Stay on the wall!!

Truth be told.  Yes, I watched the Tony's.  I was entertained, appalled, laughing, teary and it all felt surreal.  I knew I'd never actually go see the New York Broadway play. I also knew they would edit the foul language.  I also knew, because it was a musical, that there would be little dialogue but there was the chance they'd put some of the offensive subjects to tunes.  I was so curious as to how could they make a hit show out of a religious book?  A book that is at the belief core of a huge religious body.  That would be us.  They would be offensive, disrespectful with a book that is sacred to me?

To me the opening number with lots of singer dancers caught me off guard...dozens of "Nuns" in habits and con artists and "Mormon Missionaries".  Hair neatly cut, white shirts, name tags etc.  etc.   All dancing their hearts out while singing ..."Broadway is not just for gays anymore".  My first tears.

Throughout the show they kept touting and teasing and showing pictures of our very own Book of Mormon.  It seemed so out of place.  So sacrilegious.  So sad.

The number they showcased, unlike the other 4 featured musical nominees, was not filled with a stage of tappers or a chorus line or bold colors or dance action or singing to bowl one over.  I was so caught off guard.  Here stood a "missionary", name tag and all, holding the Book of Mormon.  He was doubting his faith.  He started singing his solo.  The hook on the song were two words....I Believe.   I started the tears as I felt like those two words, with the accompaniment, were so familiar.  Had I heard them in one of the Seminary songs? I still don't know.  He was wonderful, talented and looked LDS but the lyrics were a mix of good and bad.  He appeared lovable, adorable and innocent and that made it all the harder to watch.  It caused more waterworks for me when the audience would spontaneously laugh at the song vulgarities or doctrine presented as preposterous and ridiculous.  He held the Book of Mormon in his hand the entire number.  Unreal. 

The play won major awards and I was interested in what they would say during their acceptance speeches.  Accepting the top trophy of the night, for best musical, one of the writer's said....We all wanted to be a part of a large Mormon family and now we are!   He then thanked Joseph Smith as his co-writer.  Held the Tony skyward and said ...You did it Joseph!  You got the Tony!!

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I  thought back to a Community Church in our small Alaskan town and one minister that detested the Mormons.  Each year, in order to save our town, he would have a free showing of The Godmakers.  It created quite a stir.

My LDS friend, Joyce, and I, had a sweet little candy shop on the main street of our town.  Handy for tourists to drop in.  One day my partner's Mother, Edna (also LDS), and I were working and a man entered the store wearing the biggest wooden cross I'd ever seen, on a neck chain. 

I said...you are obviously Christian... and motioned to the cross.  

He said...oh, yes.  I'm speaking tonight at the Christian Community Church as we are saving this town from the Mormons.  You ladies need to come and see The Godmakers tonight.  

I said...we can't go but let me give you some candy to give to the minister after the program.  Edna, let's put our business cards in them.  

He told us we were lovely and he could tell we were good Christian women and to watch out for those evil Mormons. 

He wondered....Would the minister know us?  

We told him that he would.  I said...Please, tell him we know the Gospel is true.

Anyhow the next day he came back and said we'd tricked him.  We agreed that we had. The Preacher was not pleased.  And then earnestly tried to save us from ourselves by his preaching.

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When The Godmakers movie came out it was a really tough time. The film was mean and hateful and spiteful.  The Book of Mormon play was mocking, rude, off color, vulgar, profane and on and on,  but I think it will open more doors for us than The Godmakers ever did.

      Unlocking the Doors

by Elder M. Russell Ballard 

BYU devotional 1989

Of course, persecutions will always be with us, just as the Prophet Joseph prophesied. In recent years, the Church has been attacked openly by the producers of the film The Godmakers. A concerted effort by this band of enemies of the Church is underway at this very hour. During recent media coverage of forged documents related to Church history, Elder Dallin H. Oaks detailed instances of blatant misrepresentation and distortion (remember how calumny may defame) and how corrective information was ignored by prominent newspapers such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Malicious charges leveled against prominent leaders of the Church have not ended. The adversary has not ceased to work. Today we continue to face opposition, and we can expect it to continue as we endeavor to move this great work forward.

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My thoughts have been on Nehemiah today.  I want to be like him.  He stayed on task and was true to his assignment.  Nothing could dissuade him from the work at hand.  He would not allow himself to be distracted/detracted. 

A little more talk of ROYALS.  It's thought that Nehemiah was in favor with  King Artaxerxes because he was the cupbearer.  If Nehemiah sipped or took a munch and died, then the King would know to not eat or drink from the menu.  This was "a position of  great trust and responsibility."

The King had allowed N. to return from Persia to Jerusalem and protected him on that  trek.  He also gave him permission to use timber from the ROYAL forests to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem plus the gates and also he could build his very own house.

An opposing Governor Sanballat, of Samaria, did not want the wall built and he wasn't the only one.  They were so opposed that Nehemiah had to arm his workers 24/7.  So Gov. Sanballat and others  decided to plan an attack.  The wall was now halfway up.  they figured they had to get N. off the wall.  So they tried reasoning and persuasion and 4 times they sent him a note...

Come, let us meet together... 

and Nehemiah sent the same return message each time.....

.....I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 

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Today I thought about the play.  It is what it is.  I need to just stay focused on what I know to be true and what is mine to do, to further the work in my area of the Church.  I need to.... 

not let things like this detract/distract me.

not take time mulling and discussing. 

not re-hash the play content.  

I need to stay on the wall!!!!!

(Check OT Nehemiah to see if  I have my truths lined up!!)