Upon the musical’s premiere, an official press release from the Church of Latter-day Saints stated that The Book of Mormon might be entertaining for a day, but that the religion itself can change your life. The church used the musical’s high-profile platform to its advantage and frequently advertised in the show’s playbills with such taglines as “You’ve seen the play, now read the book” and “the book is always better.” American actor Josh Gad, who originated the role of Elder Cunningham for Broadway, stated that the show had never received a complaint from a practising Mormon who saw the show but, paradoxically, he had heard of a few people taking up the Mormon faith upon being moved by the performance.