Among the Mormons: A Survey of Current Literature

As Mormonism embarked upon the 1980s, it appeared, at least outwardly, that the Church might be well advised to prepare for a new era of journalistic sensationalism and criticism. To combat this anticipated struggle, a “Public Communications Advisory Council” composed of twenty-five prominent media representatives and business leaders was formally organized early in 1982 under the direction of Gordon B. Hinckley of the Church’s First Presidency. 

The council is charged with correcting false or inaccurate information about the Church, determining what aspects of the institution or doctrines the Public Communications Department should stress to the public, and providing new ideas on how its messages might best be communicated.[1] Thus far, the council seems to have performed its work well. The accompanying compilation of recent periodical and popular literature about Mormons and Mor monism should cause little concern to the Church hierarchy. 

While there are among these works a few disconcerting voices, they are for the most part neither controversial, or startling. That singular distinction is reserved for the week-long series of articles published by the Denver Post in late November 1982.[2]

[1] “LDS Media Council to Combat Bad Press,” Sunstone Review 2 (May 1982) : 1, 5.

[2] These articles were subsequently compiled and published as a tabloid-sized collection: James Anthon Ferrell, Utah: Inside the Church State (Denver: The Denver Post, 1982).