Meet the Mormons and the power of one

Two weeks ago I saw the Meet the Mormons movie. Since then, I have been pondering this movie's message and from it I have drawn a few lessons about how this movie can apply in our lives.

The movie was clearly designed to help people overcome some misconceptions about what it means to be Mormon. I found that this movie also successfully helped disprove some misconceptions we can have about what it means to be successful in life.  Another wonderful message of this movie is the power of one to change and improve the lives of many other people.  There is no place in the world where help is not needed. There is no problem so large that one person can't make a difference. One person can make a difference in his or her own life and in the lives of others.

The movie begins in Times Square in NYC with the Mormon comedienne Jenna Kim Jones speaking to passersby and asking them what they think of when they hear the word Mormon. Although this movie focuses upon six other individuals, the movie's effort to help us overcome false expectations of life truly begins with Jenna. She makes a successful living as a comedian while still maintaining her Mormon identity. Think of it! A person can actually make jokes for a living while staying clean and not giving into the easy temptation to be raunchy or even to swear.  Jenna was featured in a "I'm a Mormon" video sometime ago.  Jenna Kim Jones: I'm a Mormon She says that she doesn't swear in her comedy so that she can be true to herself. We don't need to hide who we are or change who we are in order to fit into others' expectations. That's a wonderful message of the Meet the Mormons movie.

One of the individuals who is profiled in Meet the Mormons is Carolina Muñoz Marin. She is a mom and an amateur kick boxer from Costa Rica.  Her devotion to kick boxing may not be a "traditional" thing for any woman to do, much less for a Mormon mother.  She goes on early morning runs, has lengthy training sessions during the day and has kick boxing matches at night.  Just because she is a stay-at-home mother does not mean she must always stay at home! Her husband supports her efforts to build on her talents by taking care of the children and getting the chores done. It is truly unfortunate if we let ourselves believe that fixing breakfast, doing laundry, taking care of the children and all the fun of raising a family isn't normal a part of a husband's life. He doesn't stop being a man when he starts to take care of the home. He lives up to his role as a man. Being active in a sport doesn't require Carolina to give up her femininity. Being involved in rough sport does not mean that she must be a rough person. Carolina used her kick boxing to help bring in donations for needy school children. She collaborated with her Catholic neighbors to spread the reach of these efforts. How motherly it is to make great efforts to be a mother to children who are not her own! One person can accomplish great things in order to provide for others.

Another individual profiled in this movie was a man named Bishnu Adhikari.  He saw the desperate needs of the people in his homeland of Nepal. Can one person bring the necessities of life to rural villages spread throughout the mountains? Yes! One man can begin a project to build a pipeline to bring water to village of 1,500 families. One source of water can save the lives of thousands of people. One group can build a school to educate generations of people.

One reason for hope can save the life of one family.  Meet the Mormons introduced us to Dawn Armstrong.  She grew up alone on the streets.  She gave birth to a son, Anthony, while in her teens.  The father of their child wanted nothing to do with his son.  Dawn met one person, then another, eventually leading her to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As she says in the movie, "One choice can change everything."  She later married a good man, continued to raise her son and have many more children. Her difficult past does not make Dawn a less worthy Mormon.  It makes her a model for Mormons!  She is an example of one who did not give up on herself or her family or her God.

One person chooses to live the truth. One person helps the poor.  Another person helps the poor in heart.  One made the choice to not give up.  One source of water quenches the thirsty.  One source of living water, the gospel of Jesus Christ, can save a soul and save a family.

The message of Meet the Mormons, to me, is to have confidence in my ability to make a difference in my own life and in the lives of others and in the willingness and power of God to make it happen. There is hope. There is truth. There are many who need it and it only takes one to bring it. The power of one.