This edition of “Getting It Right” features Shaun Micallef’s Stairway to Heaven, an Australian documentary series aired on SBS in which Micallef focuses each episode on a different religion or set of beliefs. A recent episode scrutinizes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or as he refers to the religion, Mormonism.
We commend Micallef for his sincere curiosity and effort to produce an unbiased look at Latter-day Saint beliefs and practices. Working closely with the Church, Micallef documented humanitarian efforts, missionary service, family life, leadership, Church-owned Brigham Young University, heritage and some more controversial topics such as homosexuality and polygamy.
In the documentary, Micallef visits a group of people “who practice a form of Mormonism that is less distilled and more fundamental than even that we’ve seen in Salt Lake City,” he says. The family he visits practices polygamy. It should be noted and emphasized that the beliefs he explores at that point refer to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or FLDS Church, which is not affiliated in any way with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS Church.
While both religions are based on the same founding heritage, the beliefs and doctrines of the two entities are different. Micallef mentions a distinction, but viewers may find it difficult to separate the two theologies.
We appreciate Micallef’s effort to distill the essence of Mormonism, which focuses on individuals’ personal relationship with God. “The key here, I think, is personal revelation,” he said. “In fact, just about every Mormon I’ve met on this journey has had one.”
For more information on Latter-day Saint beliefs, go to Mormon.org, Mormon Newsroom or LDS.org. In particular, the following essays on LDS.org provide more context on some of the topics covered in the program:
Plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints