From Deseret News archives:
Psychology group calms Utahns over film on LDS
Film claims church methods were like 'brainwashing'
The visit came Wednesday after members of the Utah Psychological Association complained that the national organization had characterized LDS Church methods of retaining members and motivating missionaries as "brainwashing," "mind control" and "powerful psychological techniques."
"It won't happen again," said Barry Anton, professor of psychology at the University of Puget Sound.
The descriptions were used last year during the APA's annual convention in Hawaii to garner attendance at the screening of an independent documentary film called "Get the Fire!" The film followed a pair of LDS missionaries in Europe and included interviews with former missionaries who had left the LDS Church after returning from their missions.
Film producer Nancy du Plessis told the Deseret Morning News in December 2003 that she got the LDS Church's permission to shoot 12,000 minutes of footage over 26 months, which included filming inside the Missionary Training Center in Provo and inside the home of a mission president in Germany. From that, she produced a 60-minute documentary.
The film aired on KUED in late 2003 to mixed reviews from local residents. At that time the church declined comment on the film.
St. George psychologist Gary Groom attended the film presentation last year at the APA convention "and recognized that it had a negative bias and (was) certainly not representative of the views and feelings of the vast majority of returned missionaries we have known over the years." He subsequently wrote to the president of the APA and talked with other psychologists who were surprised at the characterizations of the LDS Church in the APA's convention brochure and urged him to lodge a formal protest.
Groom approached another colleague from St. George, psychologist Chauncey Adams, who also sent a letter of disapproval to the APA. The two "felt that the bias shown in the film introduction (printed in the APA program) would likely cause outrage if it were similarly applied to any other religious or minority group," they said.
Comments
- 3A: Hurricane 24, Park City 19 2:29 a.m.
- GameDay back in the MWC 2:19 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 1:49 a.m.
- SUU campus briefs 1:48 a.m.
- Dixie campus briefs 1:47 a.m.
- Real Salt Lake gameday 1:33 a.m.
- 5A: Bingham rolls to title game 12:59 a.m.
- Aggies hope for Spartan cure 12:57 a.m.
- 5A: Miners pull tricks to win 12:56 a.m.
- 5A: Davis runs over Hunter 12:54 a.m.
- Williams leaves, won't play tonight
- Unga family is making its mark
- Selfishness to blame for Jazz woes?
- Trial begins in toddler death
- ESPN suddenly loves MWC
- Study: Divorce likely when wife ill
- Man killed during 3rd I-15 crash
- Two killed in Iron County crash
- Historically, Utes have owned TCU
- Tough year for Lobos and coach
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
348 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - Senators want food tax restored
162 - Will state consider gay rights law?
145 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - Celtics crush Jazz
103 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
102 - Hatch empathizes with Muslims
88
A comprehensive listing of missionary reunions being held this week.
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
One of my guilty pleasures is perusing the covers of celebrity magazines...
True. It's not terribly funny and if it has any effect on society, it won't...
What else would you expect to find in a book called "The Founders on Religion"?
Ok not to be rude here, but check the stats, Hinds isnt first in yards and...
t-hinds = best player in utah
Anonymous: Was that English? I though conservatives believed if you are in...
Wow! Glad the Lord kept you safe. Separate comment: That was a horrible...
I have never been to a Utah high school game before as I am not from the...
It would behoove the above commenters to recall that religion, including our...
Only 8000 attendance? BYU had 16,000+ tonight. What is wrong with Ute fans?...
ian you are the 3A MVP If you win next week so just do it that would be nice....



You can be the first to comment on this story.