Monday, January 18, 2010

Do you watch Big Love?

I really enjoy it. It's about a Polygamous family that is Mormon. I say that way because in my opinion the Mormon faith is important to them, so is the polygamous principle but when it comes down to it...I think they are two separate things. Any person/family could be polygamous and be any kind of religion. It just happens to be that this story is slightly based off of those TV news shows we've seen with a "compound" of Mormon believers that take it a step too far and live in plural marriage and send their daughters off to be married young and dress in very very modest/old timey clothing, etc... But with the Henderson Family...mother (first wife) Barb was raised LDS style, while poor Bill was raised on a compound (like mentioned above)....the two get together and live a normal LDS lifestyle until Barb gets cancer....and somehow it ended up with her caretaker Nikki becoming second wife and then a third and Wham Bam--Polygamy! And with this regimented religion and illegal activity we get a struggling drama filled family.....Although the Henderson's still attempt to privately practice their Mormon faith, their choice in polygamy has kept them from being active in the LDS church (obviously!). At times it seems that the lifestyle is going to fail, but at others it seems like the only thing they have (considering the isolated and "fake" life they lead outside their homes).

It's on Sunday's at 9 on HBO, in the 4th season now... What do u think about them? Do you think this show is offense to Mormon's? Or is it just a mindless amusement like 95% of TV?
And what's up with the whole "Prophet" thing? Does there always have to be a living Prophet or is this just the compound/plural marriage twist to the religion?

2 comments:

  1. It sounds interesting. Of course with me being LDS, or Mormon, I have an opionion about it. :) For me, and like I said before..I have not watched it, just seen previews when it first came out, we don't get it overseas..but for me, I am a little offended by it just because they put the two together- meaning polygamy and our religion. I understand you say that their names were taken off the records and that the church is still really important to them and stuff but for those people that don't watch it and don't know the story don't know that..there are still MANY people that STILL connect the two and think that it is our faith so for me, I just think that it's just causing even more confusion about us. As for there always being a Prophet, yes, we do believe that. We believe that for some time after Christ died, along with his apostles, the priesthood eventually pretty much just fell off the earth, which is what we call the apostasy. Then, I'm sure you've heard of Joseph Smith..when he was 14 years old he was trying to find which church was right, which church to go to. So one night while he was reading in the Bible, he read James 1:5, which tells us that if any of us lack wisdom, then to let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. So he decided that he would do that, that he would ask God. So he prayed, having complete faith that his prayer would be heard and that he would be answered, and God and His Son, Jesus Christ appeared to him and told him to join none of them, that they were all wrong, that they had some of the truth, but not all of it. Long story short, he became the first prophet in what we call, the latter-days. If you want to learn more you can go to mormon.org and lds.org. Ciao lady!

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  2. Thanks for the info! I guess I know better than to sterotype Mormon's with the polygamy thing because I know you and your family and visited your church a couple times. I may not be on the same page with you on religous beliefs but I love you and your family and am glad you're Mormon so I can understand their beliefs/practices better.

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