Finding Happiness (A Mormon Video)

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why_me said:
Now Rebecca, don’t be so bias. I watched the video without the sound, and it came across very catholic. The imaging is certainly catholic. The catholic message is simple: finding meaning in a secularized society. If you watch the video without the sound, you will see perhaps catholic churches, alienated people, and yet, there are meaningful images of togetherness with god. Thus, it agrees with the pope that happiness and meaning are difficult to find if a person embraces secularism.
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I watched it whyme, without the sound. I work in the film industry, so I am VERY familiar with filmmaking, methods, ways to bring across a point with camera angles, images etc. Sound, in these types of productions (marketing), does nothing but add either narration, or music which is meant to create a “mood”. It is actually useful to watch without sound, in cases of these types of media.

I am also very familiar with uses of rhetoric in media (film, books, advertising, etc).

I imagine the sound for this thing is sappy and the narration that soothing, monotone, voice like the GAs use in conference. Am I wrong?

At any rate, the images go from busy street (what’s with the emphasis on people smoking? And Cathedrals???) to images of nature to, yes, BABIES! People sitting alone, visiting cemeteries, to smiling happy people holding hands (ie praying).

Please, it has all the hallmarks of Mormon syrupy sweet full of calories but nothing nutritional. And that is without the sound!
 
BartBurk said:
Does a British or Australian accent supposedly increase the validity of the Mormon message? Can’t they find a good Utah accent so people would really know what they were getting into?
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Watching it without the sound, I noticed it is aimed at a European audience (filmed in European locals, people are not “American looking”), so no surprise to me that the narration is done with a European English accent.
 
NewSeeker said:
Think about the significance of the body language in various prayer positions. Folded arms suggest the person is closed off to further (name removed by moderator)ut, in a self-protective mode. The earliest Christians prayed in the orans position: arms extended, palms turned up, signifying openness and willingness to receive. It’s like kids - when they pout, they fold their arms and make a face. What do they do when they want your attention and love? They open their arms and reach out for you
I think our prayer posture matters. Just some food for thought.

orderofcenturions.org/images/orans_catacomb2.jpg

NS
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Hey NewSeeker, how’s it going?

We had a whole thread about Mormons folding their arms during prayer, a while back. After much discussion, we finally concluded that Mormons teach their kids to do this in order to get them to hold still and “be reverent” during prayer, and so the posture just continues into adulthood.

It is indeed very odd to watch a large group of people fold their arms while praying. It is completely foreign to a Catholic.

🙂
 
zerinus said:
The LDS Church has recently published a 6 minute video presentation which I thought is very interesting and professionally done. I searched to see if somebody has put it up on the Internet yet, but didn’t find any, so I decided to put it up there myself. Here it is:

youtube.com/zerinus

This is my first venture into YouTube; and also my first venture in the art of DVD ripping! I have not yet mastered the technique to perfection; but it is okay for now. Tell us what you think. I think it is good! What is your opinion? Does the Catholic Church has anything comparable?

zerinus
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An oxymoron: Happiness being Mormon.

How can you be happy without Jesus as your God?

With Thomas let us proclaim, “My Lord and my God,”
 
RebeccaJ said:
Hey NewSeeker, how’s it going?

We had a whole thread about Mormons folding their arms during prayer, a while back. After much discussion, we finally concluded that Mormons teach their kids to do this in order to get them to hold still and “be reverent” during prayer, and so the posture just continues into adulthood.

It is indeed very odd to watch a large group of people fold their arms while praying. It is completely foreign to a Catholic.

🙂
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but you can’t “be reverent” with folding hands in front? Thats how I learned as a little girl (I am catholic). Trust me children can be taught any way to pray and I’m sure they are sometimes disrupive with folded arms too

oh yes this video is a longer version. the little girl is so cute catholicscomehome.org/epic/FaithCatholic7.phtml
 
BartBurk said:
Does a British or Australian accent supposedly increase the validity of the Mormon message? Can’t they find a good Utah accent so people would really know what they were getting into?
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This video was created for people outside the US, and it contains several different versions of it in many different languages, both European and Asian. Each version contains scenes shot in their respective countries. The Chinese and Japanese versions of it for example are all shot in those countries. The one I had extracted and put up on YouTube is actually the wrong version! :o It is shot in some East European country, and dubbed with a British voice! That is just down to my lack of experience with manipulating DVDs. However, I have now managed to extract the correct British version of it (with scenes from Britain, and Britich voice). But I haven’t yet succeeded in stitching the last bit into it which tells the viewer about the Church. When I have finally managed to do that, I will delete the earlier one and upload this one instead.

zerinus
 
zerinus said:
This video was created for people outside the US, and it contains several different versions of it in many different languages, both European and Asian. Each version contains scenes shot in their respective countries. The Chinese and Japanese versions of it for example are all shot in those countries. The one I had extracted and put up on YouTube is actually the wrong version! :o It is shot in some East European country, and dubbed with a British voice! That is just down to my lack of experience with manipulating DVDs. However, I have now managed to extract the correct British version of it (with scenes from Britain, and Britich voice). But I haven’t yet succeeded in stitching the last bit into it which tells the viewer about the Church. When I have finally managed to do that, I will delete the earlier one and upload this one instead.

zerinus
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well most people don’t need the church of Jesus christ of latter day stamp put on it. You can do it when you figure it out but most people here probably won’t care if you reedit it. I’m sorry to say it like that but this is a Catholic site and latly your just spreading your false gospel here.

