THE BOOK OF MORMON?

            The first night of our recent trip to New York City, two went  to a live Billy Crystal performance, four went to see the show “Annie,” and I went alone to see “The Book of Mormon.” I had been warned that it might be over the top for me, but I had read so many rave reviews of this nine Tony Award winning musical, I wanted to check it out. It turned out to be the dirtiest, most sacrilegious thing I have seen or read in all my 78 years. Frankly, I would not have been comfortable watching it with anyone else, even my wife.  Jesus was, I trust, forgiving.It was FUNNY. My daughter, Kit, dared me to blog about it. So here goes.

            In the plot, Elder Price has prayed all his life that when time came for him to do his obligatory two year mission he would be assigned to Orlando, Florida, the land of Disney and sunshine. Instead, he was paired with a nerd, Elder Arnold Cunningham, and they were sent to a remote village in Uganda. Elder Price is devastated but tries to reach the natives with the Mormon message, but with no success. Elder Cunningham, who has never even read the Book of Mormon, however, is accepted by the natives as the spokesman and proceeds to teach them his own made up version of Mormonism. Rejected and disciplined by his supervisors, he is established by the natives as the true teacher and they produce “The Book of Arnold.”

            Now what positive, if anything, can I find in it? First, recognize that we will not receive everything for which we pray, no matter who we are. Second, acknowledge that anything we receive can be used positively by God for His purpose, if we will listen to and follow Him. Not like Elder Cunningham who made it up himself. Our promise, i.e. the promise to those who are following Jesus Christ, is that God is at work in all things to bring about good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) 

Grace and Peace