2005: A Busy Year for Latter-day Saints
The headline for this entry is taken directly from the Cedar City Review, a weekly rag that shows up in my mailbox on Thursdays. The full-page story in this week's issue largely dwells on a challenge issued by Gordon B. Hinckley to members of the LDS Church to finish reading the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. The article goes on to interview several Cedar City residents (many of whom oddly choose to remain anonymous) about the "project."
Aside from familiarizing wayward members with the primary text of their faith, what other motivation could President Hinckley have for issuing such a challenge? The CC Review relates the following information:
According to a story in the Dec. 27 Deseret Morning News, Covenant Communications saw a significant increase in Book of Mormon product sales--including the Book of Mormon on tape, CD, DVD, VHS, Book of Mormon Heritage Edition, and the Book of Mormon in triple combination on CD and MP3--between August and December, from approximately 11,000
last year to 28,000 this year. A DVD narrated by Rex Campbell was an especially hot item, but "sales of the book on CD [were] 10 times higher than the same quarter last year at the church's main Distribution Center.
Kris Bahr, manager of Mountain West Books in Cedar City, said she also saw an increase in sales for Book of Mormon-related items. CDs and cassettes were the most popular, especially in October through December as people started their Christmas shopping. The big illustrated
editions of the book were also best-sellers.
Aside from the lucrative endorsement of the LDS president for local Mormon retailers, there is another shocking aspect to this story. Isn't it cheating to rely on CD, DVD, and VHS adaptations of a holy book? If your leader and prophet asks you to read your sacred text, shouldn't you, you know, read it? Surely you people read, don't you?
Aside from familiarizing wayward members with the primary text of their faith, what other motivation could President Hinckley have for issuing such a challenge? The CC Review relates the following information:
According to a story in the Dec. 27 Deseret Morning News, Covenant Communications saw a significant increase in Book of Mormon product sales--including the Book of Mormon on tape, CD, DVD, VHS, Book of Mormon Heritage Edition, and the Book of Mormon in triple combination on CD and MP3--between August and December, from approximately 11,000
last year to 28,000 this year. A DVD narrated by Rex Campbell was an especially hot item, but "sales of the book on CD [were] 10 times higher than the same quarter last year at the church's main Distribution Center.
Kris Bahr, manager of Mountain West Books in Cedar City, said she also saw an increase in sales for Book of Mormon-related items. CDs and cassettes were the most popular, especially in October through December as people started their Christmas shopping. The big illustrated
editions of the book were also best-sellers.
Aside from the lucrative endorsement of the LDS president for local Mormon retailers, there is another shocking aspect to this story. Isn't it cheating to rely on CD, DVD, and VHS adaptations of a holy book? If your leader and prophet asks you to read your sacred text, shouldn't you, you know, read it? Surely you people read, don't you?
I suppose it's all part of the upcoming celebration for the 200th birthday of LDS founder Joseph Smith, Jr. who, according to most historical accounts, had only a third-grade education at best, but was most likely illiterate.
posted by Chazzbot at 10:03 PM
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