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]
Director Mitch Davis Talks THE OTHER SIDE OF HEAVEN
BEHOLD THE GREAT REDEEMER is a Marvelous Album of Praise
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, media critic) On the heels of his albums How Beautiful Thy Temples and Sweet Hour of Prayer, pianist Garth Smith brings his soothing, melodic talent to your home once again with Behold the Great Redeemer (Sacred Hymns, Vol. III). With soft-yet-stirring arrangements of favorites such as “Lead, Kindly Light,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “I Wonder, When He Comes Ag ...[Read More]
Can Marriage Really Continue After Death?
By Jonathan Decker (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) Today I joined This Mormon Life guru Grady Kerr for his podcast, covering the 16th chapter of the book Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter. Entitled “Marriage: An Eternal Partnership,” we discuss President Hunter's sermons on how to create a lasting marriage, building a life worth living on your own if ...[Read More]
3 Keys to Thriving as an LDS Single
By Jonathan Decker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Author's note: I have a great respect for the beliefs of others and have learned much from them. Although I am a devout Latter-day Saint, I do not impose my beliefs upon my clients and I support their worldviews in therapy. I include this article here so that all of my writings can be found in one place. This article originally appeared in ...[Read More]
The Book of Mormon: A Story of Racial Equality?
By Jonathan Decker Note: This article is written from a Latter-day Saint perspective. Context is Everything The most accurate description of race in The Book of Mormon is not that dark skin is bad and light skin is good, but rather that “all are alike unto God” and that “the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” Context is everything. Critics of The Book of Mormon often cite isolated ...[Read More]
What Husbands Can Learn from the Stripling Warriors
By Jonathan Decker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Note: This is written from a Latter-day Saint perspective The Book of Mormon (which is revered by Latter-day Saints alongside The Bible) contains one of the strongest depictions of ideal manhood in religious literature. In the story of the two thousand stripling warriors readers gain insight into characteristics that, if developed in moder ...[Read More]
Race in Mormon History
By Jonathan Decker Author's note: I have a great respect for the beliefs of others and have learned much from them. Although I am a devout Latter-day Saint, I do not impose my beliefs upon my clients, working within their worldview in therapy. I include this article here so that all of my writings can be found in one place. This article, “Race in Mormon History,” originally ran in Mer ...[Read More]
Is Violent Media Ever Okay? A Latter-day Saint Perspective
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, film critic) Author's note: I have a great respect for the beliefs of others and have learned much from them. Although I am a devout Latter-day Saint, I do not impose my beliefs upon my clients and I support their worldviews in therapy. I include this article here so that all of my writings can be found in one place. This article originally appeared in Modern ...[Read More]
Jamesthemormon: Not Your Parents’ “Mormon Rap”
By Jonathan Decker (Family therapist, entertainment critic) This article originally appeared in Meridian Magazine. In 1988 The Walter and Hays Band released the cheesily-quintessential “Mormon Rap.” The song was meant as a winking in-joke for Latter-day Saints, with lyrics like I’m a fine young man, I’m living clean, Don’t smoke, don’t drink, If you know what I mean. Don’t touch Soda Pop if It ha ...[Read More]
What Does Latter-day Saint Doctrine Really Say About R-rated Movies?
By Jonathan Decker (Clinical Director, LMFT) During promotion for my book 250 Great Movies for Latter-day Families I was invited to give an interview with The Student Review, an independent publication from students at Brigham Young University. This is that interview. For my interview with BYU's official newspaper The Daily Universe click here. What started your love for movies? I can trace it di ...[Read More]