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JOHN DANCY: The world is coming to Salt Lake City, and the Mormons are ready. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been rehearsing for this moment for three and a half years.
Three and a half years ago, a team of writers, composers and choreographers began creating "Light of the World," a splashy, non-sectarian extravaganza. It will play for 10 performances in the Church's 21,000 seat Conference Center, in the heart of Salt Lake City. For this Church, known for its relentless proselytizing, it is a remarkable change -- a velvet touch, emphasizing the common features of all religions, worldwide.
RANDY BOOTHE (Director, "Light of the World"): We want people to feel completely comfortable in our home. As you mention, we go all over the world to share our message. When they come here, we want them to feel welcome and at home, as they have been so welcoming to us as we've traveled to other parts of the world.
DANCY: Mormons are known for their teams of missionaries, 60,000 young, energetic volunteers. They serve18 months to 2 years in 160 countries, trying to convert others to the Mormon faith. But during the Olympics, the Mormons have banned their missionaries from the streets, Olympic venues, and airport.
Elder Jeffrey Holland, an apostle of the Church, says it was a matter of good taste.
Elder JEFFREY HOLLAND: We wanted to make sure we were appropriate and restrained, and we want to be cordial. We want to be friendly and we want to be as outgoing as our institutional collective nature is, but we do not want this to be seen as the "Mormon Olympics." We just want people to be comfortable and not have anyone think we're going to be proselytizing on this, because we're not.
DANCY: While the leaders of the Church have decided not to push their religion on visitors to these Olympics, they do understand that there's plenty of opportunity for a "soft sell," to make friends, and answer some common misconceptions about Mormons. For example, the Church wants to dispel the idea that Mormons still practice polygamy. So, the Church media office prepared this video just for NBC executives, who will be in charge of broadcasting the Olympics. It uses some of the Church's best-known members, like pro quarterback Steve Young to set the record straight.
STEVE YOUNG: So let's dispel myth number one. Mormons discontinued the practice of polygamy over 100 years ago.
SHARLENE HAWKES (1985 Miss America and ESPN Broadcaster): Hi, I'm Sharlene Hawkes, and I'd like to discuss myth number three: Mormons are not Christians. This is a tough one for us to understand, because we are Christian to our core.
DANCY: Part of the role of defining the Mormons will fall to the DESERET NEWS, the Church-owned afternoon newspaper. It's editor is John Hughes, a Pulitzer prize-winner, who is himself a Christian Scientist.
JOHN HUGHES (Editor, DESERET NEWS): Well, you know, people come and look here. I'm not a Mormon, so, you know, you probably should talk to other folks, but people come in with preconceptions. They head for the Visitors Bureau and say, "Tell us where we can see the Mormons," you know. The Bureau says, "Well, they're sort of all around you." And then they say, "Okay, where can we have Mormon food?" You know, it's not like that. I think it's a very friendly city. I think it's -- I think people are going to have a real good time here.
Three and a half years ago, a team of writers, composers and choreographers began creating "Light of the World," a splashy, non-sectarian extravaganza. It will play for 10 performances in the Church's 21,000 seat Conference Center, in the heart of Salt Lake City. For this Church, known for its relentless proselytizing, it is a remarkable change -- a velvet touch, emphasizing the common features of all religions, worldwide.
RANDY BOOTHE (Director, "Light of the World"): We want people to feel completely comfortable in our home. As you mention, we go all over the world to share our message. When they come here, we want them to feel welcome and at home, as they have been so welcoming to us as we've traveled to other parts of the world.DANCY: Mormons are known for their teams of missionaries, 60,000 young, energetic volunteers. They serve18 months to 2 years in 160 countries, trying to convert others to the Mormon faith. But during the Olympics, the Mormons have banned their missionaries from the streets, Olympic venues, and airport.
Elder Jeffrey Holland, an apostle of the Church, says it was a matter of good taste.
Elder JEFFREY HOLLAND: We wanted to make sure we were appropriate and restrained, and we want to be cordial. We want to be friendly and we want to be as outgoing as our institutional collective nature is, but we do not want this to be seen as the "Mormon Olympics." We just want people to be comfortable and not have anyone think we're going to be proselytizing on this, because we're not.DANCY: While the leaders of the Church have decided not to push their religion on visitors to these Olympics, they do understand that there's plenty of opportunity for a "soft sell," to make friends, and answer some common misconceptions about Mormons. For example, the Church wants to dispel the idea that Mormons still practice polygamy. So, the Church media office prepared this video just for NBC executives, who will be in charge of broadcasting the Olympics. It uses some of the Church's best-known members, like pro quarterback Steve Young to set the record straight.
STEVE YOUNG: So let's dispel myth number one. Mormons discontinued the practice of polygamy over 100 years ago.
SHARLENE HAWKES (1985 Miss America and ESPN Broadcaster): Hi, I'm Sharlene Hawkes, and I'd like to discuss myth number three: Mormons are not Christians. This is a tough one for us to understand, because we are Christian to our core.
DANCY: Part of the role of defining the Mormons will fall to the DESERET NEWS, the Church-owned afternoon newspaper. It's editor is John Hughes, a Pulitzer prize-winner, who is himself a Christian Scientist.
JOHN HUGHES (Editor, DESERET NEWS): Well, you know, people come and look here. I'm not a Mormon, so, you know, you probably should talk to other folks, but people come in with preconceptions. They head for the Visitors Bureau and say, "Tell us where we can see the Mormons," you know. The Bureau says, "Well, they're sort of all around you." And then they say, "Okay, where can we have Mormon food?" You know, it's not like that. I think it's a very friendly city. I think it's -- I think people are going to have a real good time here.
VASILY ARKANOV (NTV): Yeah, way too well.
Professor FIRMAGE: They will show, and learn -- and mainly I'm emphasizing the learning -- that there are people from all over the world. They're black and red and yellow, male and female, and gay, and that the Church must accommodate them. What a blessing. That's win-win-win-win.
The writer Wallace Stegner once wrote that Mormons, in their approach to the rest of the world, are "like a herd of rather amiable musk oxen, horns out, in a protective ring, watchful, but not belligerent. Full of confidence, but ready to be reasonable, and wanting to be liked." Stegner wrote those words nearly 40 years ago. They're still true today.
