Public relations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Last updated

Although the media has always been important in the church's growth, [1] public relations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has become increasingly important since the church's growth internationally after World War II. [2] By the 1960s and 1970s, the LDS Church was no longer primarily an Intermountain West-based church, or even a United States-based church.[ citation needed ] The church's organized public relations efforts have deep roots. The Bureau of Information, the predecessor of the Temple Square Visitors Centers was started on Temple Square in Salt Lake City with Le Roi Snow, a son of Lorenzo Snow, as the first director.

Contents

History of church public relations

The origins of the use of the media to spread the message of the church can be traced to the formation of the Radio, Publicity and Missionary Literature Committee in 1935. [3] [4] This organization was headed by Stephen L Richards, of the Quorum of the Twelve, with Gordon B. Hinckley serving as the executive secretary and initially as the only employee.[ citation needed ] During the 1930s, the Committee developed film strips for use by church missionaries. [3]

In 1957, the church split the Radio, Publicity and Missionary Literature Committee into the Church Information Service with the goal of communicating the church's message to the media and an internal communications department. The Church Information Service worked with the goal of being ready to respond to media inquiries and generate positive media coverage. [5] : 963–964  The organization kept a file to provide photos to the media for church events, such as temple dedications. It also would work to get stories covering Family Home Evening, the church welfare plan, and the church's youth activities in various publications. [6]

In 1972, the Church Information Service was renamed the Department of Public Communications. In 1973, it was renamed again to the Public Communications Department. That same year church president Lee gave the first TV interview done by a church president. [7] It was also placed directly under the supervision of the First Presidency, unlike most church departments that were directed through the Quorum of the Twelve. At this point, Wendell J. Ashton was the director. Shortly after this, supervision of LDS Visitors Centers and production of ads produced by the church was added to the department's responsibilities. To assist with these aspects, Heber Wolsey, Brigham Young University's public relations director, was recruited. [5] : 962<  The department then came out with the Homefront ads with their tag line, "Family: isn't it about time?".

Disseminating church principles

The first church-wide standardized plan for teaching church principles to potential proselytes was created in 1953 and named "A Systematic Program for Teaching the Gospel". It was built on the foundation of LeGrand Richards's A Marvelous Work and a Wonder and Richard L. Anderson's organized set of discussions for the church. In 1961, this system was enhanced, expanded, and renamed "A Uniform System for Teaching Investigators." This new system, in the form of a hypothetical dialogue with a fictional character named "Mr. Brown," included intricate details for what to say in almost every situation. These routinized missionary discussions would be further refined in 1973 and 1986, and then de-emphasized in 2003.

In 1973, the church recast its missionary discussions, making them more family-friendly and focused on building on common Christian ideals. The new discussions, named "A Uniform System for Teaching Families", de-emphasized the Great Apostasy, which previously held a prominent position just after the story of the First Vision. When the discussions were revised in the early 1980s, the new discussions dealt with the apostasy less conspicuously, and in later discussions, rather than in the first discussion. The discussions also became more family-friendly, including a flip chart with pictures, in part to encourage the participation of children.

In 1982, the church renamed its edition of the Book of Mormon to "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ".

Pre-1995 church logo Logo of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (pre-1995).png
Pre-1995 church logo

In 1995, the church announced a new logo design that emphasized the words "Jesus Christ" in large capital letters, and de-emphasized the words "The Church of" and "of Latter-day Saints". Subsequently, and along the same vein, in 2001, the church issued a press release encouraging reporters to use the full name of the church at the beginning of news articles, with following references to the "Church of Jesus Christ". The release discouraged the use of the term "Mormon Church". [8] [9] Church leaders at the same time acknowledged that the connection of the term "Mormon" with the church was not going away. [10]

In 1999, the church launched a second website, FamilySearch.org, which focused on its genealogy work. [11]

Key Cities Plan

By the early years of the 21st century, the LDS Church had developed a "Key Cities Plan" to focus various efforts of outreach. One part of this program was the use of genealogy work to reach ethnic groups that had not been traditionally attracted to the church. Various outreaches to African-Americans were conducted, especially with the compilation of the Freedmen's Bank Records and presentations given by Darius Gray.

