Comments on: Mormon Idol

By: kjco

kjco — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:56:29 +0000

Just have a bishop check page 327 of the Church Handbook of Instructions. It pretty much settles the debate–at least about using the church. See 2 3

By: Michelle in AR

Michelle in AR — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:58:01 +0000

I totally agree. This drives me crazy.
I had a wonderful seminary teacher who warned against this very issue, and called it a form of priestcraft.
Sharing talents for the building of the kingdom is one thing. Priestcraft is quite another.

By: Emily M.

Emily M. — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:53:09 +0000

Justine, I didn’t meant to imply that we at Segullah are promoting our work with an implied divine endorsement… I certainly hope not!

By: JM

JM — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:54:59 +0000

“In a stake we used to live in, it became such a problem that the Stake Presidency prohibited anyone from outside the Stake to address us without express permission from him.”

As far back as I can remember, this has always been the rule. Interesting to see how failing to attend to that policy caused the mess you are seeing.

Kudos to him for stepping up and ‘enforcing’ the policy now. Hopefully others will learn from his mistake.

By: Sage

Sage — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:08:15 +0000

I love this discussion. I just gave a talk on humility yesterday. I have also been a RS pres. I have to work to not let my ego take over (was my talk fabulous?! Am I doing a great job?) I can only imagine how much harder it would be to be humble with so much celebrity worship. That said, (as I said in my talk) being humble is the key to living the gospel which I think is why it feels so wrong when someone would promote themselves in the chapel and not be giving all the glory to God. My husband works in the movie industry, but cares not a whit for fame. We didn’t go to his movie’s premiere where all the stars would be because it was on Sunday. He’s a great example to me.
As far as self-promotion from the pulpit goes, think of what Christ said-”I can of mine own self do nothing.”

By: CS Eric

CS Eric — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:29:30 +0000

It is possible to be “famous” and LDS and still keep away from the commercial side of the house.

My first date with the girl who later became my wife was at a fireside by Afterglow. It bothered a lot of people there that they didn’t sell any of their tapes or CDs afterward.

Flash forward several years. The local theater in our small military community hosted a touring company of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. A group of us at my work all went together on a Saturday night, and really enjoyed it. One of the guys in my office the next Monday told me that because he like the play so much, he tried to buy a DVD of the version that Donny Osmond was in–but Donny’s website didn’t sell anything on Sundays. My friend was very impressed that Donny Osmond would keep the Sabbath Day even on his website.

By: m&m

m&m — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:51:00 +0000

I have a view of the Mormon billboards thing. Is it really so bad to create something for a targeted audience, and in return to want to give your attention or money to something that appeals to your values?

Again, we offer that kind of thing here at Segullah (non-profit though it is).

I think in many ways that can be a good thing.

But then again, I tend to like doctrinal and other such non-fiction material (essays about real life? bring it on!), so I am grateful these things exist.

By: marta

marta — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:25:33 +0000

At least he didn’t perform a musical number.

By: marta

marta — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 02:24:26 +0000

About 28 years ago Donny Osmond spoke in Sacrament Meeting at the singles’ ward near the University of Maryland. As I recall, he came in after the Sacrament had been passed, gave a little pep talk, bore his testimony and left by limo before the meeting was over (to save him the embarrassment of being mobbed by fans or the embarrassment of not being mobbed by fans, i assumed). I thought it was rather odd and inappropriate.

By: Michelle L.

Michelle L. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:23:52 +0000

“I think what surprises me the most about this is how many people still swoon.” This is the most interesting part of the phenomenon to me– Mormons tend to be swooners, easily duped, followers etc. We’ve all heard the statistics and the stories. Why?!!!? Oh why?!!?

Like Paula, I find MOST kinds of LDS profiteering distasteful– it’s frankly astonishing to drive through Utah county and see the billboards targeted at a Mormon audience.

Oh, and one of the directors of TOFW is in my ward and she never breathes a word about it– I think anyone putting it on the ward or stake calendar is doing that under their own volition and not under direction from Deseret Book.