I have to ask? were you talking about this is priesthood last sunday to keep spearding the news of the mormon church? cuz your posts have been more and more like that 🤷
 
why_me said:
Now Rebecca, don’t be so bias. I watched the video without the sound, and it came across very catholic. The imaging is certainly catholic. The catholic message is simple: finding meaning in a secularized society. If you watch the video without the sound, you will see perhaps catholic churches, alienated people, and yet, there are meaningful images of togetherness with god. Thus, it agrees with the pope that happiness and meaning are difficult to find if a person embraces secularism.
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Yes the imagery is Catholic and it’s all negative, the people are sad faced, engaged in drudgery and alone. The churches are buildings devoid of people. Can you say dead churches? To underscore this, there is the bit that shows a church followed by a bridge then a cloister. The narrator says over the the church and bridge “our creations are impressive” then over the cloister there’s “but” followed by a pause. This is the topping on the “dead churches” and the lead in to wouldn’t you like something better.

Cue in to the smiling people engaged with the missionaries and the BOM. These people are not rushed or alone or performing drudgery. Closing with the happy couple opposed to the lonely young man at the train station. The whole ending implies if you come to us you won’t be lonely or rushed or stuck in drudgery ( I find the last part ironic in light of the LDS piling “callings” on the membership) The lonely man in the station has a choice he can choose to remain alone or call the LDS.

I don’t see how see this video as anything but one long emotional infomercial. I was talking about this with my kids this morning, since they are bombarded with advertising I make it a point to go over commercials with them now and then. I agree that watching them without sound is useful followed by a second time around with narration. At the end one of my 9yr olds (a budding smart aleck) piped up and called it The Blendy Pen Church.
 
PattyPryor said:
but you can’t “be reverent” with folding hands in front? Thats how I learned as a little girl (I am catholic). Trust me children can be taught any way to pray and I’m sure they are sometimes disrupive with folded arms too

oh yes this video is a longer version. the little girl is so cute catholicscomehome.org/epic/FaithCatholic7.phtml
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Certainly, a child can be taught in different ways. I have never found a reason for why Mormons choose the fold-your-arms-bow-your-head-squeeze-your-eyes-shut stance. They came from a Protestant tradition of praying, and I can only assume that somewhere along the line, an influential person was taught this way as a child and incorporated into LDS culture.

And certainly, when I taught primary, folded arms create pointed elbows that are used to jab at the person seated close by. My friends and I would pass notes…prime time for this as everyone’s eyes are closed tight.
 
Yeah, praying with the arms crossed seemed VERY foreign to me when I attended a sacrament/Fast and Testimony meeting with my Mormon friend. She informed me that’s just how it’s done (“We’re different…”). How these children know their church is “true” during testimony is beyond me…

Regarding the video- very slick and well done in the classic LDS form. Thanks Z for the recommendation. For a nice Catholic film (uh, video) I’d like to recommend watching the Catholic short
(18 min) “Fishers of Men” at ccc.usccb.org\video/fishers_of_men1.wmv regarding vocation.

Peace
 
Well, to be fair, it is in the non-catholic religion section and, in the header, says it is a mormon video. No need to watch if it doesnt interest you. Also, if there was a real problem, the mods would take care of it.
 
Exodus15 said:
Yeah, praying with the arms crossed seemed VERY foreign to me when I attended a sacrament/Fast and Testimony meeting with my Mormon friend. She informed me that’s just how it’s done (“We’re different…”). How these children know their church is “true” during testimony is beyond me…

Regarding the video- very slick and well done in the classic LDS form. Thanks Z for the recommendation. For a nice Catholic film (uh, video) I’d like to recommend watching the Catholic short
(18 min) “Fishers of Men” at ccc.usccb.org\video/fishers_of_men1.wmv regarding vocation.

Peace
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That was a powers film. When the Priest goes to the boy at the car wreck it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.
 
I watched the Mormon video just now…I don’t feel any happier for it. People don’t need schmaltz, they need GOD. Focus more on actual teachings of the church if you want to attract believers of substance. Just saying “our church will make you happy” without any sort of detail makes this seem about on par with an energy drink or multi-vitamin commercial: “Before the LDS, I was saaaaad, but now with LDS I’m feeling peppy and full of life!”

It honestly doesn’t even seem like a video about religion. I almost expected to see fine print at the end about how the statements of the video have not been evaluated by the FDA…
 
Okay you guys, I have finally uploaded the correct version of this video on YouTube. I have also kept the original one in case someone wants to compare them to see the differences. But I was not able to stitch the last bit into it; so I have uploaded that as a separate file. You can see all three on my YouTube channel.

zerinus
 
People fly fish in Europe?

Other than that, the same formula as the first one.

And mormon.org is the missionary website of the Mormon church. It’s sole purpose is to advertise. Didn’t someone here at CAF get suckered into Mormonism because that website was so “nice”?
 
RebeccaJ said:
People fly fish in Europe?

Other than that, the same formula as the first one.

And mormon.org is the missionary website of the Mormon church. It’s sole purpose is to advertise. Didn’t someone here at CAF get suckered into Mormonism because that website was so “nice”?
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If somebody gets converted because of a “nice” website, their faith is very weak indeed. Don’t Mormons believe that the Trinity doesnt exist and are actually three different gods and Jesus started out as an actual person and, because of his good works, eventually became a god? Not to mention that, in their religion, they believe that Jesus is the brother of satan? Is that all pretty accurate?
 
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