Why Are We All Reading the Book of Mormon?

Broadway musical The Book of Mormon is a runaway success, and this week I wanted to get to the bottom of its momentous popularity, and ask, just why are we all reading the Book of Mormon?

Tomorrow is a Latter Day

It tells the story two young Mormon missionaries who are sent to a remote village in Northern Uganda to spread the good word. When they get there however, they find the locals less than receptive, as they have far too many problems of their own to deal with and subsequently, the young men see their own worldview challenged.

With a stunning soundtrack boasting soon to be classic show tunes such as ‘Orlando,’ ‘You and Me (But Mostly Me),’ and ‘Tomorrow is a Latter Day,’ a riveting plotline and dollops of side-splitting humour, it went on to become a critical and commercial success, even bagging the TONY Award for Best Musical.

The Controversy of the Portrayal of Religion

So why are so many people into it? On the face of it, it shouldn’t work. Religion is always a tricky topic to tackle, and most musicals that do attempt to climb this hill, like Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat play it safe. They stick to biblical truth.

Quite simply they do this because of the sheer righteous indignation that rains down on an artist when they dare to challenge the established cannon is terrifying. All you have to do is look at the fierce outrage the film The Last Temptation of Christ provoked back in the day, to realise why most creatives shy away from this kind of thing.

Simon Morris on a Changing Religious Landscape

However we aren’t back in the day, we’re in the modern era and we’re living in a time where experts have found a noted trend in the western world; people are turning away from religion. Innovations such as the internet are fostering a tendency to question religion more than ever before.

And The Book of Mormon ultimately seeks to answer some of those questions. It’s a fascinating exploration of the indoctrination of religion, and what happens to the indoctrinated when they’re released out into the real world.

The Book of Mormon works because it taps into the current zeitgeist. Whilst it’s phenomenal all on its own, people are into it because it asks the questions they want answered, and tackles the issues they care about. This is the hallmark of many a timeless musical.