The Book of Mormon, an award-winning musical by the creators of “South Park,” has opened in Salt Lake City. As ABC news put it, “The biting satirical musical that mocks Mormons received a rousing reception Tuesday in its first-ever showing in the heart of Mormonlandia, kicking off a sold-out, two-week run at a Salt Lake City theater.” So as in New York and Los Angeles, The Book of Mormon is a smash hit, contrary to what some expected.
“Despite the jokes and jabs that create a caricature of Mormon beliefs,” ABC news explains, “there were no protests outside and no mass walkouts during opening night. The playbill did include three advertisements from the Mormon church, including a picture of a smiling man with the words, “You’ve seen the play, now read the book.”
In similar style, during the Los Angeles run, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, released a statement: “The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people’s lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ.”
Clearly, the Mormons, whose six million American members include 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, can take a joke at their own expense. This marks a stark contrast to Muslims and Islam, by some accounts the fastest growing religion in America. When it comes to satire of their religion, Muslims respond in a rather different way. Consider, for example, what happened in January at the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which published caricatures of the prophet Mohammed.
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Lloyd Billingsley is the author of Exceptional Depravity, a new crime book, and Hollywood Party: Stalinist Adventures in the American Movie Industry. He has written for City Journal California, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and many other publications.