorraine aka síóg Wrote:
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> Me too. it was desvastating for the cult.
+1
The female presenter pitched it just right, showing more genuine concern for Josh Field than the church and not having an agenda.
The Mormon Cult was given plenty of rope and made itself look like a brainwashing control obsessed money orientated business with a sales force that pay for the privilege.
The mission president's office suite looked like any business suite. The missionary centre at Chorley looked just like any sales training unit.
Excellent subtle filming of The creepy (male) Church minders, the old glimpse of a shadow, or a shoe - gave the perfect big brother background atmosphere.
As for the companion he was obsessive and quite frankly odd.
Remember this missionary process is not about converts, its about fostering a "them and us" and "we are the chosen ones" attitude.
Also critical part of it is adding to the sunk cost. Two year commitment and sacrifice so giving up afterwards and admitting the con is even harder.
I do wish she had not repeated the false statement that the church is growing fast. Especially as this was a UK documentary.
Good Clean Fun
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Looks interesting to me. Apparently you can watch entire episodes online, though I haven't tried it yet.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/meet-the-mormons/4od
My impression so far is that it's bad for LDS Inc PR, but won't dent TBM resistance to critical thought. Too bad. I hate that my entire family is still drinking the koolaid.
Toy Soldier
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
The man and his wife who owned the large house that the Elder stayed at for six months was Dave and Lesley Bridgstock from the Crawley Stake. Dave was my first home-teaching companion when I was baptised, and I have a lot of time for him and his family.
His brother wrote:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Youngest-Bishop-England-Beneath-Mormonism-ebook/...
Kendal Mint Cake
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I read that she has a son called Josh who is 22. The evil nonmormon showed more compassion than the 'saints'.
Stumbling
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Church PR needs firing, they did a truly awful job of facilitating this film. It comes across as "we are hiding something". Imbeciles. Just let the journalist talk to him, what's the problem? And if any potential missionaries watched it....
The other Sofia
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Anybody know a way that people in the US can watch it?
B'hamster
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Check out this thread for suggestions on watching from the US:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1306577
exdrymo
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
I have to admit when the elder started to cry it got to me. F-ing cult...
exdrymo
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
EssexExMo Wrote:
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> how many times did they mention this was "the
> fastest growing church in the world"? I lost
> count
LOL I'll help. The final total....drumroll please...: once
Perhaps you should visit the "It's Friday what are you drinking tonight" thread.
NeverBeenaMormon
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Awkward 'underwear' conversation
Tara2 not logged in
Re: UK TV programme "Meet the Mormons" just finished . Not good for TSCC....
Sorry for being late to this I have just watched the programme on line.
I thought the shift from being able to talk with some sense of privacy to having the companion at his shoulder was creepy and sad.
One of the lurking officials featured in the UK 'I am a Mormon' video campaign.
"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"