By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, media critic) On the hunt for new holiday music? Pianist Garth Smith teams up with talented vocalists and choirs for A Sacred Christmas, and it’s his best album yet. Combining traditional favorites like “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Away in a Manger” with obscure (but powerful) songs like “Gesu Bambino,” the album is a soaring tribute to Jesus Christ as t ...[Read More]
“A Sacred Christmas” is Fantastic All Year Round
Do You Know Why Satan Hits You When He Does?
By Jonathan Decker (Clinical Director, LMFT) This article is written from a Latter-day Saint perspective. “The nearer a person approaches the Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of His purposes.” – Joseph Smith I've observed a phenomenon in my life and those of my clients. The nearer we get to blessings, the closer we are to ach ...[Read More]
White Privilege- A Latter-day Saint’s Perspective
By Jonathan Decker, Clinical Director, LMFT “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required.” (Luke 12:48) You know in testimony meeting when a person says they didn’t want to stand up and speak but felt that they needed to? That’s me right now. I don’t want to court controversy. I’m not a “kick the hornet’s nest” type of person. I don’t want the inevitable flood of angry comment ...[Read More]
This Latter-day Saint Prophet Gave Amazing Marriage Advice for Everyone
By Jonathan Decker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Gordon B. Hinckley was a man believed by millions of people to be God's prophet, like Moses. So what do Latter-day Saints believe Christ has to say about marriage through His prophet? I joined This Mormon Life host Grady Kerr for a discussion of Hinckley's teachings about matrimony, including: Gender equality The roles of husband and wife ...[Read More]
10 Latter-day Saint Movies That Anyone Could Love
By Jonathan Decker You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy Fiddler on the Roof, Catholic to love Rudy, Hindu to appreciate Ghandi, or an evangelical Christian to be a fan of The Blind Side. Similarly, there are films about Latter-day Saints that are simply good movies. They entertain and tell compelling stories without trying to convert the audience. Here are ten films that have won over mainstream c ...[Read More]
Are You Handling Rejection Like Christ Did?
“The Mockery of Christ” by Carl Bloch By Jonathan Decker “He is despised and rejected of men. A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not.” – Isaiah 53:3. All of us face rejection. Perhaps we don’t get the job we interviewed for. Maybe a love interest breaks our heart. It could be that a parent only acce ...[Read More]
LDS Film Festival Prepares to Inspire
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) For 16 years the LDS Film Festival has been a showcase for uplifting, powerful cinema from both Latter-day Saint filmmakers and others with shared values. There’s a truly phenomenal lineup for this year’s festival (March 1-4 at the Scera Theater in Orem) including a Studio C documentary, a film in which Donny Osmond plays a terrorist, a 24-hour fi ...[Read More]
DONNY OSMOND, TERRORIST? Megastar Plays Villain at LDS Film Festival
Press Release Most directors don’t land an international superstar to appear in their first movie. Then again, most films don’t trigger an accidental “calling-all-units” manhunt by local police or require potentially fatal stunts of the lead actors. But CTU: Provo [watch it here] was hardly an average film shoot, and that’s just scratching the surface. BYU alum Alan Seawright directed and starred ...[Read More]
Album Review: Aussie Mormon Gives LDS Hymns a Soulful Spin
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, entertainment critic) I recently had the opportunity to attend a performance by one of the most unique talents of the LDS music scene. Paul “Cactus Jack” Le Mar is an Australian Mormon who performed live at an event I attended last month. I was stunned (and very moved) by his soulful, passionate takes on Latter-day hymns. I approached him and found him genuine ...[Read More]
Director Mitch Davis Talks THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) This week marks 15 years since the theatrical release of The Other Side of Heaven, the lush and engaging Latter-day Saint missionary biopic which launched the careers of megastar Anne Hathaway and TV favorite Christopher Gorham. The film tells the love story of Elder John H. Groberg and his future wife Jean, exchanging letters as he serves the peo ...[Read More]