Other outreach efforts included those to the Haitian community in Miami, Florida, with specifically targeted activities and efforts connected with the dedication of a chapel in the Haitian area. [12]

The church and the media

In addition to its varied websites and other official channels, the church has produced a series of films, and PSAs. [13] [14] [15] [16]

Select films

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Baker, Sherry P. "Mormon Media History Timeline, 1827–2007". BYU. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "LDS Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership". Mormon Newsroom. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  3. 1 2 "History of Church-Produced Mormon Films". Mormon Newsroom. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  4. ↑ "Technology Used by Church From Early Years". LDS Church. January 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. 1 2 Atkinson, Keith; Hull, LeAnne (2000), "Public Affairs", in Garr, Arnold K.; Cannon, Donald Q.; Cowan, Richard O. (eds.), Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, ISBN   978-1-57345-822-1, OCLC   44634356
  6. ↑ Cowan, Richard O. (1985), The Church in the 20th Century, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, p. 289, ISBN   0884945413, OCLC   12267480
  7. ↑ "The Mormon Church Who, What And Why". Longview News. 11 November 1973. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017.
  8. ↑ Niebuhr, Gustav (February 19, 2001), "Adapting 'Mormon' to Emphasize Christianity", The New York Times
  9. ↑ "Style Guide – The Name of the Church", Newsroom, LDS Church, retrieved 2012-11-29
  10. ↑ Taylor, Scott (April 2, 2011), "LDS or Mormon? It Depends: Church Prefers Full Name But Is Accepting More Mormon Uses", Deseret News , retrieved 2012-11-29
  11. ↑ Deseret News Church Almanac (2007 ed.) (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret News, 2006) p. 125.
  12. ↑ Stimpson, Lindsey (5 April 2004), "Church developing in world, PR strategy increases success", The Daily Universe (BYU) , archived from the original on 6 March 2012, retrieved 9 March 2010
  13. ↑ Romig, Rollo (January 20, 2012), ""Julie Through the Glass": The Rise and Fall of the Mormon TV Commercial", The New Yorker , retrieved 2012-11-29
  14. ↑ Otterson, Michael (January 12, 2012), "Mormons in the mainstream", The Washington Post , On Faith, archived from the original on January 21, 2012, retrieved 2012-11-29
  15. ↑ Taylor, Scott (April 15, 2011), "Mormon PR leader: 'Why I won't be seeing the Book of Mormon musical'", Deseret News
  16. ↑ "Scholarly Inquiry: Jared Farmer". The Juvenile Instructor. Mormons in the Media. Retrieved 14 February 2021.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span> Nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in the United States in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 17 million members and 62,544 full-time volunteer missionaries. Based on these numbers, the church is the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States as of 2012, and reported over 6.7 million US members as of 2021. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the early 19th-century period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is typically divided into three broad time periods:

  1. The early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith which is in common with most Latter Day Saint movement churches,
  2. A "pioneer era" under the leadership of Brigham Young and his 19th-century successors, and
  3. A modern era beginning around the turn of the 20th century as the practice of plural marriage was discontinued.

In Mormonism, the restoration refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts, ordinances, living prophets and revelation of the primitive Church of Christ after a long period of apostasy. While in some contexts the term may also refer to the early history of Mormonism, in other contexts the term is used in a way to include the time that has elapsed from the church's earliest beginnings until the present day. Especially in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "the restoration" is often used also as a term to encompass the corpus of religious messages from its general leaders down to the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon B. Hinckley</span> American religious leader and author (1910-2008)

Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 1995 until his death in January 2008 at age 97. Considered a prophet, seer, and revelator by church members, Hinckley was the oldest person to preside over the church in its history until Russell M. Nelson surpassed his age in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latter Day Saint movement</span> Religious movement

The Latter Day Saint movement is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey R. Holland</span> American educator and religious leader (born 1940)

Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University (BYU) and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Currently, he is the fourth most senior apostle in the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell M. Nelson</span> President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Russell Marion Nelson Sr. is an American religious leader and retired surgeon who is the 17th and current president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson was a member of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for nearly 34 years, and was the quorum president from 2015 to 2018. As church president, Nelson is recognized by the church as a prophet, seer, and revelator.

