The Book of Mormon

**The Book of Mormon** is the controversial 2011 Play by *South Park* creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It is a musical-comedy parody of the Mormon religion

## Plot

### Act I

Kevin Price, a young elder, is hyped for his mission, fully hoping for a mission to Orlando, Florida (his favorite place on Earth) but gets sent to the African country of Uganda, along with the nerdy Arnold Cunningham. Upon arrival in northern Uganda, the two are robbed by soldiers of a local warlord, General Butt Fucking Naked. They are welcomed to the village by Mafala Hatimbi, where a group of villagers share their daily reality of living in appalling conditions while being ruled by the General. To make their lives seem better, the villagers repeat a phrase that translates as "Fuck you, God!".

Price and Cunningham are led to their living quarters by Nabulungi, Hatimbi's daughter. They meet their fellow missionaries stationed in the area, who have been unable to convert anyone to the Church. Elder McKinley, the district leader, teaches Price and Cunningham thought suppression. By the time they go to bed that night, Price is riddled with anxiety, but Cunningham reassures him that he will succeed and that, as his companion, Cunningham will be by his side no matter what.

Price is confident he can succeed where the other elders have failed, teaching the villagers about Joseph Smith through a song that begins as a tribute to Smith but eventually descends into a tribute by Price to himself. The General arrives and announces his demand for the genital mutilation of all female villagers. After a villager protests, the General murders him. Taking every last measure to protect her, Hatimbi commands Nabulungi to stay in their house with all the doors locked and windows closed. She protests, insisting that the women of the village will not have to stay in hiding if they listen to the missionaries, as they hold the secrets to liberation, protection, and eternal happiness. Though her protests to go out and talk to them fail, she calms down after remembering how she was moved by Price's promise of an earthly paradise and dreams of going to live in that new land with all of her fellow villagers.

The mission president has requested a progress report on their mission. Shocked by the execution and the reality of Africa, Price decides to abandon his mission and requests a transfer to Orlando. At the same time, Cunningham, ever loyal, assures Price he will follow him anywhere. However, Price unceremoniously dumps him as mission companion. Cunningham is crushed and alone, but when Nabulungi comes to him, wanting to learn more about the Book of Mormon and having convinced the villagers to listen to him, Cunningham finds the courage to take control of the situation.

### Act II

When the villagers begin to get frustrated at Cunningham's teaching of the Book of Mormon and leave, Cunningham quickly makes up stories by combining what he knows of LDS doctrine with pieces of science fiction and fantasy. Cunningham's conscience (personified by his father, Joseph Smith, Hobbits, Lt. Uhura, Darth Vader, and Yoda) admonishes him, but he rationalizes that if it helps people, it surely cannot be wrong. Price joyfully arrives in Orlando but then realizes that he is dreaming when his father questions him on if he left his mission companion. He is reminded of the nightmares of Hell he had as a child and panics when his nightmare begins again. During this dream he sees Jesus, Satan, Genghis Khan, Jeffrey Dahmer, Adolf Hitler, and Johnnie Cochran. Price awakens and decides to re-commit to his mission.

Cunningham announces several Ugandans are interested in the church. McKinley points out that unless the General is dealt with, no one will convert. Price, seeing the chance to prove his worth, sets off on the "mission he was born to do." After re-affirming his faith, he confronts the General, determined to convert him. The General is unimpressed and drags Price away.

Cunningham concludes his preaching, and the villagers are baptized, with Nabulungi and Cunningham sharing a tender moment as they do. The missionaries feel oneness with the people of Uganda and celebrate. Price is seen in the village doctor's office, having the Book of Mormon removed from his rectum. Meanwhile, the General hears of the villagers' conversion and resolves to kill them all.

Having lost his faith, Price drowns his sorrows in coffee. Cunningham finds Price and tells him they need to at least act like mission companions, as the mission president is coming to visit the Ugandan mission. Price reflects on all the broken promises the church, his parents, his friends, and life in general made to him.

Nabulungi and the villagers perform a pageant for the mission president to honor him with the story of Joseph Smith, the American Moses, which reflects the distortions put forth by Cunningham, such as having sex with a frog to cure their AIDS. The mission president is appalled, orders all the missionaries to go home, and tells Nabulungi that she and her fellow villagers are not members. Nabulungi, heartbroken at the thought that she will never reach paradise, curses God for forsaking her . Price has had an epiphany and realizes Cunningham was right all along: though scriptures are important, what is more important is getting the message across.

The General arrives, and Nabulungi is ready to submit to him, telling the villagers that Cunningham's stories are untrue. She also explains that they will never see him again but protects his reputation in their eyes by saying a lion ate him. To Nabulungi's shock, they respond that they have always known that Cunningham's stories were metaphors rather than the literal truth. Price and Cunningham arrive just in time to use Cunningham's lies of the latter being resurrected after being eaten by lions to scare the General and his men away. Price rallies the members of the Church and the Ugandans to work together to make this their paradise. Later, the newly minted Ugandan elders (including the General) go door to door.

## Songs

1. *Hello!*
2. *Two by Two*
3. *You and Me (But Mostly Me)*
4. *Hasa Diga Eebowai*
5. *Turn It Off*
6. *I Am Here for You*
7. *All-American Prophet*
8. *Sal Tlay Ka Siti*
9. *Man Up*
10. *Making Things Up Again*
11. *Spooky Mormon Hell Dream*
12. *I Believe*
13. *Baptize Me*
14. *I Am Africa*
15. *Joseph Smith American Moses*
16. *Tomorrow Is a Latter Day*