Gramps,

What is your take on the new HBO show “Big Love”? Is it accurate to portray a polygamist family in Salt Lake City or should it have been set in rural Utah/Texas? It seems like HBO isn’t doing enough to distance this show from the Mormon Church. Thanks,

Richard

Dear Richard,

The show, Big Love, which is currently airing on HBO, is not only an inaccurate portrayal of Mormon practice and doctrine, it is actually insidious in its nature. There can be no doubt that the producers of this highly distasteful movie have aired it with a specific agendum in mind–which is to discredit and attempt to tear down the Mormon Church

In the first place the inaccuracies are so blatant that it is unthinkable that the authors of this nefarious work could have been ignorant of the falsehoods that they are portraying. It is true that the show contains a brief disclaimer stating that the polygamists don’t have an active connection with the Mormon Church, but that disclaimer can never dim the implications that the show is nevertheless a portrayal of Mormon beliefs and practice. If indeed the writers and producers of the show did not wish it to portray Mormon activity, why was the setting of the show placed in a suburb of Salt Lake City, which is known by all the world to be associated with the Mormon Church rather than a non-Mormon polygamist group?

If the writers of this show were trying to portray a non-Mormon polygamist group why would they insert such insulting parodies of Mormon doctrine and practice as associating the holy priesthood with the ridiculous practice of blessing a hunting rifle? If this show were a portrayal of the practices of a non-Mormon religious group why is it interspersed with such distinctive Mormon phrases as “celestial kingdom,” “free agency,” and “Choose the Right?”

In order to put a stop to this damning show and get if off the air before it creates more of the damage for which it was intended, I would like to suggest that each of the subscribers to askgramps.org send an email to HBO stating their outrage for airing such a show that is so obviously designed to tear down and falsely discredit the Mormon Church and asking them to immediately cancel this offensive show. To do so, go to www.hbo.com , scroll to bottom of page, click Contact Us, click on The Sopranos (unless Big Love is listed when you do so), scroll to the light blue box near page bottom, on the line just under Submit an Email, click on Contact Us. Then enter your information, specify it’s about Big Love, and leave the message asking them to immediately cancel this offensive show.