Public relations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Encyclopedia
Public relations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has become of increased importance to the church's hierarchy since the church's increased international growth after World War II
. By the 1960s and 1970s, the LDS Church was no longer primarily an Intermountain West
-based church, or even a United States-based church. Rather, it had become a worldwide organization.
The church, mirroring the world around it, felt the disunifying strains of alien cultures and diverse points of view that had brought an end to the idealistic modern age. At the same time, the postmodern
world was increasingly skeptical of traditional religion and authority, and driven by mass-media and public image. These influences awoke within the church a new self-consciousness.
Thus, the church underwent a number of important changes in organization, practices, and meeting schedule. In addition, the church became more media-savvy, and more self-conscious and protective of its public image. The church also became more involved in public discourse, using its new-found political and cultural influence and the media to affect its image, public morality, and Mormon scholarship, and to promote its missionary efforts. At the same time, the church struggled with how to deal with increasingly pluralistic voices within the church and within Mormonism. In general, this period has seen both an increase in cultural and racial diversity and extra-faith ecumenism
, and a decrease in intra-faith pluralism
.
Until the church's rapid growth after World War II, it had been seen in the eyes of the general public as a backward, non- or vaguely-Christian
polygamist cult in Utah — an image that interfered with proselyting efforts. As the church's size began to merit new visibility in the world, the church seized upon the opportunity to re-define its public image, and to establish itself in the public mind as a mainstream Christian faith. At the same time, the church became publicly involved in numerous ecumenical and welfare projects that continue to serve as the foundation of its ecumenism today.
Public Relations on the part of the Church in an organized way 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.
serving as the executive secretary and initially the only employee. During the 1930s they developed film strips for missionaries to use.
In the 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. The organization kept a photo file to provide photos to the media for such events 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.
In 1972 the Church Information Service was renamed the Department of Public Communications. In 1973 it was renamed again to the Public Communications Department. 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 Vistitors Centers and production of ads produced by the Church was added to this departments responsibility. To assist with these aspects, Heber Wolsey, BYU's public relations director, was recruited. The department then came out with the Homefront ads with their tag line "Family, Isn't it about time".
As part of the church's efforts to re-position its image as that of a mainstream religion, the church began to moderate earlier anti-Catholic
rhetoric by members. In Elder Bruce R. McConkie
's 1958 edition of Mormon Doctrine
, which was not an official publication of the Church, he had stated his unofficial opinion that the Catholic Church was part of "the church of the devil" and "the great and abominable church" because it was among organizations that misled people away from following God's laws. In his 1966 edition of the same book, the specific reference to the Catholic Church was removed.
See generally: Armand L. Mauss, The Angel and the Beehive: The Mormon Struggle with Assimilation (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994); Gordon Sheperd & Gary Sheperd, "Mormonism in Secular Society: Changing Patterns in Official Ecclesiastical Rhetoric," Review of Religious Research 26 (Sept. 1984): 28-42.
' 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.
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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". According to Bruce L. Olsen
, director of public affairs for the church, "The logo re-emphasizes the official name of the church and the central position of the Savior in its theology. It stresses our allegiance to the Lord, Jesus Christ."
It was also in the 1990s that the Church came to have more members living outside the United States than inside.
In 1999 the LDS Church launched a second website, FamilySearch
.org, this one containing the Family History Library
Catalogue, databases such as the International Genealogical Index
and Ancestral File and a limited number of search aids as well as a system to search for the nearest Family History Center.
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles released a proclamation entitled "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
". This document commemorated the birth of Jesus
and set forth the church's official view regarding Christ.
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". This request has been almost universally ignored since.
Church leaders at the same time realized that the connection of the term "Mormon" with the church was not going away. In October 2001, the church officially launched a new web-site, mormon.org, which was aimed at providing information about the church to assist in missionary efforts.
.
Other outreach efforts included those to the Haitian Community in Miami, with specifically targeted activities and efforts connected with the dedication of a chapel in the Haitian area.
