Zion's Best (25) Movies for Latter-day Saints
"Church Standards"
1.Princess Bride
2.Sound of Music
3.Ever After
4.Pride and Prejudice
5.Calamity Jane
6.Casablanca
7.Chariots of Fire
8.The Quiet Man
9.E.T. The Extraterrestrial
10.Hoosiers
11.It's A Wonderful Life
12.The Kid
13.The Lion King
14.The Mighty Ducks
15.Some Like it Hot
16.The Spy Kids
17.Star Wars (The Original)
18.Swiss Family Robinson
19.Toy Story
20.The Wizard of Oz
The list isn't complete on the website where I got this from. The movies are of "Church Standards" and are the point of view of the website. (www.zionsbest.com)
The Mormon church does make "recommendations" for their members to view certain movies. I remember how I was taught in many of my church classes to only view movies that are "G" rated and view some "PG" movies. I never saw "R" rated movies at all when growing up. I don't think that too many of those "R" movies were at the theater. The town I grew up in had way too many Mormons for the theater to permit those movies from being shown. The theater, more than likely, would have had to shut their doors due to no people in the seats.
As a Mormon, I didn't want to have my Priesthood dad breathing down my neck or sit in the Bishop's office because of a movie. It wasn't an option to choose the movies I watched. (Hardly went to the movies as a kid.) The church does give strong advice in avoiding unhealthy viewing of movies that invite temptation to enter in. All movies are to uplift and be "faith promoting."
The advise from the Mormon church, or any other church, to its members to view "healthy" movies isn't bad, it's when the Bishop or any other church official gets involved, is when the line is drawn. The Holy Spirit should be our guide, not a church.
Movies for Mormons
Friday, September 19, 2008
8 comments:
The Mormon church does not make recommendations on specific movies, nor does it encourage it's members to trust the MPAA ratings of movies. Mormonism is about teaching correct principles and letting the people govern themselves.
If that was not your experience I would say it was not Mormonism but the interpretation of Mormonism by your immediate Bishop. I agree that if the Bishop is giving advice as policy he has crossed the line or if he is calling someone in specifically about a movie then he has missed the point. But I would say that if as a Bishop I saw major trends among the youth of my ward or if in personal meetings with individuals a certain movie was a common spark for other sin and unrighteousness then I think it is perfectly appropriate to talk about the movie to the group as a whole.
The appropriate place to make decisions about movies is in the home and according to principles, not 'priesthood dad breathing down my neck', Joseph Smith says amen to the priesthood of such a man. (but I'm not in the place to judge if that was indeed your father's actions or your interpretation).
All I know is that my "Mormon" list of movies looks nothing like the list cited and I think you would find incredible diversity if you polled a variety of Mormons. Now, Watsatch front Mormons is a different issue but that is not Mormonism, that is Watsatch front culture.
I don't know where you grew up, but where I grew up, the Mormon church does heavily influence what movies its members see. The "encouragement" comes out in the classes when the teachers speak out on "faith promoting" activities. Maybe the Mormon church is changing the way they do things now days. It doesn't change the fact that that's what they do (did).
I think you are right that it is a regional phenomenon. I would argue that it is more of a regional Mormon population thing, a cultural quirk, and not a "Mormon church" thing. Even if specific movies were being 'encouraged' in classes by teachers I would hardly say that is the "Mormon church." Teachers in Mormon congregations are lay members. Specific movies are definitely not in the curriculum guides provided by the institutional church.
Maybe those who taught in the church at that particular time thought it right to say what movies to watch not knowing that it's up to the individual, not the church or its reps.
I think that is part of it, the other part of it is the responsibility of the listeners to be able to distinguish between doctrine/principles and opinions even when the person speaking is a bishop, stake president, or general authority. It requires that the members know and study the doctrine themselves. I think in general LDS leaders do teach principles and when they do offer specific counsel it should be evaluated in accordance with the doctrine and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it will be of God, sometimes it will be good wisdom, sometimes it will be misguided. Again the responsibility goes back to the listener. The thought of blind obedience is utterly repulsive in Mormonism, but obedience based on faith is a different story, but it is faith that is centered in Christ not faith in that leader or even the institutional church. Only when faith is centered in Christ will the individual and church as a whole be a healthy community of faith.
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i have a question, in all seriousness because i aam curious, if if faith is to be centered on christ, not the leader or church, why do they have to lay down to the rules of their patriarch? i kind of understand a bishop and all that, but, for instance, when her father said he knew it was her fate to stay at home and care for her parents, why does he have that kind of authority to tell her what her life is to become? who else does except god?
Hello Beccaboo,
The only rule is in the Bible. Christ is the only ruler and great high priest. Not any man. No way can a man have the authority that Jesus Christ has. Mormonism gives a false doctrine about authority. It is not the responsibility of any so-called 'holy' authority to dictate the future of another human being.
I hope this helps a little.
God Bless,
handmaiden
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