For the first time, Mormon leaders in America have permitted their Church in the UK to open its doors to cameras.
With unprecedented access to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this documentary follows a young British Mormon as he gives up two years of his life to convert the people of Leeds.
Known to most people as the men in suits who knock on our doors, young Mormon missionaries have the job of converting us to their particular brand of Christianity – they are the ‘Ambassadors of God’.
Twenty-year-old Josh Field from Sussex is one of around 200,000 Mormons in the UK. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is run from America. Based in Salt Lake City in Utah, the Mormon empire operates in 185 countries and has 15 million members worldwide. Their leader is Thomas S. Monson, whom Mormons believe is a living prophet receiving revelations directly from God. Every year he sends nearly 70,000 young men and women off to spread the gospel – and recruit to the church. – Channel 4
Mormons believe that every worthy, able young man should serve in this way. For Josh, it is an emotional and challenging rite of passage, full of sacrifice. Like many young people his age, Josh has a regular social life with a mix of friends, goes to dances at the weekend and completed mainstream school. Now, he must now surrender entirely to Church rules and as soon as his training begins, he is banned from seeing family and friends.
Whilst the Church provides accommodation, travel and £29 a week for food and haircuts, the missionaries’ work is unpaid and they are expected to contribute to the costs. In line with the Mormon rules, Josh has to be in the presence of a fellow missionary at all times for the duration of his mission and can only be apart from him to go to the bathroom. For these two, there is no complete day off and for two years, including Christmas, they will work – tasked with converting four people in their first year. – Channel 4
The strict measures are in place to keep missionaries like Josh away from temptation and prevent them from straying from the rules. The rules also dictate that Josh can no longer use his first name and, although Mormons stay virgins until they are married, Josh must give up even a simple hug with girls.
While Mormons are Christians, they have a number of controversial beliefs and rituals that set them apart from mainstream Christianity. These include: believing that Jesus came to America after his resurrection; performing baptisms for dead people – in baptismal fonts on the back of 12 oxen and wearing special underwear they believe helps protect them from temptation and evil.
This film gains fascinating and extremely rare insight into a controlled world, through the eyes of a young British Mormon, dedicated to serving his Church.
Amazing in 2012 we still have religion darling, that’s all I can say on this subject – TV Critic Queenie
To Dominic Knight,
It’s difficult to know if the picture you present at the beginning of your article is supposed to be an LDS chapel. If so, your photo is completely wrong. I hope it is a mistake and not intentionally misleading. If your intention is to represent this picture as the interior of an LDS temple, you are once again completely wrong. If you are saying that you have been able to bring cameras into a Latter Day Saint temple again, that also is somewhat misleading to your readers. Cameras are not permitted. The exception is before a temple is dedicated and even then picture taking is much controlled. That is not to say the Church does not publish pictures and release them to the press as they see fit. Photographing inside a Chapel has always been available to truly interested persons. Temples and Chapels are much different in LDS teachings. You may want to read up on the difference.
While it is correct to say Elder Field is now restrained from doing many activities that young men and young women might engage in, they consent to restraints completely willingly. Missionaries leaving for a mission know all the restraints beforehand, yet they rejoice at the opportunity to do so. Dominic, I feel you somewhat exaggerate the closeness missionaries have with their companions; they may do many other things alone without their companion present. The “fascinating and extremely” managed in sight you offer has been going on for decades and is not as revealing as you indicate.
Now as to the doctrine you call controversial; admittedly Christ’s visit to the Americas is not taught by many outside of Mormonism, but there is a fascinating record of it called the Book of Mormon. We invite all to read it and we believe through study and prayer you will also come to believe that Christ did visit his other sheep (John 10:16) on the American Continents. Performing baptisms on behalf of the dead is not an unheard of doctrine by any means. Early Christians did also. (1 Cor. 15:29). Baptism for the dead is an ordinance practiced in temples only. The 12 oxen are symbolic and represent the twelve tribes of Israel and our relationship to the God as his covenant people. We do not necessarily believe the under garments protect members from all evil. All are free to keep the covenants made in the temple or not. We do believe they are a reminder of our desire to be obedient to God’s commandments. They are not much different than Catholic priests wearing a collar or a Jew displaying a frontlet. One may even think of them even as others think of a wedding ring; that is, a promise to be faithful to one’s spouse.
Thanks Dominic for referring to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a Christian Church. Many are not so kind. We do believe in and worship Christ with all our hearts. Protestants and Catholics often portray each other has not Christian because of doctrinal differences. Many of us need to get over the name calling.
Its just a general ATV photo representing the outdated world of religion 🙂
Just to note it was Channel 4 who called it a Christan Church.
They should call it meet the morons. In this age anyone who has to hide away and ‘not allow’ cameras in has something to hide. Mind the Catholics are the worst, playing with the kiddies willies behind the altar.