For example, the LDS Church teamed up with Islamic Relief USA
to send aid in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
In the 1990s the Church donated money to help re-build to several Protestant congregations with substantial numbers of African-Americans in the southern United States that had had their buildings burned in arsons.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. By the 1960s and 1970s, the LDS Church was no longer primarily an Intermountain West
Intermountain West
The Intermountain West is a region of North America lying between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to the west. It is also called the Intermountain Region.- Topography :...
-based church, or even a United States-based church. Rather, it had become a worldwide organization.
The church, mirroring the world around it, felt the disunifying strains of alien cultures and diverse points of view that had brought an end to the idealistic modern age. At the same time, the postmodern
Postmodernity
Postmodernity is generally used to describe the economic or cultural state or condition of society which is said to exist after modernity...
world was increasingly skeptical of traditional religion and authority, and driven by mass-media and public image. These influences awoke within the church a new self-consciousness.
Notable changes within the church
It felt a need to sell its image to an increasingly jaded public, to jettison some of its Utah-based parochialism, to control and manage Mormon scholarship that might present an unfavorable image of the church, and to alter its organization to cope with its size and cultural diversity, while preserving centralized control of Latter-day Saint doctrine, practice, and culture.Thus, the church underwent a number of important changes in organization, practices, and meeting schedule. In addition, the church became more media-savvy, and more self-conscious and protective of its public image. The church also became more involved in public discourse, using its new-found political and cultural influence and the media to affect its image, public morality, and Mormon scholarship, and to promote its missionary efforts. At the same time, the church struggled with how to deal with increasingly pluralistic voices within the church and within Mormonism. In general, this period has seen both an increase in cultural and racial diversity and extra-faith ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
, and a decrease in intra-faith pluralism
Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
.
Until the church's rapid growth after World War II, it had been seen in the eyes of the general public as a backward, non- or vaguely-Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
polygamist cult in Utah — an image that interfered with proselyting efforts. As the church's size began to merit new visibility in the world, the church seized upon the opportunity to re-define its public image, and to establish itself in the public mind as a mainstream Christian faith. At the same time, the church became publicly involved in numerous ecumenical and welfare projects that continue to serve as the foundation of its ecumenism today.
Public Relations on the part of the Church in an organized way 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
Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow was the fifth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to his death. Snow was the last president of the LDS Church in the nineteenth century.-Family:...
, as the first director.
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 1934. This organization was headed by Elder Stephen L. Richards of the quorum of the twelve, with Gordon B. HinckleyGordon B. Hinckley
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 12, 1995 until his death...
serving as the executive secretary and initially the only employee. During the 1930s they developed film strips for missionaries to use.
In the 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. The organization kept a photo file to provide photos to the media for such events as Temple dedications. It also would work to get stories covering Family Home Evening
Family Home Evening
Family Home Evening or Family Night, in the context of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, refers to one evening per week, usually Monday, that families are encouraged to spend together in study, prayer and other wholesome activities...
, the Church welfare plan and the Church's youth activities in various publications.
In 1972 the Church Information Service was renamed the Department of Public Communications. In 1973 it was renamed again to the Public Communications Department. It was also placed directly under the supervision of the First Presidency
First Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
unlike most Church departments that were directed through the Quorum of the Twelve. At this point Wendell J. Ashton
Wendell J. Ashton
Wendell J. Ashton was the publisher of the Deseret News and the head of the Public Communications Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was a brother of church Apostle Marvin J. Ashton.-Biography:Ashton was a graduate of LDS High School in Salt Lake City, Utah...
was the director. Shortly after this supervision of LDS Vistitors Centers and production of ads produced by the Church was added to this departments responsibility. To assist with these aspects, Heber Wolsey, BYU's public relations director, was recruited. The department then came out with the Homefront ads with their tag line "Family, Isn't it about time".
As part of the church's efforts to re-position its image as that of a mainstream religion, the church began to moderate earlier anti-Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
rhetoric by members. In Elder Bruce R. McConkie
Bruce R. McConkie
Bruce Redd McConkie was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972 until his death...
's 1958 edition of Mormon Doctrine
Mormon Doctrine (book)
Mormon Doctrine is an encyclopedic work written in 1958 by Bruce R. McConkie, a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was intended primarily for a Latter-day Saint audience and is often used as a reference book by church members because of its comprehensive nature...
