The Book of Mormon Musical is coming to the Tivoli Theatre – a theatre that has offered everything from silent movies to Broadway shows, entertaining Chattanoogans for over 90 years. The Tivoli is on the National Register of Historic Places.  
 
The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ is historic, too.  As outlined in the Introduction, it is a volume of holy scriptures comparable to the Bible – “a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.”  The crowning event of the Book of Mormon is an account of the personal ministry of Jesus Christ in the Americas after His Resurrection.  The book is true.  And it comes with a promise to all people everywhere that they might know that JESUS is the CHRIST, the Savior of the world.
 
The Musical is a work of fiction.  It has little to do about the message or teachings of the Book of Mormon.  When the musical reached Los Angeles, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bought ad space that read, “The book is always better.” And, “You’ve seen the play, now read the book.”  Members of the Church were praised for their kind-hearted response to Broadway’s intent to use humor as a guise to mock the faith of followers of Christ.  
 
The co-creators of the musical said they had “faith” (NPR, 2011) in the way members of the Church would respond.  After all, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in the Beatitudes as taught by the Savior on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12; 3 Nephi Chapter 12).  We believe in the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12; 3 Nephi 14:12) – and to “do good to them…which despitefully use you” (Matt.

5:44).  We also believe that the Book of Mormon “is the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book,” as the prophet Joseph Smith said.  
 
According to lds.org, “In its more than 6,000 verses, the Book of Mormon refers to Jesus Christ almost 4,000 times and by 100 different names.”  Hand in hand with the Holy Bible, it has been sent to stand as a witness, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah.  We invite everyone, everywhere to read the Book of Mormon and ponder in their hearts the message it contains.  
 
Meanwhile, as the former spokesman for the Church, Michael Otterson, said about the Musical parodying two Mormon missionaries from their sheltered life in Salt Lake City to Uganda, “What of those thousands of remarkable and selfless Mormon missionaries who opted to pay their own expenses…to serve in Africa while their peers were focused on careers or getting on with life?  They have returned home bringing with them a connection with the African people that will last a lifetime.  Many will keep their Swahili language or their Igbo dialect…. They will look up every time they hear Africa mentioned on the evening news.  Their associations with the people whose lives they touched will become lifetime friendships.” 

“In the great scheme of things,” he continued, “what Broadway does with the ‘The Book of Mormon’ musical is irrelevant to most of us.  In the great sweep of history, parodies and TV dramas are blips on the radar screen that come and go.”  But, as recorded in the introduction, the Book of Mormon “puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells [all] what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.”  The Book of Mormon is a Book from God.  
 
Sincerely,
 
Phil Smartt

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