Robert L. Millet is a professor of ancient scripture and emeritus Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Millet is a Latter-day Saint author and speaker with more than 60 published works on virtually all aspects of Mormonism. Millet was at the forefront of establishing evangelical-Mormon dialogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Training Center</span> Religious training centers operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Missionary Training Centers (MTC) are centers devoted to training missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The flagship MTC is located in Provo, Utah, adjacent to the campus of Brigham Young University (BYU), a private university owned and operated by the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James E. Talmage</span> Religious leader and academic

James Edward Talmage was an English chemist, geologist, and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1911 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormon missionary</span> Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —widely known as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and community service. Missionaries of the LDS Church may be male or female and may serve on a full- or part-time basis, depending on the assignment. Missionaries are organized geographically into missions, which could be any one of the 411 missions organized worldwide.

Below is a chronological list of temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In the LDS Church, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time, and then each is dedicated as a "House of the Lord," after which only members in good standing are permitted to enter. Thus, they are not churches or meetinghouses, but rather specialized places of worship. The Church has 315 temples in various phases, which includes 176 dedicated temples, 58 currently under construction, and 81 others announced. Within temples, members of the church make covenants, receive instructions, and perform rituals and ordinances. Additionally, members consider the temple a place to commune with God, seek God's aid, understand God's will, and receive personal revelation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Canada</span>

Since its organization in New York in 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Canada. The church's first missionaries to preach outside of the United States preached in Upper Canada; the first stake to be established outside of the U.S. was the Alberta Stake; and the Cardston Alberta Temple was the first church temple built outside of the boundaries of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah</span> LDS Church and its members in Utah

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Utah. Utah has more church members than any other U.S. state or country. The LDS Church is also the largest denomination in Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia</span> Religious denomination in Australia

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia began with the arrival of seventeen-year-old missionary William James Barratt in 1840. The LDS Church's first baptism in Australia was in 1842 when Barratt baptised Robert Beauchamp, who would later become an Australian mission president. However, official missionary work did not begin until John Murdock, who became the first official mission president in Australia, and Charles Wandell established a mission in Sydney, Australia, on 31 October 1851. The colonies of New Zealand and Tasmania were added to the Australian Mission in 1854, creating the Australasian Mission. In 1898, however, the Australasian Mission was divided into the New Zealand Mission and the Australian Mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan</span> Church in Japan

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Japan in 1901 when the church's first missionaries arrived on August 12. Among them was Heber J. Grant, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and later became the church's 7th president. Horace S. Ensign, Louis A. Kelsch, and Alma O. Taylor accompanied Grant. The LDS Church's first baptism in Japan was on March 8, 1902, when Grant baptized Hajime Nakazawa, a former Kannushi. The Book of Mormon was translated three times. The first translation, which took over six years, was completed by Taylor in 1909. It was then recommended that the Book of Mormon be translated into bunshō, a more elegant literary style, which was done by Chōkō Ikuta in 1909, shortly before it was published and distributed. The third translation in 1957 was done by Tatsui Sato. In 1995, the Book of Mormon was translated again into a more colloquial style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Brazil in 1926 with the opening of the South American Mission. Missionary work was focused on small German immigrant colonies in South Brazil. The LDS Church was forced to expand missionary work to Brazilians and Portuguese speakers when non-Portuguese languages were banned in public meetings in 1938. The Brazil Mission was opened on February 9, 1935, with Rulon S. Howells as mission president. The first Portuguese translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in India</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in India since the 19th century. As of 2019, there were local members, missionaries and multiple meetinghouses of the LDS Church in the country.

The name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is derived from an 1838 revelation church founder Joseph Smith said he received. Church leaders have long emphasized the church's full name, and have resisted the application of informal or shortened names, especially those which omit "Jesus Christ". These informal and shortened names include the "Mormon Church", the "LDS Church", and the "Church of the Latter-day Saints".

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.