, which was not an official publication of the Church, he had stated his unofficial opinion that the Catholic Church was part of "the church of the devil" and "the great and abominable church" because it was among organizations that misled people away from following God's laws. In his 1966 edition of the same book, the specific reference to the Catholic Church was removed.
See generally: Armand L. Mauss, The Angel and the Beehive: The Mormon Struggle with Assimilation (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994); Gordon Sheperd & Gary Sheperd, "Mormonism in Secular Society: Changing Patterns in Official Ecclesiastical Rhetoric," Review of Religious Research 26 (Sept. 1984): 28-42.
Disseminating church principles
The first church-wide standardized plan for teaching church principles to potential proselytes had been created in 1953 and named "A Systematic Program for Teaching the Gospel", this had built on the foundation of Legrand RichardsLeGrand Richards
LeGrand Richards was a prominent missionary and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as the seventh presiding bishop of the LDS Church from 1938 to 1952, and was then called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by Church President David O. McKay...
' 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
Great Apostasy
The Great Apostasy is a term used by some religious groups to describe a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, especially the Papacy, because it allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church,...
, which previously held a prominent position just after the story of the First Vision
First Vision
The First Vision refers to a vision that Joseph Smith, Jr. said he received as a youth in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, which his followers call the Sacred Grove. Smith described it as a personal theophany in which he received a forgiveness of sins...
. 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.
1990s
Bruce L. Olsen
Bruce L. Olsen served as director of Public Affiars for the LDS Church from 1989-2008.Olsen was born in Orangeville, Utah. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University ....
, director of public affairs for the church, "The logo re-emphasizes the official name of the church and the central position of the Savior in its theology. It stresses our allegiance to the Lord, Jesus Christ."
It was also in the 1990s that the Church came to have more members living outside the United States than inside.
In 1999 the LDS Church launched a second website, FamilySearch
FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a genealogy organization established and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch consists of a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family...
.org, this one containing the Family History Library
Family History Library
The Family History Library is a genealogical research facility in downtown Salt Lake City. The library is open to the public free of charge and is operated by FamilySearch, the genealogical arm of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:The origins of the Family History...
Catalogue, databases such as the International Genealogical Index
International Genealogical Index
The International Genealogical Index is a database of genealogical records, compiled from several sources, and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
and Ancestral File and a limited number of search aids as well as a system to search for the nearest Family History Center.
Into the 21st century
On January 1, 2000, the First PresidencyFirst Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles released a proclamation entitled "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles
"The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles" is a 2000 restatement of doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
". This document commemorated the birth of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and set forth the church's official view regarding Christ.
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". This request has been almost universally ignored since.
Church leaders at the same time realized that the connection of the term "Mormon" with the church was not going away. In October 2001, the church officially launched a new web-site, mormon.org, which was aimed at providing information about the church to assist in missionary efforts.
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 Family History 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 GrayDarius Gray
Darius Gray is an African-American Latter-day Saint speaker and writer.Gray was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the mid-1960s and then attended Brigham Young University for a year...
.
Other outreach efforts included those to the Haitian Community in Miami, with specifically targeted activities and efforts connected with the dedication of a chapel in the Haitian area.
Cooperation with other religious groups
- The church has opened its broadcasting facilities (Bonneville International) to other Christian groups, and has participated in the VISN Religious Interfaith Cable Television Network.
- The church has participated in numerous joint humanitarian efforts with other religious groups.
For example, the LDS Church teamed up with Islamic Relief USA
Islamic Relief USA
Islamic Relief USA™ was founded in California in 1993 as a 501 tax exempt charity involved in international humanitarian relief efforts...
to send aid in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
In the 1990s the Church donated money to help re-build to several Protestant congregations with substantial numbers of African-Americans in the southern United States that had had their buildings burned in arsons.
The church and the media
- Official press releases http://www.newsroom.lds.org
- Explanations of basic beliefs found at lds.org and mormon.org
- Homefront
- Our Heavenly Father's Plan, Together Forever, What is Real, Prodigal Son, etc.
- Legacy, etc.
- President Hinckley's appearances on Larry King LiveLarry King LiveLarry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
- Communication with foreign countries to allow entry of missionaries