All are Welcome Here

It's pride month, you know what that means!

𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘

𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘

𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘

𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘

𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘𐐘

Lenticular images of paintings

A model solar system and moving starry sky projection in the celestial room.

The endowment video in 3D with the glasses

Roombas

Japanese toilets (if we can afford a temple on mars, we can afford a few Japanese toilets)

Brief moment of zero gravity between the veil and celestial room

Mirrors in the sealing room that allows you to digitally add in family members so it looks like they’re with you.

The goal of it is to have audiences laugh at the way white American Christianity views and treats outside groups, especially those in non-white countries, and then walk away thinking "oh jeez, I do some of those silly things myself. Better fix that!" Instead, by choosing Mormonism as their "stereotypical white church" they solidly prevent any mainstream Christian from seeing themselves in the story. It then becomes "look at how ridiculous those Mormons (who I already hate) are! Glad I'm not like them at all!" And they walk away feeling superior and never once looking inward except to say how much better they are than the pretend Mormons on stage. So already it encourages the exact type of bigotry and self importance that it wants to discourage.

And then! It only depicts people of color as ignorant, violent, and diseased. You know, like a racist would. Now you COULD argue that it's supposed to be from the racist white character's perspective so of course they would appear that way. But here's the thing, narratively that only works if you, at any point say, "hey, actually this stuff isn't true". Otherwise, you're just doing racist shit.

And here's the rotten cherry on the whole shit cake: fans keep saying "yeah it's offensive, but the music is so catchy!" You know what else had catchy music? Blackface minstrel shows. Shit's still racist.