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]
10 Latter-day Saint Movies That Anyone Could Love
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]
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]
Was Joseph Smith Actually a Prophet? New Book Explores Evidence
By Jonathan Decker (Clinical Director, LMFT) Note: This article is written from a Latter-day Saint perspective. If you ask me, Michael Ash is one of the most valuable voices in the kingdom of God today. As critics attempt to tear the Church down by attacking its foundational claims, Ash continues to display strong and compelling evidence supporting those same claims. Always quick to acknowledge t ...[Read More]
How Jesus Keeps Showing Up in Your Movies
By Jonathan Decker (Clinical Director, LMFT) The life of Jesus Christ has inspired, directly and indirectly, many of your Hollywood favorites. Don't believe me? Check out these examples of cinematic heroes as “types of Christ.” WHAT IS A “TYPE OF CHRIST?” When we speak of “types of Christ,” we're usually referring to prophets and others who, according to Bruce R ...[Read More]
JOSEPH SMITH: PLATES OF GOLD Family Movie Review
REVIEW (GRADE: A-) This has been a prolific decade for films about Joseph Smith. Ten years ago the Church produced The Restoration, a lovely short film about the First Vision (watch it here) that improved greatly on the cheesy and dated 1976 version. Then non-Mormon actor Jonathan Scarfe brought conviction and charisma to the role in the Work and the Glory trilogy, his performance arguably the b ...[Read More]
T.C. Christensen Talks 17 MIRACLES, TESTAMENTS, JOSEPH SMITH
By Jonathan Decker, Clinical Director, LMFT Note: This interview originally appeared in Meridian Magazine and is written from a Latter-day Saint perspective. LDS church members may or may not know the name, but they are likely familiar with the work of talented filmmaker T.C. Christensen. As a cinematographer, director, writer, and producer he has had a hand in many beloved films, including The T ...[Read More]