Comments about ‘BYU screening to show 1922 anti-Mormon film’

I saw this movie several years ago at the Tower Theater in SLC at a special showing. It is hilarious!

Hopefully such an enlighted screening will not take on the flavor of mocking the "anti-Mormons". This film has a classic message - it was a way people tried to address something that to them was threatening. LDS today react the same way to things they find threatening: demonizing others (see any of the comments sections here), attacking with distorted and overly simplistic arguments and appeals to biased interpretations of scripture, etc. Many of the charicature-like representations were symbolic of how people felt when their loved ones were "stolen away" by these strange Mormons. LDS use symbolism all the time; grant that others did the same, and you may be enlightened by this screening.

The Godmakers is also pretty campy and laughable. I'm sure some day we'll be looking at it as a funny relic of 20th century efforts of anti-Mormons who apparently worked from a limited budget.

During the early 20th century, people were quite supersticious, particularly in Britian. This film fed off that.

Funny, or sad, in the mid '70's while on a mission in California I met a few (very few) people that had seen the film and believed it. It was very difficult to not laugh at them and ask them if they had any idea how ridiculous it sounded.

The more recent anti-Mormon stuff is even more entertaining: "We only hate you because we love you." Classic.

To Paul: Well said.

So, Paul and Ken, you mean it is okay to stereotypically portray believers of Islam as blood thirsty terrorists because it's "...a way people try to address something that to them was threatening."? And we should portray a stereotypical Baptist family as bible thumping, intolerant fanatics of Christianity? And we should portray Buddhists as those crazy chinese monks? All because somebody wants to promote their bigoted point of view?

And this is supposed to enlighten me...how??? To know that there are bigoted people out there who want to portray relious beliefs in the worst possible way? People who have no tolerance to allow people to believe what they may? These people know they can't deny people the right so instead try to hide, obscure, and obfuscate the truth.

Yes, I already know there are religious bigots of all kind out there. I would rather see movies and films about the good in religions and balanced educations films about the history of different denominations rather than to allow somebody the privilidge to spew their hatred on screen in front of me.

Point of clarification: In my last line where I said "I would rather deny the right to spew their hatred on the screen in front of me..." I was not trying to say we should censore them or deny them the right to make such a movie. But I do believe in exercising my right to censore whatever I decide to see!

Rule 1, #1 - "Know thy enemy."

Please don't put Utah football advertising on a BYU related article. We try to get away from those guys as much as we can, and we don't want to see their ads on BYU articles. Please do what you can to not do that. It's very irritating.

Bigotry begins when someone says "we are right and you are wrong".

To rightfully claim that statement...one had better plan on defending themselves.

So to get angry at those who attack the LDS religion, you have to dig no furher than to look at your personal claim to be the "only true religion"

Defend your religion with honor..but don't become hateful.

Should make it a triple feature with States of Grace and SIngles Ward...

"we are right and you are wrong"
Isn't that what these "anti-mormon" movies are about? Proving showing the LDS that they are wrong?

And if that is where it begins, then you must be saying God is a bigot, for he tells us what is right and what is wrong, does he not?

Mormonism is no different then any other World Religion in the sense that it claims to be the "true" religion, and thereby imfering that the other religions are false or mislead(the exception may be the Bahai Faith)

Trapped by Mormons: I know how that feels. I haven't set foot in a Mormon church in 45 years. They can't get it through there minds I want nothing to do with the Mormon Church? I guess I will be as disrespectful to them as they are to me.

I am sorry that you have misconstrued the attempts by faithful (and for the most part sicere) members of the Mormon church to contact you. Might I suggest a simple solution to your problem:

Remove your name from the records of the church. It is a pretty simple process when it comes down to it, and, other than having to meet with the bishop to have it done, it will rid you of those pesky and disrespectful attempts to contact you (except for the occasional visit from the missionaries during tracting). It also will demonstrate your true feelings and leave you justified to whatever god you now call your own.

WHERE CAN I GET A COPY

As an LDS missionary in the mid 1980's, I was serving in downtown SLC. "Trapped by the Mormons" was playing at a small theatre on South Temple I believe. My companion and I just couldn't resist getting our picture taken under the movie title. One of the many funny experiences I had serving here. Anti Mormons always gave us the biggest laughs. My favorite anti was a guy named "Doug" (If I remember right) who used to ride around downtown on his bike, always wearing the same vest everyday and two giant buttons. One button on his shirt said in large print "I AM NOT A MORMON" and the other on his brief case said "LOVE GOD NOT MONEY". Whenever we would pass him on the street he would say "Watch out for the wizard Sisters." We watched out...never did see one. He also used to hand out the most outrageously funny cartoons about Mormon Missionaries and what we supposedly taught. I LOVE THIS STATE and all the funny people, of all religions (espeicially my own) God sends here. The Lord has the best sense of humor.

The "godmakers" video has small cameras (snuck into the temple) recording a pre-1990 endowment ceremony. I don't think we'll be able to sit back and laugh while watching the "Godmakers" at any future time (unless the endowment is done away with). However, there are other parts to the film that are funny cartoons depicting Mormons as space aliens and Joseph Smith being the "final judge" instead of God.

One thing I think Paul is missing in calling this film "enlightening" is to think what he and others might be saying if it were directed at racial difference instead of religious ones. For example what if it portrayed a racial minority as "vampires" instead of Mormons? Would he still dismiss it's message as a harmless issue based upon the misunderstanding of others? Or would he call it a racist hate movie with no redeeming quality's? For some reason society thinks that it's OK to be intolerent....if it's directed toward Christians and most especially Mormons. And if we Mormons complain about it, we just need to become more enlightened.

Well said RC. I don't feel I need to become more enlightened. By being LDS, we are taught to be objective and not just tolerant of others, but accepting and loving. I apologize to those who are not LDS who feel that we are taught to be elitist and judgmental. Although I feel that I belong to the only true church, I don't feel that other churches are wrong. I've had the honor of attending other churches and I respect their beliefs and have found that they are similar to my own. As far as this movie goes, it's ridiculous to get in such a heated debate about it. It's a movie, based on the fear of those who felt they were losing their loved ones to our strange religion. To Paul, I don't recall leaders of our church demonizing anyone. Individual members may have, but people are imperfect. Perhaps you could use some enlightening and research on what we're taught. And I hope the lable of anti-mormon does not apply to you or to anyone. I've found that those are who "anti" any religion or organization are usually that way because they don't understand what they're against.